How to identify cables for a Mover

[kelleyga]

I got a 12 foot dish BUD for my in-laws. Left it install and my father in law decided to get all the cables, the RG6 and the ones for the mover in a tube so he could hide them. He did but he forgot to mark the cables coming from the mover. I got 4 cables coming from the mover, -,+, right, left. At installation time I used a cable he had there for all 4 lines, so they are all of the same color. I had maked them at each end. When he tubed all cables they would not fit to the final destination as he was putting the pipe under ground, so he added extra cable to each end to reach to the receiver but he forgot to mark them. Now, all is underground and he has 4 cables that we do not know where to connect to our VBox. Is there a way I can figure it out which cable is each? -,+,right,left.

I am using a regular Actuator Jack to move the 12 foot dish.

Any help is as always appreciated.

 

[Greg Mueller]

If you have a voltmeter it's easy. Just take a flashlight battery and hook it to one end of one of the cables. at the other end measure to see which has voltage on it and mark them as you test them

 

[kelleyga]

Greg, thanks for your answer. I have an electric tester I can use. But I have always been kind of NOT that good using it. I got some questions:

1) Do I need to disconnect the cables at the actuator before connecting the end at the house to the battery?

The process I will follow is :

I will get a regular AA battery and connect one of the cables at the VBox to the Plus side of the battery, then go to the actuator and test each cable until I get signal? Now, on the electric tested, how do I set it? it has a lot of settings and numbers? AC, DC, etc. Sorry sounds stupid but not my best

 

[Greg Mueller]

Greg, thanks for your answer. I have an electric tester I can use. But I have always been kind of NOT that good using it. I got some questions:

1) Do I need to disconnect the cables at the actuator before connecting the end at the house to the battery?

The process I will follow is :

I will get a regular AA battery and connect one of the cables at the VBox to the Plus side of the battery, then go to the actuator and test each cable until I get signal? Now, on the electric tested, how do I set it? it has a lot of settings and numbers? AC, DC, etc. Sorry sounds stupid but not my best

Better use a "D" cell
Set your meter to measure "DCV" (Direct Current Volts)

Take the wires loose at both ends
Gets some tape of a light color and a little felt pin to mark on it.

For each measurement you will need to use two of the wires so you will have a complete circuit. One wire to "+" and one wire to "-" on the battery. On your tester the leads will be marked and usually the red lead is "+".
If it is a digital meter if you have the leads hooked from the positive lead of the meter to the positive of the battery (through the wires) you will get a positive reading. Otherwise you will get a negative reading.
On an analog meter (with a needle) if the needle swings to the positive direction you will know you have the + to + if it swings to the - side you will have the + to the - and the - to the +

 

[kelleyga]

ok, got the part of connecting 2 of the cables to the battery, at the other end I do the same but with the leads right? Red lead to one cable and Black to another cable a? And I keep trying, changing one cable at a time until I get a reading either positive or negative, correct?

I have a digital testes

 

[Greg Mueller]

Yep

If you have more than one run of coax and are trying to figure that out. Just use the center conductor and the shield as your circuit wires.

Just have fun

 

[stogie5150]

I have a digital testes