Easy way to wire up/fix HH motor?

[northgeorgia]

OK, so I have an old 9210 motor. It seems to be very fickle! Sometimes it works without a hitch, other times it gets stuck needs a hardware reset to return East, and sometimes it takes a lot of disconnecting and connecting to make the motor reset. It could be something inside it going haywire, since it usually doesn't have any issue going West -- just East. It seems to work fine, then goes on strike. Is there some instructional about how to give an HH motor its own source of power rather than relying on the STB? I think I fiddled with my brother's so much today that I threw it off the arc. Now I'll have to start again during break times tomorrow.

I'm mostly ranting -- I'm afraid that the solution will be way too technical for me to figure out *sigh*

 

[turbosat]

Could it be the receiver is putting an East limit on ya? Maybe something to try to check if it happens again. I had one that would do that sometimes, wouldn't budge until you thought to check the limits, and it would have set both east and west limits on the same satellite! No wonder it couldn't move.

 

[Anole]

Three directions

In this order:

1. I think TurboSat has the best idea.
Maybe you could run on a different receiver a while and see how it works?

2. Could the motor be binding internally?
i would want to answer that next.

3. Yes, we have documented some methods for independent motor power.
though not specifically for that motor.
could involve surgery.

 

[northgeorgia]

Thanks.... I think the Openbox hates that motor in particular. When I was finding the signal with the microHD earlier, I didn't have to go through the irritation. I'll give it a try indoors tomorrow, too.

Someone gave me an SG2100 with the dish, but it didn't want to move at all. It is the older style with the one button and reset pinhole. Haven't been able to get it functioning. Lights up green, then turns amber and clicks (tried with 2 different receivers). Would be great to get that one working, too, but don't know its personal history of abuse

 

[northgeorgia]

Tried out at the dish. It had issues moving both east and west -- it didn't budge at all using the receiver. Tried using the manual East/West buttons on the motor -- same result. Several hard resets at the motor didn't work -- sometimes no movement, sometimes just a bit to the West but not East. Did a reconnect to the motor several times, sometimes hard resetting, and sometimes just attempting East or West button. Then when I was finally able to get some motion in both directions, tried using the microHD at the dish to move East. It decided it needed to move west. Seems its internal memory had somehow moved the whole arc West. So used microHD to go to Reference (0), and it finally started tracking the arc again (well in theory...I'm sure with all the moving on the "pole in bucket of concrete" mount, the dish is off on the ends of the arc). On previous attempts, the motor never seemed to displace the arc westwardly, but just "clicked" if it needed to return East. I wonder why it's so prejudiced in moving East during its temper tantrums. Almost sounds like some electronic issue inside the motor. I didn't notice any limits in the microHD, and don't believe there are any in the Openbox either, but I'll check later. For now, my sister-in-law is happy to get her channel on 97W.

 

[jorgek]

I had a similar problem with my Stab 90 motor. It just stopped moving and made a clicking sound when I did try to get it going. I finally took it apart. Inside along with the main circuitry was a secondary smaller circuit board held in place by 2 screws which had worked themselves loose. I re torqued them in place along with some locktite. Also re torqued every other screw in sight. That fixed it. I discovered later that the small circuit board held the hall effect sensors which calculate the rotation of the motor. Being loose it was not able to determine the motors position.

 

[northgeorgia]

I think I'll check that out with my SG2100, since it sounds like a very similar problem! Thanks

I had a similar problem with my Stab 90 motor. It just stopped moving and made a clicking sound when I did try to get it going. I finally took it apart. Inside along with the main circuitry was a secondary smaller circuit board held in place by 2 screws which had worked themselves loose. I re torqued them in place along with some locktite. Also re torqued every other screw in sight. That fixed it. I discovered later that the small circuit board held the hall effect sensors which calculate the rotation of the motor. Being loose it was not able to determine the motors position.

 

[Anole]

Members have reported opening some motors, to find dried out "Grease" inside.
Also there is an anti-backlash adjustment that can be made to loosen/tighten the gear train.

Both points are worth a look if you open it up.

 

[northgeorgia]

Could silicone grease used in making connections watertight be used as "grease" on the gears, too?

 

[jorgek]

Silicone should be okay. It is very tolerant to extreme temp changes. Make sure that it is silicone grease and not silicone caulking!
Some motors use tiny microswitches that can fail or develop lash over years of use. You can test the switches with a multimeter with the power OFF.

 

[Magic Static]

Well as long as we have this patient opened up, let's do heart surgery! ? ? (theme from Bionic Man) ? ? We can make it stronger, faster, better than before.

 

[jorgek]

So Dr. Magic Static, did the patient survive? Are you accredited by the FTA medical assoc? lol

What was the purpose of the separate power source and how do you control it?

 

[northgeorgia]

Well got two of the four screws off the 2100, but the other two aren't budging with the screwdriver. They might be stripped out (and they are deep inside)... grr.

 

[phlatwound]

Straight slot or phillips?

Got anything kinda like this?:

http://www.harborfreight.com/impact-screwdriver-set-with-case-37530.html

 

[northgeorgia]

Phillips. Might see what my dad has out in his shop and see if he's got something like that

 

[Magic Static]

So Dr. Magic Static, did the patient survive? Are you accredited by the FTA medical assoc? lol

What was the purpose of the separate power source and how do you control it?

The patient was never better. The seperate power source is for the electric motor that turns the dish. Disconnecting it from the receiver and powering it with a 18v~20v power supply. The receiver still powers the logic circuits of the motor and controls the motor relays. But without excessive power draw on the receiver causing logic circuit brown outs and control problems. It cures most of the issues with motors. And they run at full power both directions vertical or horizontal selected channels.

 

[gpflepsen]

Straight slot or phillips?

Got anything kinda like this?:

http://www.harborfreight.com/impact-screwdriver-set-with-case-37530.html

Those are really handy for situations where slotted or phillips head machine screws were used instead of hex or socket head cap screws. The hammer blow really helps prevent camming out on the tough ones.

 

[phlatwound]

Those are really handy for situations where slotted or phillips head machine screws were used instead of hex or socket head cap screws. The hammer blow really helps prevent camming out on the tough ones.

Yeh, I have removed screws that had the slots almost totally stripped out with an impact tool like that.

They are especially good for recessed screws that you can't get to any other way.

 

[jorgek]

Well got two of the four screws off the 2100, but the other two aren't budging with the screwdriver. They might be stripped out (and they are deep inside)... grr.

Unfortunately not all Phillips srew heads or screwdrivers are created equally. Many times the driver does not seat properly (snugly) into the head of the screw. Try thightening the stuck screw first and then see if it will back out. Sometimes this trick works.