Mad science time again ..

[wod]

once you have the pieces shaped how are they going to stay in the slots are they a tight fit or you going to have it welded up so its solid ?

 

[Vipersan]

once you have the pieces shaped how are they going to stay in the slots are they a tight fit or you going to have it welded up so its solid ?

Hi Wod ..
No they wont be fixed ...
Thats the whole point really..
The idea is to be able slide them in and out ..altering the profile to best illuminate the dish ..
ie ..fully adjustable..
rgds
VS

 

[wod]

Hi Wod ..
No they wont be fixed ...
Thats the whole point really..
The idea is to be able slide them in and out ..altering the profile to best illuminate the dish ..
ie ..fully adjustable..
rgds
VS

i see and next to motorise it to get the best position on each cband satellite ?

have you got rid of the tree yet blocking the view too lol.

 

[Vipersan]

i see and next to motorise it to get the best position on each cband satellite ?

have you got rid of the tree yet blocking the view too lol.

Sadly no mate ...I suspect I'd have complaints If I attacked the troublesome tree ...but I still pray for a lightning strike

 

[Vipersan]

Well....finally the formers are made ...
Hopefully I'll be able to form the aluminium scalar rings soon ..
I shall be trying with a bit of surplus ally first to get a 'feel' for it ...and I have to make the mount platform and brackets first ...
But you'll get an idea of the process from the vertical bolt and sandwiched ally strip in a couple of the photos ..
The chap who made the 2 larger formers deserves a big thank-you ..
The smallest one I made by hand ..and he finished off ...
All done on a lathe ...and saving me a helluva lot of work.
rgds
VS
;)

 

[mouse3]

Nice work Mr. Vipersan,looks to be made by factory...and here one picture with my homemade offset feed.

 

[Vipersan]

Very inventive Mouse
This board is full of creative people ...count yourself as one of them ;)
rgds
VS

 

[mouse3]

Very inventive Mouse
This board is full of creative people ...count yourself as one of them ;)
rgds
VS

Thanks



The message it s too short....Thank You.

 

[Vipersan]

Hi friends ..
Well ..the smaller scalar cylinder is complete ..
It took me 2 days for a job that should have taken hours...
Just prior to christmas someone kindly exposed me to a simple cold or virus ...and with my compromised immune system it is a helluva ordeal for me ..
ended up in bed hardly able to move and lost about 70% function in my hands on the 23rd dec ..
Finally managed to get up yesterday ..and still aching and about 50% hand function ..
So since I only have a week off work ..decided to make a start on creating the bending apparatus using the wooden formers ..
A combination of cold bending the 2mm strip ...and heating for an hour in the oven whilst trussed with steel wire ..then dropping quickly into cold water to secure the shape ..
some cutting and fileing ..and the inner cylinder is complete ..
I think this one is the most difficult ..and so I started with this one ...working on the assumption ..if I could manufacture this one ..then the other 2 should be easier to shape..

As usual ..here are some pics ...including the forming board..
Now I'm off for a lie down ..as a few hours work have left me totally exhausted..
MS is a devasting condition ...and anyone who has it deserves your sympathy..
rgds
VS
or should I sign ..
HR ..
;)

 

[Lazarus]

Sorry to hear of your illness, old fiend - seems to be a regular hazard for you during winter - but as per usual occupational therapy is the best palliative.

I've only the scantest (I was going to say "scantiest", but don't want to excite you) knowledge of what you're doing, but it's entertaining and educational.

 

[Vipersan]

Sorry to hear of your illness, old fiend - seems to be a regular hazard for you during winter - but as per usual occupational therapy is the best palliative.

I've only the scantest (I was going to say "scantiest", but don't want to excite you) knowledge of what you're doing, but it's entertaining and educational.

I'm _sure_ you understand Gordon ...
..but for anyone who doesn't ...here is a picture of the completed feed in convex mode ..
Because the individual scalar cylinders can be height adjusted ...convex or concave mode can be set ..
The idea being ..to make the scalar feed adjustable to illuminate the maximum dish area ..
It may not work ..its just theory ..but it seems to me that if I _do_ one day try extending the dish diameter by adding 'wings' ..then ..the adjustable scalar feed will prove its worth..
As I said ..just an idea ..but if ya don't try ..you'll never know..
rgds
VS

 

[PaulR]

So sorry you've had a rubbish week VS. Your project will soon be finished though I'm sure; keep up the good work.

