A Div of DH SATELLITE Inc.

“DH SOLAR TRACKER” INSTALLATION MANUAL

BOLT TOGETHER FRAME

Some history of this product. We began spinning parabolic aluminum antennas in

1980 with our 5 meter commercial antenna and tracking mount. We have sold thousands

all over the world to TV stations, cable companies and other commercial users to receive

satellite signal. This tracking system worked so well that we have used the same

mounting system with a sun tracking controller and framework that allows us to attach

solar panels and track the sun. It’s proven in the field and we know how well it works. The DH solar system tracks the arc of the sun returning each evening and adjusting itself

to match the changing arc as we change season and go from longer to shorter and then longer

days.

www.dhsolar.net 600 N Marquette Rd

Prairie du Chien WI 53821 ph: 1-608-326-8406

email: mdoll@dhsolar.net

We update our manual periodically.

Last Revised 5-10-13 nc

DH Solar Tracker Maintenance Schedule

Your new DH Solar Tracker does require some maintenance periodically to keep it running efficiently. When our solar trackers leave our production facility, we have the chain tightened for the application of its use. With all new chains, they tend to stretch as they are first used on a regular basis. To ensure that your chain does not slip off from normal stretching, we require it to be checked during the first year as that is the most critical time it may stretch. Failure to abide by the maintenance schedule may result in your solar tracker to not run as it was intended to, and the chain may slip off of the hoop. Never loosen the chain, unless DH Solar personnel instructs you to! Calendar Action to perform on the system First month of operation Check chain for snug against hoop Second month of operation Check chain for snug against hoop Third month of operation Check chain for snug against hoop Fourth Month of operation Check chain for snug against hoop Fifth month of operation Check chain for snug against hoop Sixth month of operation Check chain for snug against hoop Lubricate chain and sprockets with chain lubricant * Eight month of operation Check chain for snug against hoop Tenth month of operation Check chain for snug against hoop 1 year of operation Check chain for snug against hoop Lubricate chain and sprockets with chain lubricant * Check all nuts and bolts for tightness on system After 1 year of operation Action to perform remaining life of system Quarterly checks on system Check chain for snug against hoop Twice a year on system Lubricate chain and sprockets with chain lubricant *Yearly or every other year Check all nuts and bolts for tightness on system *If you live in a dusty environment, a dry lubricant may be used in lieu of a liquid*

Explanation of actions Checking chain for snug= The chain on the horizon should not be able to move more than an inch or two from side to side. This is crictical in the first half year of operation and the chain may stretch. Checking nuts/bolts= During installation, all of the nuts and bolts should have been properly tightened. Over time, nuts may loosen up a little due to normal movement and also weather conditions. It is best to check over them to ensure they are still tight.

WARNING TO INSTALLER AND/OR ELECTRICIANS

Please read the instruction manual completely.

Please be familiar with the National Electrical Code and their requirements for

solar electrical installation.

Failure to ground the tracking system may result in damage from lightening.

Install ground rods according to NEC specifications to properly ground the

system.

WARNING! Failure to install the tracking system to the manufacturer’s

specifications will cause tracker to malfunction and may cause

serious injury or even death. This tracker system moves throughout

the day, therefore no objects should be placed near the system.

KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM TRACKER AT ALL TIMES!

WARNING! If an alternate DC device is used to move the tracker motor, YOU MUST

Disconnect the wires on the Motor that are connected to the Controller. Failure to

disconnect these wires will result in the Controller circuitry to fail!

Warning

VERY IMPORANT!

NEVER LOOSEN THE CHAIN ON THE HORIZON FRAME

UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO BY DH SOLAR PERSONNEL. It is the installer’s responsibility to ensure that the chain is tight when the system is

checked over before being put into service.

WARNING! VERY IMPORTANT WHEN POURING CONCRETE: TOP OF FOUNDATION MUST

BE COMPLETELY LEVEL. BASE POST PLATE MUST SIT ON TOP OF CONRETE,

DO NOT USE NUTS UNDER PLATE. USING NUTS UNDER BASE PLATE WILL

VOID ALL WARRANTIES.

Thank you for purchasing a DH Solar Tracker! These installation instructions will help guide you through putting the pieces together. Please familiarize yourself with all the components and read through the manual completely before beginning installation.

