Need help getting my new DRS-905 side car to work.

[Larry-Cleveland]

Hi Guys,

This is my equipment list:

10’ Winegard Quad Mesh dish (in Ohio)Chaparral Corotor II + that runs my C-band and Ku BandChaparral Monterey 90 receiver

I just got DRS-905 sidecar and an HDD2000 decoder.


I have not used the “big beautiful dish” in about 8 years. I fired it up and found the few analog stations. It still has the old Sat. names and locations storied. The picture looked good but not great as it once did. I am sure the dish needs a tuning after all the years of sitting. But it did move fine, after sitting in the same spot of all them years!

I installed the DRS-905 sidecar, per the manual. The set up comes up. I set the type of LNA(?) it needed. H/V is powered on a separate wire that moves the servo thingie. The small dish icon on the front of the DSR-905 is always red. It has never shown green. I did see the power level of 92 on one screen.

I tuned the dish to W4/K4 (AMC4) 101 west. This allowed me to tune in an analog station and it is to also have free 4DTV stations.

The DRS-905 screens comes up, but only says it is scanning the channel. It does not find anything. I did make sure that the DRS-905 was looking at the same sat too. I checked all the channels. I did move the dish to other sats including the one it told me to do in the manual to get the down load. I cannot find any stations with the DRS-905. The 905 show all the setup and display screens fine. I think this is telling me I have it wired right. The C/k feeds from the dish come to the DRS-905 first then to the old receiver. The servo wires come to the DRS-905 first then to the old receiver.

What am I doing wrong?

A second question. The HDD2000 came with a HIS cable (1/8” stereo to DB-9) The DRS-905 looks to only have the 1/8” female plug.

Do I just make a 1/8 to 1/8 stereo straight (tip to tip, ring to ring, etc) cable?
(I will not install the HDD2000 till the DSR-905 is working)

Thanks….Larry

 

[voomvoom]

I don't have a 905, so I can't help with the installation of it. But, a 920 or a 922 has a port on it that looks like an RS232 port and it's marked "DATA PORT" over it and "MMAP ONLY" under it. This is where the DB-9 end of the cable goes, and the 1/8" end goes to the HDD200. Hope this helps, Good Luck!

 

[truckracer]

Be sure to connect your satellite Ku and C cables through the sidecar first. You should see four F connector jacks on the back of the sidecar. "C/H sat in" (Your C-band cable goes in here. "C/H" sat out-A short jumper to your analog box or FTA receiver. Repeat the same for the K/V sat in with your ku band cable from the dish and another short jumper to the analog box ku input. Be sure these cables are right or you will have problems.

Go into your setup menu on the sidecar as follows:

Press "options" button on remote, then push 6-3, use arrow down button to "lnb type" and select "C-band and Ku band lnb's"

then use arrow button "down" and go to "memorize useable satellites"

there using the "enter button" to check mark the desired satellites while you scroll over the tiles of the satellite names you want to appear in your "satellite list"

My satellite list consists of :

W3, K3, GB, G3, T5, X4, W1, K1, W5 (amc -18 channels), T7, G0, G5, G9, C3, G1, C4, CA (generic), CE (generic), CF (generic), CG (Generic), CF (generic), KG (generic)

Generic sats are used to find feeds that may not be mapped in. They consist of general arrangements of tp symbol rates and pids.

Be sure to wire your servo wires through the sidecar. Your servo wires from you dish must first go through the sidecar (+5v, Ground, Pulse). Another short three conductor wire to pass the pulse to the analog box.

You should be good to go other than maybe some tuning or new lnbs.

If you lnb's are several years old you may benefit from upgrading them to lower temperature more stable units.

Good luck

 

[Larry-Cleveland]

Voom,

I have looked and look (with my glasses on too)...not there.

This link shows the back side of each unit.

DSR922 Back Panel Diagram

Thanks

Larry

 

[tdti1]

HDD 200-905 is just stereo head.

 

[voomvoom]

Larry, in your link the #2 in the picture of the 922 is the port I'm talking about. That port is where the DB-9 end of the cable goes. In the picture of the 905, I don't see one? So, maybe it goes to #4, the "HSI Data Output", with a 1/8" to 1/8" Stereo straight cable you mentioned....? I don't know? Hopefully someone on here knows if it will work with the 905 and how to hook it up?

 

[truckracer]

a straight through stereo cable does work I am sure. I don't have my HDD-200 anymore - It died from heat exhaustion.

 

[Larry-Cleveland]

Hi Racer,

I looked at my set up last night after work.

I added more satellites to match your list. I made sure that the lnb’s setting was set, it was right.

I checked over the C/Ku hook up and it looks fine. (dish to 905 sat in to old analog receiver)

The polarizer markings are a bit odd. They are marked, “Skew in, +5v in, Ground in, and CHKU in.” I have the ground and +5v wires right but was not 100% sure where to put the Pulse wire. At first I had it on Skew then moved it to CHKU. It did not make any difference in receiving any video. They are then jumped to the old receiver.

I am still using W4 101 west for testing. Can you tell me a clear 4DTV channel to use?

