The DM2800 H-H motor is capable of handling a 1.2m GeoSatPro offset dish, but it may take some work to get it to point reliably. The large amount of mechanical lash, backlash or "slop" in the positioner will make it difficult to aim properly. I struggled with this for a few weeks before deciding to tackle the root problem once and for all.
The slop allows the dish to tilt up and down and rotate side to side. A stiff wind can easily blow you off target. At max elevation (due south) the slop makes peaking the dish unrepeatable. And near the ends of the arc, the weight of the dish will take up the gear slop and point you further E or W than you expect to be based on the USALS calculated position.
The manual mentions a simple screw adjustment that will make the worm gear mesh tighter with the plastic bull gear on the output shaft. This may make some improvement, but you will quickly find that it increases friction to the point that the little motor either 1)won't turn the 1.2m dish or 2)won't pull it back up from E or W. Most of the slop is NOT due to this gear interface anyway.
Below are a few things I did to completely remove all mechanical slop or play in the mount.
The above made a huge improvement. But it still wasn't rock solid. I was missing the hidden adjustment below.
The pole mount bracket that this thing comes with is also junk. It makes it hard to make small azimuth adjustments, and the simple act of tightening the mount will move the azimuth. I took an old 1.2m Prodelin mount and bolted on the side plates that came with the DM2800 bracket.
This thing is rock solid now. Enjoy.
The slop allows the dish to tilt up and down and rotate side to side. A stiff wind can easily blow you off target. At max elevation (due south) the slop makes peaking the dish unrepeatable. And near the ends of the arc, the weight of the dish will take up the gear slop and point you further E or W than you expect to be based on the USALS calculated position.
The manual mentions a simple screw adjustment that will make the worm gear mesh tighter with the plastic bull gear on the output shaft. This may make some improvement, but you will quickly find that it increases friction to the point that the little motor either 1)won't turn the 1.2m dish or 2)won't pull it back up from E or W. Most of the slop is NOT due to this gear interface anyway.
Below are a few things I did to completely remove all mechanical slop or play in the mount.
The above made a huge improvement. But it still wasn't rock solid. I was missing the hidden adjustment below.
The pole mount bracket that this thing comes with is also junk. It makes it hard to make small azimuth adjustments, and the simple act of tightening the mount will move the azimuth. I took an old 1.2m Prodelin mount and bolted on the side plates that came with the DM2800 bracket.
This thing is rock solid now. Enjoy.