Components

Base Pole Base Can Horizon Mount

Green Washers 8-5/8” U-bolt 2-1/2” U-bolt Panel Plate Plate

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You will need a boom truck, crane, or some sort of machinery that can lift up the heavier components up to the top of the base post. When assembling the main framework, it is best to lay it out on a set of sawhorses as it will be easier to adjust the pieces of steel. You may, however, assemble all of the main framework up on the pole.

Controller

Actuator

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Modules (optional)

Inverter (optional)

Bushings

Installing Base Post VERY IMPORTANT, CONCRETE BASE MUST BE LEVEL AND THE BASE POST

PLATE MUST SIT ON THE CONCRETE

DO NOT INSTALL NUTS UNDER BASE PLATE

INSTALLING NUTS UNDER BASE POST PLATE WILL VOID ALL WARRANTIES

2.1 Remove nuts from J-Bolts & pry off the wooden template.

2.2 Next, set base post so the holes align with the J-bolts, then fasten the j-bolts with the

provided nuts.

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OPTIONAL INVERTER RACK: If your tracker came with an inverter rack

and you plan to use it to mount the inverter and controller on the post, follow

these instructions:

-Locate the inverter rack

-on the North side of the base post, lift the inverter rack up and line up the two

tabs of the rack with the two tabs of the base post and insert a ½” x 1 ½” bolt

through each tab and fasten with a washer and nut.

- Locate two bent braces and attach them to the side of the inverter rack and the

side tabs on the base post with ½” x 1 ½” bolts, washers and nuts. There will be

two braces per side of the inverter rack.

The controller mounting position is on the upper left hand corner, where the 4

holes are located.

Tabs of inverter rack aligned with tabs

on base post, bolts through them

Bent Braces

Tabs on inverter rack

BASE PLATE SITS

DIRECTLY ON CONCRETE

Once the Horizon frame is set, you will want to strap the frame so it doesn’t pivot upwards. 4. For this next step, you will need a flat area or trailer to assemble the “H” portion of the main frame.

Set Screws Tighten as instructed, Remember you must tighten all the way after installation is complete.

Notice the placement of the bolt through the front of the boom and location of the Elevation Adjustment

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3a. Raise the horizon mount and boom up and slip over the base post. Tighten the set screws slightly to prevent the frame from moving while assembling. See photo to the right. YOU SHOULD NEVER LOOSEN THE CHAIN ON THE HORIZON FRAME UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO BY DH SOLAR PERSONNEL.

3. Attach the Horizon to Horizon to the base can by inserting a ¾”x7” bolt through the front of the boom as shown in the photos.

4a. The first piece to fasten will be the middle 2x6 piece that is 49” long. The tab should face up. Bolt the 2x6 to the 77” 2x6 as shown in the drawing.You will be using ½”x3-1/2” bolts and a 6”x6” metal plate on the outside of the 77” 2x6. The bolt heads should both be on the outside of the 77” 2x6 and the 6x6 plate. 4b. Next, Lay the 2 long 2x6’s(roughly 19’-6”) on their side, one up from the 77” and one down from the 77”. Lay the 77” long 2x6’s that have the TAB welded to them as shown in the picture to the left. Bolt the 77” long pieces to the long 2x6’s with (4) ½”x3-1/2” and a 6”x6” plate on the outside of the long 2x6’s. All the nuts should be fastened so they are on the inside of the framework.

Picture 3

5. Once you have tightened all the bolts on the “H” Frame you are ready the lift the assembly up on the Horizon Mount. Below are some pictures to illustrate this process. You can skip and come back to this step if you want to assemble all of the framework on sawhorses. You will then need to come back to this step.

6. The next steps will be installing the 2x2 uprights on top of the 2x6’s. You will need to know your panel dimensions and the hole placements on the panels for fastening. You will be using the 8-5/8” U-bolts to attach the 2x2’s to the 2x6’s and the panel plates will be secured to the 2x2’s with the 2-1/2” U-bolts. 6a. You will need to find and mark the center of the long 2x6’s between the “H” frame. This will be your starting reference point. At this center point, the center 2 panels will meet. To do this, put one of the long 2x2 pieces up on top of the 2x6’s. Next, take one of the panel plates and hand tighten it with a short u-bolt to the 2x2. If you are working from the bottom of the frame, you will want the plate to face left. Slide the 2x2 over so that the middle of the panel plate’s two holes is centered in line with the mark you made. 6b. Very important! You need to make sure that the 2x2 overhangs the 2x6’s evenly on both the top and bottom. For our Suntech panel layout, we have 37” of the 2x2 above the “H” frame and below.

