Pole not 100% vertical

[Zed]

Hi,

I'm installing a motorised satellite system for my nephew. I've installed the wall bracket, which is a 'L' shape bracket, however I can't get it 100% vertical. Well, it's more or less vertical when facing the bracket (about 0.2-0.4 degrees off) however the pole slopes backward ever-so slightly (a maximum of 2.5 degrees).

Will this have a big affect on my motor's tracking of the arc?

 

[sonnetpete]

Basically, yes it will. If you've only got the wall bracket up and not mounted the dish/motor, just think how far out it will be with that hanging on there as well. To an extent you can compensate for 'out of true' but it's going to complicate things when you come to setting up. I'd ditch the 'L' bracket and go for a T&K arrangement with a sturdy pole. Somewhat easier to adjust for 'plumbness' though of course you should aim to get it right first off!

 

[Zed]

Thanks for the reply

I'd take it down and start all over but it's a concrete pebble-dashed wall, getting the bracket installed flush is almost impossible! I'll see how badly it performs, and google some compensation techniques, and if its impossible to live with, ill start again

Thanks

 

[Lazarus]

Washers as shims ..............

 

[Zed]

Thanks Tivu. I'll give that a go.

 

[sonnetpete]

Actually, having thought about it last night, by the time you get the dish and motor on the mount, their combined weight may well compensate for the 'backwards' lean of the 'L' bracket. I'd check the verticality again after you put them on, at least you'd then have an idea of how many washers to buy! (I had to do the same with my first motorised setup, then I moved on to T & K's)

What size dish are you proposing using? The bigger dishes will be more susceptible (performance wise) to a lack of 'plumbness', due to their narrower focus.

 

[satelliteman]

Sometimes the weight of the dish and motor can pull the L type back level when mounted. The advice though is to stick with a TK arrangement.

 

[Zed]

Hey,

The dish is a Triax 110, so it's fairly big. I'll try the suggestions put forward, thanks. Btw, the inclinometer I'm using is on my iPhone, so maybe not the most accurate?

Thanks again.

 

[Robbo]

There should be no debate, with a dish that size and the pebble dashed wall go straight for the T+K's. I don't think that the inclinometer on the iphone is too bad, anyway you can check it with a spirit level.

 

[Zed]

Hi guys, just a quick update and to say thanks for the advice. Got the dish installed and the weight of the motor and dish pulled the bracket pretty much level. Dish is pulling in everything attainable from 42e to 30w, even Badr 26e! Thanks again.

 

[Lazarus]

Well done - that's a pretty decent outcome.

 

[satelliteman]

Great result.

 

[archive10]

One wonders - if you'd had it mounted so it was 100% vertical, maybe it would now be out-of-vertical!
Glad to hear it worked out. You can get lucky once in a while.

 

[Huevos]

Btw, the inclinometer I'm using is on my iPhone, so maybe not the most accurate?

To know the accuracy for sure check it the right way up and then turn the phone upside down and recheck (using the same side of the phone). If it reads the same inclination both ways up the measurement would be pretty accurate... or if it reads 4º one way and 2º the other you know the real reading is 3º.

 

[smiffie]

the inclinometer I'm using is on my iPhone, so maybe not the most accurate?

I would personally avoid using the Iphone, the last time I did, it was a couple of degrees out from my usual level so I didn't trust it. Besides that I'd be terrified of dropping the fecker from the ladder and smashing it to kingdom come! How much do they cost nowadays?

 

[Zed]

It's an iPhone 3g, so it needs replacing soon anyway You can pick those up for a couple of hundred quid. I'll have a look for a magnetic digital inclinometer on eBay - probably a better option than the iPhone.

 

[sonnetpete]

.......I'll have a look for a magnetic digital inclinometer on eBay - probably a better option than the iPhone.

I use one of those all the time now. But then I like to have my setup correct to .1°, as the larger the dish, the more sensitive it is to 'out of plumb'. A bit cheaper to replace if you drop it too!

 

[rolfw]

My quick tool for making masts vertical is a fence post leveller, gives level indication in two directions, works really well on standard motorised systems and can be bought for a very small amount of money.

 

[satelliteman]

The Wixey angle finders are good.

Desc: Digital angle measuring tool (inclinometer) can be used in a wide variety of applications for setting angle over the full 360° range. Simply place it on a reference surface to zero, and then on to the surface to be measured and it gives a digital readout of angle with a 0.1° accuracy. It has a tough Aluminium frame which has high strength magnetic inserts to support the weight of the unit, and to enable hands free reading.