New Motor!

[MattFL]

I’m finally back in the motor game. My Stab90 died a few months ago and I got my hands on a Moteck SG2100. I already have a second SG2100, but it has the bigger tube size and I could never use it. (now I have a spare motor!)
I can say without a doubt that the SG2100 beats the pants off the Stab90. The Stab90 has a terrible problem with going direct to a satellite using a vertical transponder. It will not lock on and travelled back to 0 then back again. Sometimes it never stops. It was so frustrating and a massive flaw in the design. I’m sure it has to do with the voltage being supplied to the motor. Well, no such issue with the Moteck SG2100. It is rock solid and works perfectly. I love this thing.
For the first time I get everything from 65W to 129W (I am east limited by my house). I have never been on the arc like this and it feels good to have everything dialed in. I even get a great signal on my white whale (DW 103W).
I couldn’t be happier and i’m looking forward to making a lot of contributions to the community.

 

[comfortably_numb]

I had the same issues with the HH90. It had a mind of its own.

 

[MattFL]

If anyone is looking for a good motor, here is the listing on eBay. BTW, stay away from Electorica. He has a misleading listing showing a motor with a small tube but selling one with the big tube.

ORIGINAL MOTECK SG-2100 SATELLITE DISH MOTOR HH SG2100 MOTORIZED FREE TO AIR | eBay

<p>ORIGINAL MOTECK SG-2100 SATELLITE DISH MOTOR FTA HH SG2100 ROTOR MOTORIZED FREE TO AIR 33. </p>

www.ebay.com

 

[cyberham]

I have the same motor as you, Matt. It has served me for about 13 years now, turning a 1.2-metre and a 1-metre dish at different times. As long as you don't exceed the maximum length of cable so it receives appropriate voltages, it is reliable. I've used 150 feet of cable with it. It's becoming a rust bucket and I hope to change it out but as long as it continues to work reliably then I probably won't.

If it ever goes insane on you, you just do its reset procedure and it will continue to work well after that.

 

[W6MMS]

The Moteck SG-2100 only works in DiSEqC 1.2 mode, not with USALS? Each satellite position must be located and entered in the receiver? My experience with motors is limited, so this is probably a rookie question.
-Craig

 

[Mr Tony]

The Moteck SG-2100 only works in DiSEqC 1.2 mode, not with USALS? Each satellite position must be located and entered in the receiver? My experience with motors is limited, so this is probably a rookie question.
-Craig

If your receiver has USALS option it will work with USALS. I know when I had a SG2100 20 years ago it worked with USALS.
What receiver do you want to operate it with?

 

[cyberham]

My SG2100 works well with my Edision's USALS function.

I find it best to locate a satellite using USALS but then tweak the motor position using diseqc commands to get the very best SNR reading. Once found, I save that position to an SG2100 unique motor memory.

 

[W6MMS]

If your receiver has USALS option it will work with USALS. I know when I had a SG2100 20 years ago it worked with USALS.
What receiver do you want to operate it with?

I will use an Edision receiver. I appreciate the answer regarding USALS and suggestions for alignment. Goal is good reception at 87 degrees and 123 degrees (as well as in between). I’m at 119 degrees.

Lot lines are not at 0 or 90 degrees but the amateur astronomer next door gave me hints about using solar noon to find south.

 

[cyberham]

Using USALS, it's not necessary to know the precise due south direction from your mast-mounted dish. You just need to position the motor assembly so the dish faces approximately south while motor is at 0. A hand compass or smartphone app is fine for this.

You then use USALS to motor to the satellite with active transponder (preferably) closest to your due south. In your case, that could be 123W or 117W. You should receive some kind of signal. Peak by physically very slowly moving whole motor assembly by hand back and forth.

 

[W6MMS]

Update: I swapped the motors (Motech replacing HH90) and aligned the dish. What changed since the original (and degrading) alignment is the availability of digital tools for angular alignment. These go by the names such as digital protractor, digital level or digital inclinometer. These are inexpensive and accurate to around 0.2 degrees or so, much better than I can measure with a bubble level.

I accurately aligned to south via solar south assisted by laser pointer. Then set the motor crank arm accurately for the latitude. Then set the dish elevation based on prior successful alignment. Keeping data helps.

