Replacing Actuator

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slimmswitch

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Aug 22, 2004
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Hey Guys,

Just wondering it's hard to replace the actuator of a BUD? I've really had it static for a few years on intelsat 805 and disconnector the analog receiver to move it.

I'm thinking of hooking everything back up again, If i'm currently on Intelsat 805 , is it just a matter of replacing the arm and setting the new limits on the analog receiver that moves the dish?

Does anyone have a link or some info the could help me do this, I'm a newb when it comes to BUD.

Thanks
 
If you're replacing the Analog Receiver, you may not have to replace the Actuator? Hook it up first and see if it works? You can also use a Car Battery and check the Actuator and see if it works. If it doesn't work or if you already know it's bad, then you can replace the Actuator. It should then be a matter of replacing the Arm and Wiring it up and setting the Limits.
I would at least make an attempt to see if works before I purchased a New Actuator.

Al
 
The Geo-Orbit site has a wealth of basic info on everything BUD.
If not this page, then one of the three other pages might be helpful.

It wasn't clear why you wanted to replace the motor or how you intended to control it in the future.
We have been discussing the family of controllers that will interface standard DVB receivers to such motors; they are generaly known as Vboxes.

Take your time to discuss what you have in mind and I'm sure the good folks here will come up with many ideas to help.
I'm actually looking for a dead actuator for some experiments, but let's first determine if yours can be rescued.
 
Well i've hooked up my actuator to my old analog receiver before so i can try moving the dish, It kinda works... I'm not sure if it's just the limits are off or something.

But if i go into one of the settings i'm able to nudge the dish from 55.5 all the way 129 i think. I just does not go from one sat to another ( just inch by inch as i click the button on the remote.

So does that mean that the arm is fine if it still moves?

I've been assuming that it's broken , cause one day a guy came over to move our dish to 55.5 with a home made contraption ( hooked actuator cables to the -/+ box) and i think he forced it with that machine. And since then i have not been able to get it moving smoothly.

What do you think. Broken or not?

Thanks
 
Sounds like your sensor wires are not connected correctly (or maybe the sensor is failing?). When I don't have my sensor wires connected to my analog box, it moves just a smidge and then gives me an error.. I can move a little bump at a time manually with the remote, but not smoothly since the box doesn't know that the dish is moving due to lack of feedback from the motor.
 
I don't know a whole lot about 'em, but if I recall from reading the forum, the sensor needs to be hooked up to get it to run all the way.
If those wires are disconnected (not sure about being reversed), then I believe it might act the way you've described.
There are plenty of BUD guys on here who would give the final word on that situation.

The good news is, it doesn't sound like you necessarily need a new motor...
 
I'm wondering if i hooked the cables wrong? i may have been guessing which wires went where...

Is there a way i can check if the sensor is failing ?

I'm gonna look on the back of my receiver today, If i recall correctly there's nothing indicating which wire goes where?


Sounds like your sensor wires are not connected correctly (or maybe the sensor is failing?). When I don't have my sensor wires connected to my analog box, it moves just a smidge and then gives me an error.. I can move a little bump at a time manually with the remote, but not smoothly since the box doesn't know that the dish is moving due to lack of feedback from the motor.
 
I'm wondering if i hooked the cables wrong? i may have been guessing which wires went where...

Is there a way i can check if the sensor is failing ?
I'm not very good at diagnosing these things ;) If you can describe what wires you have coming from your actuator, and how you have the currently connected, maybe someone here will give you some feedback on how to diagnose it further.

Typically, I'll have the two larger wires connected to the mover jacks on my mover.. those supply voltage. Then there are two smaller wires for the sensor and ground. Make sure your sensor and ground wires are connected (and not reversed) and you should be good to go if the sense or okay. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable on the process of actually testing a sensor will come in here and give you some advice once we know that you have all the wires, and know what you've tried and what you have not.

BTW - a picture of the back of your receiver (or a model number might help identify which wire goes where on your receiver)
 
Thanks,

I'll try taking some pics on the back of my receiver along with pics of my cables.
 
Back of Receiver

Hey guys i could not take a decent picture of the back of receiver but a drew out the portion of the receiver where i assume the cables from the actuator should hook up.