 

[Vipersan]

2 down ...1 to go ..
but a slight problem ..
You learn as you go it seems.
You'll notice there is a slight gap in the inner ring ..and a much larger gap ..almost 1cm on the second ring ..
These didn't exist prior to roasting in the oven ..and rapid cooling ..
So it would appear that aluminium contracts permanently during this process...
You live an learn ...
Still it shouldn't affect performance too much ..and I can always make up the gap by bridging with aluminium foil..
The final ring I shall try to make with less of a gap ..by leaving it 1cm larger than needed (prior to roasting) ..assuming the strip is long enough to begin with.
rgds
VS

 

[nelson_b]

So it would appear that aluminium contracts permanently during this process...
You live an learn ...
VS

indeed -- i wouldn,t have been expecting that to happen ---

looking good though -- its an interesting project .

sorry to hear you,v had health problems over the holiday period --

cheers.

 

[Vipersan]

indeed -- i wouldn,t have been expecting that to happen ---

looking good though -- its an interesting project .

sorry to hear you,v had health problems over the holiday period --

cheers.

Thanks Nelson ..
Yep ..had a rough few days ...and still not right ..but Since being active proved good therapy in the past ..I figured ..it might work again.
As to the ally thing ..it came as a huge shock to me .
I noticed the small gap appear when manufacturing the first ring ..and put it down to an error on my part ..
..but having been nore careful on the second ..and double checking the diameter against the plate _before_ it was roasted in the oven ...I was gobsmacked at such a large gap appearing ..but the cylinder does retain its shape afterwards ...so something changes with the metal ..
Atoms packed closer together ??
They used to use exactly this principle to put iron rims on cart wheels ..and hoops on barrels ..but thats iron of course ..and much hotter temperatures.
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

BTW buddy ..One of the feed frequencies on 5W
FREQ 4117 L
SR 2222
FEC 3/4
DVBS/QPSK

has been showing an african music channel '1 Music' for a couple of days ..
Not sure if its a feed ..made active just over christmas ..or indeed ..a permanent channel ..
Have logged it i just in case ..and sent details to Lyngsat

Also ..the 4 channel ETV mux has reappeared at 20 East ..at about 5db ..and very lockable..
but would argue with the listed freq ..
3861 L
tp 4 ETV (Ethiopia)
DVB-S 8825-3/4

I make it 3863...
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

Well guys ..She's got her ribs..
The problem re- the metal shrinkage due to heating and rapid cooling is still evident ..but have managed to keep it to half of what it might have been ..by allowing a 1cm overlap preheating ..
Sadly the rib strip wasn't long enough for more...but I'm very happy with the result
She's beautiful ;)
Now to think up a design to allow it to be clamped to the lnb waveguide ..
Just havethe Pauxis wedged in place for her photoshoot..
rgds
VS

 

[Lazarus]

James Dyson has jobs for chaps like you.

 

[Vipersan]

Last day of the holiday ...so figured it prudent to resume work on the adjustable feed project ..
Cur a 1cm thick circle out of white ptfe or upvc (not actually certain) ...the kind of stuff used to make plastic windows and doors ..
This piece was originally a plastic window sill..
Shaped and fitted than bolted to the inner side of the base plate ....but not before it was tapped ..and a stainless steel grub screw was fitted to line up with the cut outs and gaps in the scalar ribs ..
Well you'll get the idea ..
Here are the pics
rgds
VS

 

[Vipersan]

Andy Finally for now ..
I couldn't resist a temporary fitting ...so Christina ...thats my 1.8 pf ...could pose fot a photoshoot before the light fades ;)
Yes ..I know I'm sad ..

No Idea how well or poor it will perform ..as technically Its not even fitted at the 'sweet spot' yet ..
But I'll be trying it out later..
rgds
VS