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Author Topic: My very very long solar tracker build  (Read 1350 times)

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XeonPony

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My very very long solar tracker build
« on: February 20, 2023, 03:53:59 PM »
Mostly picture thread, this was started in 2013, then after moving to Alberta then to Saskatchewan then 8 years of thumb twiddling! I finaly got it made, big part was the purchase of a plasma cutter welder combo!







The above where the very basic beginnings of it.

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I scavenged this from a RV Slide out as the RV was getting scrapped figured it`d be good for some thing I had my Y axis, I needed an X!

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The idea, it has merrit!

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XeonPony

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2023, 03:58:14 PM »
How to glue it together now

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Hmmm it looks like it`ll work but missing some thing

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Not the fanciest thrust bearing but it`ll do!

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Ignorance is not bliss, You may not know there is a semie behind you but you'll still be a hood ornimant!

Nothing fails like prayer, Two hands clasped in work will achieve more in a minute then a billion will in a melenia in prayer. In other words go out and do some real good by helping!

XeonPony

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2023, 04:18:57 PM »
Limit Switch

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Nothing fails like prayer, Two hands clasped in work will achieve more in a minute then a billion will in a melenia in prayer. In other words go out and do some real good by helping!

XeonPony

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2023, 04:38:42 PM »
I went through a few controller revisions, first one I cooked the N relay, so got a power relay modul (They didn't have that when I first ordered it) then I gave up on the independent solar idea and used a 12V 40A psu.

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Ignorance is not bliss, You may not know there is a semie behind you but you'll still be a hood ornimant!

Nothing fails like prayer, Two hands clasped in work will achieve more in a minute then a billion will in a melenia in prayer. In other words go out and do some real good by helping!

XeonPony

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2023, 04:47:27 PM »
Now with the controller I notice the X axis is working it seems the motor can move it faster than the panels can accelerate! I think this will be an issue!

PWM to the rescue!

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Thankfully the way they designed the power relay board made integration very easy!





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Last thing to do is to get the pad heater wired in, it stops tracking at apx -23c but starts once it warms up, the controller becomes non responsive to input. Then sealing up the box properly, so far it has worked great over winter other wise, that is my 540w array, it keeps things good enough for morning power till the main fixed array kicks in.
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Ignorance is not bliss, You may not know there is a semie behind you but you'll still be a hood ornimant!

Nothing fails like prayer, Two hands clasped in work will achieve more in a minute then a billion will in a melenia in prayer. In other words go out and do some real good by helping!

JW

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2023, 04:49:04 PM »
Cool stuff Xeon,

 I just went thru getting a mobile phone today thru my cable company (imagine that) Im an LLC they even wanted my EIN, ?

JW  :)
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XeonPony

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2023, 04:57:45 PM »
The ebay welder that made it all possible!

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The Helpers napping

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Ignorance is not bliss, You may not know there is a semie behind you but you'll still be a hood ornimant!

Nothing fails like prayer, Two hands clasped in work will achieve more in a minute then a billion will in a melenia in prayer. In other words go out and do some real good by helping!

XeonPony

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2023, 05:05:41 PM »
How's it all going today?

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New Helper to the pack, all so serves as an anti theft fur missile.

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XeonPony

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2023, 05:13:32 PM »
Quote from: JW on February 20, 2023, 04:49:04 PM
Cool stuff Xeon,

 I just went thru getting a mobile phone today thru my cable company (imagine that) Im an LLC they even wanted my EIN, ?

JW  :)

TY. I haven't been too active as late, now you guys got an idea why lol. I started to build the wind turbine but that got a bit stalled due to life, but now the tracker is for all intents done, new battery integrated I can again start to focus on that.

Going to try and upgrade the solar capacity, beehive and chickens on this years goal, and I need to get the milking machine out to the sheep and give that a go soon!
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Ignorance is not bliss, You may not know there is a semie behind you but you'll still be a hood ornimant!

Nothing fails like prayer, Two hands clasped in work will achieve more in a minute then a billion will in a melenia in prayer. In other words go out and do some real good by helping!

JW

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2023, 05:13:48 PM »
 Some history here, the board is pretty old.

 back in the day as I took over ownership, buy the way DanF told me as he handed over the server keys well if JW is running things the board will be ok.

 Back when this transfer occurred ExonPony was made a moderator thruout the events. My best guess is over 8 years ago.

JW
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XeonPony

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2023, 05:17:45 PM »
Quote from: JW on February 20, 2023, 05:13:48 PM
Some history here, the board is pretty old.

 back in the day as I took over ownership, buy the way DanF told me as he handed over the server keys well if JW is running things the board will be ok.