I am still getting a red sat dish symbol on the front of the DRS-905. One of the setup screens showed a 99 signal level. The message on the TV is "cannot find channels continueing to search..."

What should I do next?

Thanks for all the help.

Larry

 

[Hermitman]

Concerning the polarizer, you need to use the OUT connectors to control the skew. Skew out-White, +5vout-RED, Gnd-Black. Ignore the other connector, it is used for another type of control. (Page 16-17, User Guide) I think you need to concentrate on dish positioning and skew right now. Satelllite W5-603 is in-the-clear and strong. If you're not getting a green dish icon on the control panel, everything else doesn't matter. Good luck.

 

[truckracer]

I think that other terminal is for some kind of optional 12V switch for something else.

I am still waiting for my Corotor and lnb's to get here. I think I will get better performance with the old school proven Chaparall over the bsc-621 lnbf.

 

[Larry-Cleveland]

Guys,

I did not have time to do my testing last night…dam work. I will be getting home late tonight but will try a fast rewire and test.

I do not have W5 in my analog receiver, and it is kinda hard to add it when you are not getting video. So is there a clear station on GO for the 4DTV to get? What is the channel number?

Racer, many times old school is best….even with carsJ

Thanks for all the help!

Larry

 

[truckracer]

I don't know of anything that is in the clear on 4dtv GO. You can tune your sidecar to a W5 channel and hit the right arrow on your remote which will bring up the signal quality meter.

Don't pay attention to "signal strength" . On digital that meter does not matter.

Watch the "quality" meter.

4dtv boxes are sometimes slow to lock on.

While watching the sidecar's signal quality meter, use your analog receiver's East/West buttons and start moving the dish and when the quality meter registers something and the sat Icon turns green stop real quick. bump the dish east or west slowly waiting a couple of seconds between movements and watch the meter count up or down.

After you are satisfied you have the highest signal quality, turn off the sidecar, don't move the dish and go into your analog receiver's menu and program the W5 sat.

That's how I have did it before.

 

[Mr Tony]

the only thing on G0 that is on the 4DTV is the Showtime muxes

G0 channels 101-105, 110-112, 125-127
all on V side....they're scrambled but will allow you to get a lock on the 905

Otherwise next door at G13 (121W) there are two channels
798 & 799 that are ITC
V polarity

 

[Larry-Cleveland]

Racer,

Sorry I am on W4 not GO, (I am still getting use to the new names from the old days). If there is no clear channels on W4 I will add W5 as it is jut a bit west.

Sorry

Larry

 

[voomvoom]

Also, on G0 you have 117 (Sundance) and 120 (Showtime HD) both scrambled
And, on T7 (G23 @ 121.0w) you have 802 (a childrens channel) Fun...??? something or other - ITC

 

[voomvoom]

W4 has an analog channel, PBSX, on channel 16, ITC. @ 101.0w
W1 has DCII channels on 751 ITC @ 103.0w

 

[jmb003]

Larry,
I had a side car a few years back hooked up with a Houston Tracker 9. I had problems with the receivers fighting over the servo control. I had two new ones (sidecars) that only lasted 10 days each. The third time I left the servo control off my sidecar then adjusted polarity (skew) with the analog receiver when I changed channels.
Which brings me to my question/suggestion. Make sure your sidecar will actually (physically) control your servo motor. Disconnect servo from sidecar. Find a known satellite (analog and 4dtv channels) Pick a digital channel and then use your analog receiver to adjust polarity all the way thru the range to see if your signal comes in (green satellite icon). Good Luck,
Mark

 

[truckracer]

Some sidecars had a software bug that caused poor isolation between servo control with the analog box. I don't know what the fix was except just leave the sidecar out of the servo control loop.

 

[Larry-Cleveland]

Hi Guys,

I had a bit of time last night (1030 to 11) to do some testing. I have come to the conclusion that my servo motor is not moving. Not having lots of analog channels to see that only ½ are working, it did not hit me as fast. I went to W4 that has an analog channel, PBSX, on channel 16, @ 101.0w. I tried to adjust the skew and the video did not change at all! Hmmmmm.

I will now check the voltage, wiring and servo to see where my problem is.

Please stay tuned (pun intented) for an update sometime next week as I am working all weekend and will not have time to test it.

Thanks

Larry

 

[Larry-Cleveland]

Hi Guys,

Sorry for the slow feedback, but I have been working 7 days lately (need gas money). I was off Sunday and it was nice out so I got to play.

I found that the servo was getting power but not moving. I pulled it off and cleaned it up and it started to work. I will replace it as soon as I get things set up.

I did learn how some things work with the “new” systems. I went to add W5 but was having a hard time finding it. It turns out you have to be on a good channel to get the green Sat light on the 905 and to get readings on the display.

I found a Sat, W5??, it had a few music stations and a sports channel. I was very happy to get this!

I need to now set up the rest of the Sats. Is there a listing of the Sats and the channels so I can find them better? Then how about a program guide?

I would not been able to get this going with out ALL you help!!

Thanks

Larry