Joe Martin (joe.martin.k5so@gmail.com)


Kennedy 8.6m dish available
All,

After an apparent gear failure in the azimuth drive of my 8.6m Kennedy
dish mount it seems that removal of the dish and mount from the tower
will be required to repair the problem.  As I have now reached a
relatively advanced age (75 years) and becoming increasingly frail as
years go by I have decided that I should now retire the Kennedy dish
from service here at my EME/amateur radio astronomy observatory and
offer it for free to anyone willing to remove the dish and mount from
the tower and take them away from this location.

Although I have not examined the issue in detail yet it seems likely to
me that the azimuth motion problem is due to a relatively trivial
internal problem in the geared mount assembly; but repairing it would
likely require removal of the dish and mount from the tower.  I have the
original technical drawings of the mount for reference.  The solid
reflecting surface of the dish is in excellent shape.  The dish is
located at my QTH near Espanola, NM.

Currently the dish moves freely in azimuth and can be moved by hand. 
The hydraulic vertical motion axis works normally under computer
control.  I can still operate the telescope in drift scan mode and I
will likely do so for the near term until a new owner for this dish can
be identified.  Elevation motion via computer control operates normally.

If you would kindly pass the word around to EMEers and/or amateur radio
astronomy enthusiasts that this dish is available for free I would
appreciate it.  Photos of the dish installation are viewable on the
k5so.com website.  If no one steps up to take this dish it is likely
that eventually I may be forced to cut it down for scrap. Interested
parties should contact me via the email address shown on this message.

Vy 73, Joe K5SO