Multiple motors with one receiver

[cnagorka@gmail.com]

Hello all:

Okay: so I've got C band with the 4' dish and Ku band with the 90cm dish, and I couldn't get the combo lnb to work, so I need to run both at the same time. What I'm not understanding is what the Diseq switch does with running the motors. If a Diseq switch has DC pass-through, does that mean that when you switch the lnb, it switches motor control also? Naturally a receiver isn't built to run two motors in parallel. Since the switches are always labeled "lnb 1, 2, 3" etc but the motor is never mentioned, I don't want to hook everything up and then find out that it doesn't work.

TIA
CN

[pmb1010]

The diseqc switch normally goes between the LNBF's and the motor.

So it's dish 1 to switch,
Dish 2 to switch,
Switch to motor,
Motor to receiver.

I don't know what would happen if you tried to put the switch between the receiver and motors.

I suspect both motors will try to turn, but powering 2 of them from 1 receiver would probably fry it.

Be careful.

[cnagorka@gmail.com]

That's why I ask the question...I've got a switch in the system already for the Invacom quad to switch between circular and linear. All those diagrams always show lots of lnbs but no motors! I'm not going to try splitting BEFORE the motors, that would reduce voltage through the switch, and if it didn't direct the DC to only one place, but let it pass everywhere, then you would be trying to drive two motors simultaneously in parallel, which would draw so much current they either wouldn't move or burn up something in the receiver.

Is this one of the uses of the V-box?

CN

[pmb1010]

The V-box operates to move an actuator (36 volt positioner)

I'd have to look back to see what's turning your 4 footer, I thought it was HH motor?? If so, it wont be available to be controlled from V-box.

[cnagorka@gmail.com]

Hi:

Yes, they're both HH motors. A DG-280 for the 90cm dish and a DG-380 for the 1.2m dish. I forgot that the vbox is for actuator/polar mount combos.

Whatever the case I think it would be ridiculous to have two recievers for the two dishes! I know one way to do it would be a physical switch, that is, go to Radio Shack and buy some connectors, a project box, etc etc etc but it seems like this should be a common situation, with a pre-made solution.

CN

[pmb1010]

Actually, Multiple receivers would be kinda neat.

It really seems like forever to wait for the motor to move around, especially when browsing for something to watch.
Thats why the T90-type dish is popular - nothing to move and a boatload of sats can be clicked thru pretty much instantaneously (<--- is that a word??)

Hook up the 2 recievers to a video switching setup - like a surround sound receiver maybe. Now you can switch video sources from remote control.

I could envision a Standard Definition receiver, and a new HD receiver being used.... if Fortec ever decides to release the one they've been promising for years now.

[cnagorka@gmail.com]

Yes, "instantaneously" is a word!

An HD receiver will be a necessity one of these days; especially with C band so many network feeds are done that way that if you don't have it eventually you'll be seeing a blank screen everywhere.

CN

[Vitruvius]

You cannot have two DG motors going to the same switch. You need to have only one motor for one receiver (for the Ku type dishes and motors).

My setup is: 36" Ku dish and motor with cable from LNB to Motor, and to switch. 2M Cband dish with LNB's Cband and Ku band going directly to switch. So I have 3 cables to switch, and one leaving switch to receiver. I have then, one Vbox that controls the actuator on C-band dish. It is not connected to the receiver, so there is no problem with conflicts and power zaps.

It sounds like your best solution is to leave one dish as a fixed dish, and make the other the motorized version. The other option is to get two receivers.

Congrats on the setup. There has been a lot of questions about the 4 ft dish and Cband.

[dmassarone]

I found my Terrestrial Antenna with a rotor works great, especially for HD on the new set! We're in sort of a "fringe" area and have all TV we need (as we've weened away from cable). But I LOVE the idea of satelliting. <---- I think that's a word!