Using and setting up Ecoda 22K switch on Traxis 3500

[GreatFTA]

Hi Fellow FTA guys!
I am trying to set up two motorized dishes (using SG2100 HH motor) to my Traxis
3500 receiver. The reason for this is the clear of sight issues. Dish 1 will handle the satellites from 107 to 129 and Dish 2 handles the eastern satellites.
Here's my setup:
Dish 1 ---------Ecoda22k side--------Receiver
Dish 2 --------open side
I am not using a DiSecQ (pardon my spelling) switch.
Now HOW do I setup in the menu of the Traxis? Do I click "ON" in the 22K? What other settings I need to program? I have been using USALS as positioner.
Many thanks for your responses.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Hi Fellow FTA guys!
I am trying to set up two motorized dishes (using SG2100 HH motor) to my Traxis
3500 receiver. The reason for this is the clear of sight issues. Dish 1 will handle the satellites from 107 to 129 and Dish 2 handles the eastern satellites.
Here's my setup:
Dish 1 ---------Ecoda22k side--------Receiver
Dish 2 --------open side
I am not using a DiSecQ (pardon my spelling) switch.
Now HOW do I setup in the menu of the Traxis? Do I click "ON" in the 22K? What other settings I need to program? I have been using USALS as positioner.
Many thanks for your responses.

MrFTAMan,

Before you set this up (install the masts and dish and all) test it on the bench. Wire it up and set the menu parameters so that the 107 to 129 sats are on one side of the 22 KHz switch and satellites below 107W and to the east are on the other side of the 22 KHz switch (set these parameters in your receiver menus - dish installation or dish setup).

The 22KHz switch should be an ECODA brand, from what I have read. This switch will pass the DiSEqC pulses to the motor, some other switch brands will not allow this. This is going to be the crux of your system setup. You need to find a switch that allows motor control signals to pass through it.

I have done this with an SW21 switch feeding from a Chieta HD 4 x 1 DiSEqC switch with pretty fair results. Once in a while, the motor won't move as commanded. I have to toggle the sat selected and basically give it another nudge (resend the commands to move to the sat I want the motor to drive to) and then it goes.

I was told that this could not be done, so I did it. Now I can say that it is not recommended, but does work 97% of the time. You must have a receiver that supports all of the switches to accomplish this.

I thoroughly understand what you are attempting MrFTAMan. I know the dilemna regarding line of site availability and you have a good idea here. The only problem is getting a switch that will play ball with this setup. The ECODA 22 KHz switches have been reported to be able to do this.

I have not personally tested this, but I believe it to be true. I have no reason to doubt the suggestion from the people who have reported that it works. They went out of their way to test it so they were really trying to be accurate with their results.

As I mentioned previously, try this in a bench test application, just to see if the motor commands are received by the motor first. If it works there, then you will know for certain.

AcWxRADAR

 

[Lak7]

Now HOW do I setup in the menu of the Traxis? Do I click "ON" in the 22K?

Yes, that's it.
"Dish 2" Sats have 22KHz Off
"Dish 1" Sats have 22KHz On

To keep things straight during setup, only have one Dish connected to the switch, to it's proper port of course. Label the cables with 22KHz On and Off. Nothing worse than mixing up connections because of the excitement.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Yes, that's it.
"Dish 2" Sats have 22KHz Off
"Dish 1" Sats have 22KHz On

To keep things straight during setup, only have one Dish connected to the switch, to it's proper port of course. Label the cables with 22KHz On and Off. Nothing worse than mixing up connections because of the excitement.

Lak7,

Do you agree that the ECODA switches are acceptable for this purpose? Are the Zinwel switches equally trusted for this purpose?

I have never applied either one for my setup, but I have been trying to read all the information available as I have many friends who ask about this.

Thanks Lak7

Gordy (Radar)

 

[Mr Tony]

The Ecoda switch works fine for what he wants to do. No need to over analyze it

If the OP has both KU & DBS LNB's set up on each motor, they would need a diseqc switch

 

[Lak7]

Do you agree that the ECODA switches are acceptable for this purpose?

