1 Bud 2 viewing locations

[inomad]

I have 10 foot dish with C and KU LNBs and a linear actuator. There is a ribbon cable running into the house with 2 coaxes and wires to control the motor and polarizer. I have T'eed the cables and wires to run to a second location. Unfortunately, I used common splitters instead of high frequency splitters and now I have finished the room and cannot get to the splitters. I have a Pansat 9200HD with a Gbox to control the motor, and a GI analog box to control the polarizer. This setup is working even with the common splitters. I have an openbox S9 in the second location and it works if I move the dish with the Panset/Gbox. I would like to slave a 4DTV DSR 922 to the Openbox to be able to move the dish and polarizer from the second location and view some channels with the 922. (I have purchased a diseq swithc and high frequency splitters to slave these boxes). Is this possible? Will it cause problems electrically? If so, can I install diodes to prevent feedback on the control lines? If that works, will one motor controller or the other get lost (only one viewing location will be on at a time)? Will always parking the dish in the same location before turning off the set cure that?

Thanks,
Inomad

 

[trinidex]

I have 10 foot dish with C and KU LNBs and a linear actuator. There is a ribbon cable running into the house with 2 coaxes and wires to control the motor and polarizer. I have T'eed the cables and wires to run to a second location. Unfortunately, I used common splitters instead of high frequency splitters and now I have finished the room and cannot get to the splitters. I have a Pansat 9200HD with a Gbox to control the motor, and a GI analog box to control the polarizer. This setup is working even with the common splitters. I have an openbox S9 in the second location and it works if I move the dish with the Panset/Gbox. I would like to slave a 4DTV DSR 922 to the Openbox to be able to move the dish and polarizer from the second location and view some channels with the 922. (I have purchased a diseq swithc and high frequency splitters to slave these boxes). Is this possible? Will it cause problems electrically? If so, can I install diodes to prevent feedback on the control lines? If that works, will one motor controller or the other get lost (only one viewing location will be on at a time)? Will always parking the dish in the same location before turning off the set cure that?

Thanks,
Inomad

I don't have knowledge of the gbox, but i think your theory is correct. If you're able to move the dish from 2 locations, you will have the "lost" scenario. Moving the dish back each time would overcome that.

 

[inomad]

Thanks,

I haven't connected the control wires to the DSR yet. I have been afraid that if power were on the lines from each box, I might have a problem.

Inomad

 

[oldsatdude]

Common splitters may not last long as the receivers are sending power to the LNB's on the dish. They may be a problem and you will need to get to them at some point, so you may want to locate them and add a "cut in box" so you can access the splitters. The "IF splitters" will have a line drawn on them to indicate which leg the power is on. I recommend using them to avoid damage to the LNB power. Some receivers are sensitive to voltages applied to them, like lightning, and you may find one receiver burning another out. I have only used a second receiver as a slave to the primary receiver. Using the UHF remote to control the master receiver and slave receiver to watch TV.

Good luck!

 

[inomad]

Thanks much,

I have had a feeing i would have to cut into the ceiling to replace the splitters. Right now I can watch upstairs or down but I have to move the dish and change the polarity upstairs. (big pain) However, I am noticing that sometimes I don't get a signal upstairs. When That happens, if I turn the downstairs receiver on I get a signal upstairs. Also, the upstairs box puts out a little over 1 volt on the polarizer lines, and the downstairs box puts out 5 volts whether it's on or off. If I connect both up the upstairs box doesn't like it. I am thinking of installing a relay to disconnect the downstairs polarizer when I use the upstairs box. Haven't tried to connect up both motor controlers yet, but I think it will work since there seems to be no power on the lines when the motor isn't moving.

Thanks,
Inomad

 

[inomad]

I have connected a relay to the polarizers of both boxes. The DRS 922 connection is normally closed and the upstairs box is normally open. I have a power strip with the Pansat, G-box positioner and GI analog box for polarization conected to it along with an old 12 volt power supply from an unused laptop. The power supply is connected to the relay. When I power up the power strip it turns on the above equipment along with conecting the GI box polarizer and disconnecting the DSR-922 polarizer. While it seems like a hassel to turn the powerstrip on and off, I was manually turning off the Pansat anyway because it always seemed hot. The good news is that it works so I can now select polarity from either location.
I now have a dual relay on order that I will be connecting to the motor and sensor so that I can control the dish from either location. I will report on that probably next week.

Inomad

 

[inomad]

My next report on the 1 BUD 2 locations problem.

