SONSET SG6000 HH Motor Discontinued!!

[Babadem]

Just spoke to a Representative from hxxp://www.galaxy-marketing.com to order the SONSET SG6000 and he said the SG6000 HH motor has been discontinued and replaced with the Fortec Star HH42 Satellite Dish Motor!! Reason being.........they have a better luck with the Fortec Star HH42 Motor. Was the Motor that bad? How would you campare the Fortec Star HH42 to the Sadoun PowerTech DG380?

 

[DJ Rob]

I found the SG-6000 to be better than the newer versions of the SG-2100. I do think that the accuracy could be better though. Maybe I'm being picky. I have to go from the same direction that I set the preset for each satellite. I use east to west. If I go from the other direction (west to east), it is off about .75 degrees from where I set preset. That's enough to not get a lock on some sats.

 

[Babadem]

I found the SG-6000 to be better than the newer versions of the SG-2100. I do think that the accuracy could be better though. Maybe I'm being picky. I have to go from the same direction that I set the preset for each satellite. I use east to west. If I go from the other direction (west to east), it is off about .75 degrees from where I set preset. That's enough to not get a lock on some sats.

At the Red Highlighted: Maybe that why they discontinued it?

 

[turbosat]

I was over there about 3months ago and they told me then that motor was being discontinued.
I asked about it and the guy there said "You don't want that one" LOL. I didn't get one of any brand that day though anyway.

 

[DJ Rob]

Could be the reason. I contacted DMSI, the company I got the SG-6000 from, but never heard back. After dealing with USALS issues with the new SG-2100's I tested and the accuracy issue with this one, price is going to be no object on my next motor. And I'm going to make sure the company/distributer has good customer service.

I just saw a picture of the Fortec Star HH42 on galaxy marketing's site and it looks like a rebranded SG-2100.

 

[Babadem]

Could be the reason. I contacted DMSI, the company I got the SG-6000 from, but never heard back. After dealing with USALS issues with the new SG-2100's I tested and the accuracy issue with this one, price is going to be no object on my next motor. And I'm going to make sure the company/distributer has good customer service.

I just saw a picture of the Fortec Star HH42 on galaxy marketing's site and it looks like a rebranded SG-2100.

DJ Rob, I just checked with a SG-6000 retailer from your post here named "USA Satellite Sales." Initially they agreed they carried the SG-6000, but after a brief research, he came back and told me that they don't sell Clones and that the SG-6000 is a clone of the SG-2100. When I pointed out that his Store was listed as an official retailer of the SG-6000, he said that information should have been removed from the website. See here for listed dealers of the SONET SG-6000 motor. Buyers beware, No support!!! Maybe they rebranded the SG-2100 as Fortec Star HH42?

 

[DJ Rob]

Strange. I bet most of these dish motors come from the same one or two factories in China and are just rebranded by slapping a sticker on them.

The SG-6000 I have came directly from DMSI, the company that USA Sat Sales lists on their web site as their sole distributor. And it doesn't look anything like a SG-2100.

I'm a little hesitant of buying anything warranteed by DMSI after what I went through in that thread (and what Satcom1 went through months earlier on the same issues) and then not hearing back from them on the accuracy issue with the SG-6000. Hopefully by now they have a setup to be able to test these motors.

I will get my next motor from Sadoun

 

[DJ Rob]

I ended up emailing DMSI again the other day and heard back immediately. The drift on my motor was getting worse.

I have sent my SG-6000 to them (at my cost again) so they can warranty it. They said they have never heard of any problems with this motor.

I'm hoping this will be the time I get a perfectly working motor since between this SG-6000 and the other SG-2100's I had problems with, I've spent $50 just shipping these bad ones back to them...

 

[Anole]

try a STAB HH90

This thread was the first time I'd noticed Fortec carrying motors from anyone but STAB.
With all the trouble the 2100's have had in the last couple of years, and the only sales channel I trusted dropping their version, I wouldn't touch a 2100-alike motor with a 10 foot dish.

On the other hand, I've had no trouble with my old STAB HH-90.
The rare complaint ya might see, is "oh, it's slow". (I didn't think so)
Well, at least it gets there! Reliably and accurately.

Sadoun seems to be trying to distance himself from the 2100 train-wreck with a new line of serious motors.
So far, I've seen no negative feedback on them. (as it should be)

If ya want a good motor, you're going to have to pay for a good motor.
If ya buy cheap, you're going to get cheap.
Caveat Emptor !

 

[Babadem]

This thread was the first time I'd noticed Fortec carrying motors from anyone but STAB.
With all the trouble the 2100's have had in the last couple of years, and the only sales channel I trusted dropping their version, I wouldn't touch a 2100-alike motor with a 10 foot dish.

On the other hand, I've had no trouble with my old STAB HH-90.
The rare complaint ya might see, is "oh, it's slow". (I didn't think so)
Well, at least it gets there! Reliably and accurately.