 Back when this transfer occurred ExonPony was made a moderator thruout the events. My best guess is over 8 years ago.

JW

Ya it's been a while! I keep aiming others around here interested in getting self sufficient to this site, such a wealth of knowledge for all.

Keeping a picture record of the various builds and will be posting as I can. Slow en steady improvements.
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Ignorance is not bliss, You may not know there is a semie behind you but you'll still be a hood ornimant!

Nothing fails like prayer, Two hands clasped in work will achieve more in a minute then a billion will in a melenia in prayer. In other words go out and do some real good by helping!

XeonPony

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2024, 11:50:12 PM »
Well after a couple blown PWM modules, a burned relay board I figured time to fix the azimuth drive properly

So far the main motor been an old rv slide out unit, 10 RPM at 840 inch pounds, this then went to a 2 to 1 further reduction, so 5 RPM

(5rpm / 60) * 360 = 30 degrees per second, needles to say horribly fast, stresses the frame and the motor.

So I finally got a 40:1 worm drive. So made a simple shaft coupler system and ruffing out an adapter plate.

Had to take the motor apart and clean it up.

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So this will end up with 10rpm / 42 = (0.24rpm / 60) * 360 = 1.44 Degrees per second way way better!

So sun moves 7.5 degrees per 30m (I have it set to adjust every 30m to save wear on the motor) means now unit will run for 5.21 seconds, means much better wear pattern on the brushes and happier motor rather then massive 1 second surges!

Ideally now my psu and drive motor will be much longer lived and no more weird burn outs!

Next stage is to fabricate an adapter plate to mount on the bell housing, this will be 6" by 7" by 1/4" aluminium. will post an update once that is made and some picks of it when mounted back to the array and see if this will let me post a video of it in action.
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Ignorance is not bliss, You may not know there is a semie behind you but you'll still be a hood ornimant!

Nothing fails like prayer, Two hands clasped in work will achieve more in a minute then a billion will in a melenia in prayer. In other words go out and do some real good by helping!

XeonPony

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #12 on: April 24, 2024, 02:23:21 PM »
Well after much finagling I am going to have to mount the gear motor with flush counter sunk bolts so need to rethink my adapter plate

So 1/4" Aluminium plate it will be with 5/16 SS counter sunk flat bolts

Cardboard is cheap for prototyping with!



got lucky and found the mechanical drawing for the slide out motor. Assisted greatly in helping to make it with a much more precise centre! So ideally the shaft alignment will be very tight.

But the thicker adapter plate may create a head ache depth wise.
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Ignorance is not bliss, You may not know there is a semie behind you but you'll still be a hood ornimant!

Nothing fails like prayer, Two hands clasped in work will achieve more in a minute then a billion will in a melenia in prayer. In other words go out and do some real good by helping!

XeonPony

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #13 on: April 24, 2024, 09:35:05 PM »
Apparently my drill press is garbage!

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luckily 2 stayed true so it all aligned in the end but I do not like missing two fasteners! But thankfully plenty more material to try again with a better template and drill press.

Counter sinking turned out perfect.
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Ignorance is not bliss, You may not know there is a semie behind you but you'll still be a hood ornimant!

Nothing fails like prayer, Two hands clasped in work will achieve more in a minute then a billion will in a melenia in prayer. In other words go out and do some real good by helping!

Mary B

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #14 on: April 25, 2024, 11:08:23 AM »
Looks like either your drill press table is tilted or you didn't clamp the work piece down and it walked a bit...Aluminum is a pain to drill/cut the material will walk a LOT unless clamped tight
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joestue

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #15 on: April 25, 2024, 01:11:39 PM »
Quote from: Mary B on April 25, 2024, 11:08:23 AM
Looks like either your drill press table is tilted or you didn't clamp the work piece down and it walked a bit...Aluminum is a pain to drill/cut the material will walk a LOT unless clamped tight

Correctly sharpened drill bits....
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XeonPony

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Re: My very very long solar tracker build
« Reply #16 on: April 26, 2024, 05:11:38 PM »
well going to triple check my template, then will be clamping the hell out of it, and ensure a new drill bit smaller diameter.

will cut a smaller plate for next run, to facilitate better clamping
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Ignorance is not bliss, You may not know there is a semie behind you but you'll still be a hood ornimant!

Nothing fails like prayer, Two hands clasped in work will achieve more in a minute then a billion will in a melenia in prayer. In other words go out and do some real good by helping!
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