5a.You will need to line up the 2 tabs on the uprights with the holes on the Horizon Mount. Very Important! You must insert brass bushings in each tab hole before you insert the bolt and green washer! (See Photos below)

5b.You need to insert a Green Washer in between the tabs on the H and the Horizon Mount. Insert the 1”x 3 ½” bolt and hand tighten in hole.

Note: You will want to lift the frame from the top(opposite end of the standoffs(triangles) with a boom truck, or similar device, up to the Horizon Frame

5c. Once you have inserted both bolts, lay the frame back with your boom and tighten the two bolts going through the frame and green washers. *Very Important*—DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN THE BOLTS GOING THROUGH FRAME & GREEN WASHERS, TIGHTEN THEM ONLY TO SNUG FIT WITH A WRENCH. THIS IS A PIVOT POINT.

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Tab

Horizon Frame

Horizon Frame

Green Washer

Frame Tab

Brass Bushing

Bolt

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The picture on the left is the panel plate and also shows a white line which represents where the panels will meet on the plate. The white line is centered on the 2x6. The oval holes are used to secure the panels.

6b. Once you have found where the two center panels will meet, secure the 2x2 to each of the two 2x6’s with two 8-5/8” U-bolts and a square plate as shown in the illustration to the right. Notice the picture above right, your centerline white mark on the 2x6 should be between the two mounting holes on the panel plate. Once you have line it up, fasten the U-bolts to both the 2x2 to the 2x6. Be sure that before securing the 2x2 that both ends are squared up.

6c. Once you have the 2x2 secured to the 2x6’s, you will need to measure out the hole placements on the back of your panels. You will want to measure the side holes(Our Suntech panels measure 37” apart). Once you have the measurement you will know how far apart the next panel plate will need to be. Since our panels holes were 37” apart, we put the next 2x2 37” apart based on the panel plate’s slotted holes. If you are figuring out the middle left panels first, remember that the holes on the panel plate nearest to the U-bolt holes will be used. See Illustration below.

6d. When you have two 2x2’s in place you will want to lightly attach panel plates to them for the center panel. Move the plates up or down on the 2x2’s to line up the mounting holes. On Page 6, there is a diagram of a 16 panel layout and where the panel plates are located. These are for Suntech panels only!! You will need to figure out the spacing if you are using another manufacture’s panels. This is shown for reference only! 6e. You will notice on the far right 2x2 that the panel plates are facing the opposite direction. This is done so there is room for adjustment on the 2x6. Since the plates are facing the other way, the distance from the previous 2x2 to this one will be less. 6f. If you assembled the framework on the ground, you will want to go back to Step #5 for instructions to lift the framework onto the horizon mount. If you assembled the framework on the horizon mount already, then continue on to Step #7.

2x6

2x6

2x2

U-Bolts Plate Panel Plate

The Powered Declination will adjust

for the seasonal change that the sun’s

arc makes from the longest to the

shortest and back to the longest day.

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7. The basic DH Horizon to Horizon mount has a powered declination adjustment. You will, after

the main structure is assembled, attach the powered declination as shown here in these photos. This

will adjust for the seasonal change that the sun’s arch makes from the longest to shortest day.

IMPORTANT: Pictures on this page

showing how to configure the actuator

arm. You must move the collar up

towards the top and may need to rotate

the clamp so the motor is on top of the

actuator when installed. Then you must

pound out the brass bushing in the

mounting hole so a ¾” bolt will fit

through it.

Bushing inside that needs to be removed.

THIS IS A LAYOUT FOR SUNTECH 210W 16 PANELS ONLY!, YOUR PANELS’ LAYOUT WILL VARY!

Actuator must be installed as shown

in this picture. The motor needs to be

on top as any moisture can drain

through the weeb hole.