The result was the dish hit the satellites of interest (87 -> 123) with no fine adjustment. I’m not concluding one motor is better than the other. And some very fine adjustment may squeeze optimum performance. No rush on that.

The lesson to me is that new (or new to me) digital tools help avoid all the trial and error alignment experimenting in order to achieve successful operation.

 

[primestar31]

And some very fine adjustment may squeeze optimum performance.

Be careful with that, because that way lies madness...

 

[W6MMS]

“Be careful with that…”

Exactly. I think I’ll be happy with things the way they are. I’ve gone down this path way too far and I’ve lost the route back. I left out the details so there’s no written record, no proof of madness. Knowing when to stop is a challenge. There’s an expression to remember about perfect being the enemy of good.

 

[jorgek]

USALS is amazing. Been using it for about 15 years. After doing a number of installs you begin to realize what a no brainer USALS is! The only extra tools needed is a compass to locate true south and a simple inclinometer.

 

[W6MMS]

Motor installation and alignment instructions invariably describe setting a pole in concrete, which certainly makes sense. I have a pole set in that expanding fence pole foam (which I don’t recommend since the foam can push the pole out of alignment as it expands and cures). Things work reliably.

So here is the question: Can motors work well on those ubiquitous antenna tripods? I have a 3 foot tripod and a 5 foot tripod for fixed dishes. Is an experiment with a motor even worthwhile if the motor’s motion is going to shake the tripod? Do things settle into position or vary each time the motor moves the antenna?

 

[comfortably_numb]

Can motors work well on those ubiquitous antenna tripods?

If you're talking about one of these, I have had a motorized 90cm installed on one and it works fine. Use 8 or more cinder blocks to stabilize.

https://a.co/d/6SXeEy1

 

[cyberham]

...Can motors work well on those ubiquitous antenna tripods? I have a 3 foot tripod and a 5 foot tripod for fixed dishes. Is an experiment with a motor even worthwhile if the motor’s motion is going to shake the tripod? Do things settle into position or vary each time the motor moves the antenna?

I've heard a pole in concrete is best. But I've never had one. I use a short sturdy 3-foot tripod nailed into the ground with camping stakes. It is holding a 1-metre motorized dish. The tripod periodically may need to be adjusted. The arrangement can work well. Unless you can have a whole yard of dishes like some have, a motor is tough to beat.

Sample tripod

 

[arlo]

Stability is the key. My neighbor has a DN dish bolted to a tree stump.When the ground freezes and the stump heaves. He's out there tweaking the mount. And then again in the spring.With the wifey shouting out across the yard "Better. No, worse, Go back a little". Imagine if he had a steerable dish. No bwayno.

 

[cyberham]

Hard to argue against a good chunk of concrete in the ground.

Q: What is.....23 lawyers buried in concrete up to their chins?....
A: Not enough concrete.

 

[Bassplayer 1964]

I have a HH90 that seem to forget it's directions most of the time..The MIO won't move it but my meter will. I have a SG6000 that I thought was bad but clearly is not so I think I'll swap it out in place of the HH90. I have had a heck of a time doing a simple task of installing a motor here for some odd reason! Never,ever had problems setting up and tracking the arc near perfectly before! I have a straight run of maybe 75 feet RG6 Quad UG cable straight to the motor, well through a ground block in my switch enclosure box close to half way so I don't think loss is a problem. My Mini VNA agrees with that and the TDR shows no faults so I can't explain it LOL I hate to hang a run of .500 self support between the house and the dish motor LOL Nothings ever easy for me

 

[W6MMS]

“I have a straight run of maybe 75 feet RG6 Quad UG cable straight to the motor…”

Yes, and nothing’s ever easy. My approach is to eliminate all the variables. For example, I discovered I have dual shield coax, quad shield coax and RG-59, all (ideally) requiring different F connectors. One vendor has F connectors designed specifically for quad shield coax, which is difficult to connectorize. Not that you can’t still successfully use the old crimp-on Radio Shack connectors from the bottom of parts box, but why not update? Then the energy can focus on the specific problem, instead of wondering about all possibilities as remote or unlikely as they might be.

Now, why am I having trouble with DW reception on 103W? There’s always something.