Motorised Dish Problem

I have just installed an ***** Dark Motor Superior on one of my 80cm dishes, it feeds an Openbox S10 via a 4-way Diseq switch, I have 28.2E and 26E via a fixed dish as well.

The motor is using Port 3 on the Diseq menu, 28.2E is on Port 1 and 26E on Port 2.

I have successfully set-up the following satellites, from east to west: 19.2E, 13E, 0.7W, 7W and 30W.

I have no problems with any satellites driving from west to east, however, usually I cannot go from 13E or 19.2E to 0.7W or 7W directly, the motor starts to move and just stops, the weird thing is that if I select 30W it will drive there no problem. If I am on 0.7W it will go to 7W and 30W no problem, it just seems not to like to go from 13/19.2E to 0.7/7W? I end up going to these two satellites via 30W. I should add that very occasionally, it will work, probably only about 1 in 10.

I have tried both USALS and Diseq 1.2, both the same outcome.

This is my first motorised system so I don't really know much about them, so there might be a technical reason, although I cannot fathom out what!

Any help guys?

Where did you locate the Diseqc switch before the Motor or after the motor, Some or most switches dont like having the extra amp's sent through them that is required to drive a Diseqc motor.

It's more advisable to have the switch located after the motor. so your cable from your receiver goes straight into the Dark motor and then the short length of cable that goes from the dark motor to the lnb on the dish incorporates your diseqc switch

In terms of hardwaqre setup, just to add to what has said above, yousr setup should look like this. Hopefully others more adept at configuring your receiver will be able to assist with the software side of the setup.

Okay thanks Digi and Abu, seems I have wired it incorrectly then, I will change the position of the Diseq and report back.

dantis said:

I have successfully set-up the following satellites, from east to west: 19.2E, 13E, 0.7W, 7W and 30W.

I have no problems with any satellites driving from west to east, however, usually I cannot go from 13E or 19.2E to 0.7W or 7W directly, the motor starts to move and just stops, the weird thing is that if I select 30W it will drive there no problem.

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I'd check the motor without the diseqc switch in line 1st (it's easy enough) & make a note of the polarizations of the channels you are moving to first (H or V), what is the one on 30w for example.

A badly made diseqc switch can cause issues routing the power of a motor through it and can add noise issues across the ports in odd places on the spectrum

I would never have thought of putting the DiSEqC switch after the motor... interesting. I have experimented (successfully) with Dantis' configuration, but it was quite an old switch, and perhaps better quality than the average 'off the shelf' cheapos they sell nowadays.
Regarding the intermittent nature of this scenario- it could be that the requested 30°W channel in on a vertical transponder, thus the receiver puts out 14V and the lower current doesn't upset the switch. It would be interesting (possibly a work-around) to request vertically polarised channels on 0.7°W. Bear in mind also that to go west from 13° or 19°E, the motor is having to work against gravity, again increasing the current required. Another experiment you could try is temporarily disconnecting the LNB to reduce current demand. IBU's draw a fair whack compared with others.

Abu Baniaz said:

In terms of hardwaqre setup, just to add to what has said above, yousr setup should look like this. Hopefully others more adept at configuring your receiver will be able to assist with the software side of the setup.

Click to expand...

Success! Rewired as per the above diagram and now it works no problem, would never have thought to configure this way.

Okay, now my next step!! I have a twin LNB on the motorised dish, if I configure my other Openbox in the same way will it work or will the two receivers interfere with each other? If for example receiver 1 was using the motorised dish but receiver 2 was utilising a fixed dish there shouldn't be a problem? Obviously, if both receivers were trying to tune to the motorised dish this would cause a problem. What I would like is to be able to drive the motor with either receiver independently.

Sorry if this sounds terse. The motor drives the dish, not lnb. So your desired setup is not possible.

I don't know about the skybox/openbox. But on the E2 receivers, you can have one receiver connected to the motor and control movement. On second receiver connected to the lnb directly, you can set it as adavanced, positioner but not use motor controls. It will not attempt to move the dish but still have all satellites available without having to keep changing tuner config. Obviously still cant move it with "slave" receiver.

Abu Baniaz said:

Sorry if this sounds terse. The motor drives the dish, otheour desired setup is not possible.

I don't know about the skybox/openbox. But on the E2 receivers, you can have one receiver connected to the motor and control movement. On second receiver connected to the lnb directly, you can set it as adavanced, positioner but not use motor controls. It will not attempt to move the dish but still have all satellites available without having to keep changing tuner config. Obviously still cant move it with "slave" receiver.

Click to expand...

Yes once I thought about it of course it is not possible, ok so I can connect my other receiver to the lnb via my diseqc and use it as a slave receiver. That would be ok, just have to keep running upstairs to change satellites!
Ps. It is a different diseqc switch not the same one.

The reason the switch is placed after motor is that the switches cannot handle the extra voltage. I've lost three switches, they were not cheap ones either.

If you are going to connect the 2nd one, consider setting diseqc a/b/c/d, not motorised. ( unless you are sure they can take it or someone confirms what settings to use)

dantis said:

Ps. It is a different diseqc switch not the same one.

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what make is the different diseqc switch & what was the other one, it would be useful to establish the one's that have problems in configurations like this, certainly the cheaper offerings on ebay are to be avoided anyway,

I've not seen this problem with Technomate switches running multiple motors swapping between smaller & larger dishes and c band, but they or the stb can get confused & I have seen really critical signal drop & noise being added over and above the rated drop on some configurations which you also have to watch out for as it can be-in one spot & make it not so useful if you miss it but not all configurations resulted appreciable loss.

cappuccino99 said:

what make is the different diseqc switch & what was the other one, it would be useful to establish the one's that have problems in configurations like this, certainly the cheaper offerings on ebay are to be avoided anyway,

I've not seen this problem with Technomate switches running multiple motors swapping between smaller & larger dishes and c band, but they or the stb can get confused & I have seen really critical signal drop & noise being added over and above the rated drop on some configurations which you also have to watch out for as it can be-in one spot & make it not so useful if you miss it but not all configurations resulted appreciable loss.

Click to expand...

Both diseqc switches are Chess.

Okay so I have run the other lnb to my diseqc switch to my Openbox downstairs, works well,I have to direct the dish to whichever satellite I want using the motor upstairs and then I can watch that satellite downstairs.I just have to make sure that all satellites that are using the motorised dish are selecting the same port of the diseqc switch.