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73
Preventive Maintenance
This section contains periodic preventative maintenance instructions for the 4.5-Meter
Earth Station Antenna. Included in this section are inspection and preventative 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 of 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 effected, a final operational check-
out procedure should be performed to verify that all discrepancies have been corrected.
The following paragraphs describe the inspection and preventative maintenance proce-
dures for the earth station. These instructions include general cleaning and inspection,
the preservation of metal parts and the lubrication of moving parts. Periodic replacement
of assemblies or components as a preventative measure is not required. Malfunctions of
the earth station can be traced to components, assemblies and parts through the use of
applicable troubleshooting 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% solution of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and apply with a soft bristle
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.
Clean mechanical parts by first removing dust, dirt and other loose contaminants with a
Preventive Maintenance