my dish doesn't know how to count

[gabshere]

ok its really my motor

ok actuator is a superjack
ok its hooked up
block #1 is green (grnd) marked as grey wire at the motor
block #2 is orange (pulse) marked as black wire at the motor


the grnd and pulse i placed in there after i looked at the manual

what am i doing wrong hooking it up to a GI 450I the 450i just sits on the same number although i can move the dish &
yesterday i was trying to hook it up to my v-box III and couldn't get the limits set ( after i set the limits it wouldn't let me move the dish at all .....it acted like it was at its limit). whats the chance the sensor is bad or out ?

thanks

 

[linuxman]

Hey George,

From my looking at the diagram, the wiring schematic needs to be rotated 180 degrees to match the picture on the left.

It looks to me like it is right, but what do I know?

If it moves without the limits being set, it is working. I know you have probably already done this, but you have to move the dish all the way to the west before you push the set western limit button, and the same for the east.

You can reset the VBox by holding down the power button for like 5 seconds and plugging it in at the same time.

Sounds like the receiver is not telling the VBox where the EL and WL are properly.

Hope that helps.

Fred

 

[voomvoom]

George, if the motor was moving, then the Red and White wires should be correctly hooked to the Motor connections (M1-M2) on the GI450. If the motor was pushing/pulling in the wrong direction, change (reverse) the Red and White wires with each other. The Yellow and Green wires should be hooked to the Pulse and Ground connections (don't use the 5+ connection) on the GI450. If it's not counting, try changing (reversing) them to see if it will start counting?

Al

If it's the VBox connections you're having the trouble with, I'm of no use, sorry??????

 

[voomvoom]

OK, I went and got my VBox II positioner Manual. I have one of these positioners, but it's still in the box, I haven't gotten around to using it, yet. Looking at the "Back View" in the Manual of the VBox II, it doesn't have the "5+" connection, so what I said in the previous post for the GI450, should apply to the VBox III as well. Provided the VBox III has the same connections as the VBox II?

Al

 

[Lynskyn]

If the actuator is moving but no count is being produced, you probably either have a bad reed sensor or bad sensor wire. To check the wiring, disconnect the 2 sensor wires from the receiver and the motor, twist them together on one end and check continuity on the other end with an ohm meter.

 

[linuxman]

Hey George,

I just thought of something.

Are there numbers on the front of the VBox III front panel that changes when you move the dish?

There should also be a position number on the front panel when you store a satellite position.

If the numbers change when you move the dish, the pulses are being counted.

Fred

 

[gabshere]

i suspected bad cable but couldn't fathom how to check it lol

you probably either have a bad reed sensor or bad sensor wire. To check the wiring, disconnect the 2 sensor wires from the receiver and the motor, twist them together on one end and check continuity on the other end with an ohm meter.

this is exactly what i was needing to know , i was going to drag everything outside lol ..... this i will try as soon as i find more time hopefully its just a cable (i just bought some more)

thanks for everyones tips

Fred , there are numbers ( all zeros and they didn't change when i was setting the limits) but i don't know if i was doing it correctly when i found a problem with the motor not counting . i tried only on the v-box III to manually set the limits (the v-box III you can set them manually)(can you set them from a dvb receiver ?) My Traxis 3500 has the positioner in the setup menu greyed out so i will have to check on how to change it. or maybe its a new software fix. man i miss my coolsats lol .........

thanks guys for the help , i will report back on my status....

 

[linuxman]

Hey George,

The VBox has all zeros when you first turn it on and that is where your TS satellite should be.

When you start to move it West the numbers increase. When you move it East, they decrease. As soon as you start moving the dish with the receiver, the numbers should change with the pulses. No numbers changing = no pulses.

In the Pansat satellite setup menu under diseqc 1.2, there are buttons to click when you are at the East and West limits which sets them in the VBox.

