AlfaRadio AlfaSpid RAK, Instruction Manual

Page 1: ... 466 5779 AlfaSpid Rotator and Controller Instruction Manual This manual is for use with units sold by AlfaRadio Ltd of Edmonton Alberta Canada Units sold by others may have different firmware and may operate from different voltages Last updated on September 08 2008 ...

Page 2: ... 10 Normal Operations Mode 11 Half Auto Mode 11 Auto Mode 11 Preset Mode 11 Setup Mode 12 Programable High Limit 12 Programmable Low Limit 13 Programmable Reset Value 13 Preset 1 6 13 Mouse Controller 15 Using the AlfaSpid Rotator with LONG Cable Distances 18 Warranty 21 Notes 22 This manual is for use with units sold by AlfaRadio Ltd of Edmonton Alberta Canada Units sold by others may have differ...

Page 3: ...duty rotator designed to run large communication antennas and comes complete with an electronic control unit The rotator is designed to be mounted pipe to pipe or on an optional adaptor plate for conventional in tower mounting It can also be mounted outside of the tower on the mast or used in a side mount configuration Rotator 1 Controller 1 1 GMA Fuses 2 Optional Custom Mouse 1 Introduction Shipp...

Page 4: ...fa Radio Ltd 11211 154 St Edmonton Alberta Canada T5M 1X8 780 466 5779 Buttons Left Decrease Right Increase Setup Function Indicators Overlap Not currently used 7 segment 4 digit display Multifunction display Front Panel Front Panel Front Panel Control Panel ...

Page 5: ...d 11211 154 St Edmonton Alberta Canada T5M 1X8 780 466 5779 AlfaSpid_Rotator_RAK_Manual_Sept15_2008 doc Fuse Holder Power Cord Power Switch Terminal Strip 4 Pin Connector DB 9 connector female DB 9 connector male Female for CPU RS232 Male for AlfaSpid Mouse Rear Panel ...

Page 6: ...h Gauge Motor 10 m 32 18 1 19 mm 30 m 100 16 1 42 mm 60 m 200 14 1 75 mm Remove cover from the motor body as shown and make connections as follows 1 Motor Drive to 1 on controller terminal 2 Motor Drive to 2 on controller terminal 3 Impulse Sense to 3 on controller terminal 4 Impulse Sense to 4 on controller terminal We suggest that the coax from the antenna be made with extra length to allow for ...

Page 7: ...or thin wiring a higher voltage up to approx 24V to the control unit is beneficial A simple way to estimate if the voltage to the motor is adequate is by timing the rotation Under no or a very small load the 360 degree rotation time with 12V DC at the motor is about 120 second 2 minutes With 24 V DC is about 60 second 1 minute A DC Ammeter in the motor lead is also useful it should indicate betwee...

Page 8: ... 30 degrees with the left or right arrows the display reading can be changed with out turning the rotator in this mode this feature can be used if for any reason the direction of the antenna becomes incorrect This may be caused by antenna to mast slippage or incorrect initial alignment The Rotator to mast will not slip unless there is improper installation See Heading Adjust numbers blinking else ...

Page 9: ...re to do so can cause damage to your coax and or antennas The AlfaSpid controller has multiple modes of operation You will need to become familiar with these modes to be able to make full use of your rotator Function Mode The button steps through the function menus The leftmost character on the display indicates the function mode you are currently in Normal Operations Mode Half Auto Mode Auto Mode...

Page 10: ...g is shown on the display release the key Approximately of a second after no key presses have been detected the display will revert back to the actual beam heading and rotation towards the desired heading will take place Pressing any key while in transit to the desired heading will cancel the action Auto Mode In Auto Mode the controller will respond to commands from control software running on an ...

Page 11: ...LimitDefault flashing DOT 180 Programmable Low Limit Default not flashing DOT 180 Programmable Reset Value 0 or 180 Preset 1 Preset 2 Preset 3 Preset 4 Preset 5 Preset 6 Program Simulation Heading Adjust numbers blinking Programmable High Limit The Programmable High Limit is a user adjustable clockwise travel limit value By reducing this value the maximum clockwise rotation travel can be restricte...

