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Mounting the device and antenna

It is important that both the Satran and any antennas are mounted properly to minimize the risk of 
damage to the unit or its surroundings.

The rotator should always be mounted facing upwards to prevent rain or dust entering it.

Satran MK2 is intended for all cables running through the center of it down the mounting pipe. On 
the side of the rotator there is a rubber gasket for the antennas coaxial cable. If the pipe your Satran 
is mounted to is taller than the control cable, you need to drill a hole in the pipe approx 1 meter 
below the top where the cable can exit for connection with the control box.

The DC power jack on the power cable is not waterproof and should be protected or sealed from the
elements if it is mounted outdoors.

The control box should be securely mounted with the cables coming out from the bottom, using a 
rubber gasket for the cables and the silicone-sealed lid completely fastened.

A maximum antenna weight of 500 grams is recommended and antenna should be balanced with a 
slight overweight (5-20% of total antenna weight) in the front when in a horizontal position.

Satran does not know what is north or south. When you mount the rotator, connect power to it and 
let it finish initialization. Then put a compass along the top bracket or antenna and manually turn 
the entire rotator until the ”front” is facing 0 degrees north. Now tightly fasten the screws on the 
rotator mount. Remove and reconnect power again and make sure that sensors has been read 
correctly and that it is still facing north, otherwise redo the procedure and adjust.

Use plastic wire straps to fasten any cables to prevent strain on the connectors and other damage 
that could be caused by wind or gravity.

Reset to factory defaults

If you need to reset the wifi settings and start the default Access Point again, you need to reset the 
controller to factory defaults. Do this by pressing and holding the reset-button on the top left of the 
controller board for a minimum of 3 seconds until a bright LED-light turns on. Release the button 
and wait 10 seconds for the Satran to restart.

Powering up or down

To turn off the Satran; just disconnect the power. There are not any manual boot sequences or 
commands. When you reconnect power again it will boot up in a clean state but will remember any 
saved wifi credentials or calibrations.

It is recommended to always disconnect power when the device is not in active use. 

2022-08-23

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Summary of Contents for MK3

Page 1: ... TRacking Antenna Open source 3D printable azimuth elevation antenna rotator www satran io Within Europe only legal for use by authorities or licensed radio amateurs Always read and understand this manual before use 2022 08 23 page 1 ...

Page 2: ...ge lightning or electromagnetic interference The unit has some protection for EMI but high antenna transmitting powers might affect the functionality or even damage the control unit 6 When installing or using the product make sure that the rotator and any externally mounted antenna have enough space to move freely without hitting something or someone before you connect any power cables 7 Never use...

Page 3: ...initialization the rotator points to what should be 0 degrees north Take a compass and place it on top of the antenna Turn the rotator by the pipe mount until the antenna is facing geographic north and fasten it by tightening the bolt on the pipe mount 5 Start your computer or smartphone and connect it to the wireless hotspot with a hostname starting with SATRAN_ 6 Now you can control the rotator ...

Page 4: ...atran does not know what is north or south When you mount the rotator connect power to it and let it finish initialization Then put a compass along the top bracket or antenna and manually turn the entire rotator until the front is facing 0 degrees north Now tightly fasten the screws on the rotator mount Remove and reconnect power again and make sure that sensors has been read correctly and that it...

Page 5: ...ads approx 150 This number will be the north end position 0 degrees Enter this value in the corresponding field and press save button 5 Take a pen or piece of tape and make a marking on both the bottom fixed turntable and the top rotator housing that should line up with each other 6 Press the Azimuth CW button repeatedly to turn the azimuth a full 360 degree turn until the markings you made lines ...

Page 6: ... by clicking on it If the list is empty you need to connect your android device to a WLAN with internet access and restart the app to fetch a new satellite list from the CelesTrak data server When a satellite has been chosen you can go to the first tab that should show you its relative position and the time for its next overhead pass If you want the Satran to track the satellite when it passes you...

Page 7: ...ery easy 1 Power up the Satran and connect the computer with Gpredict either directly to the access point or the wireless network that the Satran is connected to 2 In Gpredict click edit and preferences in the top bar 3 Press interfaces in the left column and choose the tab rotators Press Add New Enter the IP address to the Satran and the other settings as pictured above Press OK to close all 4 In...

Page 8: ...S enters over the horizon You can also manually change the large numbers for azimuth or elevation and the rotator will turn accordingly Satran MK2 has not yet been tested with other hamlib rotctl compatible software like satnogs If you get it to work with such other software please be kind to the community and share your findings in the forum at www satran io or by mail to satran danaco se 2022 08...

Page 9: ...rk compatibility 802 11 b g n max 20 character pass ssid Azimuth movement 0 360 degrees Elevation movement 0 90 degrees Tolerance approx 5 degrees Operating temperature 0 to 30 Celsius Max antenna weight 500 gram Weight finished unit approx 500gram Dimensions rotator 200x120x120mm Dimensions control box 110x110x70mm Standard pipe mount 25mm 35mm Country of origin Sweden Happy satellite hunting 73 ...

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