36 Volt Von Weise Actuator with possible Optical Sensor. How To Fix?

[jsattv]

The 24 Volt Von Weise Actuator on my 12 Foot Mesh Dish is frozen or not moving I get the E2 Error Message but I can move it slightly 1 or 2 steps till E2 comes up. It is 8 years old and very rusty. I want to replace it with with a 36 Volt Von Weise Actuator that runs well but has a circuit board on it and did not work years ago with my V Box III. Somebody told me at the time that it didn't work cause it has a Optical Sensor. Is there any way I can get it to work with my V Box III as it has a Circuit Board attached / wired to it on 3 Terminals that can be removed. Can the circuit board just be removed from the 3 wires it's on? But not sure if this Actuator has a Reed Sensor as it's not plastic but looks black with notches. I have detailed pictures - will try to post them. Any replies would be very much appreciated.

 

[Magic Static]

I switched one of those to a reed switch and magnet wheel. Pulled the optical sensor off its plastic base and glued the switch to it. I glued a magnet wheel to the optical wheel. The switch counts each magnet twice so the conversion doubled the accuracy of the actuator.

 

[jsattv]

I switched one of those to a reed switch and magnet wheel. Pulled the optical sensor off its plastic base and glued the switch to it. I glued a magnet wheel to the optical wheel. The switch counts each magnet twice so the conversion doubled the accuracy of the actuator.

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Thanks a lot for the reply Magic Static. It's amazing what you did but I'm sure what you did so that I can modify my unit. First my Optical Unit has 5 terminals as compared to your 4 Terminals. It was for a Uniden UST 9900 receiver Terminals were: Motor +, Motor -, B, Sen, Gnd,.I do have 2 spare Von Weise 24 Volt Actuators including the inoperable one on the Dish right now. Are you saying to pull the Black notched Wheel off or just remove the Circuit Board? Where did you get the magnet wheel that you glued to the Black Notched optical wheel? From a older Von Weise Actuator?

 

[Magic Static]

The switch I used is this one from Digi-Key https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/cherry/MP201801/CH405-ND/361987
The magnet wheel I made myself. I have a couple extra if you don't think you can make one.
The one I have has 5 terminals, the one on the left is hiding under the wires. Those are large pics. you can blow those up to microscopic detail.
In the pic you posted the optical sensor is out of position and would not work that way.
this it what it should look like.


Here is a pic of the sensor showing the mounting plate. Note the locating pin opposite the screw hole. And another wheel

I made these wheels for a Venture mod but they work good in this VonWeis

 

[jsattv]

Thanks Magic Static. I am not sure how I could make the magnet wheel so it would be great if we could work out how to get one. How can I contact you? I took apart the old Von Weise unit, - the wheel has 4 magnets white plastic and a locking pin there is also a type of magnetic black sensor that I removed. It was screwed down close to the white plastic wheel. Tried to post the picture but when I click on Image the picture / jpg won't go thru for some reason!!

 

[Magic Static]

Thanks Magic Static. I am not sure how I could make the magnet wheel so it would be great if we could work out how to get one. How can I contact you? I took apart the old Von Weise unit, - the wheel has 4 magnets white plastic and a locking pin there is also a type of magnetic black sensor that I removed. It was screwed down close to the white plastic wheel. Tried to post the picture but when I click on Image the picture / jpg won't go thru for some reason!!

Click on my user name, it opens a box then click on start conversation, just like posting in the forum.
Very possible you could put the sensor from the old unit into the newer one.

 

[jsattv]

Thanks Magic Static, okay I will send you a message. Here is the picture of the old Von Weise Actuator parts with a white plastic wheel and 4 Magnets and its Sensor. Hope to use the Old Sensor or I could order the one you recommended.

 

[Magic Static]

Thanks Magic Static, okay I will send you a message. Here is the picture of the old Von Weise Actuator parts with a white plastic wheel and 4 Magnets and its Sensor. Hope to use the Old Sensor or I could order the one you recommended.

This looks like it would fit real well in place of the optical sensor. But it may not provide as many counts with a 4 magnet wheel as it did with the six slots on the optical wheel. Depends on what kind of reed switch it uses.

 

[Lone Gunman]

Here's one I made a couple of years back.

 

[jsattv]

Thanks to some excellent / amazing help from Magic Static we were able to install my 36 Volt Von Weise Actuator which was Converted from a Optical Sensor to a Reed Sensor for use with my V Box III. The results so far on 3 Satellites have been nothing short of amazing, for example on Galaxy 16 - TP 4121/3000 Signal Intensity was 87% , Signal Quality was 85%. I have never had Signal Quality Levels that high. Will try to post 4

pics showing Magic Static's 6 Magnet Wheel and the new Reed Switch, as well as the 36 Volt Actuator installed on the 12 Footer Mesh Dish.