[amsat-bb] Re: [amsat-dc] inquiry about homebrew az-el systems (Samudra Haque)

[Samudra Haque]

Thanks Pat, I'm going to have to spend a bit of time after two weeks from
present to collate all the work done to date in a methodical analysis and
see if there is any trend, or benefit to a particular design and what the
options are for small batch kit form production.

73 de X


On Mon, Feb 25, 2013 at 2:09 PM, Pat Kilroy <pat at patkilroy.com> wrote:

> Hi Samudra,
>
> Gosh, here are some of the oodles of plans
> out there for different az-el antenna pointing
> solutions to get you started. See below.
>
> I'm sorry I don't have info on motor suppliers
> or the other items you mention. Hope these
> might be helpful none the less to you and
> others.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Pat Kilroy
> N8PK
>
> From ANS-020 released Saturday, January 19,
> mainly introducing our Workshop on Portable
> Satellite Ground Stations, but includes buried
> nuggets on antennas and az-el:
>
> Links for antenna ideas:
> http://arrowantennas.com/
> http://www.elkantennas.com/
> http://www.g6lvb.com/homebrewarrow.htm
> http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/information/faqs/crow/index.php
> http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/Az_El_Pos.pdf
> http://www.wa5vjb.com/references/Cheap%20Antennas-LEOs.pdf
> http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/downloads/iROTOR.pdf
> http://www.arrl.org/shop/The-ARRL-Satellite-Handbook/
> http://ac6v.com/antprojects.htm
> Links for software ideas:
> http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/software.php
> http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/
> http://www.moetronix.com/spectravue.htm
> http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/information/faqs/resguide.pdf
> http://sdrsharp.com/
>
> From ANS-048 released Saturday, February 16:
> http://www.vk3um.com and http://www.vk5dj.com/satellite.html and then
> derived:
>
> http://www.muratamems.fi/sites/default/files/documents/sca61t_inclinometer_datasheet_8261900a2_0.pdf
> and
> http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/SCA61T-FA1H1G-1/551-1005-1-ND/751309
>
> The LVB Tracker Box by Howard Long, G6LVB:
> http://store.amsat.org/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=63
>
> From ANS-041 released Saturday, February 9:
> ANS Archives
> http://amsat.org/pipermail/ans/
>
> Me? I must be choosy on which wheels I re-invent,
> especially when I need proven/reliable operations
> out of a station component, such as Az-El motion.
> I use a heavy duty camera tripod to steer portable
> antennas, and I cheated and got the Yaesu G-5500
> combo ($730) for portable, semi-portable and fixed
> operations:
> http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-002765
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:amsat-dc-request at amsat.org
> Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2013 03:00 PM
> To: amsat-dc at amsat.org
> Subject: AMSAT-DC Digest, Vol 8, Issue 13
>
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> AMSAT-DC digest..." Today's Topics: 1. inquiry about homebrew az-el systems
> (Samudra Haque)
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Message: 1 Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2013 18:59:35 -0500 From: Samudra Haque To: "
> amsat-dc at amsat.org" , Amsat-bb Subject: [amsat-dc] inquiry about homebrew
> az-el systems Message-ID: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi,
> about two years ago, I started a design for a robotics class project of a
> AZ-EL rotator controller system, and a hardware package for the mechanism
> for rotating an antenna in any direction sub!
>  ject to mechanical stops. The system would have been able to handle
> regular and flip modes. I didn't do anything more than calculations, and
> moved on to building a classroom instructional robot then. Lately, as I am
> setting up (K3GWU, the George Washington University Amateur Radio Club and
> Research Station) I find that the price of az-el systems such as G5500 +
> Yaesu AZ-EL rotors are expensive, and are not typically available on an
> affordable basis on Ebay or eham.net etc. Well, of course, expensive is a
> relative term, for a student hobby organization, it's a lot, and I guess
> for small ham operators it is also moderately expensive. This may be a
> frequently asked topic: does any one have experienced with (tested) kit
> designs for AZ-EL rotors that can be made with parts from current suppliers
> ? I know there are a number of controller designs, but I am interested to
> know if there are any options for suppliers of the required gears/motors
> etc. I have located several large AC mo!
>  tors / DC motors at my university mechanical engineering workshop, but
>  they are not all guaranteed the same specs. I now realize if I do embark
> on a actual design process with my model/simulation/hardware, it would be
> nice to build several of these all at once to share the development cost
> over the production run, and ensure those who want a cheap AZ-EL system can
> get one. Otherwise the production cost of one heavy duty system is going to
> be quite high. I hope some of you may have suggestions for me, both (+) and
> (-) or perhaps (~) in nature. I thought amsat / amateur radio folks have a
> common need to encourage homebrew activity to keep their brain cells in
> working condition? I'm opening this question up to the national US
> audience, and welcome any discussion on the challenges of making the
> ever-so-important azimuth-elevation rotor. I've studied some of the
> alternatives: Alliance U100 and Yaesu G-5500. I think we can do better in
> 2013. But ideally, to allow the wide adoption of AMSAT ground stations,
> what price point would the system have to b!
>  e to make it worth building ? 73 de N3RDX George Washington University
> ------------------------------
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