Sadoun SM3D22 Motor problems ..

[blunderbus]

This is my first experience setting up a motorized system, though several years under by belt with fixed dishes and multiple LNBs. I've got a Sadoun SM3D22 motor, set to south, and am getting 121W's ID channel with good signal strength and quality. I can drive the dish either East or West using the command set in the Motorized Setup page in the CS-5000 rcvr, but when I change satellites with the rcvr set up for USALS, the receiver claims 'dish moving to 123W' (or whatever satellite I choose), but the motor never moves off of 121W's due south location, nor makes any sound like it's trying. I -did- enter in my local lat-long into the receiver's menu.

I'm clearly getting commands from the receiver up the RG6 cable, since the motor will move 'W' or 'E' when I use the direct 'move' command issued from the receiver's menu, but it doesn't seem to be responding to USALS commands for satellites in the motor's database, or to a 'go-to-reference' command as issued from the receiver, if I drive the dish off center and then ask it to go back to zero/reference from the receiver.

The motor was used on EBAY, claimed to be good, but who knows ? Is my motor likely toast and should I just get a SG2100 and be done with it ? I don't know enough about installations of motorized systems to know what's normal behaviour of one. But I'm guessing that the motor should actuate and do -something- when the receiver is saying 'moving to ###W'. The receiver eventually gives up and I'm still there on 121W, not having moved at all. Does anyone have any suggestions, advice, similar experiences and/or solutions ? My LNB is a QPH-031 on a 32" dish.

[Vitruvius]

You could try a couple of things. I was going to say that your connections may be off, but if you are moving the dish with the receiver controls,you should be good. How long is the RG6 that you are using?

You could try moving the motor to 0, and then doing a reset of the motor. I don't know how this motor works, but Sadoun's website may have the owner's manual to explain a motor reset.

You could see if the receiver has set limits on the east and west movement. Is there a toggle in the receiver to turn power to the LNB on?

You could try Disque control in the receiver to move the dish.


Good luck

[blunderbus]

[quote=Vitruvius;65774]You could try a couple of things. I was going to say that your connections may be off, but if you are moving the dish with the receiver controls,you should be good. How long is the RG6 that you are using?

You could try moving the motor to 0, and then doing a reset of the motor. I don't know how this motor works, but Sadoun's website may have the owner's manual to explain a motor reset.

You could see if the receiver has set limits on the east and west movement. Is there a toggle in the receiver to turn power to the LNB on?

You could try Disque control in the receiver to move the dish.


The RG6 is probably 25-30 feet or so, not a long run, and connectorized with compression fittings. I doubt it's the problem, but I'm open to any suggestions. I'll look for motor reset info .. someone else suggested that to me on another board, but I've been unable to find the procedure so far. They referred me to this board to find that info.

E-W limits, I assume are not relevant (nor set) as long as I can swing the dish E and W using the manual 'move' command in the rcvr's motorized menu. And yes, there's an LNB power toggle, and it's set on, in order for me to get the strong signal out of 121W (my true south satellite).

I could try DiSEqC 1.2 commands. That's certainly a thought. I don't know how, but I'm willing to look into this and learn.

As I swing the dish (using the manual buttons on the motor) my Sat-Finder shows strong satellite signals along the arc, prompting me to think that I'm at least approximately on the arc, but I've been unable to find any 'Quality' reading associated with these signals on the receiver. Is there a guide somewhere, for true-FTA, for strong transponders on the various birds up there that use linear polarity, so I know what transponder to set for, while searching ? And any suggestions of which birds are strongest and best searched for initially besides 121W that I'm getting good quality on ?

As to the motor, I don't want to pound a lot of time into it if it's a dead end. But I'll see if I can find the info on doing a 'motor reset' and try that before abandoning it for a new motor instead.

Thanks very much for the suggestions and any others you can provide. I really appreciate your time and effort on my behalf.

[Jim-S]

North & South America - LyngSat How to install an HH Mount DiSEqC USALS Motor? Applies to DG280, DG280B, DG380, STAB HH100, HH120, Moteck SG2100

Check these sites.
Find out what is your true south sat. If it 121w it's mostly Circular.
You may have to find another one that is close to pull in the signal, quality and picture.
View the video it may help you...
If you have a diseqc switch in your circuit I would suggest to by pass it.
Use the "L" Linear side of LNB and connect it directly to the motor.

[Jim-S]

http://www.sat-control.net/templates...0205-print.pdf

I found this on Sadoun site..........hope it helps

[Jim-S]

SaTracer 3SW NEW Satcontrol HH Motor Mount DisEqC 1.2 GOTO X Sm3d22


Here's another page.........................good luck

[pmb1010]

I didn't read the whole thread (to see if you've tried this) but

1) take your receiver out next to the motor with known good 4 foot coax cable - nothing else inbetween - and see if it moves.

