Is this a typical problem with motors?

[Skelp]

I've tried this SG2100 mortor on two different receivers now, a Fortec Ultra and a Pansat 1500a and for some reason when I change channels form one sat to a channel on another sat the motor does not move. I have to manually go into the Antenna setup and move the motor to the correct bird. Is this typicalbehaviour for these motors or am I just having real rotten luck?

Some recivers don't talk very well with the motor! or they have bugs that need to be fixed.

[Skelp]

Dang... so no matter what motor I put on these I'll have this same problem?

[dtsexpert]

Can't speak for the Ultra and Pansat, but here the result I tested my gear:

SG2100:
Lifetime 1.2: Work fine
Lifetime 1.3: Dont work
786v3 1.2: work fine
786v3 1.3: don't work
Bec 2000 1.2: work fine.

Stab 100:
Lifetime 1.2: work fine.
Lifetime 1.3: work fine.
786v3 1.2: work fine
786v3 1.3: don't work.
Bec 2000 1.2 : work fine.

I will receive a SM3D12 h-h soon. I will post the result here once I am done the testing it.
Hope this help.
Michael

Originally Posted by Skelp

Dang... so no matter what motor I put on these I'll have this same problem?

[Anonymous]

With the ultra, you will need firmware 2.32 for USALs to work with the
SG-2100 motor otherwise motor will be intermittent.
Also noticed that if you have one sat configured to use USALS and one
sat to use Diseqc. The motor wont move when you select a channel on
the sat thats configured for Diseqc motor control. I beleive it should.

[Skelp]

Thanks guys. Very informative.
Lintond, I do have the 2.32 firmware installed on the Ultra. I think it has to be the motor though because no matter what I do when I hit the Go to Reference it should go back to 0 position but it doesn't. It goes to 0 then moves west to 15 :? And when I try to use USALS it doesn't move to the right spot.
I ordered a Stab HH120 today and it will be here tomorrow. I'll post my results with that on both receivers.

[bobkat]

Originally Posted by dtsexpert

Can't speak for the Ultra and Pansat, but here the result I tested my gear:

SG2100:
Lifetime 1.2: Work fine
Lifetime 1.3: Dont work
786v3 1.2: work fine
786v3 1.3: don't work
Bec 2000 1.2: work fine.

Stab 100:
Lifetime 1.2: work fine.
Lifetime 1.3: work fine.
786v3 1.2: work fine
786v3 1.3: don't work.
Bec 2000 1.2 : work fine.

I will receive a SM3D12 h-h soon. I will post the result here once I am done the testing it.
Hope this help.
Michael

Here is what I have tested the Stab HH100 with:

Ariza TP1000: works fine
EmTech EM100: works fine
Samsung - various models: USALS does not work - moves OK manually
Satcruiser DSR101: works fine
Satcruiser ACE: works fine
weird Chinese prototype I am testing: works fine

kat

[Anonymous]

Two other items that cause strange motor symptoms!
Entering location latitude and longitude numbers in reverse.
Software limits (east - west motor limits)
- disable them when you see strange motor movement.

[relativityt]

I have a Pansat 2500A and the SG2100. I have the same problem, it doesn't move properly when switching channels. It might work once, but going back to the original position seems to be a problem.
Pansat has updated firmware, so maybe that might solve the problem?

I starting to believe that the QA on the software on the receiver is pretty limited

[BrianC]

I'm in the same boat!

I had an SG-2100 and now just received the new Satcontrol.
I am using the Fortec Ultra with the latest firmware.
BOTH motors do not respond well to the Fortec. It will not automatically move to the satellite I select. In addition, if I tell it to go to reference it moves way past it to the east. It must be the Fortec because I also have a Satworks which does not have these problems.

Honestly, I am so fed up with this hobby and the crappy firmware and motors. Dealers and manufacturers continue to sell product that it not working properly and are more than happy to take your cash.
I have spent way too much money in this hobby and honestly I regret it.
A long while back I wanted a BUD and now I wish even more I got that instead of wasting my valuable time on these HH motors and receivers that don't even know how to talk to them.

Now I have a useless receiver, a 120cm dish sitting and doing nothing, a brand new shiny motor holding it up (but nothing else) and I still can't watch TV with all this crap!


Sorry, needed to vent.


