SM3D12 Mal-functions

[rckowal]

Can some one please explain how the SM3D12 operates when the "store" command from a Pansat 2300 USALS setup screen is used. Although this may sound like a "receiver" question it is also a motor question since I am unable to determine if the motor is defective, or I do not understand the proper use of USALS commands.

To explain. On several occasions now - during setup of USALS - my SM3D12 has rotated to its extreme east limit & stopped there. Usually, the setup & operation of the motor works fine. It is only rarely & unexpectedly that this happens. When it stops at the east limit, it will not respond to any further USALS commands from the receiver. I am however, able to use Diseqc 1.2 commands, or the switches on the bottom of the motor, to manually rotate it away from the east limit.

Since I do not understand how this can happen; I may be causing it by improper use of receiver commands during setup of USALS.

Your helping me to better understand the use of your motor will be very much appreciated.

Best regards

[dtsexpert]

Did you key in your long/lat into USALS settings?
Michael

Originally Posted by rckowal

Can some one please explain how the SM3D12 operates when the "store" command from a Pansat 2300 USALS setup screen is used. Although this may sound like a "receiver" question it is also a motor question since I am unable to determine if the motor is defective, or I do not understand the proper use of USALS commands.

To explain. On several occasions now - during setup of USALS - my SM3D12 has rotated to its extreme east limit & stopped there. Usually, the setup & operation of the motor works fine. It is only rarely & unexpectedly that this happens. When it stops at the east limit, it will not respond to any further USALS commands from the receiver. I am however, able to use Diseqc 1.2 commands, or the switches on the bottom of the motor, to manually rotate it away from the east limit.

Since I do not understand how this can happen; I may be causing it by improper use of receiver commands during setup of USALS.

Your helping me to better understand the use of your motor will be very much appreciated.

Best regards

[rckowal]

Yes I did! After experimenting with the motor & settings on my desk, I think I'm beginning to understand what might have happened.

In tinkering with some new settings, I had one bird which was set for Diseqc 1.2 - all the others are set for USALS. It appears that these two don't play nicely together. I now think that when I selected the bird that had Diseqc, the motor went to the eastern limit & locked up. I've simulated this in a desk top experiment.

I also thought (due to lack of clear instructions in the user manual) that you should click the "store" command button. Although I don't know why, this seems to spell trouble as well.

Please help me (& others following this thread) to understand this very confusing area of the SM3D12 motor setup & operation.

Best regards

Originally Posted by dtsexpert

Did you key in your long/lat into USALS settings?
Michael

[pmb1010]

Originally Posted by rckowal

I had one bird which was set for Diseqc 1.2 - all the others are set for USALS. It appears that these two don't play nicely together.

That is also my experience with this motor, and my Ultra receiver.

[rckowal]

Thanks for the comments, but does anyone know what needs to be done to avoid this spontaneous rotation to the eastern limit???? Is it improper use of commands? Once the motor locks up at the east limit - how do you unlock & get it to work normally again?

Best regards

[pmb1010]

Originally Posted by rckowal

Thanks for the comments, but does anyone know what needs to be done to avoid this spontaneous rotation to the eastern limit???? Is it improper use of commands? Once the motor locks up at the east limit - how do you unlock & get it to work normally again?

Best regards

I gave up on the mix of 1.2/USALS, and use USALS only now.
It's working ok, I don't get any lockups.

[vj9999]

I use USALS exclusively as well. I did have it set up with USALS and 1.2 awhile ago and I experienced some weird behavior. Just FYI, if you ever need to simulate "nudging" or fine tuning using usals, you can change the satellites location in the USALS menu.

Let's say I am on G10R at 123W, but I think I could get a little better signal (since my dish is not 100% perfectly aligned - maybe 99% ). I can change the location of G10R to be 123.1W or 123.2W and fine tune it like that.

That increased my signal quality by some 20%

[rckowal]

Thanks for the replies PMB 1010 & VJ9999 - they're welcomed.

Using USALS, or Diseqc 1.2, "BUT NOT BOTH TOGETHER" (please excuse me for raising my voice a bit) is the same conclusion I came to after a lot of blundering around. I've also tried to get answers regarding this issue from SM3D12 support but they don't seem to have all of them either.

Have any of you ever had your motor stop at the east limit & become brain dead? In other words, it didn't automatically rotate back to zero on the motor scale. If so, what did you do to retore normal operation?

Your response to the last question wil be very much appreciated.

Best regards

[vj9999]

What receiver are you using? I've had the same problem with SG2100 and Fortec Ultra, but this was resolved in Fortec's firmware upgrade and it has been working flawlessly ever since.

[pmb1010]

Originally Posted by rckowal

Have any of you ever had your motor stop at the east limit & become brain dead? In other words, it didn't automatically rotate back to zero on the motor scale. If so, what did you do to retore normal operation?

Your response to the last question wil be very much appreciated.

