Restoring a working antique dish to full functionality..

[John]

Is there no way to install the laser at the reflector end ? It would save time.

For anyone wishing to try similar on a PF dish.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/278395455491

That's a very nice laser kit there that you have shown us CH, ordered one for the toolbox

 

[Vipersan]

yep just popped bagged a green chargeable one for myself...
sod the expense.
lol

 

[hexah]

No gurantees of course of the central accuracy of the laser pen...but imo...close enough for government work..

After 15 years of useless governments I can confidently state some twigs held together with cotton thread is more than good enough for government work . . .

 

[Vipersan]

Got the cat toy laser pen mounted where the lnb would fit...and unsurprisingly the laser pen does not produce a beam that is central.
Rotating the pen whilst switched on draws a circle with the laser point beam approximately 2 inches diameter which imo is just not good enough.
So..I decided to make one that mounts in the centre of the dish ..which will point toward the lnb holder....as per CHs suggestion.
The bore sighter will be fitted here when I receive it.
In the meantime I have removed the dish centre plate again ...and fabricated a 2mm thick aluminium disc to replace it.
you can see the original on the right (black)....with its replacement on the left.
Already centre drilled as are the screw mount points for fixing.
It is approx 2cm larger diameter ...why ?
Cos that was the diameter of the grass bowl I strarted with...
I ...can always reduce the diameter if I need to.
A work in progress so to speak.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Got the cat toy laser pen mounted where the lnb would fit...and unsurprisingly the laser pen does not produce a beam that is central.
Rotating the pen whilst switched on draws a circle with the laser point beam approximately 2 inches diameter which imo is just not good enough.

I would suspect you get the same if the pen is rotated on its own , indoors since the manufacturer isn't treating central placement of the laser as part of the design.

 

[Vipersan]

I would suspect you get the same if the pen is rotated on its own , indoors since the manufacturer isn't treating central placement of the laser as part of the design.

Totally agree Stephen...
Anyhoo...for good or ill I have bolted a steel bracket to the mid point of the suspect panel ..and hooked a comealong to it and to the pole support metal which in turn is bolted to the wall of my house....
I added a click tighter every half hour....and although the steel bracket has deformed the folded over edge of the panel a little (hopefully can be corrected later with a hammer and the wooden former)...it does appear to have improved the overall shape and those green strings now touch the others and all colours appear to cross over at the same point.
I can only hope this improvement is retained once the steel cable is removed....but fwiw the winch will remain in place for a few days.
Your honest opinion of the attached pictures would be appreciated.
Is there method in my madness...?...time will tell.
but I cant see it being worse fwiw.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Well, you can't get much better than that.

I would slacken off a turn or two and see if Christine goes back to her old shape, if so you can always re-tighten (and a bit more) to see if there is a point that allows the same profile once the cable is released.

 

[Vipersan]

Yes indeed...I had it in mind to tighten a couple of clicks past the current point of elasticity...
most likely I'll slacken the winch off tomorrow and take a look again at the strings.

Also interested to see if I can get ther bore sighter to project the green laser through that 14mm tunnel in the plastic cat toy holder postitioned at the lnb holder ...once I've made it of course...
....that _would_ indeed be quite an achievemet.

putting my eye to that tunnel I do see the string crossing point...but no way I can get a decent photo..
maybe after dark ?

 

[Channel Hopper]

OK, Ive carried out various post moves and copy overs from the Low symbol rate thread.

Will clean up other bits and bobs soon.

 

[Vipersan]

OK, Ive carried out various post moves and copy overs from the Low symbol rate thread.

Will clean up other bits and bobs soon.

Very much appreciated CH both by me and most likely other forum users.