SMW OA 1600 dish

RimaNTSS

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Measured weight of SMW OA 1600 and also SMW OA 1400, both are 10,3kg. I think that manual shows weight of antenna + mount. So, those dishes are relatively light, just a little heavier than CM120.
 
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Now that you've brought focus on this model of dish, I couldn't resist picking up this one locally...

Complete set-up with everything including LNBs (!), fairly good condition, with not-so-much rust. Will need new nuts and bolts, washers etc, though (I know, I know. INOX).
Had to take it apart to fit in the car. Only one bolt was almost stuck. A combination of copious amounts of WD40 and force made the bolt yeild, and all came apart nicely.

Will post more pics of the dish later.

Photo0328_40pct.jpg
 

RimaNTSS

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@st1 : Congratulations. Nice find, and welcome to club of..... not so many known owners of this toroidal dish.
Thanks for the pictures. I think you've fixed LNBs 180* opposite, they should be located closer to the dish. To complete photo-session you could show some pictures from backside as well. Of course, INOX fasteners are very important in this endeavor. :rolleyes:
@timo_w2s Sweden is your neighboring country, relatively not so far, so you can look for such a dish in your second-hand market. I am pretty sure you can manage to find one. ;)
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It is good antenna is not so big and can fit in my car, other-ways I would not be able to bring it today home and gave it good wash.
How did you manage to dismantle the metal frame from the reflector?
Mine's bolted to the reflector, doesn't look like I can reattach it, if I take it off...
 

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How did you manage to dismantle the metal frame from the reflector?
Used drill to remove aluminum rivets. Using drill from front side of the dish. By doing so not dish nor mount was touched by drill. Will use 6mm screws (made of.... you know from which material :-lol) after mount is repainted.
 
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Speakings about virtual dishes (blue, yellow.... etc) I am breeding idea how to measure those areas. I mean, to measure vertical and horizontal sizes and depth of those virtual dishes. When we know 3 main sizes of the offset dish we easily can calculate offset angle (according to technical data it is 13*), opening angle (to know what would be best LNB to use, I suspect this dish has about 80* opening angle), focal distance and LNB's aiming points for each LNB.
And, to measure 3 main dimensions of virtual dishes I am going to use chewing gum or dust tape and some :-rofl2 water. Bright idea, does not it?! :rolleyes:

So the question is ... what LNBs to use?

It all depends on the dish f/D (or equivalent feedhorn opening angle).
If the f/D of the virtual dish is 0.6, we can choose any of the "Universal LNBs" on the market.
If not, maybe we have to buy a load of the SMW feedhorns to match the dish.

The manual of the OA-1600 refers to the SMW feedhorns XM-351 and XM-351L (which seems to have been made specifically for this dish). They have an equivalent f/D of 0.45 - 0.65, so most likely to be optimal around 0.55 (although I am guessing).
If using a bunch of 0.6 f/D "Universal LNBs", we are not going to illuminate the maximum area of the "virtual dishes". (So not the end of the world, with universal LNBs, the dish is just equivalent to a bunch of 90 cm dishes or something, rather than 100 cms if using the proper feed-horn.)

I have two SWM feedhorns, one is the XM-601, the other an XFR-45, a Fe-rotor equipped version of the XM-601. Obviously, these could be used on the OA-1600, but I think I'd rather use generic LNBs on this dish.

So here's an unusual question: Which "standard universal LNBs" work best a 0.55 dish?
 

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So here's an unusual question: Which "standard universal LNBs" work best a 0.55 dish?
I see nothing unusual in this question. I just slightly disagree with F/D=0.55, I think that virtual dish has folowwing parameters: height= 1058, width=1031, offset angle=13 (also stated in datasheet), opening angle=80*, F/D=0.65.
So, my conclusion- IBU will work on this dish better than any other one, also better than original LNB with original feedhorn.
 
