Do the solar actuators have reed switches and magnetic pulse?
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replacement actuator motors
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I'm assuming they have something so the motor knows where it is, but as far as knowing for sure I have no clue. I have read that guys were using old satellite dish actuators to move solar arrays so it's at least possible they use magnetic reed switches
I was reading a few years ago that when using c band actuators they would build a small circuit to drive the motor made out of LEDs. They would have 2 (sometimes 4 if the dish was an az/el mount with 2 motors) LEDs that was set to move towards east or west depending on which led was gathering more light. I don't remember for sure but I think they would use 5 volt circuit to control the reed switches to operate the 36 volt power to be applied to the motor to move the solar array.
Sent from my RCT6573W23 using the SatelliteGuys app!
Sent from my RCT6573W23 using the SatelliteGuys app!
Just because i was borred this morning i did some checking. It appears that in "most" applications the actuators offered appear to be compatible, for example ventures 24" actuator offered for solar system tracking is the same part number i have seen offered as a 24" c-band linear actuator. I wasnt able to find where i seen the 48" actuator but 36" is available, but most appear to be 24" and smaller. So it would appear that they are compatible reed switch and all.
LocutusOfBorg
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Got my new Venture actuator yesterday and installed it today. It works but I need to see about waterproofing the cable going into the actuator. The pulse counts are quite a bit different. I don't like those split mounts that come with these actuators now - too many nuts and bolts and the actuator can slip if the 4 bolts around the ball joint aren't tight enough and if they're "overtightened" then the ball won't move freely. The older clamps that I have are single piece and are riveted where the 4 bolts around the ball are now. But, I used the manufacturer provided parts and followed their instructions since they know better than me. But the instructions weren't 100% clear though. Anyway, I was expecting an accordion boot but one wasn't provided. There are some wiring issues to look at since the cable black to motor white and cable red to motor red made the actuator move in the wrong direction - I had red to red and black to black on the Gbox but reversed them to get the dish to move in the right direction - too dark now to mess with it outside. Oh well, it works. When I get the chance and figure out how to disassemble the old actuator I'll get it dried out and re-greased. Hopefully I'll be able to do this myself without making things worse - it is my understanding that turning the shaft is a "no-no" and would mess the thing up.
What turning the shaft does is change the hardware limits by the number of turns you turn it by hand. Just as long as you are aware of the changes not a big deal.
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