Page 12: ...ricted Use the and buttons adjust the value Programmable Reset Value The Programmable Reset Value can be set to either 0 degrees or 180 degrees This is the beam heading set when a power on reset event is triggered If you wish to reset your rotator to south set this value to 180 Preset 1 P1 Thru P6 Preset 6 These 6 presets are user adjustable values that map to the 6 preset buttons on the optional ...

Page 13: ... favourite software supports a rotator chances are the AlfaSpid will be able to interface to your software There are 4 modes available Note some programs may not support the 1200 Baud requirements of the controller in emulation mode Spid AlfaSpid Recommended Orion Hygain Yaesu Heading Adjust numbers blinking This setting can be used to make minor heading adjustments without causing the rotator to ...

Page 14: ... Increase Stop also the wheel between left and right buttons In addition to the above controls you will find 6 programmable preset buttons on the mouse Programmable preset buttons are only available via the optional mouse controller Preset headings are programmed via the Setup Mode The mouse ball serves no function the mouse simply provides an ergonomically pleasing case in which to mount the cont...

Page 15: ...lling on the tower This will rule out any damage that may have been caused by the shipping company Check the Limits PH and PL settings and rule out overlap Simple resistance tests can reveal incorrect or shorted wiring Pins 1 and 2 are the motor winding and will have a low resistance Typical 2 3 ohms Pins 3 and 4 are the sense lines and typically will have either an open circuit or have about 1200...

Page 16: ...er to the senses lines pins 3 and 4 apply 12 volts to the motor lines pins 1 and 2 you should see the ohm meter reading alternate between open circuit and about 1200 ohms Pin on Rotator not controller Typical Reading Your reading Pins 1 to 2 About 2 to 4 Ohms ________ Depends on the length of wire to rotator Pins 3 to 4 Open or 1200 Ohms ________ Depends on the status of the read switch Pins 1 to ...

Page 17: ...ust use a heavier cable this may be costly impractical or both I have one tower that is over 1700 feet approx 500 meters away and running large cable out there would be very expensive My solution is to use this rotator controller s output voltage to control another set of relays that will feed a higher voltage DC to the motor In the above mentioned example I find a voltage between 60 to 80 volts g...

Page 18: ...AlfaSpid Rotator www alfaspid com Page 18 Page 18 of 23 Alfa Radio Ltd 11211 154 St Edmonton Alberta Canada T5M 1X8 780 466 5779 Relay Board Schematic ...

Page 19: ... the 1N400x series If the motor rotates incorrectly simply reverse the leads to the motor or from the External DC Supply The controller also has the capability to with a small modification allow you to input your external DC voltage into the unit and use the internal relays to control the rotator as usual This information is presented as a guide to help the user realize a solution to the long cabl...

Page 20: ...damage lightning strikes use of the equipment for purpose other than those for which it was designed and the like are NOT COVERED by this limited warranty Repairs therefore will be subject to normal service charges 3 Repairs and replacement parts are covered under this limited warranty only for the remaining term of the original limited warranty 4 Under no circumstances is Alfa Radio Ltd liable fo...

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Page 22: ...a Radio Ltd 11211 154 St Edmonton Alberta Canada T5M 1X8 780 466 5779 Typical travel of the AlfaSpid Rotator Blue 0 to 180 is the dot not flashing PH over travel Right 180 side of diagram Red 0 to 180 is the dot flashing PL over travel Left 180 side of diagram ...

Page 23: ...io Brake Torque in lbs N m 24 000 in lb 2 712 N m 24 000 in lb 2 712 N m Brake Construction Double Worm Gears Double Worm Gears Vertical Load lbs Kg 700 lbs 318 Kg 700 lbs 318 Kg Rotation Speed 360 Deg 120 sec 60 sec Precision 1 0 5 deg 1 0 5 deg Rotation Range 720 deg 720 deg Weight lbs Mass Kg 24 lbs 11 kg 24 lbs 11 kg Position Sensor Reed Switch Reed Switch Mast size top bottom in mm 2 6 2 6 in...