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7.1 After the power declination actuator is on, take the turnbuckle and extend it out. You will then attach the turnbuckle from the Horizon frame to the tab on the base can. (As shown in the picture to the right) Once you have the turnbuckle installed, you can adjust it to lay the frame back so it is easier to install the solar panels. You are now ready to put panels on.(See additional photos below) Remember to install grounding wire under each panel and ground according to the National Electrical Code

Panel placed on panel plates Underside of frame, Notice the hole placement

of panel compared to panel plate hole.

8. Finishing the Installation/Aligning South Once the panels are on you will need to tighten all of the nuts and bolts including the frame, mount, and panels. You will need to align the panels so they face magnetic south. There is a chart in the back of this manual to help you. Be sure to tighten the set screws on the base can to the pole. This step is important as you do not want the can to pivot on the pole and get out of alignment facing south. Failure to tighten the set screws may result in your system pivoting on the pole and damaging your panels as they may hit the ground. Another very important step that must be done to the system is Grounding. The structure itself must be grounded. In the picture below are the spots where a grounding clamp must be place and ground wire ran continuously to each point. The pole must also have a grounding clamp on it as well. See page 13 of this manual for grounding tips. Setting the tracker to your latitude Once the bolts are all tighten, you will need to set the tracker to your site’s latitude. You will need an angle finder for this step. Our home site, in Prairie du Chien, WI, is 43 deg. Latitude. You will have to find out your own latitude. To set the tracker to latitude, make sure the tracker is still facing South. You will then need to adjust the turnbuckle until the boom is set to your latitude angle. To find the angle, place the angle finder on the boom’s top, which is right above the can. See photo on top of page When you have finished, you are now ready to proceed onto the next steps in this manual. Warning: Failure to set the tracker to your latitude will result in the tracker not be aligned correctly. An incorrect alignment may result in the tracker to not be as efficient as it is intended.

Place Angle Finder Here

DH SOLAR CONTROLLER INSTALLATION

Your DH Solar Tracking unit has a controller which runs the unit automatically. Follow these steps to install the controller correctly. 1. The cover of the controller is held on by 4 phillips screws, remove these screws to access the inside of the controller. Once inside the controller, locate the 4 mounting holes. You will need to fasten the controller with 4 small bolts and nuts(See Figure 1). It is best to install the controller next to the tracker.

Figure 2

2. Locate the power supply. You will notice underneath there is two AC terminals & a Ground. Insert a 2 wire w/ground power cord into the grommet on the bottom of the controller box and insert the two AC and GND. You will need to insert a small flat blade screwdriver into the slots, insert the wires, and then release the screwdriver.

Figure 1

Mounting Holes

Insert a small screwdriver here to release spring, then insert wires

3. You will need to run wire from the motors to the controller. We typically use 16-2 wire. Take the cover off of the motor and fasten the black wire on the black wire terminal and the white wire on the white wire terminal. (See Fig. 3) Run these wires down to the controller and take the wires from the gearbox motor and insert into the bottom right grommet of the controller. In the controller, insert these wires to the East/West terminals.(Refer to Fig 4)

Figure 3

Figure 4

Black Wire & White Wire Terminals

These 2 wires are from the Gearbox motor, they go

to the East & West Terminals

These 2 wires are from the Actuator motor, they go to the North, South terminals

Mounting Holes

4. Once the wires are all hooked into the controller, you can power up the controller to set the time/date. To do this, push the MAIN MENU button and move the cursor to SET CLOCK/DATE. REMEMBER TO SET TIME IN STANDARD TIME.

5. You will now need to ensure your controller is set to the correct program. Hit the NEXT button until you come to the second screen and the cursor is next to CONT. APPLICATION(see FIG 5), then press ENTER. You have two options, DUAL AXIS or SINGLE AXIS, which is changed by pressing the NEXT button. When your application is on the screen, press EXIT two times.(see FIG 6)

Figure 5

Figure 6

6. When you are on the home screen, you need to be sure that “AUTO TRACKING IS ON” is displayed. This means that the tracker will move according to the programming in the controller. If this is not on, then press Main Menu, then scroll down to AUTO TRACKING and press ENTER to turn Auto Tracking on or off. Note: If you plan on doing any type of maintence on the tracker, it is adviced to turn off the auto tracking to prevent personal injury or damage to the tracker.