I have connected 3 relays to my system. 1 relay for the polarizer sensor, 1 for the motor power and one for the actuator sensor. I used the relays to interupt the positive signal to the sensors and I don't think it matters for the motor power. the relays are a single (ELK-912) and a double (ELK-924) they consume 30 and 60 mA respectively. I am using an old powersupply from a laptop that puts out 12v DC and 1.5 Amps. I used the normally conected terminals for the DSR-922 since it needs to download info at 2 AM. the rest of the system downstairs is an open box S9. the upstairs unit is a Pansat 9200HD, an old GI analog receiver for the polarizer and a Gbox to position the BUD. I have these units plugged into a power strip along with the old power supply. I turn the power strip on and off when I use the upstairs system. Turning it on disconnects the relays downstairs. Before I turn it off, I park the dish in a certain location. When I use the down stairs system, of course the upstairs system needs to be shut off. When I am through with the downstairs system, I park the dish in the same location. So far it works well and the two systems haven't lost their place on the dish location. The only glitch is, sometimes I don't get a signal on the upstairs system. When that happens, I can turn on the Open box downstairs and the signal comes in. This doesn't happen often, and I don't know why it happens. I am thinking that maybe it's because I used common splitters instead of high frequency splitters when I tee'd the cables that are now behind the finished ceiling in the basement.

Inomad

 

[T4Runner]

If you aren't an electrical engineer, you should be! In your spare time, a sketch or drawing of what you did might be helpful. My wife would go nuts with this settup. In fact she already does with the minor issue of 5 or 6 remotes for the main TV...;>)

 

[inomad]

well, I'm a little busy, I am planting trees and bushes (125 trees and 150 bushes so far) but I might do a sketch in my spare time. I don't think I have any electrical drawing programs, but I'll see what I can do.

Inomad

 

[T4Runner]

Keep planting! We need more trees. I would have more on my property if I had a better well. I'm limited.

 

[inomad]

I decided that the sketch was more important than my trees. I have been in my place for over twenty years, but didn't have the time to landscape. I am retired now so I can get to it. I am not an electrical engineer, I do have a degree in manufacturing engineering, but never woked in that position. I retired as a program engineer for aircraft simulators. (electrronic engineer).
Anyway back to the sketch. I didn't include the satelite signal circuits since they are pretty standard. The sketch should go with the narrative in my previous post. I hope someone can get some use out of this.

This is pretty small, I have a better copy in a pdf file, but don't know how to attach it.

Inomad

 

[oldsatdude]

My next report on the 1 BUD 2 locations problem.

I have connected 3 relays to my system. 1 relay for the polarizer sensor, 1 for the motor power and one for the actuator sensor. I used the relays to interupt the positive signal to the sensors and I don't think it matters for the motor power. the relays are a single (ELK-912) and a double (ELK-924) they consume 30 and 60 mA respectively. I am using an old powersupply from a laptop that puts out 12v DC and 1.5 Amps. I used the normally conected terminals for the DSR-922 since it needs to download info at 2 AM. the rest of the system downstairs is an open box S9. the upstairs unit is a Pansat 9200HD, an old GI analog receiver for the polarizer and a Gbox to position the BUD. I have these units plugged into a power strip along with the old power supply. I turn the power strip on and off when I use the upstairs system. Turning it on disconnects the relays downstairs. Before I turn it off, I park the dish in a certain location. When I use the down stairs system, of course the upstairs system needs to be shut off. When I am through with the downstairs system, I park the dish in the same location. So far it works well and the two systems haven't lost their place on the dish location. The only glitch is, sometimes I don't get a signal on the upstairs system. When that happens, I can turn on the Open box downstairs and the signal comes in. This doesn't happen often, and I don't know why it happens. I am thinking that maybe it's because I used common splitters instead of high frequency splitters when I tee'd the cables that are now behind the finished ceiling in the basement.

Inomad

To answer the part about the pix not coming in upstairs without the downstairs receiver being on goes back to the issue with common splitters in the coax feeding the two receivers. The power for the LNB is provided by the receiver on the coax and the common splitters are not passing the voltage from the upstairs receiver to the LNB. An IF splitter with power passing both ports will solve the problem, "BUT", be sure only one receiver is "ON" at a time. Both receivers on at the same time will burn each other out!

Great job on the schematic drawing.

 

[inomad]

Thanks for the info. I know I'll have to cut into the ceiling, but it isn't happening often so it'll have to wait for cold weather when I can't work in the yard. On the two receivers issue, When I use the downstairs setup, I have the DSR 922 slaved to the open box so both are on. I used the diagram on Sadoun's website.

Inomad