TEST REPORT
14
TELE-satellite International — www.TELE-satellite.com
A new DiSEqC motor
for large satellite
antennas?
If the range of products and equipment increases for a certain system
this can be taken as proof that the system has been established as a new
standard. The DiSEqC 1.2 protocol, which has made possible the automi-
sation of antenna positioning, is a prime example for this assumption.
With its "Mini Actuator", EDON is now introducing a new construction
principle which has the potential of replacing the H-H mount. TELE-satel-
lite has tested the mechanical aspects of one of the first antenna motors
of this innovative series.
Thanks to the included manual
the assembly of the individual
components should be a hassle-
free affair for everyone with some
experience of putting together
furniture bought at 'you-know-
which' Swedish furniture stores.
The user's manual is printed on
an A4 page and with the help of a
set of flat spanners (which are not
included in the package) assem-
bly should not take longer than 30
minutes.
The centrepiece of the con-
struction principle is the trapezoid
antenna support, which is freely
movable around the polar axis. As
Satellite Actuator
The "Mini Actuator" consists
of various components that
need to be assembled
The EDON actuator comes as a kit with different components
Assembling the components
teaches how the system works
Of course the antenna is mounted
parallactically in such a set-up,
which means it rotates around its
own axis which is aligned towards
the polar star (hence the name
polar mount). The motor, how-
ever, does not sit on this axis any
longer. Contrary to the H-H mount
the pivot axis is not fixed to the
motor, which avoids unilateral wear
and tear of the motor bearings
due to the weight of the antenna.
This new principle therefore allows
moving larger and thus heavier
antennas as well. The "Mini Actua-
tor" we tested is currently limited
to antenna sizes of up to 120 cm.
The latitude scale is used to align the dis