GBox 3000 And Performance Pak Actuator

[Babadem]

I recently picked up my 12ft Paraclipse Dish and it came with what appears to be a Heavy Duty Actuator and has writings on it ("PERFORMANCE PAK" SAGINAW STEERING GEAR" "A DIVISION OF GENERAL MOTORS CORP") Well, in my excitement to test the actuator I ended up frying my Powertech GBox 3000. I tried a few combinations of the six wires found on the Actuator connected to the GBox 3000, and finally I got it working by connecting the thick gauged white and green wires to the GBox's "Motor+" "Motor-" and the thin black and gray wires on the "Sensor-" "Sensor+"terminals to get the Actuator to move up and down. My excitement was short lived as I noticed when i pressed down on the arrows to move left or right that the actuator only moved a little at a time and stopped. Also the GBox was indicating an error E----2. After a while of moving the actuator a little bit at a time, it suddenly began to extend continuously without control from the GBox only stopping when the power to the GBox is disconnected. It should be noted that the GBox moves the Actuator even when the unit is not switched on, but connected to power socket. A quick sniff at the back of the GBox smells of burnt electronic part. My fear now is I hope I have not destroyed the Actuator also.

I need help identifying those 6 wires and if anyone has a manual of the actuator to please post it here. I also need help fixing my GBox 3000. I spoke to people at Sadoun and they said based on my description of what happened that identifying and replacing the burnt diode will fix the problem. Unfortunately, I'm not very knowledgeable with fixing electronic parts that small. Anyone capable of fixing the Gbox 3000 should please send me a PM.

Below are pictures of the actuator and some markings found on it.




What agent or method can I use to clean off rust so that the ball joint on this actuator arm can move freely and smoothly, or where I can get a replacement part. See rusted ball joint below:

 

[Pi314]

Can you remove the four slot-head screws on the bottom cover of the motor? Taking a peek inside will give you a good idea of what kind of connections are in there.

 

[Babadem]

Can you remove the four slot-head screws on the bottom cover of the motor? Taking a peek inside will give you a good idea of what kind of connections are in there.

I will try that.

 

[phlatwound]

Not sure if yours has the same issue but this may help you with your G-Box:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/187222-G-Box-V3000-Fuse-or-Reset?highlight=g-box

 

[FaT Air]

Rod ends: https://www.google.com/search?q=lin...661,d.aWc&fp=ab6bccac063e73a2&biw=805&bih=408 I'd try a implement dealers parts dept. Or a well stocked farm hardware dept. Around here, that would probably be Tractor Supply Company. or the HOE. Maybe a Surplus outlet(?)

 

[Pi314]

Those screws look pretty aged and tight, good luck. I took the cover off my Houston Tracker motor and discovered the orange sensor wire disconnected. I stuck it back in and it works fine.


I have five wires in my cable. Three sensor wires: orange, brown and green. Only the orange and green are used on mine. Two wires for power + – are red and white.

 

[stogie5150]

99 percent chance that's an actuator with a pot on it instead of a reed sensor. What you describe is exactly what the saginaw on my old CM dish has. I ended up finding someone with an old CM positioner box for the pot actuator.

Take the cover off the motor end of the arm and look inside, if there's a little round thing with gears running it, its a pot.

As to the ball end, I'd spray it with PB blaster a couple days running, and see if I could work it loose with a hammer, slowly tapping it. You can buy ends but you dont want to know what it takes to replace it. You just don't.

EDIT: well. I see that you DID remove it, so yeah, get a new end, getting it off is the hard part...LOL

EDIT#2 Here's what my saginaw looks like under the cover...

http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/256824-How-did-I-get-into-THIS-mess-!?p=2572673#post2572673

 

[Babadem]

Can you remove the four slot-head screws on the bottom cover of the motor? Taking a peek inside will give you a good idea of what kind of connections are in there.

There are no labels indicating what each wire represents.

