GBox V3000 Satellite Position/Controller

linuxman

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Jul 16, 2006
3,903
16
North West of St. Louis, MO
I got a GBox V3000 from Sadoun a little over a week ago, and have been testing it since the first day I got it.

I originally had it on a 10' Unimesh dish powered by a Pansat 3500 using a Von Weise VW-24LC actuator. About 4 days ago, I switched it to my 8'3" Birdview dish with a H-H 34:1 gear ratio motor powered and controlled by a Traxis 3500.

In both cases, the GBox has performed up to and exceeded my expectations.

This controller is to put it simply, "AWESOME".

You can read extensively about what I will say next in the "Problem with VBox III Accuracy" starting in Post #41.

The GBox processor is sensitive enough to catch every single pulse emitted by your reed-switch sensor and magnet assembly, and in many cases will double the counts of whatever your former controller was counting. I proved it in the above thread with two different actuators on two different dishes. Somehow, it catches the pulse on each side of the magnet as it goes past the sensor.

The end result is an extremely sensitive and accurate controller for your big dish.

Until I got the GBox in my hot little hands, I thought I already owned two of the best controllers for a big dish in existence, but not any more.

Now I've got to figure a way to scrounge up the money to buy 2 more of these.

Here are the features:
* Compatible with All DiSEqC 1.2 Receiver
* Compatible with All Kinds of Actuator and H-H Mount
* (Reed Switch Sensor)
* 99 Easily Programmed Position
* 60 Pre-stored Satellite Names & 30 Free Names at User's Choice
* 6 Digit LED Display
* 23 Keys Full Function IR Remote Control Included
* Fine-tune EAST / WEST Buttons for Better Reception
* Recall Satellite Positions by 3 Control Buttons on Front Panel
* Wrong Wiring and Short Circuit Protection
* Re-synchronizing Function

The unit can be used as a stand-alone controller complete with it's own remote, or can be controlled by any DVB receiver that issues DiSEqC 1.2 commands.

The very second you select the satellite and channel you want, the GBox takes off and starts the dish moving. There is no hesitation, no mis-fires, it just works.

It stops the dish precisely where you programmed it to stop down to the exact count that you gave it. Given the fact that you have twice as many counts to work with, the accuracy of the stopping point is dramatically improved.

The digital display is capable of displaying over 2000 counts, and I believe it will display up to 4000 counts. Read the thread above as to why I think that.

If you would rather see satellite names displayed on the front of the box, the GBox comes with 60 pre-stored names, and 30 that you can program in.

Edit:
One extremely useful function that ties into the previous one is that for those of us who have a hard time remembering the old satellite names or are using a 4DTV/Analog receiver slaved to or tied to a DVB receiver, those old names can be programmed in to display on the front. :)

It re-syncs all satellites if the dish is moved or re-tuned after programming, just hit the re-sync button on the remote.

I have reset it to factory default 3 times, and every time it has performed as designed.

I couldn't find anything that I didn't like about this controller, so all there is left to say is this:

"Buy it. Install it. Program it. Love it!"

I will be happy to report back here in six months for a long term assessment. :)
 
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Wow, I guess we'd all better save up and buy several.
How'd we ever get along without these controllers?

I'd looked into early Vboxes several years ago.
Glad I waited for this one to come out.

Thanks for the informative review.
And for anyone seeking more info, the other thread referenced above, has wealth of comments.

edit: and if anyone marries this controller to the HH-180 motor, I'd like to know if it improves resolution there, as well.
 
If you get an E2 message on the display of the GBox it means the following:

There is only one error message -- E2 message for GBox.

E-2 Message means NO PUSLES detected.

Possible causes:

  • Re-check the wiring connection from the actuator to the GBox
  • Make sure the actuator is not stopped due to Mechanical Limit.
  • Check if the Reed Switch Sensor in the actuator is broken.
  • Check if the Motor is broken.
  • The Fuse inside the GBox might be broken.
 
@ linuxman,

Is the Sadoun GBox V3000 really the motek V-Box II?

The reason I'm asking is because I ordered two Gboxes and when I opened
the box tonight there were two V-boxes (receipt lists V3000 Sadoun PowerTech
GBOX Positioners).
 
Ok linuxman, you can use your GBox to feed your actuator, no need then of the Drake for that; but how do you account for the skew ? You still use your Drake for that function ?

