I need help going from fixed to motorized

[alfa155btcc]

Hi To You All,

I live in the UK and have a Topfield TF5000Ci Satelite Box and an 80cm fixed dish with 2 Digital LNB`s, Pointing at Hotbird 13 & Astra 19.2. I have bought a alsat dark motor h-h would this work okay together with satelite box ? I need your help, would a photo of the way my dish is fixed to wall help ?

Many Thanks
alfa155btcc

[William Eng]

Originally Posted by alfa155btcc

Hi To You All,

I live in the UK and have a Topfield TF5000Ci Satelite Box and an 80cm fixed dish with 2 Digital LNB`s, Pointing at Hotbird 13 & Astra 19.2. I have bought a alsat dark motor h-h would this work okay together with satelite box ? I need your help, would a photo of the way my dish is fixed to wall help ?

Many Thanks
alfa155btcc

Do you have the TF5000Ci or TF5000CiP model?? From their website, Topfield Australia : Topfield TF5000CiP , only the TF5000CiP model can control a motor. If you have the TF5000Ci model, then you are out of luck. Hope you are not in the flooded areas in the UK.

[alfa155btcc]

I have the TF5000ci model and on remote it have button for motorized dish ?????

[William Eng]

Originally Posted by alfa155btcc

I have the TF5000ci model and on remote it have button for motorized dish ?????

You can try this. Disconnect the cable from the LNB and attach it to the motor. Try pushing the botton on your remote to see if the motor moves. This way you won't distrub the dish setting itself.

[alfa155btcc]

Hello Again,

I will try that and let you know how i get on, very grateful for you information

Regards Again
alfa155btcc

[alfa155btcc]

Hello Again,

Tried it and it work. I have attached photo`s of where my satelite is with fittings what do you think would i need anything else like larger pole to mount motor or would it be ok ??

Regards
alfa155btcc

[Sadoun]

Very interesting way of mounting it.. Never seen that before. It is smart and if it works for you why not.. :-)

[alfa155btcc]

Sorry should of explained better, I have this satelite as a fixed and am going to a motorized would i need different arm could it work on the existing fittings, any help would be most grateful ?? and other arms that i could buy that would be better then please advise guys

Best Regards
alfa155btcc

[wejones]

For the motorized system to work, the rotation axis of the motor needs to be pointed about 2/3 of a degree higher than the north pole, ie almost parallel to the earth's axis. To do this, it is MUCH easier if you have the motor mounted on a plumb pole. You can get by with a pole that isn't plumb, but it can't be done with a pole that is horizontal. So I'd recommend replacing that right angle pole the dish is attached to, and just use a straight vertical pole.
Then, however, since your mounting bracket comes in from the side instead of vertically, your dish will be sideways using the bracket you have. You might be able to get by with a single lnbf dish this way, although H/V would be reversed, but with your 2 lnbf system, only one would work, plus I'm not sure that you could get much arc before the dish or lnbf arm hit something when mounted sideways. So I'd recommend getting a bracket, such as the pole mount or U-bolt bracket the Sadoun sells. You could make one, but the bracket needs to be able to tilt to give your proper declination, so it's probably better to purchase one.

[William Eng]

First recommendation is to mark your current setting of your dish set up. It would be easier if you have a laser beam level, you can these up at the hardware stores. Use the laser to mark where your dish is pointing to, let's say satellite X at XX degree E. After you attached the motor, you can use your previous markings as a guide.

Is the roof portion of the mast plumb? If it is, you could just slide down part of your mast so that you have a vertical mast to work with. Definately need a vertical mast for a motor setup.

[wejones]

Originally Posted by William Eng

..... Definately need a vertical mast for a motor setup.

