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Setting up your new PMTHDA or Pole Mountable tracker, heavy dual axis

I strongly recomend you read my notes and see the photos of setting your panels correctly. This link will take you to the setup proceedure for the V3 Portable, but th main area of getting them set square is all there. Plus info on how to NOT drill a hole through your solar panel cells. Have a Peep setting panels
The pole required is 50mm x 50mm, preferably a square pole. Please remember to have the sides of the square pole aligned to north south. It will turn you to self harm if you set the pole in cement only to discover it points everywhere other than north south.

The PMTHDA comes standard with a 9" actuator for north/south adjustment, however if you prefer a 18" for more travel just ask. But you will need to fit, or have me fit an external micro switch for full-upward cutout. If you want the 18" on north/south I will include instrctions with the tracker for adjusting it and the micro.
To be honest, I have sold a few of these and no one has needed these instructions as yet; it is all simply comon sense set-up. But if you feel I should add more info, now that I finally made the page, just let me know ok.. dave@campatracka.com

Now that you have unwrapped the PMTHDA and scattered it all over the back yard, grab the Head assembly and loosen the three bolts holding it together. Only loosen them enough to allow you to sit the head over the pole and insert one hardened washer each side of the pole as in the two photos below. Simple hey!
Southern Hemisphere users, fit the head with the longest end on the southern side of your pole, as in photos below. Northern users simple go the other way. Long end to the North.

Now fit the two actuator adjuster plates to the pole as in the photo below. The plates will be marked on the insides so you know which way up they go.
ok, now fit the 9inch actuator to the two plates; remember to put the nylon spacers either side of the actuator as shown. Then do likewise at the top.
With a 9 or 12" north-south actuator, you need to find it's location on the pole. Have the 9" actuator all the way out, use the jump wires provided to extend the actuator.
With the actuator fully extended, slide the whole assembly up the pole until it is almost touching the pole at the top. Make sure the actuator shaft can NOT touch the pole. Then tighten the 4 bolts to clamp the side-plates to the pole.
Your tracker head should be almost vertical at this point. Now, using the supplied jump wires again, run the actuator all the way in, or downwards, and make sure the micro switch inside the actuator cuts power when fully down. Run it up and down a couple times to be sure the actuator shaft misses the pole when fully extended and that all is moving freely.
Look closely at the 2nd photo below, right, to see what it should look like on full northern axis. Note how you can see light between the actuator shaft and the pole. then below that is how it should look when on full south axis. Not the gap between the two actuators... More on that shortly.

Now it is time for the Pivots. as you can see I have clearly marked all attachments with letter stamps and even marked them with red felt pen so you don't get confused.
Fit just the drive pivot for a start. leave the other, northern end pivot until last, or it may get in your way.

Now fit the east west, 18" actuator. Again, just use the letter marks on the actuator mount and the tracker head to figure out how it goes on. Plus looking at the photos makes assembly very easy.
Have the east west actuator about half extended, again using the jump wires provided. If it don't move when you connect it simply reverse the wires at the battery.
Connect the actuator to the drive pivot mount bracket. Do this nut up so it stops all floppy movement, but it can still rotate as the thing travels east west.
Now run the North-South actuator all the way in, or down. Then, using the jump wires, run the 18" east west actuator full east and west a couple times to make sure it can not touch the other 9" actuator. See photo below.

As you can see in the above photo, the actuators come close to touching. But you should have a gap of about 40mm between the two actuators when assembled. if you don't, you have the north south actuator mounted too low.
As with all mechanical devices, you simply need to adjust, double check, and readjust if and where needed. I have now sold a few of these and to date no one has had problems.

Ok, if you are happy that everything is working as it should, set the actuators to about midday position, with the north south actuator at about center of its movement path. Do NOT fit the panels just yet.
Fit the sensor control box to the head assembly as shown in photos. again, it is marked on the head where it goes. The two power sockets for the actuators are marked with red and blue to avoid confusion. red goes to red, and blue plug goes to other blue plug. Take note in the photos as to where I have the cables situated. Have them rather loosely fitted until all testing is completed.
Mount the small sensor box as shown in above photos. Then connect the battery and see what happens.
Remember the east movement has a 6 to 12 minute delay, so if the red led indicator comes on when you connect power, grab a cool stubby from the fridge and wait.
On the control box is a small flip-switch, this turns off the north-south sensors which is handy on very clouded days. So make sure it is on!
The north south sensors have very little time delay, so when you turn it on the tracker, if needed, will adjust the north-south axis within seconds of powering up the tracker.
If all seems well, disconnect the power then fit the other freewheeling pivot, then your panels. After fitting the panels do the jump-wire routine again to be sure nothing can get entangled with panels cables actuators etc etc. then reconnect the sensors and power it up again.
When you are totally happy that nothing will become entangled, double check and secure the cables into place. Be sure the east west cable have ample slack for when on full west axis.

Northern Hemisphere users need to think in reverse for some of these instructions.
As you would expect, I make these myself so I do at times become complacent with my instructions and I may not have parts of this page stated clearly enough for all users; so please, if I have created confussion somewhere, tell me what and where and how, that way I can fix it and simplify the instructions for you.
If you have sugestions on anything to make it all easier, send me an email with your ideas to dave@campatracka.com
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