Motorised dish won't move.

[marcus]

I have tried on several occasions to move my motorised dish from hot bird to Astra using the remote on my topfield receiver.It was already connected up as the previous home owner kindly left me the equipment, but when I try to move it, the receiver makes a kind of clicking noise and the dish does not move at all, I have tried resetting the receiver and driving it east, then west still no movement just clicking.Any ideas anyone, I would like to get the dish moving as I want to purchase a vu solo as my first sat receiver, the previous owner said the unit had a new motor fitted a couple of years ago, at the back of the receiver there is 6 x connections =M1 red wire, M2 black wire, PULSE blue wire,GND brown wire,SKEW black wire and +5V red wire, would this kind of set up work with a vu solo, again any help much appreciated, Regards Marcus.

 

[fevgatos]

Hi Marcus.do you have V Box 36 volt position for large dishis,look like to me , cause you have to many wires back at box , explain more please. take some picture of your dish and motor please and upload here , I can help you ,cause is my job,

regards Nick

 

[maff]

Is there anyone else you know that owns a receiver capable of moving a motorized dish? Might be worth hooking up a different sat box and see if that shifts it.Then you'll know if its the dish or your receiver.

 

[marcus]

Hi Fevgatos, I don't have a v box, but have seen them advertised on ebay, I thought that because the receiver was connected to dish and motor that I would be able to adjust it,. The top field TF 5000 Cip works fine and picks up about 600 + channels on hot bird, most are encrypted. I will try and upload some photos of the dish and back of receiver. Thanks.

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[fevgatos]

Hi marcus,I can see your photo , and to me is Diseqc motor,and Fibo dish as well,as see on this picture .Diseqc motor rather than a hardware positioner board to control a standard 36V motor.
The problems with Diseqc motors and why the "V box" (link to V Box below) is so necessary with larger dishes.

Diseqc is a new development where digital receivers now contain software to control a Diseqc motor rather
than a five amp hardware positioner board to control a standard motor. The motor control works digitally
down the coax signal lead and a 4-wire control system is not required. Also the concept has become an
industry standard. Sounds good so far but what are the drawbacks?
1. Diseqc motors have all been lightweight universal fit motors with a
thirdary rotating pole that the dish clamps to. They are not designed for a particular dish and they do
not properly bolt onto the back of a dish. Slippage can occur in high winds at the thirdary rotating fixing.
2. The coaxial cable is designed to carry the signal from the LNB to the
satellite receiver. It is also designed to provide power to the LNB. The satellite receiver provides about
500 to 600 mA (0.6A) to power the LNB. Typically an LNB might draw about 300 mA. This leaves 200 to 300mA
(0.3A) to power up a Diseqc motor. Clearly a proper hardware (4 wire control system) positioner which
can provide up to (typically) 3 to 5 amps is a far better system as it can drive better bigger, stronger,
quicker motors. With 300mA a Diseqc motor must be very small. The only way a very small motor can move
a dish is by putting a large gearbox on the end of the motor to provide "leverage". This means that
a Diseqc motor moves very slowly from one satellite to another due to the large amount of gearing.
Small motors & thirdary thinner rotating poles which the dish can slip on are far from ideal for use
with even larger dishes (e.g. 1.0m+ or 90cm + in exposed locations.). Storm force winds in the UK can
provide serious wind loads on a motorised dish.
To be honest with you , this motor isn't easy to fix buy your self , could bee anything ,you need to call the man who fix it , the sat installer ,or other on a professional one,no body cannot help you online ,I am talking by this picture you uploade here, I tho is satellite motor control by coax cable with 12 volt ,USALS motor ,with any motor system it is not easy for people with not knowledge and sat meter ,

regards Nick

 

[marcus]

Thanks for the replies Nick, Maff, I will get a local sat engineer to have a look.

 

[fevgatos]

No prob mate , your box is very old and your satellite system is to,this box you use only for free sat ?anyway anything else don't hesitate to ask ,

regards Nick

 

[domelek]

these actuators are more reliable than USALS ones I would leave it as it is and use VBOX with diseqc 1.2 receiver. Should work like a harm