J.F.Drew © 2000-2011

Mobile menus click image.

Beam project features

The project has several hardware configurations including 2 or 4 line LCD display, software or hardware clock.

The hardware clock is an add on, mine came from Futurlec and is their DS1307. It costs about AUS$10. The LCD displays should be HD44780 compatible - most are.

The unit has open collector drives for azimuth and elevation control and brake. These may drive other units directly (e.g. the YAESU G-5500 without the expensive data control unit) or via relays, home brew motor drive systems.

The shack unit has internal calculations for the sun and the moon. These are accurate to about 0.1 degree. There is no need to use a computer for control when tracking the moon or sun, but some may choose to using either my "Remote.exe" program or Doug VK3UM's Autotrack. The "Remote.exe" program also allows internet control using a WIZ-110SR serial to IP interface.

The unit tracks satellites very well and for those who have a mechanical system that will invert the antenna the “Remote”

Software supports Flip Mode.

In four line version the readout provides AZ/EL of sun or moon and antenna, declination, doppler, local and UTC time. In two line displays the screen indicates AZ/EL of the antenna and AZ/EL of the object. It can be set to show time and/or doppler on the basis of an interrupted display of the AZ/EL of the object.

Version 11.00 supports an H-bridge to allow slowing of the rotator system at start and end of the move but this mode is currently untested. If it proves to be not working I will fix it once I have a tester. It works on the bench.

The encoders supported are:

• Home brew AS5040 or AS5045 encoders through AZ/EL interface unit
• MA3-P12 US-Digital's PWM magnetic encoder package through AZ/EL interface unit
• Linear potentiometer (accesses A/D converter in shack unit) permits operation of conventional rotators outputting a 0-5V control voltage.
• HH-05 and HH-12 from Europe and will interface through AZ/EL interface unit
• Screwjack interfaced through AZ/EL interface unit
• An US-Digital optical encoder (12-16 bit)
• Codechamp’s COA1E8C16 encoder (16 bit)
• A SCA61T inclinometer chip for elevation

Menu options:

The following are available options stored in memory in this order as menu items:

1. seconds
2. minutes
3. hours
4. day
5. month
6. year
7. presence of brake and rotator stop (north or south)
8. Analogue input or serial input from AZ/EL board
9. delay interval before reversal of motors
10. spread of az pot - how many pot degrees equate to 0 to 360
11. spread of el pot - how many pot degrees equate to 0 to 360
12. AZ offset - some rotators cover more/less than 360 degrees
13. EL offset - some rotators cover more/less than 180 degrees
14. AZ hysterisis (stop the motors within this range - allows for overrun)
15. EL hysterisis (stop the motors within this range - allows for overrun)
16. AZ highstop (software limit switch for greatest azimuth)
17. AZ lowstop (software limit switch for least azimuth)
18. EL highstop (software limit switch for greatest elevation)
19. EL lowstop (software limit switch for least elevation)
20. Height above sea level for sun moon calculations
21. Longitude in decimal degrees W (use - sign if East of Greenwich)
22. Latitude in decimal degrees (use -sign for South of equator)
23. Park azimuth
24. Park elevation
25. AZ resolution 10, 12, 14 or 16 bit
26. EL resolution 10, 12, 14, 16 bit or SCA61T inclinometer
27. SCA61 calibrate
28. Static Averaging (no of cycles)
29. Moving Averaging (no of cycles)
30. Add/Sub AZ offset
31. Add/Sub EL offset
32. VGA OFF/ON
33. Time ON/OFF (when using external computer input or offset for UTC in 4 line system)
34. CTS/DTR set for TTL or RS232 levels.
35. Normal,Yaesu, or SEI input
36. Refraction calculation ON/OFF
37. Relay mode choice of two methods - see manual
38. Doppler ON/OFF
39. Run on for AZ
40. Run on for EL
41. Park ON/OFF
42. Checksum ON/OFF (when using external computer or internet access)

Back to BEAM page