Dan Robinson
EF5
I've drafted up a quick concept of what I may do for this upcoming season. For comparison, here is the original design:
![hailguarddiagram2.jpg hailguarddiagram2.jpg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/33/33445-1ea772e1ce5f0636d60e5471a6ee3e98.jpg)
And the final product as-built:
![hailshield2.jpg hailshield2.jpg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/33/33446-985417d644c76af0ba4b35e83445306e.jpg)
Now, the proposed mods for version 2.0:
![hailguarddiagram3.jpg hailguarddiagram3.jpg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/33/33447-32e1c2178d8c4fa18669c5d10179a3d8.jpg)
This is just a rough draft - there are some details missing here that will be needed, like guide rails. You get the basic idea though. I'm thinking with a strong enough actuator, a linkage could be made that deploys both driver and passenger side guards with the same unit. As for 12v actuators, there are quite a few options out there. Just a quick search pulls up some industrial-grade models new for $200-$300 each - pretty expensive for this application. However, there are quite a few devices using linear actuators that could be purchased used for much less and repurposed. I see things like marine hatches, awning retractors, even convertible car soft-top mechanisms that might be able to be modified for use here.
![hailguarddiagram2.jpg hailguarddiagram2.jpg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/33/33445-1ea772e1ce5f0636d60e5471a6ee3e98.jpg)
And the final product as-built:
![hailshield2.jpg hailshield2.jpg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/33/33446-985417d644c76af0ba4b35e83445306e.jpg)
Now, the proposed mods for version 2.0:
![hailguarddiagram3.jpg hailguarddiagram3.jpg](https://stormtrack.org/data/attachments/33/33447-32e1c2178d8c4fa18669c5d10179a3d8.jpg)
This is just a rough draft - there are some details missing here that will be needed, like guide rails. You get the basic idea though. I'm thinking with a strong enough actuator, a linkage could be made that deploys both driver and passenger side guards with the same unit. As for 12v actuators, there are quite a few options out there. Just a quick search pulls up some industrial-grade models new for $200-$300 each - pretty expensive for this application. However, there are quite a few devices using linear actuators that could be purchased used for much less and repurposed. I see things like marine hatches, awning retractors, even convertible car soft-top mechanisms that might be able to be modified for use here.