Diseqc Switch Before Motor

[Pittsville]

I believe I saw this question addressed somewhere on here but I can't find it now.

Does the switch have to be installed after the motor? I know that's the preferred way but will the switch pass the motor control through it if someone wanted to connect it the other way?

 

[updatelee]

you might be able to, unsure, but it sure would put quite a load on the switch.

why do you want the switch infront of the motor ?

 

[voomvoom]

When I 1st got my diseqc switches (4x1), I had them in the house, so I could conveniently connect my C-band, with old wiring/cables, in with my new (at the time) 80cm ku dish system. I had port "1" on C-band, port "2" on ku-band (BUD), and port 3 on my ku motorized dish, with nothing on port 4. It worked quite well. Then I got the Invacom Quad QPH031 LNBF to replace my Coolsat LNBF, that came with my ku system. I had to run a new co-ax line for the Circular side of the new lnbf. I hooked the Linear to port 3 and the Circular to port 4. The problem I encountered was, if I went to a Circular satellite, it would go there just fine. But, when I wanted to go somewhere from the Circular satellite, it would not move. I thought that something was wrong with my receiver? It took my lame butt a while to figure out, that the Circular satellites wasn't getting any diseqc commands to the motor, because the co-ax cable was going from the receiver to the diseqc switch to the lnbf, so it wasn't reaching the motor, to tell it to do anything. For the Linear side it worked fine. The co-ax went from the receiver to the diseqc switch to the motor to the lnbf, with no problems. Once I figured out what was going on, I put my diseqc switches between the motor and the lnbf's, and no more problems.
So, Yes it will work from the port the motor is connected to, but not the other ports not going to the motor, if you put the diseqc switch between the receiver and the motor.
So therefore, it's better to put the diseqc switch between the motor and the lnbf's, so all the ports will work. I hope this helps you understand?

Al

 

[Mr Tony]

Al pretty much hit it on the head. I use to have the switch before the motor and to go from G10 (which was fixed) to the motor, I had to switch to a channel that the motor would be on, then select another channel for the motor to move

 

[Pittsville]

Thanks for the answers.

I do have my switch outside at the dish but I was asking about it for my brother's system so he can switch between his motorized FTA dish and a small one pointed at NASA. I advised him that he could use the switch inside but then I got to thinking about that and I thought I should check to make sure.

His dishes are on opposite sides of his house and a cable runs from each dish to a place inside the house and then on to the receiver. He's currently using a manual A/B switch to select between the two dishes.

I guess I will advise him to run a coax across the roof or through the attic from one dish to the other and to put the switch where it belongs. Shouldn't be a big problem for him I hope. Thanks again for the help.

 

[voomvoom]

Since you're talking about separate dishes, I think it will be alright for your Brother to put the Diseqc switch where his A/B switch is. And it should work just fine.

Al

 

[mastermesh]

Yep... good advice to give him. I don't have two dishes (mainly because wife doesn't want me putting up the primestar), but that's the way I'd do it if I did put it up... Running coax is fun. I'm becoming a coax king. Got coax running from dish to receiver, receiver to tv's on all three floors of the house, from dish to dvb world box, from ota antenna to tv and all-in-wonder, all in wonder to tv, and a few more besides all of that... tons of fun. Luckily, I got an air vent in the attic that is about 5 feet directly on the back of a wall my computer is in sitting at, so coax runs from computer, through wall, through vent, out, down the gutters, up to dish... so there's only really one coax run place that's about 10 feet from chimney to dish that looks awkward as hell from the road. The rest of it's mainly hidden by running along chimney down to basment and around the bottom of where gutters are.

Do tell him to invest in some wireties...