what do I need to move a bud?

[i1ano2]

thanks for the tip

Hi, you might want to simply hook up the two heavy wires (might be green and white) that go into the actuator motor to two car batteries hooked up in series for 24 volts. If the motor is good the actuator should move in one direction. You can reverse the direction by simply flipping the two wires.

BTW - from all the rust I see in the picture I would hose of the end of the actuator with WD-40 and you might even drill a small hole in the body of the actuator about 2/3 of the way up from the motor and stick the small red tube from the WD-40 can in the hole and hose of the inside. Then try to move it. If the motor tries to move then starts to drag stop and reverse the wires. Go back and forward with the motor to free up the actuator. With a little luck it will free up and move full travel. Make sure you do not hold the wires on the batteries if the motor stalls. It will damage it.

If you get it free up you can plug the small hole with a dab of silicone sealant.

I wish you luck. DC

Thanks delta_charlie, it was a little stuck, but with some lubeoil and elbow grease, it is working smooth as can be, at least off the dish.
I believe I am ready now to hook things up, just have to order a gbox and lnbf. I sure appreciate all the tips, and I expect I will have some more questions before it is all over.

 

[delta_charlie]

Thanks delta_charlie, it was a little stuck, but with some lubeoil and elbow grease, it is working smooth as can be, at least off the dish.
I believe I am ready now to hook things up, just have to order a gbox and lnbf. I sure appreciate all the tips, and I expect I will have some more questions before it is all over.

Hi, glad to read it helped. Here are a few more tricks from the duct tape and bailing wire bag - you might be able to get half of the transponders on the satellites by gently moving the probe inside the feed horn with a pair of needle nose pliers with masking tape wrapped around the tips to prevent scratching the probe. Set it to vertical or horizontal with the dish in the due south position and then move the dish west and east using the car battery trick above. Scan for the satellites that interest you and with a little luck you might find something. If the LNB is good you might want to consider a Pansat 3500, it can control the servo motor and the Gbox can control the actuator motor. Just another way to go.

Hope this helps, DC

 

[truckracer]

Actually i wouldn't try turning the probe with pliars, remove the four screws and servo motor off the feedhorn and turn the plastic insert that fits into the servo motor.

 

[i1ano2]

how do I find true south with a bud?

I have already ordered the gbox and the geosat c2 lnb. I am hoping to make it as simple as can be. But I was wondering, how do you go to 0 with an actuator on a big dish? AMC 9 at 83 will be my southern most satellite. How do I know if the dish is at the highest point? I can't see any marks to indicate the middle.
I hope to start trying to tune in some signals tomorrow, so I hope I can figure it out.

 

[Lak7]

But I was wondering, how do you go to 0 with an actuator on a big dish?

That is where Tweaking comes in.
Though alignment is critical, C Band is very forgiving, just being close, you will get a signal.

How do I know if the dish is at the highest point?

What I do is just Eyeball it first: Loosen the Actuator Arm Clamp and slide to what looks to be the highest point. Set the Declination angle.

AMC 9 at 83 will be my southern most satellite.

That will be the Challenge, as there is not a C Band Signal until 87 west. So I would rotate the whole mount, not drive the Arm, and find 87 West. Make a Reference Mark on the Mount and Pole. Rotate whole mount to the East, back to 83: on a 3.5" Pole, that is about 1/8". Recheck for Plumb, and Main Axis Angle.
Depending on your Arm Setup, mine is on the Right Side, when at the back of the BUD. Setup Receiver for the farthest West Sat as you can get. Retract the Arm all the way, then drive out a little, 1/2" or so, then slide the Arm in the Clamp until your far west Sat pops in, tighten Arm clamp. Now an Arm is not Horizon-To-Horizon, when setting the Sat to the East of you True South Sat, becarefull!!!! The Arm can extend and hit the mount. Set the Physical Limits too!

Just an FYI: I'm at 88west, and can get from 43 west to 139 west with a 24" arm, that is the Absolute Max for my 10' Unimesh.

 

[i1ano2]

Any strong signals on Brasilsat at 84?

That is where Tweaking comes in.
Though alignment is critical, C Band is very forgiving, just being close, you will get a signal.


What I do is just Eyeball it first: Loosen the Actuator Arm Clamp and slide to what looks to be the highest point. Set the Declination angle.

That will be the Challenge, as there is not a C Band Signal until 87 west.

What about Brasilsat at 84? That would be pretty close, are there any strong signals coming from it, there sure seem to be a lot of channels.

I have the probe on the old lnb at veritcal, at least I think so. So I am going to try to find some vertical signals before I change the lnb. I hope it is still good, I think one thing at a time would be the best way to go.


So I would rotate the whole mount, not drive the Arm, and find 87 West. Make a Reference Mark on the Mount and Pole. Rotate whole mount to the East, back to 83: on a 3.5" Pole, that is about 1/8". Recheck for Plumb, and Main Axis Angle.

Depending on your Arm Setup, mine is on the Right Side, when at the back of the BUD. Setup Receiver for the farthest West Sat as you can get. Retract the Arm all the way, then drive out a little, 1/2" or so, then slide the Arm in the Clamp until your far west Sat pops in, tighten Arm clamp. Now an Arm is not Horizon-To-Horizon, when setting the Sat to the East of you True South Sat, becarefull!!!! The Arm can extend and hit the mount. Set the Physical Limits too!

I have not changed anything. The dish was set up and used only about 7 miles from my home, so I figure the elevation and declination angles should be perfect. And I will not change the actuator mount until I see if I need to, hopefully, it will be perfect too.


Just an FYI: I'm at 88west, and can get from 43 west to 139 west with a 24" arm, that is the Absolute Max for my 10' Unimesh.

Just looking at lyngsat, I don't see much east of 87, is there anything to look at over there? On my ku dish, I go from 74 to 127, and I don't see much on c band past those sats either.

 

[Lak7]

Just looking at lyngsat, I don't see much east of 87, is there anything to look at over there?

NASA, C Band, is on AMC6 @ 72 west, also feeds there too.

On my ku dish, I go from 74 to 127, and I don't see much on c band past those sats either.

After 129 west, it's C Band only, mostly for 4DTV and Headends, but plenty of DVB stuff, I find it worth my while to have them.