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The Maintenances of Earth Station Antenna
We summarize many years experience of production and maintenance of Earth Station Antenna and combined with the feedback of many customers from all over the world to creat the daily inspection manual. It contain “Surface Maitenance”,”Antenna Fasteners”,”Ground”,”Cable and connector”, “Shutdown Maintenance”,”Maintenance Record”.
The simple maintenance for earth station antenna can reduce the antenna failure probability and extend the antenna life, so a regular and complete antenna maintenance planning will be helpful for the antenna normal operation.
Appropriate maintenance planning is a kind of commercial insurance. Check the completion of the whole structure and ensure the normal operational capability by the simple and low-cost surface maintenance; Check the electrical performance, and comply with the maintenance regulation in the manufacture’s operational maintenance manual so as to reduce the occurrence of antenna failure.
1. Surface Maintenance
Check the complete paint surface and electroplating surface, as well as fixed structure. First rub the rust spot on the electroplating surface by metal wire brush or abrasive paper, and then coat a layer of zinc-rich coating or a layer of rust inhibitor which won’t require the complete clearance of the rust.
The user should repair it even if only a little of the finish peeling, spalling or color fading, or it will become more and more serious. And the user must accord with the antenna manufacturer’s regulation for the paint surface and coating specification, because the wrong coating method will affect the signals accept. For example, the dark-colored antenna reflector surfaces can absorb easily, and so it can give rise to high temperature, which can cause the signal distortion. Too much lead paint can make the signals loss by attenuation or scattering.
2. Antenna Fasteners
The nuts, bolts, rivets and other fasteners in the installation will be affected by atmospheric effect or internal corrosion. Regardless of any corrosive components and the error installation will be found in the routine maintenance. At this time the users should tighten the loosen nuts and replace the lost, rust and corrosive components.
With the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials Institute) A325 or other occasions of friction components, the user must replace the loosen or corrosive components, because in the process of re-tightening it will make the fasteners get the reuse term. Also the corrosive A325 metal parts should be replaced not be tightened.
Often there’re pins inserting in the pivots of the adjustable antenna bracket. Check if the activities of these jointing are flexible, and lubricate the oil by a grease-gun with oil jet. If the antenna rotates not flexibly, the user should replace the pin.
Check the metal fasteners on the antenna reflector and back structure. Except ASTM A325 must be replace, the user can tighten the loosen parts. The lost, rust and corrosive fasteners should be replaced. These check processes are also suitable for the operational platform when assembling the antenna, as well as assisting the reflector and reflector support.
3. Ground
No matter how high the buildings, the antenna and bracket should be grounded to prevent the lightning strikes. Inspect if the mechanical of grounding system and non-mechanical connection are connected.
Analyze if the grounding connection is connected by the earth loop impedance instrument. According to the test results the user can decide the cost of the excavating work. Check if the mechanical grounding parts are rust, corrosive or loosen. Replace the rust and corrosive fasteners so as to limit the inductance value.
Unload the grounding sharp dogleg head on the antenna or bracket. Contrast to the Biddle megohmmeter, test the target value which is made after site grounding resistance to check the grounding system. According to the test results determine whether adopt auxiliary grounding measures.
On the place which can use the step auto-tracking device, check whether the pedal is level by a longitude and latitude stadia. If the pedal is not level, it can affect the antenna position calculation. Adjust the level nut under the base plate to make the antenna keep level.
If the anchor bolts prevent to adjust the pedal level, adjust it while fixing the antenna. After adjusting, check if the cement sealing of the antenna foundation and anchor bolts spall, crush and shift. If it is damaged, even a little, also should be repaired. After adjusting, the controller should be programmed again.
If some devices are mounted in the antenna box which is on the back of the reflector, check if there’s accumulated water or a large number of termite or rodent infested in the box. Repair or seal the crack, even if it is little. If the user don’t care about it, ants, mice and other animals will cause incredible losses.
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