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I see nothing unusual in this question. I just slightly disagree with F/D=0.55, I think that virtual dish has folowwing parameters: height= 1058, width=1031, offset angle=13 (also stated in datasheet), opening angle=80*, F/D=0.65.
So, my conclusion- IBU will work on this dish better than any other one, also better than original LNB with original feedhorn.
Well - we'll just have to give it a go, won't we?
Theory is great - imperical evidence is something else (as you would probably agree!)
 

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Well - we'll just have to give it a go, won't we?
Do we have another choice? :D Of course: renovation-installation-trial&error. :rolleyes:
 

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Don't know if this is of any use guys, maybe not if you're going to use Universal LNBs.


SMW MFG_1.JPG SMW MFG_2.JPG
 
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Here's a few more pics from picking up the dish.
 

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@st1 : Congratulations. Nice find, and welcome to club of..... not so many known owners of this toroidal dish.
I think Channel Hopper has one, but defunct...
Thanks for the pictures. I think you've fixed LNBs 180* opposite, they should be located closer to the dish.
The pictures shows the dish as found. I just took it apart aftwards.
Judging from the manual I think you are right - we'll have to see when mounted.
To complete photo-session you could show some pictures from backside as well. Of course, INOX fasteners are very important in this endeavor. :rolleyes:
Done.
 

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2 @st1 : I am pretty sure you will install this oldy before me. But, just for matter of interest, do you have plan how to install and tune it? I mean how do you going to find proper positions of the LNBs? So, what is your plan, step by step please? :rolleyes:
 
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2 @st1 : I am pretty sure you will install this oldy before me.
Just waiting for a spot of nice weather co-inciding with a couple of hours free time...
But, just for matter of interest, do you have plan how to install and tune it? I mean how do you going to find proper positions of the LNBs? So, what is your plan, step by step please? :rolleyes:

The instruction manual is a bit weak, and relies a lot on looking up your position in the charts provided.
I have been squinting at the instruction for quite some time now, and I think I have gotten my head around things, but I still feel I am not quite sure what the terminology used is in some places.

Nevertheless, the sequence in the manual is more or less right, so I am thinking something like (mounting on a vertical 70 mm pole):


1) figure out the sat-position span of the dish.

As far as I can tell, the dish only does 26 or 27 degree span of sats. This does limit the usable range a bit. So for starters, I'll probably get "major" ones.
Currently, I'm thinking the most relevant ones for my viewing (!= feed-hunting) interests, e.g. 28.2E to 4.8E (23,4 degree span).


2) Choose a "middle sat"

Closest middle sat would be 28.2 - ((28.2 - 4.8) / 2) == 16.5E. No sat there, but 16E is close enough.

Put an LNB in holder in the middle of the LNB holder bar.


3) Adjust "antenna skew"

My longitude is about 12.5 degrees East. The difference between 12.5E and 16E is 3.5 degrees. So I look up my lattitude (56 degrees) and the difference (3.5) in the table in the manual, and determine that I should use first hole off centre in the "antenna skew" adjustment ring in the mounting bracket (both sides), effectively leaning the dish slightly to the left.


4) Mount dish on pole.

Put the dish onto the pole, but not tightening bolts. An exhaust pipe clamp as a base helps preventing the dish from sliding down during the following adjustments.


5) Set up declination

Dishpointer.com tells me the elevation of 16E is 26.5 degrees. The OA-1600 has an offset of 13 degrees, meaning the dish must be declined (is that the word?) 13.5 degrees. Looking at table E in the manual, I can see that the declination rod needs to be about 324 mm long. Adjust accordingly.


6) Align azimuth.

Set the rough direction of the antenna to correspond to 16E. Use dishpointer and what have you. Set meter on, and try to catch 10721H with HRT 1 on it. Adjust dish until max reading.


7) Fine tune declination

...to maximise signal level.


8) Optional: Antenna skew optimisation.