You don't *NEED* a vertical mast, but it sure makes things easier, and the further away from vertical, the harder it gets.
Years ago, some fellow used to demonstrate BUD alignment by mounting the dish on a pole tilted by about 45 deg or something (I didn't see this, but read about it in the sat group back then). I didn't beleive it was possible, so I made a little wooden scale model of a dish on a polar mount to prove that it wasn't possible. Unfortunately for my argument, I ended up proving that it WAS possible.
If the pole isn't too far out of plumb, it just takes a few back and forth adjustments, but if it's way out of plumb, you really need the help of inclinometers.

[alfa155btcc]

Originally Posted by wejones

For the motorized system to work, the rotation axis of the motor needs to be pointed about 2/3 of a degree higher than the north pole, ie almost parallel to the earth's axis. To do this, it is MUCH easier if you have the motor mounted on a plumb pole. You can get by with a pole that isn't plumb, but it can't be done with a pole that is horizontal. So I'd recommend replacing that right angle pole the dish is attached to, and just use a straight vertical pole.
Then, however, since your mounting bracket comes in from the side instead of vertically, your dish will be sideways using the bracket you have. You might be able to get by with a single lnbf dish this way, although H/V would be reversed, but with your 2 lnbf system, only one would work, plus I'm not sure that you could get much arc before the dish or lnbf arm hit something when mounted sideways. So I'd recommend getting a bracket, such as the pole mount or U-bolt bracket the Sadoun sells. You could make one, but the bracket needs to be able to tilt to give your proper declination, so it's probably better to purchase one.

Hi, Thanks for the advice, I am not an expert but am taking it all in bit by bit, so where would i get this straight vertical pole from ??

Regards
alfa155btcc

[alfa155btcc]

P.S

I also have a SATELLITE FINDER SATELITE DIGITAL SIGNAL METER.

Could this be of help to me in fitting motorized dish ?

[wejones]

Originally Posted by alfa155btcc

Hi, Thanks for the advice, I am not an expert but am taking it all in bit by bit, so where would i get this straight vertical pole from ??
...

Just any straight piece of pipe in the mount you already have. Like William Eng said, perhaps you can just use the straight portion of the pole you already have, ie re-mount it so it goes straight up.
You'll still need a different bracket though, something like
pole mount

or

U-bolt bracket.

I think the pole mount would be easier for you to adapt, but maybe not.
But either should allow you to adjust the dish elevation to get the proper declination (scales would probably not be meaningful).
Basically your motor bolts onto the vertical pole, and this bracket connects the dish to your motor's shaft.

[William Eng]

Originally Posted by alfa155btcc

P.S

I also have a SATELLITE FINDER SATELITE DIGITAL SIGNAL METER.

Could this be of help to me in fitting motorized dish ?

I use a water pipe that I brought from the hardware store. Signal meters can help if you have never done this before. Since you already have a fixed dish aimed at a specify satellite, you can use that information to help you re-aim with a motor.

On the topic of weird mounts, a friend of mine has his satellite dish (offset) lying on the ground, but he still gets an 80% signal from G3C. I read from other sites that this is possible but not recommened since rain water collects at the bottom.

[alfa155btcc]

Originally Posted by wejones

Just any straight piece of pipe in the mount you already have. Like William Eng said, perhaps you can just use the straight portion of the pole you already have, ie re-mount it so it goes straight up.
You'll still need a different bracket though, something like
pole mount

or

U-bolt bracket.

I think the pole mount would be easier for you to adapt, but maybe not.
But either should allow you to adjust the dish elevation to get the proper declination (scales would probably not be meaningful).
Basically your motor bolts onto the vertical pole, and this bracket connects the dish to your motor's shaft.

This bracket would not come in the motor i brought it is a -



Satellite Dark Motor, All Diseqc H-H Mount ALSAT MOTOR



i have attched a photo of product.

Thanks in your guys help

Saluti
alfa155btcc

[wejones]

Originally Posted by alfa155btcc

This bracket would not come in the motor i brought ...

No the bracket would normally come with the dish, not the motor, but they can be purchased separately.