Fred

 

[gabshere]

well i changed out the wires and then i checked another set of wires , nothing.... then i did the continuity check and all sets of those wires passed so it must be a bad sensor... i have one here i will swap out tomorrow night , it from the same brand actuator (same size and model) but it was in the dirt and was in bad shape . only other options. swap actuators with the one i have here ( still an option after replacing the bad sensor), buying a new sensor ( looks like a replacement sensor is (26.95 + s & h ) a whole new motor (is $59 +s & h) so will try my first two options first.

more later

 

[gabshere]

well i changed the sensor out with another one i have here from another actuator and its a no go also . but i did find another option from Sadouns they sell just the motor for $25 plus shipping , kinda strange that i can get the whole motor cheaper than just the sensor.

so my three options are
replacement motor (25 + s & h)
replacement sensor (26.95 + s & h)
a whole new actuator (59 +s & h)

anyone know how to check to see if the sensor is good , i have a small multimeter but you would have to tell me what to look for.

i was planning on a couple of stationary dishes . so i might be closer to those than i wanted to be

 

[linuxman]

Hey George,

Sorry you are having so much trouble with the mover.

You might check to see if the little magnet wheel is too far from the sensor. There should be a little plastic wheel in there with magnets somewhere and that is what tells the sensor when to send out the pulses. If there is a lot of grease/dirt etc on the magnets or sensor head, or if the head is too far away, that might hinder it.

That's about all I know to tell you. Hopefully someone has a suggestion.

Fred

 

[gabshere]

i did look at the and it could be it sits about 1/4 to 1/2 inch under the magnet wheel , i suppose i could prop the sensor up closer to the wheel . do you think this will work
thanks

 

[linuxman]

On mine, the magnet wheel is only about a business card thickness away from the sensor end.

Fred

 

[gabshere]

might be worth checking out, it has a special slot / holder for the sensor. when i removed the sensor it was below this keeper ( and i felt that it was to hold the sensor down) but after seeing what your typing about the distance of the sensor it might have been to hold the sensor close to the wheel like a clip so i will have to try that when i get home . could be i have two good sensor just they weren't close enough to the wheel.
thanks for the tip Fred

 

[linuxman]

NP!

Just hope it works for you.

Fred

 

[gabshere]

well i tried both switches several different ways , nothing just seems like they are dead ( sensor part) will have to debate on what to do next . this is my main dish for right now
no motor ( for now) on the ku dish and still setting up the stationary c band dish and other stationary ku dishes.

seems like i'm running through equipment fast
bad coolsat 5000
bad coolsat 5000
bad reed sensor
bad actuator arm ( motor broke free of the arm) old & rusty
bad sg2100 (broke the coax connector off the motor.)

 

[lumpkin666]

bad sg2100 (broke the coax connector off the motor.)

Same thing happened to me right after I got my first one. Luckily, just screwing it back in tightly has worked for me. Did you get yours fixed?

 

[gabshere]

no i did the same and it wouldn't work so i too the shell off the motor and tried to place it back that way and failed to get it working.

 

[lumpkin666]

no i did the same and it wouldn't work so i too the shell off the motor and tried to place it back that way and failed to get it working.

lemme know if you wanna get rid of it cheaply. I'd be willing to give it a try at repairing it... or simply keep it for spare parts for mine that got busted also (incase it eventually fails, and I can recycle parts somehow!)

 

[Inno]

Here's what I do to test a reed sensor.

Take your multimeter and set it to the lowest ohm setting, or the diode setting if it has that.....perhaps it has an audible tone when it reads a short across the leads, that would be very helpful. Now place each of the two probes from the meter on one of the screws which attach the reed sensor wires in place. Alligator clips would be a good idea 'cause you're going to need a free hand. Now you'll either have an open circuit (or no tone from the meter) or a closed circuit depending on where the magnets are in relation to the switch. It should be possible to rotate the magnet wheel on it's shaft (it'll be tight but you should be able to turn it) and see if the sensor changes states (open to closed or vice versa).
If it's closed and won't open, try giving it a sharp tap with the handle of a screwdriver. Sometimes the contacts will stick together inside if it's been left for a long period of time in the closed position. You have nothing to lose if it's already a bad switch........if it does work by tapping it, odds are it's not going to last and you should seek a replacement.
This should at least tell you if it's the reed sensor or not.

If it tests good outside you can go to the terminals on the positioner (inside the house) and see if you get the same readings when the dish is moving, namely a pulsing open-closed circuit. Again if your meter has a continuity beeper, it will be beeping on and off as the switch pulses.

It's been my experience that the actuator will long outlast the sensors and as long as there is not significant wear on the gears or screw shaft on the actuator, it's worth replacing sensors.