At this point we *could* attempt an optimisation of the antenna skew. The current resolution of skew setting is 3-6-9-etc degrees. This step would adjust the "middle" pointing of the dish to ensure the skew is aligned with the clarke belt as seen from my exact geogrpahical location.

That would entail putting an LNB at an edge position (e.g. 28.2E), and then in small steps move the whole antenna and adjust position of edge LNB until maximum had been found. Exact steps to be worked out before attempting...


9) Tighten antenna mounting bolts

As we are now done with pointing the antenna itself, we can tighten all bolts.



10) Configure proper LNB positions

Remove the "centre" LNB. (Or rather move the centre LNB to be at one of the dsired LNB positions).

Add and adjust LNBs for 4.8E, 13.0E, 19.2E, 23.5E and 28.2E.

Each LNB must be added as he approximate position of that sat relative to the "centre sat". There is a scale printed on the front of the square tube where the LNB holder atach to. Unfoteunately, it's been worn away (mostly) ob my dish.

Alternative is to look at arc coverage (26 degrees), and divide span of square tube accordingly, then trial-and-error your way to the correct placement of LNBs. This worked well for me with the T55.


11) Cable up and be happy!
 

RimaNTSS

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Thanks @st1 I see that you have good plan. However we know that "no plan survives contact with the enemy" :rolleyes:
I have couple of question to your plan:
-
An exhaust pipe clamp as a base helps preventing the dish from sliding down during the following adjustments.
Why do you need additional clamp as mount designed in the way it can not slide down.
-
Dishpointer.com tells me the elevation of 16E is 26.5 degrees. The OA-1600 has an offset of 13 degrees, meaning the dish must be declined (is that the word?) 13.5 degrees
This will probably be not true as you going to skew whole dish in the previous point of the plan. But I am sure you will find the way to set proper leaning of your SMW 1600.
And my last but not least question is about missing point, something like "taking lots of pictures of the progress, posting them to the forum and do some explanations and conclusions" :D
Good luck!
 
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- Why do you need additional clamp as mount designed in the way it can not slide down.
Ah yes, you're right. I was thinking along the lines of the OA-1050 - forgot about the mount bar going out across the top of the pole.
But nevertheless, a clamp would probably save some grinding of metal against metal...

> Dishpointer.com tells me the elevation of 16E is 26.5 degrees. The OA-1600 has an offset of 13 degrees, meaning the dish must be declined (is that the word?) 13.5 degrees

- This will probably be not true as you going to skew whole dish in the previous point of the plan. But I am sure you will find the way to set proper leaning of your SMW 1600.
I think the elevation of the centre satellite is the same as the declination of the dish, if the mounting pole is completely vertical. The horizontal focus-line of the dish is then tracking the geostationary orbit line. The declination is the same along this line (as with motorised dishes).

And my last but not least question is about missing point, something like "taking lots of pictures of the progress, posting them to the forum and do some explanations and conclusions" :D
Good luck!
Ah, yes, of course. :cool:

But I overglossed an important point:


10.5) Adjusting LNBs

Each LNB position is then attached and optimised by mounting the LNB, and adjusting position of clamp (sat position), then vertical alignment of focus point, followed by depth (LNB in-out).

After all this has been done, further optimisation could be done by modyfying one of the LNB brackets (or making a new one like the ones you do) to also be able to *tilt* the LNB, making it possible to optimise the pointing of the LNB into the dish. I know some members on this forum are quite convinced that most manufacturers get this point wrong...
 

RimaNTSS

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During transportation one of the SMW 1600 got crack on the side. I fixed that (guess what metal material was used?! :rolleyes: )
Gave one of the frames to sand-blasting and painting. Quality is OK, but quiet expensive..... should conciser what to do with the rest of the parts. Blue color- just for fun.
 

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RimaNTSS

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Decided to continue my little project. From time to time trying to take some pictures, of course it bothers...
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And some terrible accident happened. Unfortunately magnet does not work here:eek:
IMG_20150711_122443 (Custom).jpg
 
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