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The DH Solar tracker is now assembled at this point and we will now begin to work with the motors and the controller. The controller has a 110V AC power pack, that has an output of 24V DC to operate the DC motor to travel west, to follow the sun and returning at midnight. The controller also operates a second motor to adjust the “tracker” weekly to allow for the changing of seasons. The outputs of the controller are two sets of wires to attach to each motor. The controller is programmable to operate to the second. Normal operation is to move the solar panels each half hour for about 44 seconds (adjustable) and to return the unit at midnight. The return is set to a longer operation than needed so the panels return to the east and stop with the built in limit switch within the motor. You will see the limit switch within the motor in photo 8A on the next page. The declination adjustment is just a few seconds once a week. Maintenance of the system is to lubricate the chain twice a year.

DH SOLAR Controller Instructions Setting the Time & Date Push the MAIN MENU button, Then press the NEXT button until the cursor is next to the SET CLOCK/DATE line, then Press ENTER The first segment is the day of the week, press the “+” until you get to the correct day, then press NEXT. The following segment is the Month, press the “+” until you get to the correct Month, then press NEXT. The following segment is the year, press the “+” until you get the correct Year, then press NEXT. The following in the hour and minutes, set them accordingly, press NEXT and remember YOU MUST SET THE CLOCK TO STANDARD TIME, DO NOT SET TO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS. You can then press EXIT two times.

Manual Moving of the Tracker If you need to manually move the tracker, follow these steps: Press the MAIN MENU button, then press ENTER. You will then have the option to move EAST/WEST or FORWARD/BACK. If you want to move it East or West, simply press the button under MOVE EAST or MOVE WEST. When you are done moving the tracker, press STOP. You can then repeat the steps, move to the FORWARD/BACK moves, or EXIT the screen. Changing the Start Time/Move Time/ Duration Time If you need to adjust the move times follow these instructions: From the home screen, press the MAIN MENU button, press the NEXT once until it reaches the EDIT MOVE PARAMETERS line, then press ENTER. Then decide if you need to change the West Moves, East Move, or Solstice Move. To change ALL West moves, Press ENTER, then change the duration in which the tracker moves for each WEST move. If you want to individually change each WEST move, press ENTER when the cursor is next to the WEST(INDIVIDUAL) line. When you are in the next screen, you can choose which move you want to change by pressing the NEXT button, then press the EDIT button. You can then change the time the move starts and also the duration of the move. To change the Solstice or East moves, follow the same steps as above. Turning Off a Move If you want to turn off a move(i.e. don’t want the tracker to move at 8:00 am, so you want the first move to start at 8:30 pm, etc) Push MAIN MENU button, then EDIT MOVE PARAMETERS, WEST(INDIVIDUAL). Choose the move you don’t want and then change the Duration time to 0:00. WARNING: If you power the tracker from another source, you must disconnect the controller wires from the motor. Failure to do this will result in damaging the controller. When you are done making any changes, you MUST make sure that the AUTO TRACKING IS ON on the home menu page.

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9.1 You will need to set the limits in both the solar tracking motor and the solstice motor . To do this you will need to open each motor and make the adjustments by loosening the set screw and adjusting the adjustment screw. 1. You will need to put the tracker/panels at the most forward position. It will vary by your location. To obtain your approximate location of (most forward position) add 23 degrees to your site latitude. (ie. Prairie du Chien, WI is located at about 43 deg latitude. We set the panels to approximately 66 deg.) This will vary by area as to what angle or degree the tracker will be in this position, however we need the tracker to be in it’s most forward position before we set the east and west limits so that you do not hit the ground at your most easterly point (start of the day) and for setting the west limit which determines your end of day movement. You may remove the motor for the solstice adjustment, attach a drill and drive the panels to the approximate position. Make sure your panels are facing south when you are ready to do this. Once in the correct approximate most forward position is obtained put the motor back on and leave the motor set idle until we set the solstice limits. You will be moving the solar tracker left and right during this next process manually with a drill and the controller. Setting the Limits on the Motor for Azimuth travel.

WARING: If an alternate DC device is used to move the tracker motor, YOU MUST Disconnect the wires on the Motor that are connected to the Controller. Failure to

disconnect these wires will result in the Controller circuitry to fail!

