INSTALLATION OF BASE
Look at the drawings below. Figure #1 shows a typical recommended concrete base. This base
should be a minimum of 3’0”x3’0”x 3’0” deep for 2.4m antenna. In areas of frost, we
recommend that this base go below frost levels. You can (depending on soil type) opt to use ½”
rebar to reinforce this structure. Contact your local concrete dealer or a local engineer to give
you an idea if you should use rebar for your locality.
WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU CHECK
WITH A LOCAL ENGINEER TO DETERMINE SOIL TYPE AND BEARING TO VERIFY THAT THIS
BASE WILL WORK FOR YOUR LOCALE.
When pouring the concrete, be sure to have the base template ready and insert the J-bolts as per
Figure #2. Leave approximately 2” of the bolt out of the concrete. These bolts can be installed
after the mount is delivered; by drilling the holes in the concrete and using either lead heads or
Garonite, (A resin mortar) to secure the bolts. If you decide to put the bolts in after the concrete
has set, you must install regular hardened bolts or cut the bottom of the J-bolts. (We recommend
the bolts be installed prior to the delivery of the mount). Our people have installed both lead
heads and Garonite, we recommend the Garonite.
When installing the
Gibralter Gemini
stand, carefully lower it over the bolts and tighten the
nuts in place.
(The gearbox should be on the North side of the mount in the Northern Hemisphere and on the
South side of the mount for the Southern Hemisphere.)
Be sure to install a lock washer. It is always a
good idea to get the base plumb, although this is not critical with this Azimuth-Elevation mount
as it would be a polar mount. The front of the mount should be facing south in the Northern
Hemisphere. (The rear of the mount will have the gearbox). With the
Gibralter Gemini
mount,
you will have over 250 degrees of travel, but you do not have a full 360 degrees of azimuth. I
mention this for those of you who are installing the
Gibralter Gemini
to track things other than
the Geosynchronous Satellite belt.
Fig. #1
Fig. #2
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