Mike

P.S. Are you really a linux man ? I have been running a linux box for over 10 years here.
 
I use my V-Box2 with my 10' BUD and a Dual C-Band Feedhorn, so no servo motor is needed. Some people use it with Voltage Controlled LNBF's, where no servo motor is needed. Sadoun is coming out with a newer model G-Box (I think they are calling it the G-Box2?), that will also control a servo motor. A lot of members here are waiting for this model
 
Ok linuxman, you can use your GBox to feed your actuator, no need then of the Drake for that; but how do you account for the skew ? You still use your Drake for that function ?

Mike

P.S. Are you really a linux man ? I have been running a linux box for over 10 years here.

You will need something to control the servo.

The following Pansat receivers have the hook-up and firmware to control a servo motor:

Pansat 3500s/sd, 2700, and 2500.

I hear the 2800 will not, and don't know about the 1500.

The Pansat combo with the GBox will get the best control of a Big Dish utilizing the existing Co-Rotor or Polarotor for best signal quality.

Yes, I run Linux on my desktop and have for about 10 years too. :)

EDIT: And as Al said, the GBox 4000 will have servo control built into it, so it will be extremely useful for every receiver out there. :)

It is supposed to be here in November. I for one can't wait. :D
 
If you get an E2 message on the display of the GBox it means the following:

There is only one error message -- E2 message for GBox.

E-2 Message means NO PUSLES detected.

Possible causes:

  • Re-check the wiring connection from the actuator to the GBox
  • Make sure the actuator is not stopped due to Mechanical Limit.
  • Check if the Reed Switch Sensor in the actuator is broken.
  • Check if the Motor is broken.
  • The Fuse inside the GBox might be broken.
any info when they will be in stock,I am ready for one
 
What if you are already using a DiSEqC 1.0 switch and some 22 kHz tone switches?

I'm trying to understand how this all works. The reason I ask is because I have a few dedicated dishes (mostly scrounged from someone's trash heap, and each pointed at a single satellite) and I am using a 4 input DiSEqC switch and 4 22 kHz tone switches to access the various LNB inputs. Only my large C band dish is movable and at present I'm using a old analog receiver to control it, and then using splitters to slave my digital receiver off the C and Ku band cables from the big dish. So the C and Ku cables from the big dish each first hit a splitter that only passes DC from one port (power to the LNB's come from the analog receiver); then the 22 kHz tone switch (which is used to select C or Ku), then a port on the DiSEqC switch (which selects the big dish or some other dish) before going to my digital receiver.

Right now I select DiSEqC 1.0 for all satellites. If I had one of these positioners (or the upcoming GBox 4000, which I'd really need for skew control) I just wonder how I'd control the DiSEqC and tone switches? If I took out the analog receiver completely I could connect the C and Ku inputs to the 22kHz tone switch directly (and presumably get LNB power from the digital receiver) but those are controlled using DiSEqC 1.0, not 1.2. So I'm just wondering if you can "stack" devices in that way.

If everything would work together in a logical manner, it would be most logical to have the C and Ku cables from the big dish go directly to the 22 kHZ tone switch first, then from that to the positioner, then the positioner to the DiSEqC switch. That way, not matter whether I was watching C or Ku band off the big dish, the positioner would work. But I already know that things don't always work as you might like - for example I found I could not put a 22 kHZ tone switch in front of two DiSEqC switches instead of the other way around. So I'm just wondering how (or IF) these units would work in a multi-dish setup.
 
The way my V-Box2 is hooked up:
Receiver < V-Box2 < Diseqc 4x1, lnb 1 < Multi-switch 4x4 < v/h to dual C-Band lnb, 22KHz side v/h to Dual Ku-Band lnbf on P* 1m dish(note my Bud is C-Band only, all others are Ku-Band from Torodial or dedicated ku dishes)
lnb 2 < Multi-switch 4x4 < v/h to Dual Ku-Band lnbf on Torodial, 22KHz side v/h to Dual Ku-Band lnbf on Torodial
lnb 3 < Multi-switch 4x4 < v/h to Dual Ku-Band lnbf on Torodial, 22KHz side v/h to Dual Ku-Band lnbf on Torodial
lnb 4 < Multi-switch 4x4 < v/h to Dual Ku-Band lnbf on 90cm dish, 22KHz side v/h to Dual Ku-Band lnbf on 90cm dish

Hope this helps..!!!
 
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