The cables coming from my actuator is 4 cables.
1 is Red
1 is Orange
1 is White
1 is Green

If any one could hook at the diagram i drew and instruct me where i should screw them in please let me know.

I using a Star*Trak 500 Analog receiver.
 

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All right let me take a stab at trying to help you out.

Are the Red and White wires bigger than the Orange and Green?

If so, the Red and White should be hooked to the M1 and M2 spots on your diagram.

Moving to the next section to the right of the M1/M2 spots, I see a +5v, a top hat, and Grnd.

Hook the orange to the Gnd, and the green to the top hat symbol.

Give that a shot and see if it won't take off for you.
 
Thanks the red and white are the bigger ones.... I'll try moving it tomorrow and let you know..

Thanks

All right let me take a stab at trying to help you out.

Are the Red and White wires bigger than the Orange and Green?

If so, the Red and White should be hooked to the M1 and M2 spots on your diagram.

Moving to the next section to the right of the M1/M2 spots, I see a +5v, a top hat, and Grnd.

Hook the orange to the Gnd, and the green to the top hat symbol.

Give that a shot and see if it won't take off for you.
 
thanks guys , the actuator actually works still... I put the cables in wrong... Thanks
 
Congratulations slim! I haven't been on since Sunday night and as I was reading this I was fixing to say Fred (Linuxman) was right and the Top Hat Symbol is the Pulse and the Green and Orange wires should go to the Pulse and Ground connections in the middle section of your drawing. That is a Good drawing by the way, easy to understand.

Al
 
Next it's onto my Chaparral Corotor Plus II, i could never get that thing working. I was probably hooking up the servo to my receiver incorrectly again.lol/

I can't remember the color of the servo cables, but i'll check and see if some one here can help me place the wires correctly into my Pansat 2700A. And i'm not sure if there's any special settings that need to be set on the Pansat 2700A it self under antenna setup.


Oh yeah, is there a easy way to test if the servo is actually working? and not damaged (even though i highly doubt it would come damaged)
 
I can't remember the color of the servo cables, but i'll check and see if some one here can help me place the wires correctly into my Pansat 2700A. And i'm not sure if there's any special settings that need to be set on the Pansat 2700A it self under antenna setup.


Oh yeah, is there a easy way to test if the servo is actually working? and not damaged (even though i highly doubt it would come damaged)
Do all your testing on the servo with your old analog box, and MAKE CERTAIN you have the wires ready to attach correctly before attaching to the Pansat 2700a. It is very easy to smoke that controller in the Pansat.
 
Sorry for the nebie questions, but where would i hook up the servo wires to the analog receiver from my diagram... And how would i test it actually, since i use the pansat to receiver the dvb signals?

Do all your testing on the servo with your old analog box, and MAKE CERTAIN you have the wires ready to attach correctly before attaching to the Pansat 2700a. It is very easy to smoke that controller in the Pansat.
 
Well they say a picture is worth a thousand words:

polarity-connections.jpg

As you can see, the Red goes to the +5V, the White goes to the top hat/pulse symbol which is partially blocked by the White wire. The Black goes to the Grnd which you can't see at all.

So with that information, on your picture the same wires would go to the far right corresponding symbols.

To test using the analog and showing picture on the Pansat, change channels on the analog from a vertical channel to a horizontal channel with a corresponding vertical/horizontal channel on the Pansat if both sides come in, it is pretty safe to say it is working.
 
thanks... I'll probably try this on the weekend as i have to go outside and switch the heads out... and it's snowing today.
 
I don't understand!

Course that's not unusual. If you have the analog box in the house and the wires all running in the house and a servo switching type feed-horn, you don't have to switch anything except the wires to the servo.

It would be nice to have an output on the analog hooked to the tv so you can switch back and forth to see what you are doing, but not absolutely necessary.

Just switch the servo wires to the analog and turn it on, choose let's say a vertical channel on the pansat, and thumb through the channels on the analog remote and see if the channel comes in.

Then try a horizontal channel on the pansat, thumb through the channels on the analog again and see if it comes in.

Don't have to go outside for anything. :)
 
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