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My very very long solar tracker build
XeonPony:
--- Quote from: Mary B on April 28, 2024, 02:31:25 AM ---Don't know the size of your support mast for the panels but if you put a flat plate on your bottom tube one of these would last many years. Already weather sealed... I have used the next size down(2" mast) to support really heavy antenna loads...
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-tb400
--- End quote ---
All ways good to have options, I need to do a total remake of the top half, I was going to use a vehicle hub was my idea
Mary B:
--- Quote from: XeonPony on April 28, 2024, 08:35:44 AM ---
--- Quote from: Mary B on April 28, 2024, 02:31:25 AM ---Don't know the size of your support mast for the panels but if you put a flat plate on your bottom tube one of these would last many years. Already weather sealed... I have used the next size down(2" mast) to support really heavy antenna loads...
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-tb400
--- End quote ---
All ways good to have options, I need to do a total remake of the top half, I was going to use a vehicle hub was my idea
--- End quote ---
That would work but weather sealing is an issue... and using down force on bearing designed to be use horizontal...premature wear? Bearing I linked is designed to have a large vertical weight parked on it.
XeonPony:
Not sure of the wind loading ability, a wheel experiences heavy side loading as well, they're conical. a proper slew drive bearing has both thrust and side angular geometry. the downward force isn't the largest concern as it is the off set side forces with wind and drive system.
The most ideal thing would be a proper slewdrive unit!
MattM:
Reminds me of the satellite television dish my parents had when I was young. It used pivots to tilt back and forth. The pivoting apparatus bore its weight on an arc shaped bar. As you rotated the dish horizontally there were wheels that rested against the bar. The bar sat on the horizontal pivot before the dish tilt machinism and could be adjusted about to any direction before keybolts held it tight against the main horizontal pivot. Until wind got in the low 50s the big dish could hold a tight signal.
XeonPony:
Minor update, I had to move the idler out to further tighten the chain for smoother operation, it ran a full 24h off a fully charged 5ah dewalt 20v drill battery and only used 1 bar of energy.
I still need to measure actual current from the drive motor through a full rotation to see the peak amps and time it to set the home position for after Sundown as the controller has a parking feature.
--- Quote from: MattM on April 28, 2024, 03:51:47 PM ---Reminds me of the satellite television dish my parents had when I was young. It used pivots to tilt back and forth. The pivoting apparatus bore its weight on an arc shaped bar. As you rotated the dish horizontally there were wheels that rested against the bar. The bar sat on the horizontal pivot before the dish tilt machinism and could be adjusted about to any direction before keybolts held it tight against the main horizontal pivot. Until wind got in the low 50s the big dish could hold a tight signal.
--- End quote ---
It was made with a good bit of repurposed satellite dish parts and concepts
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