Stick on rulers

[B.J.]

I just wanted to relay a hint that I've found pretty useful on a couple occasions, and that is that stick on rulers can be very handy, particularly ones with a millimeter scale. Years ago I used one of these on the spinclination type Ajax mount, since mine didn't come with any scale on it. You can also wrap one around your pipe, as an indication of azimuth for a Az/El mount.
Yesterday, I moved my Primestar dish, and I set the polarization skew of the lnbf crudely by just watching the signal on my computer as I turned the lnbf, but today, I decided to check it out. The skew was supposed to be about 39.9 deg, but there aren't any markings on my mount, so I wrapped one of those stick on rulers all the way around my QPH-031, with zero at it's zero position. It was 147 mm circumference. I then checked on the ruler where the vertical mark was on the lnbf holder.... it was at 17. Did the calculation, 17/147*360=41.6 . This is pretty close to the 39.9 I was supposed to have, which surprised me. Basically right on.
Anyway, there are lots of places on TVRO setups that could benefit by having a fairly precise scale, if for no other reason than to allow you to reproduce setting when you start changing things. Only problem with the stick on rulers is that they don't stand up to sunlight and rain, etc. But they are cheap enough that if they come off, you can put a new one back on.

 

[turbosat]

I always thought that would be handy, but where would you find them? I've never looked anyplace because I figured it would be a waste of time.

 

[elder]

That's a great idea! I scanned a mm rule pasted it as a graphic then stretched it to match my circumference so that I had a degree scale to use for hour angle on my "poor man's polar mount". However, being paper it's not very durable so I can't leave it on the mount.

I also ask, where do you find them?

 

[B.J.]

Re where they are found? I can't remember. I bought some of them about 10 years ago, but I forget where I found them. One of them is kind of like a roll of Scotch tape, except that it has mm markings on it. Another one is heavier, more like electrical tape, but not stretchy. That one was in inches. I put some of that on my fishing box, and on my canoe. The two rolls I have were pretty much a lifetime supply, maybe that's why they aren't easy to find, because there aren't any return sales.

 

[Larobpra]

Here's one made for outdoor use - not metric though.

Cabela's 36 Stick-On Ruler

Here's another one that is metric -

Handy-Rule | Peel and Stick Rulers

And here's a magnetic one!

Flexible Magnetic Measuring Tape : 07286 - Buy.com

 

[B.J.]

I just looked at the mm tape I used this time (I couldn't find some of the other kinds I have).
It is called "Scalafix Scales" , and it's basically like a roll of Scotch tape. It was purchased from a place called Bel-Art Products. I did a Google, and could find reference to people using the tape, but couldn't find a source, and it seems like the Bel-Art place must have been bought out by some other company. I think it was a laboratory supply type company (I used to work in chem labs and dealt with places like that).
Anyway, maybe you can't find THIS stuff anymore, but maybe some of those found by Larobpra might work as well.

 

[Mauiguy]

I did a search for "self-adhesive measuring tape" and came up with many results. One of which is: Craft Supplies on Etsy - Self Adhesive Measuring Tape - Orange by StickyMeasure

 

[mclapp]

This place is adhesive rule heaven you name it they got it.
http://http://www.oregonruleco.com/

 

[turbosat]

Here's another one::
Handy-Rule | Peel and Stick Rulers