the Otherpower.com Discussion Board || Comments Tracker on the cheap

Front Page - [Homebrewed Electricity-- (wind) (solar) (hydro) (steam) (controls) (storage) (mechanical)] - Classifieds - Site News
Everything - Newbies - [Remote Living-- (housing) (heat) (light) (water)] - Rants & Opinion - Diaries - Our Products

Tracker on the cheap | 18 comments (18 topical, editorial)

Re: Tracker on the cheap (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by amiklic1 (andjelo.miklic1@st.htnet.hr) on Tue Mar 7th, 2006 at 08:23:07 AM MST
(User Info) www.hypeol.com

I suppose you're using existing motors that came with your sattelite dish frame. I am planning of buying the same tracker, and I have some steppers and servos, but don't know how to hook them to the tracker. Is that hard to do? I got two 50W panels (homemade, working perfect).
Free energy? Yes, please!

Re: Tracker on the cheap (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by Volvo farmer on Tue Mar 7th, 2006 at 12:07:34 PM MST
(User Info)

You need limit switches on each end of the travel and diodes so that you can pull the thing the other direction. There's a diagram of how it works on the Redrok site. If you can find a used satellite actuator, they have the limit switches built in. Are you in the US? There are old abandoned c-band dishes everywhere here. Everyone has gone to 18" dishes and I could have a dozen old dishes if I wanted them.

Volvo Farmer

May you always have success in your quest to irritate those who you despise. -Ben Goode
[ Parent ]

Re: Tracker on the cheap (3.00 / 0) (#9)
by amiklic1 (andjelo.miklic1@st.htnet.hr) on Tue Mar 7th, 2006 at 04:09:04 PM MST
(User Info) www.hypeol.com

No, I live in Croatia (Europe). Ihave a number of steppers from printers and photocopy machines. I think it can be used, with a kind of a gearing (some of them are geared). As I understand, it works so that tracker gives an impulse into the motor to move it into desired direction. When it comes to the limit position, the tracker gives a series of impulses to the motor, sao it moves the array into other position (east).
It's not complicated for me to build the axis and the frames. Where to find limit switches? Is it some ordinary switch (I have plenty of them, all kinds of microswitches etc)?
Free energy? Yes, please!
[ Parent ]

Re: Tracker on the cheap (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by Volvo farmer on Tue Mar 7th, 2006 at 04:51:52 PM MST
(User Info)

Yes, ordinary switches, like are used in the doors of microwave ovens. Like these
http://www.electronix.com/catalog/images/47-499.jpg
Yes you need a limit in the eastmost and westmost positions, otherwise the tracker will continue to move west or east past the phsical limits of your moving apparatus.

Volvo Farmer

May you always have success in your quest to irritate those who you despise. -Ben Goode
[ Parent ]

Re: Tracker on the cheap (3.00 / 0) (#17)
by janee on Sun Jan 6th, 2008 at 02:58:01 PM MST
(User Info)

hi just want to ask on how you made your own pv cells?? coz i really want to try making my own.. tnx

[ Parent ]

Re: Tracker on the cheap (3.00 / 0) (#18)
by Volvo farmer on Sun Jan 6th, 2008 at 06:26:13 PM MST
(User Info)

I did not make my own solar CELLS. I bought cells and made them into panels.

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2005/2/26/11119/5985
http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/9/12/05630/1438
http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/9/16/05931/0581

What I thought would be a 100 watt panel puts about 2.5A into a battery at 25V. So more like 60W. I think I'd do better with 38 or 40 cell strings as my VOC seems a little low.

I bought these cells super cheap. Probably have less than $500 into 250W of solar. Unless you can get your cells for about $1/watt I do not think an enterprise such as I have undertaken would be financially viable.

Volvo Farmer

May you always have success in your quest to irritate those who you despise. -Ben Goode
[ Parent ]

Tracker on the cheap | 18 comments (18 topical, 0 editorial)

Menu

· create account
· How to use the board
· FAQs
· search the board
· Google search the board
· Old Otherpower Board

Login

Make a new account

Username:

Password:

You must be a registered user to post here. It's easy and free, and the link is on the upper right side of your page.
All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Postings are owned by the poster, but may be deleted or moved at the ADMIN's sole discretion. The Rest © 2003 Forcefield.
You can Email the board ADMIN here. PLEASE include the username you signed up with!