Motorised System Maintenance

Lazarus

Lazarus

Retired Moderator
My Satellite Setup
80cm Motorised.
Several small Dishes.
Much else.
My Location
North York Moors
Having just started the Springtime Dish Project Season with bringing back into service my Motorised TD110 on Patio Mount, my enthusiasm got the better off me and I've also been looking at the condition of my T & K Mounted Motorised 80cm Dish.

The good news is that it remains solid and stable, but the not so good news is that the Motor Bracket (Motek SG2100) and clamps/fasteners are all showing advanced signs of corrosion. I have slapped on a couple of coats of Kurust but I'd be surprised if the corrosion doesn't lead to a failure in the next couple of years.

Not a big issue for me as the dish is accessible if I get onto my Boiler House roof, but it does beg the question as to whether folk with rather less accessible systems ever inspect them closely for signs of mechanical degradation ?

I also find it surprising that bracketry intended for use in exposed conditions should use such poorly protected materials.
 
Tivù said:
I also find it surprising that bracketry intended for use in exposed conditions should use such poorly protected materials.
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Are you close to the sea? :)
 
Yes, 40 miles .................................. !!
 
Tivù said:
Yes, 40 miles .................................. !!
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In your experience is that close enough to accelerate corrosion? (have zero experience personally - am a considerable distance from the sea myself)
 
I was being ironic >>> 40 miles is a long way from saline influence!
 
Tivù said:
I was being ironic >>> 40 miles is a long way from saline influence!
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OK :) I did say I had zero experience..... I've seen sand from the Sahara dumped on London so I wondered if the effect of a saline atmosphere could also have a long reach :)
 
It's just poor choice of materials,especially plating. ie Cheap!
 
Tivù said:
It's just poor choice of materials,especially plating. ie Cheap!
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Do you know the original source ?
 
Yes, it's a bog standard OEM Moteck SG2100 from DVB Shop 24.

Oddly, the cheapo clone (Fortec Turner) I use on my other system is in good nick and shows no appreciable corrosion.
 
Does it not depend on whether the coating was broken during adjustments? Mine breaks off each time I make adjustments, which in turn rusts. But then, I am 50 metres away from the sea...
 
That's an interesting and probably valid point, looking at the way the plating is peeling in places - but it's not been touched for three or four years at least, and as far as I can recall only had two installations episodes plus a storm induced realignment.

I'm not too bothered about my own, but just wondered what state some hard to get at installations might be in.
 
I've never been happy with the brackets that came with my Jaeger Superjack motor, they are made from zintec (zinc pre-plated crap mild steel) so obviously when the brackets are pressed the cut edges are unprotected.
My solution was to machine some custom brackets from solid stainless steel, I measured the diameter of the pole with a micrometer and calculated the positions of the teeth using pythagoras and whizzed them off on a cnc miller in less than an hour, I reckon they're overkill but at least I know they will out last me.
 

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Approximately 60 miles from the coast, that salty sea air certainly travels some distance. :)
 

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Wow, never seen before a poor dish in such a bad shape! :cool: :eek:
 
strs65 said:
Wow, never seen before a poor dish in such a bad shape! :cool: :eek:
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The system would have been put in around 1989/1990 (the package included a Sat300 - or even a 200 receiver), so it has been on the chimney for almost a quarter of a century.
 
Channel Hopper said:
The system would have been put in around 1989/1990 (the package included a Sat300 - or even a 200 receiver), so it has been on the chimney for almost a quarter of a century.
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I find it interesting that the installer of the newer dish a. left the earlier dish in place b. preferred to install a new mounting rather than use the old mast c. only drilled one bolt hole.... (OK - maybe there are more than one but there is visibly an empty hole). I also appreciate how dish now blends in quite well with the brickwork :)
 
hairybadger said:
I find it interesting that the installer of the newer dish a. left the earlier dish in place b. preferred to install a new mounting rather than use the old mast c. only drilled one bolt hole.... (OK - maybe there are more than one but there is visibly an empty hole). I also appreciate how dish now blends in quite well with the brickwork :)
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The roof is part of a council block, with about ten shared apartments below. It's a good roof to climb though, concrete tiling and shallow.
 
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