2) take out the sat finder, any jumpers, splitters, anything in the cable so there is direct cable path from reciever to motor. Sometimes they block the voltage needed to make the motor move.

[Vitruvius]

Sadoun's website has the owner's manual for this motor. Sadoun does a great job of posting owner's manuals of products they sell. It looks like a real great manual, compared to what they give with newer motors. It doesn't look like an electronic reset on this motor... It says only to reset it by moving the motor all the way to the outermost point. I don't know how that works. If nothing else fails, there is a phone number on the owner's manual.

Yes, diseque 1.2 is usually used with setting limits, and not USALS.

Good luck... Could be that somehow the controls from your receiver, or to the motor have been zapped by lightning.

[blunderbus]

If you will indulge me, I've another couple of questions ..

I hooked up the Circular output of the LNB figuring that at least that way I could test whether I had the arc or not properly dialed in. And yes, I get strong signal and quality for the circular Sat's from 91W to 148W, so I must be pretty close to being on the arc. But switching back to the Linear LNB output, I can recenter up on 121W and then move off in either direction, looking for what are listed as active transponders on adjacent linear birds, but zip, zilch, no hint of a flicker of green on the CS 5000 quality scale.

Is it possible that I've got the arc a little high or low, so that the circular birds, being so powerful, still make it through by brute force, but when I go to look for linear birds I'm just a little too far off for them to register ?

Can anyone give me a few easy targets for strong transponders on linear birds either side of 121W to hunt for ? The Lyngsat data gives no indication of the relative strength of the transponders, or if it does, I couldn't find it. I'm losing faith that I'll -ever- find any linear transponders other than the banner on 121W, which I understand is a hot bird and an easy target.

I'm going to get with Sadoun on Monday to see what they can tell me about the motor's apparent failure to recognize USALS commands, or to return to positions saved for satellites in 1.2

I can drive it E or W and/or microstep it E or W using the 1.2 commands in the CS-5000 receiver, tweak-in a circular bird and tell it to 'save', but then when I try to return to that satellite afterward from somewhere else in the arc, the receiver says 'going to 129W' (or whatever) but the motor never activates at all and just stays put. Am I missing something obvious or am I right that the motor should activate and move the dish ? Anyway, I'll talk to them at the factory, if I can get through, and find out what I can from them. If no solution, it goes into the garbage can and I'll get a new SG2100 and be done with it, hopefully.

One other thing, the data in my Coolsat 5000 appears to be grossly out of date. Is there any way to update all that, without laboriously entering in the satellites it doesn't yet know about or that have changed, with all their unique transponder freq's etc ? I'm not looking forward to having to do all that by hand from the Lyngsat website as it'll take forever ..

[Jim-S]

Galaxy 18 at 123.0°W - LyngSat

This sat. has very strong TP's....123w
Do you have the correct values inputed in your receiver for the LNB
Standard LNB....11250 is circular and 10750 is linear.
I would just try Linear satellites until you get the system going. If you have a switch at the dish leave it out of the circuit until it's working properly.
Remember to turn off receiver and disconnect the coax when changing connections at the dish, if you don't you may harm the switch and or the LNB.

[pmb1010]

on G18 these are strong:

11805 H
11800 V

[Vitruvius]

Can you borrow someone's receiver to see if it moves the motor? I have a Mercury II by Fortec that got zapped by lightning or some other type of voodoo. It can scan for sats and stations fine, but it doesn't move the motor at all. Something happened. So, I got a new receiver and all works well.
Also, the linear on 121 is really just a banner in Ku. Try 123 for a slew of network stations in linear. Yes, I would take out all your switches and just use on input via linear for now. Linear gives you the most FTA stations over the arc. I am getting from 30 to 123 degrees and it is great.

[blunderbus]

Thanks to you guys: with your help, I've successfully scanned in Galaxy 25, Galaxy 18, and Galaxy 19 at 97W, so I'm clearly dead on, on the arc. The motor's still cranky and won't save orbital positions, but that's just a matter of perseverence and/or replacement, I'll get that sorted out in time. I can manage from here on my own.

I'm sure I'll be able to get a lot more once I have a motor working properly. I'm inclined now to leave it on one bird for the time being, since it's a task to search for orbital positions until I can save positions w/ the motor/receiver.

Is there a way to rename, add/delete satellites from my Coolsat 5000's installation menu ? The list that's provided there is antiquated and I need to update, for scanning in what's up there presently .. I couldn't find any item in the menu which would allow me to enter new satellites or change satellite names such as 10R to 18, etc.

Somewhere, if I dig deep enough in my storage unit, I've got an old Neusat SP6000 and I could try that, if it supports USALS and/or 1.2 protocol, to eliminate the receiver as the source of my motor problems.

But my gratitude to you all, for helping me win through to FTA success !!