Best regards

Only once.... again when I was playing with 1.2 and USALS.
I went outside to the motor, and pressed the small pins. Motor moved. Went back inside, and it worked OK from there. Changed the sat to USALS and it's been fine since.

About all I can offer. It has not become brain dead since that one time.

[rckowal]

PMB1010, Thanks again for the info.

Do you remember if you pushed the west button? Also, did the motor return to zero (on its scale) by itself or did you have to move it there with the button?

Best regards

[pmb1010]

Originally Posted by rckowal

PMB1010, Thanks again for the info.

Do you remember if you pushed the west button? Also, did the motor return to zero (on its scale) by itself or did you have to move it there with the button?

Best regards

No I don't. I can't see anything closeup anymore because of lasik eye job, so I wouldn't know one button from the other. I pushed one button it moved one way (most likely west) then the other and I though to myself "the motor works electrically". Figured it was receiver problem, so I went back inside and selected one of the sats under USALS, I saw the sparkles on the TV so I know it was moving at that point...

[rckowal]

Thanks PMB 1010 - the information is appreciated.

At this stage I'm pretty sure that this motor in not in operating condition. It acts like it has some internal mechanism problem. I quess I'll have to bite the bullet & send it in for service.

Best regards

[pmb1010]

Originally Posted by rckowal

Thanks PMB 1010 - the information is appreciated.

At this stage I'm pretty sure that this motor in not in operating condition. It acts like it has some internal mechanism problem. I quess I'll have to bite the bullet & send it in for service.

Best regards

rckowal:

How did you make out with this?
My Ultra/SM3D12 is now doing the same thing. Works a couple minutes, then stops working. I did get it working for a minute by unplugging the box from 110v, but that trick has not worked last 3 attempts.

Did a full factory reset on Ultra, and changing back & forth from USALS to 1.2 on any satelitte does nothing.

[rckowal]

PMB 1010, I sent mine back to Pansat on a warranty claim. They sent me a new motor to replace the defective one.

I should explain though that my problem was eventually traced to a damaged gear train. It would rotate towards the east limit and then lose gear engagement when it got to the stripped teeth. If you tried to reverse rotation, it wouldn't because it couldn't re-engage the gears again.

If your motor will still rotate - even intermittently - I would think it could be the processor inside of the motor. It's the brain that tells the motor how much, when & where to rotate to. If it loses electrical communication with the receiver for some reason, it gets confused so it shuts itself down. Then it will not rotate at all.

Unplugging the STB from 110V - then restoring power - resets the processor. It supposed to rotate itself back to the south reference position to restore it's sense of position/direction. Sat Control & Pansat Technicians told me that there are some conditions when just unplugging will not reset it. My replacement motor arrived in this state - brain dead.

On Techs advice, I removed the printed circuit board from within the motor housing & reset it. To do so, first disconnect motor coax from receiver power. Look for a small removable cover plate (prox. 1"x3") on the bottom of the motor. Cut the little sticker label that's on one edge of it with a sharp razor knife. Find a flat spring tab on one end of the cover (in the bigger gap) & depress it with a small screw driver to unlatch it. Carefully pry & lift up the cover. On the back, you'll see a small printed circuit board with several wires that are connected to it by a plug/socket connector. Unplug it, let it set for a minute or so then reconnect the plug.

Re-assemble the motor & test for proper operation. If that doesn't do it, then it's time to send it in for warranty service. You can email the SM3D12 factory at http://www.sat-control.si/eng/index.htm

Hope this helps.

[pmb1010]

Yeah, it helps... give me some ideas on resolution, but:

what a time for this to happen. We have snow and it's the last thing I need to do is be on the slippery roof taking the motor cover apart to unplug a circuit board.. Couldn't happen during the late summer or fall, but now when it's 20deg.

Well, I bought mine from Sadoun, and their DOA warrenty is now only 30 days. So if in fact I need to send this thing back somewhere, i have no idea where. If it has to go out of the US then it won't be worth it due to shipping costs.

I'll leave the thing unplugged overnight & see if that does anything...

Thanks
PMB

[rckowal]

Well, that's the way it always is. The tooth starts to ache on a Friday evening when Dentists have gone home for the weekend. Maybe it will warm up enough for the snow to melt so you can get it down.

I'd try contacting Sat-Control. There's a Tech there called "Ales" - that's right "Ales". He writes & understands pretty good english. Only thing is even email is slow due to the time zone differences, etc. Could take a few days to get a reply. Ask him what your options may be.

If you don't mind waiting to use normal mail, the cost of shipping 6 lbs. to Europe isn't that bad. Check it out.

Good luck.

[pmb1010]

>Ask him what your options may be.

Will do if it gets that far.

>normal mail, the cost of shipping 6 lbs. to Europe isn't that bad

I've sent stuff to Denmark, cost $20 priorty mail. I think regular mail was $19... don't remember the weight, but it wasn't a big package.
Did they charge you to return it back?

>Good luck

Tnx. I'll report back one way or the other the results.