Limit can be adjusted by repositioning the adjustment screw shown here with blue arrow. Loosen the set screw that is holding the pin in place, slide the pin left/right to make changes and retighten the set screw. West Limit is shown with red arrow. The adjustment screw will set the east limit, the threaded rod(red piece) will set the west limit.

Set screw West Limit Switch

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East Limit Adjustment screw

Motor stops when it hits the limit switch. This picture shows the limit stop at the West Limit Switch.

Photo 8A

9.2 Setting the West limit: Take the azimuth motor off of the tracker. Using a drill drive the tracker to the most westerly position you want to stop tracking for the day. Keeping in mind to make sure you have clearance from the bottom of the panel to the ground. Now you will take the azimuth motor, while it is off of the tracker, (which is already wired to the controller) and drive the motor using the controller to the west watching the threaded rod until it clicks the limit. Stop the controller when you hit the limit. Now put the motor back on the tracker mount. At this point both the tracker/panels and the limit for west are set. (You may make adjustments later if you need). 9.3 Setting the East limit: To set the east limit, use the adjustment screw. Loosen the set screw that holds the adjustment screw in place in photo 8A. With the cover off of the azimuth motor, and having the motor wired to the controller, drive the motor, that is attached to the tracker, all the way over to the east (sun rise position) by using the controller manual move on East, keeping in mind that you need to have clearance from the ground to the panel. When at the most easterly position stop the controller and set the limit. To set the east limit, simply adjust the adjustment screw with a screwdriver to hit the limit and tighten the set screw. 9.4 Test the limits. Using the controller, run the tracker east and then west. Make sure your controller and tracker unit stop in the positions you just set. Please see page 10 for “MANUAL MOVE” using the controller. 10. The solstice,( declination adjustment) arm also has limits to adjust and are set in the same manor as we have shown in figure 8A on the previous page. Both motors use the same theory. Remove the motor for the solstice adjustment, attach a drill to the tracker unit where your motor was, lay the tracker back against the Horizon frame. With this you will notice the 24” actuator is drawn all the way back. Stop at this point. Take the motor that is attached to the controller and set the threaded limit by driving the motor with the controller until the threaded rod hits the limit. Now place the motor back on the tracker. You have just set the limit for the longest day of the year, June 21st. You will now loosen the set screw that holds the adjustment screw limit so that you can now drive the tracker back to your most forward position. Remember your most forward position is your latitude plus 23degress. Once you have moved the tracker to this position, stop the controller. Set the shortest day of the year at this point by adjusting the adjustment screw to the limit switch. Tighten the set screw so the adjustment screw can’t move. Once done, you have set the limits for our shortest day of the year, December 21st. Run the tracker manually to ensure that the wiring on the solstice is done correctly. B- lays the tracker back, B+ lifts up the tracker upright.

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10a. You will need to put two additional bolts through the can & horizon mount, along with tightening the first bolt you put through. To do this, use a large “C” clamp and tighten the top on the can next to the holes. Tighten the first bolt that was there. Insert the second bolt, tighten the plates with the clamp, then tighten to the bolt. Finally, insert the third bolt, tighten the plates with the clamp and tighten the bolt.

2 additional bolts to insert and tighten. Remember to tighten the bolt already there first, while using the clamp. Then insert the second bolt and repeat the steps. You must use a “C” clamp or bessy clamp next to the holes and clamp very tight to ensure a very tight bolt. You must do this with all 3 bolts.

GROUNDING OF YOUR SOLAR TRACKER

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All grounding requirements must be done to your state’s adaptation of the National Electrical Code (NEC). Below are some pictures of grounding on one of our tracking systems. We typically use Burndy lay in lugs # BGBL-4 with a stainless steel self tapping screw.

FINAL REMINDERS -It is very important during the first couple of years to check the chain periodically to ensure that it has not stretched. You may have to tighten the chain to snug it back if there is some slack in it. Never loosen the chain unless instructed to by DH Solar personnel. -Remember to lubricate the chain at least twice a year to prevent it from rusting and also to keep it working properly. -You will want to check the nuts on all of the bolts when you lubricate the chain and tighten them if they appear loose.