Installation
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The Pivot weighs in at 65lbs and ships in a cardboard box via UPS or FedEx. Don’t try to be a hero, get some help moving it around.
Open the box
Remove the foam
Use slings to pick up and position the Pivot via the (4) lifting points on the corners. These points are not rated for overhead lifting.
All machines being controlled by Spikemark use an encoder for precise positioning. The Revolver uses a TR-3 dancer wheel encoder that rolls along the edge of the turntable to provide position feedback. Position accuracy is affected by the condition of the edge - often requiring the operator to reset position partway through a performance.
The Pivot provides a bullet-proof solution: no slip encoding with the Revolver’s existing TR-3 Encoder. All you need to do is swap the encoder wheel for a pinion gear. Simply:
Remove the encoder from the Revolver.
Swap the blue encoder dancer wheel for the included spur gear.
Mount the encoder on your pivot.
Connect the 8 pin M12 extension cable from the encoder back to your Revolver.
Using the encoder from the Revolver saves money - no need to buy a 2nd encoder! Give us a shout if you are using a custom machine and need an encoder.
Important note: In order to utilize the center encoding feature of Pivot, you will need to run the M12 extension cable from the encoder at Pivot to the Revolver at the edge of the turntable. For this reason, we recommend using the Pivot with a wheels up turntable design, whereas a wheels down turntable will run over the M12 extension cable without incorporating a cable chase. Wheels up is the way!
Detach the M12 cable from the back of the encoder (spin knurled nut counter-clockwise)
Loosen the (2) #10-32 screws on the encoder shaft clamp (5/32” hex key).
Then slip the encoder off the 5/8" shaft post
Remove the blue urethane coated dancer wheel from the encoder shaft via the set screw on the flange (1/8" hex key). .
Put the pinion onto the encoder shaft
Tighten the pinion onto the encoder shaft via the (2) #8-32 set screws (5/64” hex key).
The top of the pinion should be flush with the top of the encoder shaft +/-1/32”.
Slide the encoder onto the Pivot’s 5/8" mounting shaft, so the bottom of the encoder is resting on the shaft flange body.
With the encoder now installed onto the mounting shaft, tension the encoder and pinion into the spur gear on the underside of the top plate.
Use a ½” bolt on the back of the encoder to turn the encoder towards the spur gear.
Pivot the encoder on the 5/8" shaft and put some bend into the forked metal spring.
You don’t need massive amounts of spring tension, just enough to keep the encoder engaged with the gear. (5 lbf on the bolt)
While holding tension, lock the encoder in position via the (2) #10-32 shaft clamp screws (5/32” hex key).
Spin the Pivot 360 degrees, and make sure that the pinion maintains engagement with the spur gear and does not contact the top plate throughout the Pivot’s rotation.
Now the Pivot is now ready to be installed into your turntable. If you lay out perpendicular lines on your floor intersecting the center of your turntable, then you can align the Pivot to the notches at the center of each edge of the base plate.
Attach the Pivot to your floor, deck, or turntable base via the (8) 1/2” mounting holes in the base plate.
Get at least a fastener in each corner. This connection and the top connection will have to resist the horizontal thrust of the Revolver drive wheel up to 1200lbf, so make sure you have a good connection to your floor or turntable spider.
With the optional Slip Ring add-on you will be able to get power onto your turntable. The stock Slip Ring Add-On includes (3) conductors rated at 20A each, which works great for a practical or switched power for other lighting effects. Other configurations, including data, are available upon request.
The Slip Ring kit is connectorized with Powercon True1 locking connectors, with a receptacle on the top plate, and an inlet on the junction box attached to the base.
Use the included mating connectors (NAC3MX-W-TOP & NAC3FX-W-TOP) to make the connections into the junction box and out to the turntable device. We use the True1 connectors because they’re a locking connector with breaking capacity, meaning they can be connected and disconnected safely when energized.
Powercon True1 Typical Pinout
L = 120VAC Hot
N = Neutral
G = Ground
Attach your turntable lid/platforms to the top of the Pivot via the (12) 1/2"-13 tapped holes in the top plate.
Insert 1/2"-13 bolts/screws from above and tighten, to no greater than 40ftlb to avoid stripping the aluminum threads. After fastening your center lid/platform, give the Pivot at least a full revolution spin in each direction to ensure there is no interference with your connections.
The encoder used on the Pivot has a M12 8-pole inlet, and this needs to be connected to the encoder whip coming off the Revolver junction box, typically tucked under the motor body. A 16’ M12 extension cable is included with your Pivot. You can find a 32’-6” cable from McMaster (PN: ) if you have a monster turntable. Minimize this cable length and separate it from contact with high voltage cables, as either can induce electromagnetic interference (EMI) that can disrupt your encoder signal, leading to poor positioning. Attach the socket-side of the cable to the encoder and the plug the other end into the whip at the Revolver.