Brian

[Skelp]

Hey Lintond, I did the disable limits thing. That was one of the first things I thought of as I had seen a post somewhere about that.
Lat and Long are in their correct boxes.. unless the software is messed up and has them labeled wrong.... :?
Relativ... I'm assuming by QA you mean Quality Assurance... if so I have to agree. However it seems that both the Ultra software and the Pansat software are lacking in quality in the same areas as it does the same thing on the Ultra.
My STAB HH120 arrived yesterday but it was pouring rain so I didn't get a chance to install it and try it. Sky is full of menacing dark clouds again today so not sure if I'll be able to even try it today.

I do have to say this though.... not only is the STAB a mot more sturdy than the SG2100 but the manual is written a LOT better as well. I LOVE the instructions they give for lining up the dish properly. I gotta mention somehting here though.. someone made a post in the forums here about the manual being wrong when it came to this section cause it says to move the dish clockwise to west and counter clock wise to east... The manual is NOT wrong. You have to remember... these motors are made in Italy. In Italy west IS clock wise. :wink:

I gotta say here too that the Ultra and Pansat manuals..... well to say they are lacking in information is giving too much credit. Their information on the motor controls is very lacking (the Pansat more so than the Ultra). Under the USALS setup in the Ultra there is an option that says "Reference Position". Under the 1.2 option it says "Go to Reference". To me, this seems like the USALS option of "Reference Position" SETS the reference position.... am I right..or wrong?? Get this... I called Fortec.... THEY don't even know!! WTF???? Looks like trial and error is the way to go with these things for now. I'm trying to find a phone number to call Pansat but haven't had any luck yet... If anyone finds it before me could you let me know it please and thank you.

[Skelp]

Just saw Brian's post............ damn... so I may very well be outta luck with this new motor I paid an extra 45 bucks for........... Well I'll give it a shot with the Pansat and see what happens........

[Anonymous]

Morning Skelp

Tried both the dp-2100(sg-2100) and the hh-100, both work for me
with firmware 2.32. I have never gotton a response out of the USALS
sub menu for 'reference position'. Maybe its got something to do with
how it calculates other satellite positions based on the satellite position
when you selected 'reference position'. ??

[Skelp]

You might be right Lintond... Well the sun has broken through the clouds here...... I may just get a chance to tryout this new motor after all

[relativityt]

Let us know the results. Someone on another message board posted that they got it working (SG2100) with a Pansat 2300A, and Ultra. I am not sure about what firmware version.

The distributors of the SG2100 are http://www.dmsiusa.com
Maybe they might have some info on incompatibility with some receivers?

[Skelp]

Well..... Go the HH120 motor on there... had to modify the dish a little to get it on.... tried USALS... it seems to be working as it IS indeed moving the motor to the correct positions and everything.... however........... it appears my two LNBs are shot.
I was trying to set up this bracket to mount both an linear and circular LNB to the dish but because of the plastic casing on the lNBs they wouldn't line up proper. I was told by someone to just strip the grey plastic off them (but not the white plastic off the horns) and they should fit fine. I was told this would be ok but it appears that information was wrong. We got a pretty good rain pour last night and during it I lost both signal and quality on the sat. No matter what I did today I could not get a quality reading at all. I can get a signal reading though.... so umm am I right? Did the rain kill my naked LNBs?

[relativityt]

what modifications did you do to the dish? that might be your problem.
Maybe try without the motor and see if your LNBs are still working

[Skelp]

All I did to the dish was pulled out the sleeve thingy that the pole goes into so it was big enough for the HH120 pole to fit into it and I also had to move the LNB arm thingy form the back of the mounting plate to the front.
I posted in the Istallation Help section already that I have confirmed the LNBs are dead byt rying them on a buddy's system.

[Skelp]

OK folks.. got the two new LNBs on there and hooked it all up today and ran from my most western sat to my most eastern sat using USALS with the new STAB HH120 motor..... IT WORKS BEAUTIFUL!!!!! This is on the Pansat 2500a. I'm gonna try it on the Ultra later.. after I get to watch some frikin TV hehe. Soo.. my recommendation.... the Stab motor is MUCH more efficient than the SG2100. At least with the Pansat 2500a.

[bobkat]

Originally Posted by Skelp

the Stab motor is MUCH more efficient than the SG2100. At least with the Pansat 2500a.

I tend to think the STAB motors are better quality than the SG2100 -- with any receiver. Just my $0.02

kat