Mounting the Redrok remote sensor.

[Elby]

I've resurrected a mothballed project that I'd started several years ago. I have a C-band dish mount installed in the back yard with both axis controlled by linear actuators. I'd like to get it together enough to support tracking, and worry about power production later.

I purchased, and never used, a redrok dual axis tracker with remote sensor. (LEDDRMPP24Vc3Pack) It seems like a nice piece of electrical engineering, but a complete lack of mounting provisions is kind of a big oversight. Even the main boards have only 1 mounting hole apiece.

I can't figure out a decent way to mount the sensor assembly. It's built on a 1" square pcb, and has components on both top and bottom sides leaving just a little around the edges to hold onto it by. The VERY FEW pictures I've found of completed assemblies always fail to show how the unit was mounted. Info on the redrok site claims glue is a bad idea. I thought about building a clamp to hold onto the bolt used to hold the sunshade, but thought it might interfere with the way sunlight falls on the leds. I also thought about swapping the bolt for a piece of all thread, but I don't have room to put a nut on the bottom side of the PCB where the bolt head currently sits. Besides it's epoxied in, and probably would cause extensive damage forcing it to break free.

Any ideas? Surely someone around here has tried this setup before?


I have one of the Lowes glass dome outdoor light fixtures to mount it in, FWIW.

[Volvo farmer]

I don't have the remote sensor, but the regular boards only have one hole in them too. They're not all that hard to mount up with a small (4-40?) bolt and nut. Mine are mounted in peanut butter jars but after a few years, the lids get pretty hammered and crispy from the UV.

Hope this picture might give you an idea.

[TomW]

Let me jump in and suggest hot glue before Glen shows up and suggests it.

Personally, I did mine like VF did but its much uglier so I won't show a graphic of it.

Tom

[Elby]

Unfortunately I don't have that type of tracker to work with. The dual axis w/ remote uses 2 boards very similar to what you have shown (minus the LEDs), but mounted elsewhere (probably underneath tracker with battery), and a separate very small board for 4 LEDs to provide the 2 axis tracking. The sensor board has no thru holes except for the epoxied in machine screw through the center.

Let me apologize in advance for the cruddy camera work. I just couldn't get a clearer image in a close enough view.

[hydrosun]

On the three single axis redrok circuits I've installed I usually just stick it in the clear jar and stuff bubble wrap around it to hold it in one position. I then used hose clamps to attach it to the tracker frame and I can rotate the jar to adjust for proper orientation. The tracker isn't moving fast enough to really move the circuit around even if it isn't bolted down.
Chris

[Elby]

So I figured it out, and wanted to show the results in case somebody else ends up stuck like I was.

Step 1 Remove the sunshade/washer from the bolt.

Step 2 Use paint stripper to remove epoxy from bottom of circuit board /  remove bolt. (I got this idea from the Wii modchips where the circuit boards had been epoxied to prevent tampering. Google to see how it's done.)

Step 3 The sunshade was held on by two nuts, one above and one below, we will need to solder a nut INSIDE the washer so that it sits flush with the lower surface. The hole is almost large enough, but the nut will have to be made a little smaller to get it in there. I mounted mine on a bolt, spun the bolt in my drill, and used a bench grinder to just kiss the outside. Once it fits, solder it in place while taking care not to solder the threads in the nut.

Step 4 The through hole for the bolt in the circuit board was press fit/threaded in. This needs to be changed to a slip fit. I used a #29 reamer (.136 dia) to enlarge the hole ever so slightly.

Step 5 Obtain a short peice of 3/16 steel brake line from your local autoparts store. You will need two peices 1.750 long, with the id reamed to slip fit as well.

Step 6 Obtain a peice of 6-32 allthread and cut to length as required. They had it at my local farm/home supply store.

Step 7 Put the sunshade/nut on the all thread, slide one peice of tubing on below it, then the circuit board, followed by the the last peice of tubing.





The excess all thread will be used to pass through some type of bracket and be held by another nut. This should pull the entire assembly quite rigid.

Note:
The 1.750 dimension is to keep the correct sunshade distance from the board. The second peice can be longer / shorter as desired. I really wish I'd have left mine 1.5-2.0 inches longer.
The paint stripper may have softened the outer coating on the capacitors under the board. An overly aggressive move with a toothpick seems to have damaged that outer coating and I may have to replace the cap as a result. My clumsy fault, try not to imitate it.
It is not necessary to remove all the epoxy on the board, but be sure to get the area where the bolt head sits very clean and flat.
Wash the paint stripper off with water. Unless you're okay with loosing all the marking that are inked onto the board. (you will probably loose a few anyway, be sure to keep it straight).
You will need 8 wires to hook the remote sensor up. I intend to use ethernet cable to do mine with Just a thought to save you some time as it has the correct number of wire, color coded, and can even be found for free / cheap if you look around.

[Volvo farmer]

Thanks for the update. I wonder if Duane would make a sensor board without the bolt in it if you asked him to.

Just something you might try to get in-focus pictures.. Find the little picture of the flower in the menu, then select it. This is "macro" (closeup) mode. Then push the shutter button half way down. This forces the camera to auto-focus on your subject. Then shoot.