Greenwatts

Drive cont...

Cut another bottom plate from ABS flat stock about an inch wider and longer than the required dimensions. Remove any support bars that are on the bottom of the drive and clean off any dried glue from the bottom of the plates. Place the drive in the center of the bottom plate then place the bearing into position making sure the spur gear teeth on the bearing mesh with the worm gear teeth on the drive. Mark the approximate position of the bearing on the bottom plate. Remove the bottom plate and drill a hole equal to the inside diameter of the bottom skirt of the bearing.

Tack cement the bearing to the bottom plate and place back into position on the drive again making sure the spur and worm gear teeth mesh properly. Mark the bottom plate to the outside diameter of the drive housing. Remove and trim the bottom plate by scoring it with a utility knife and breaking the edge pieces off. Take the new bottom plate and transfer the position of the hole to the old bottom plate which will now be the top plate. Drill out the hole in the top plate.

Cement the bearing to the bottom plate and let the cement cure. Cement the bottom plate to the drive plates by applying cement to the bottom of the guide plates and motor plate and placing the bottom plate into position again making sure the spur and worm gear teeth mesh properly. You can test the drive at this point by applying 5 volts to the drive motors. The motors may struggle a bit because of the low voltage but the torque of both motors should be able to drive the bearing a full 360deg.

Remove any support bars from the top of the drive and again clean up any cement so the top of the guide plates and motor plate are clean. Apply cement to each of the guide plates, the motor plate and the top outer diameter of the bearing and place the top plate into position. After the cement is dry test the drive again.

The drive is now almost complete and the next step is to add the Sun Switch sensors and electronics. Mark the motor wires as required and feed the wires through past the bearing to the back of the drive. Remove any support bars from the front of the drive and cut ABS flat stock to make a front cover and cement into place.

Make a back plate from ABS flat stock and drill a small hole to feed the power supply wires through. Attach the Sun Switch sensor to the top of the bearing and feed the wires into the back of the drive housing. Make all the required wiring connections to the Sun Switch circuit board then place the board into the back of the drive housing making sure the Sun Switch wires have sufficient play for the bearing rotation. Perform the final test of the drive and then cement the rear cover into place. The drive is now ready to be mounted on a tracker frame.