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idiot alert

tis

tis

Newbie
Right guys, thanks for reading.
First attempt at a motorised dish and its doing my nut in :confused:
Here is what we've got -
dusted down vu solo2 running the latest vix plus vhannibles.motor plugin.
Tuner A set up for usals - simple - positioner and long/lat set as required. Tuner B not configured.
TM Twin Gold lnb and a cheap and cheerful 65cm TM mesh dish (you get what you pay for)
Alsat Supreme Intelligent :confused: Dark Motor (wish I'd gone for the TM, led readings confusing but that might be me and there seems to be quite a bit of play on the dish arm)
All mounted on t and k brackets with a short scaffold pole which is rock solid and bang plumb (checked numerous times)
Started out picking up 28.2 just to get the dish elevation something like.
Sent motor to 5w (limit I will get westerly) and after nudging by hand the dish east/west and up/down I got a signal :grin: and at 0.8 :grin: and at 1.9 :grin: and at 9 :grin: and at 13 :grin: and then nothing :mad:
until I edged the dish a touch westerly and lifted the dish a knats then I had a signal at 19.2 + 28.2
+ 39 but then lost everything before these :mad:
Should add the dish bracket was mounted to the motor arm while on the deck so this is bang central.
These are the best signals I have had but not all at the same time obviously :grin:
39e=87
28.2=94
19.2=79
16=64
13=85
9=85
1.9=71
.8=78
5=92
To be honest on a small dish some of those readings are way higher than I expected here in South Yorkshire, especially with the crap weather we have had of late.
So guys, educate an idiot please :grin:
 
I don't know about the others as I don't use them, and not so much of an idiot to get the signals at 28.2, 19.2 and 13 look pretty reasonable to me for first attempt.:(y):
 
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woody6222 said:
I don't know about the others as I don't use them, and not so much of an idiot to get the signals at 28.2, 19.2 and 13 look pretty reasonable to me for first attempt.:(y):
Click to expand...

Was at it hours mate before I had any success.
Set the motor and dish angles to what it said in the back of the Dark Motor manual, the dish was set at 27.4' which was miles out, its now set at 10' :grimacing:
 
This needs to be rectified, :- Quote :-- (there seems to be quite a bit of play on the dish arm)

Do you mean the motor arm or the lnb arm?
 
Motor arm mate.
If I picked up a sat and it had a low snr, 16e for example, if I twisted the arm I would lose the signal.
I also noticed when driving the motor from W to E between sats I would get a slightly lower snr than if driving from E to W.
Contacted the seller about the play and he says this is normal.
Should have mentioned earlier that I have the VU under the dish with a small tv.
 
woody6222 said:
No it is not normal, mine is rock solid there should not be any play on any fixture.
Click to expand...

Looks like the supplier is bullshitting me mate.
Another thing I mentioned in my first post was the led display. When I first got the motor I put it on a short lead into the back of the VU, when I sent it to 42e the led read 47.5
28.2 read 32.6
19.2 read 22.7
16 read 19.1
30w read 31.6
45 read 47.9
these read outs were the same at all times.
Contacted the supplier and he said it was because I didn't have the lnb connected.
Guess what that was bullshibo, it reads exactly the same when mounted on the pole.
 
These misreadings could be down to the play in the arm which you need to rectify. Did you get the instruction booklet with the motor? Disregard the booklet question as l have read your first post again :oops:. Sign of dementia.....
 
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woody6222 said:
These misreadings could be down to the play in the arm which you need to rectify. Did you get the instruction booklet with the motor?
Click to expand...

Yes mate, bought brand new.
There is no info on how to take up the play, strangely on the older models this is possible.
 
As far as l can remember without climbing over my shed roof, the arm from the motor is infact a tube over the actual arm, at the top of the tube closest to the motor there should be a bolt extending from one side to the other which needs to be tight (not over tight) and part way down the tube there is a hole and another fixing which is possibly an alan screw. again do not over tighten. Check diagrams in your booklet/manual if that is so.
 
upload_2018-4-10_10-18-45.jpeg

Just the top allen bolt on mine mate and yes it was tight. Nothing in the manual regarding the play.
On the older Alsat Dark Motor pdf I found there are instructions for taking up any play.
 
woody6222 said:
Could there be a sticker covering a hole or a screw?
Click to expand...

There is a sticker mate, you can see it in the pic I posted.
This is partially covered by the elevation bracket.
I was wary of removing this sticker as I had already been in touch with the supplier about the led display/free play and didn't want him having any reason to refuse a refund/exchange.
 
Would be appreciated if anyone with the same motor mounted where they have easy access to the led display could check if the read out is exactly as where the dish is parked. Or if any installer has come across this before.
I know its a bit of a gimmick and I could live without it but would be good to know.
 
The one you have doesn't seem to be very intelligent:grin:. I would be checking for that screw under the sticker.
 
woody6222 said:
The one you have doesn't seem to be very intelligent:grin:. I would be checking for that screw under the sticker.
Click to expand...

I'm tempted mate but going to get back in touch with the supplier.
Its not just some guy off ebay, they are a well established company used by probably many on here.
Have used them in the past and never had a problem (reason I haven't named them)
 
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