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Preventive Maintenance
This section contains periodic preventive maintenance instructions for the 3.7-Meter
Earth Station Antenna. Included in this section are inspection and preventive mainte-
nance procedures including cleaning and lubrication, painting, and an operational volt-
age/current checkout procedure deemed within the capabilities of the average station
technician. Refer to applicable vendor manuals for any repair procedures not included in
this section yet designated as capable off being performed in the “field” rather than
requiring specialized facilities, tools, and/or test equipment as well as technically trained
personnel.
An operational checkout procedure provides an accurate indication of the overall earth
station performance and should be performed at intervals of approximately three
months. This procedure is essentially performed during the various modes of normal
operation of the earth station. In addition, the operational checkout procedure should be
performed after any repairs or adjustments have been made, or whenever the earth sta-
tion is suspected of degraded operation. If any discrepancy in performance exists and
the condition cannot be readily remedied to return the earth station to a proper operating
condition, the appropriate troubleshooting procedures should be referenced to locate the
fault. After the trouble is determined and the repairs affected, a final operational check-
out procedure should be performed to verify that all discrepancies have been corrected.
The following paragraphs describe the inspection and preventive maintenance proce-
dures for the earth station. These instructions include general cleaning and inspection,
the preservation of metal parts and lubrication. Periodic replacement of assemblies or
components as a preventive measure is not required. Malfunctions of the earth station
can be traced to components, assemblies, and parts through the use of applicable trou-
bleshooting procedures.
To prevent the excessive accumulation of dust and dirt as well as the removal of such
contaminants, thoroughly clean the equipment whenever visually inspecting the earth
station components. No special cleaning procedures are required. However, a thorough
cleaning in accordance with the following procedures is required to assure continued
trouble-free operation.
Minor cleaning, such as the removal of dust and loose foreign particles can be accom-
plished by one of the following:
• Vacuuming
• Using a soft brush or lint-free cloth
•
Blowing out the dust and dirt with low pressure (5 to 25 psi), dry compressed air
When using air to blow off the contaminants, either avoid or be careful when directing
the air stream on delicate parts. To remove imbedded dirt, grease, or oil from electrical
parts; use a 50 percent solution of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and apply with a soft bris-
tle brush. It may be necessary to brush some parts vigorously with a stiff bristle brush to
remove imbedded and hardened dirt particles. If possible, avoid excessive use of clean-
ing solvent on electrical insulation. After cleaning, allow the cleaned parts to dry for 10 to
15 minutes before placing the equipment into operation.
Preventive Maintenance