Sadoun seems to be trying to distance himself from the 2100 train-wreck with a new line of serious motors.
So far, I've seen no negative feedback on them. (as it should be)

If ya want a good motor, you're going to have to pay for a good motor.
If ya buy cheap, you're going to get cheap.
Caveat Emptor !

@ The Red Highlighted:

Economic Interests and Customers' concerns are the reasons. The Sadoun PowerTech DG380 seems to be my target now. Unlesss........

 

[SpiffWilkie]

@ The Red Highlighted:

Economic Interests and Customers' concerns are the reasons. The Sadoun PowerTech DG380 seems to be my target now. Unlesss........

I have the DG380 and finally got it properly set up today. So far I've tested from 87w to 125w with USALS and I've hit everything spot on. I would recommend it.

 

[DJ Rob]

I heard back from DMSI today about my SG-6000. The tech claimed that the amount of "slag" as he called it that the motor had was not enough to effect a signal in his opinion.

I experienced a degree or two of play in the tube which DID mean either signal or not. And I had to move the dish in the same direction I set my preset at or else I couldn't see the satellite.

I'm using a 90cm dish. I wonder if they are testing it with a smaller dish which doesn't require as much accuracy?

I don't understand how a one or two degree play in the movement of the tube would be acceptable to them at all but he said he adjusted what play it had and has sent it back to me.

My question to everyone here, what amount of side to side play in the tube of a motor is acceptable? Shouldn't it be tight where the tube isn't loose side to side at all? I was able to move mine with my hand with ease.

 

[starman345]

My question to everyone here, what amount of side to side play in the tube of a motor is acceptable? Shouldn't it be tight where the tube isn't loose side to side at all? I was able to move mine with my hand with ease.

There should be very little side to side free movement, but not completely tight. The motor should be capable of taking you from satellite to satellite and hit the preset positions without having to monkey with it to get it on target. Quality seems to be hit and miss at best with those motors.

 

[Blindowl1234]

DJ Rob, Yep I've had the exact same problem with my Sg2100. I gave up on using Usals and use Diseqc with it. I can go outside to adjust something and due to the play in the motor east-west I can easily lose the signal before I get it tweaked. It reminds me of an old tv antenna rotator I had haha. Quality control isn't what it once was I guess. Thanks! Blind

 

[DJ Rob]

Too many of us are left with these inferior motors/FTA products and I think that shouldn't happen at all. I hope more people will post (good and bad) about their experiences.

I think it's time to hold the bad companies responsible for selling the crap. I'm really tired of paying for them not caring when I have to pay to send their crappy products back to be fixed.

 

[Anole]

Sadoun 380 motor:

Only one thing I've ever heard on the Sadoun DG380 motor...
... and if you knew ahead, it wouldn't be a problem.
Clean the U-bolts and nuts (and maybe use anti-seize compound)
This other thread has a good discussion of the motors.

 

[Wescopc]

I have had bad luck with the SG 2100 as well, Iceberg has one that has served him well. The motors have no good way to tighten the shaft/tube connection. If you note, the bolt first threads into the tube metal and then the captive nut. There is no way to tighten the nut, as it is captive within the 6 point cavity of the tube and can not be tightened separately. So when you tighten the allen head bolt it never tightens to the nut - unless you strip the alloy thread! Might as well not have the nut! So the problem is twofold, slack in the gears, and loose shaft/tube connection. I agree you can not have 1-2 degrees of slack and hit the satellites reliably.
Bob
Bob

 

[glen4cindy]

So far, I seem to be having good luck with my motor.

I thought I might be having some alignment problems, but, Iceberg confirmed that his readings and mine for the same satellite were nearly identical.

My elevation might have dropped a smidge, but, as far as side to side, my motor seems spot on. I can never improve my signal by switching to DiSEqC and "bumping" the motor, so, it seems to be going wherever it needs to. Very seldom do I have to GO TO REF........so I guess I can count myself a lucky SG-2100 owner.

 

[Tron]

Only one thing I've ever heard on the Sadoun DG380 motor...
... and if you knew ahead, it wouldn't be a problem.
Clean the U-bolts and nuts (and maybe use anti-seize compound)
This other thread has a good discussion of the motors.

The SG-2100s had this problem at one time (square U-bolts stripped and broke easily), but they have since started using more reliable ones. Unfortunately, the SG-2100 motors themselves have become less reliable I had to replace my SG-2100 square U-bolts with larger square U-bolts from ACE hardware, and modify the motor bracket slightly by drilling the holes larger.

 

[DJ Rob]

I got my "repaired" SG-6000 back yesterday from DMSI. It still has the accuracy issue.
There's about a .75 degree difference right now between going East to West as opposed to West to East. It is enough to drop signals with my 90cm dish. I have to use Disecq and approach the satellite from the same direction it was initially set at to get a good signal. The tube is tight now though.

I emailed them back on Tuesday after they said they had tested it for 3 hours asking what size dish they tested it with. I also emailed them yesterday about the accuracy issue still being there. I'm waiting to hear back.