Just going from experience. Driving Motor Current through other switches has not worked for me, switches fried. The ECODA has not failed in over 2 years of service.

If the OP has both KU & DBS LNB's set up on each motor, they would need a diseqc switch

Yep...
Dish 1 LNBs------DiSEqC----Motor-----22KHZ\
............................................................-----Receiver
Dish 2 LNBs------DiSEqC----Motor-----22KHZ/

 

[GreatFTA]

Thank you guys. I got the Ecoda 22 switch setup a few months ago from Iceberg. Right now I am still working on this project, hoping to get somewhere. I will post back to let you know how it is going. Then after that is done (and if it works) I am going to piggy back this receiver with my Quali 1080ir receiver to get the channels I can't get on regular FTA receivers.
In the meantime keep giving me ideas on this.

 

[GreatFTA]

By the way, both dish are for Ku transponders. One has a universal LNB and the other has standard Ku LNB.

 

[DJ Rob]

I don't think the universal LNB with work with a 22k switch since the LNB needs the 22k signal for lower and higher bands. You will need to replace it with a standard LNB or replace the switch with a Diseqc switch.

 

[Mr Tony]

Actually if he puts the Universal on the 22k side of the ecoda, it will force the LNB to stay in 22k on (high) mode.

So it works fine except when you need the low band over the Atlantic satellites

 

[GreatFTA]

I will try again tomorrow. I am taking the universal lnb off and replacing it with standard. I am getting the PBS channels along with the G10 channels...
Crazy....

 

[ACRadio]

Actually if he puts the Universal on the 22k side of the ecoda, it will force the LNB to stay in 22k on (high) mode.

So it works fine except when you need the low band over the Atlantic satellites

I've never checked an Ecoda, but some 22khz switches won't pass the 22khz tone beyond themselves...

 

[Mr Tony]

These will. Its been tried and proven.

A while back someone had put a Universal in a setup and confirmed it worked.

Setup was as such

ecoda 22k side......diseqc......universal

 

[AcWxRadar]

I've never checked an Ecoda, but some 22khz switches won't pass the 22khz tone beyond themselves...

These will. Its been tried and proven.

A while back someone had put a Universal in a setup and confirmed it worked.

Setup was as such

ecoda 22k side......diseqc......universal

Iceberg,

This is the reason I asked about the Zinwel switches. Will they also perform the same way as the Ecoda in this regard?

Thanks Ice,

RADAR

 

[Mr Tony]

Only Zinwell's I worked with are 4x4 multiswitches and they don't work that way. They work like other 22k switches and you can't put Universal LNB's with them.

Ecoda's are magical

 

[GreatFTA]

Ok, here's what going on:
When I click on "LIST", I would click on one of the satellite I programmed in the Traxis 3500.
I watched the two dishes to see what happen. Instead of one dish moving to the chosen satellite, BOTH dishes move! I am hoping that one satellite would move.
Reckon I would need to install the DiSeQc switch to control which dish will go where?
I am afraid that with both dish moving, it would hurt my receiver and Ecoda switch.
Where am I messing up?

 

[Lak7]

Reckon I would need to install the DiSeQc switch to control which dish will go where?

Running Motor Current through a DiSEqC Switch will usually fry the switch in a few hours.
That's why the ECODA is recommended.
Try making sure all switch settings are correct. I'd set DiSEqC to Off, see if that helps.

 

[Mr Tony]

Are you sure that you have the 22k setting properly set up?

 

[AcWxRadar]

Only Zinwell's I worked with are 4x4 multiswitches and they don't work that way. They work like other 22k switches and you can't put Universal LNB's with them.

Ecoda's are magical

Thanks Ice, and I like how you phrased that... "Ecoda's are Magical"

Sweet!

Radar

 

[GreatFTA]

Are you sure that you have the 22k setting properly set up?

Iceberg, on Dish 1 that cover the western satellites, should I have 22k option on "On", and Dish 2 (eastern satellites) would be "OFF"?
And do I have the Diseqc switch setup off, since I am not using the switch?
I was going to change the LNBs out but rain took over today.
I got the Ecoda switch located right behind the receiver. That shouldn't make any difference?