Take the cover off the motor end of the arm and look inside, if there's a little round thing with gears running it, its a pot.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/256824-How-did-I-get-into-THIS-mess-!?p=2572673#post2572673

I just opened the bottom of the Actuator and it was caked with Wasp combs. This may have been the reason the GBox went crazy and capitulated. Stogie5150, what I saw when I opened the end of the arm doesn't fit a potentiometer, at least based on my layman's observation. There is a wheel with 4 little magnets on it. Does it mean this is using reed sensors? Why are those four wires wrapped in what appears to be aluminum foil? See before and after I somewhat cleaned up pictures. I will do a thorough cleaning later. What is best suited for this type of cleaning?

 

[Anole]

While I'm not for a minute suggesting you get sidetracked now...
...someday it would be very easy to retrofit 8 magnets where there are four, and mount a tiny reed switch. :up !
That would give twice as many counts.
And more might be possible.

 

[primestar31]

Ok, the large White and Green wires are your motor wires. The "aluminum foil" covering is shielded wire from the dawn of time, lol. It protects the wires from picking up noise, so your counts are (more) accurate. Only the two wires that are hooked to the reed sensor are the "counting" wires. The other wires are just grounded to the case. They should be cut OFF and not used at the house end where you connect it to your Gbox.

You need to pull back the aluminum foil a little inside the motor to check the color of those wires, and to make sure that foil isn't shorting anything out in there.

Personally, I'd clean out the wasp stuff, and hook a car battery to the motor wires to see if that thing even works. If the motor part doesn't work, no use doing anything else until it does (tear down and repair?), or you deem it junk.

 

[stogie5150]

Ok, the large White and Green wires are your motor wires. The "aluminum foil" covering is shielded wire from the dawn of time, lol. It protects the wires from picking up noise, so your counts are (more) accurate. Only the two wires that are hooked to the reed sensor are the "counting" wires. The other wires are just grounded to the case. They should be cut OFF and not used at the house end where you connect it to your Gbox.

You need to pull back the aluminum foil a little inside the motor to check the color of those wires, and to make sure that foil isn't shorting anything out in there.

Personally, I'd clean out the wasp stuff, and hook a car battery to the motor wires to see if that thing even works. If the motor part doesn't work, no use doing anything else until it does (tear down and repair?), or you deem it junk.

What he said.

Troubleshooting this isnt hard, its a simple thing, two wires to count, and two power wires to run the motor. E2 on the gbox means no counts. From the look of those wasp nests in there that was likely the problem. If ti were mine, I would do what Primestar said, clean it out and try it again, I too would unhook all the wires except for the four that you need. Maybe use an old toothbrush to get the gunk out. Looks to me that sensor might need to be taken out and cleaned too, but I would do that AFTER I got it clean enough to see if it works, which you have now, for the most part.

Mine was making noise, I drilled a hole in the tube since it wouldnt come apart and filled it up with synthetic oil and let it sit a few days, then dumped it out, along with all the rust and other nasty stuff inside, yours is likely the same. Used a whole can of generic WD-40 getting it cleaned out too....now since i have a hole in it, I can just pour a little oil in there and lube it up...LOL

Let us know if you have anything else, we will be here. Saginaw actuators are the Lexus of actuators, you wanna try and save that puppy!

 

[Cham]

The sensors are available through Digi-Key last time I looked. Strange they shielded the ground wires. I agree the Saginaw gear drives are second to none... I have an old one as a backup that needed some TLC as it was sitting in a junk pile for at least a decade... It cleaned up well and works like a champ as far as I can tell, might use it on a 2nd dish if I put one up.
If you can varify the unit works it might be a good idea to change the cabling into the motor enclosure. Outdoor rated 16ga X 2 extension cord cable for the motor and shielded cat5 or cat6 for the sensor are likely the cheapest options unless there are surplus sources for ribbon cable. I picked up about 150' ribbon cable one time I drove through Fergus Falls (Skyvision) but in those days I was still using a polarotor. It was not cheap.
Just spend some time on the unit, I am sure yours will clean up well too!

 

[Babadem]

While I'm not for a minute suggesting you get sidetracked now...
...someday it would be very easy to retrofit 8 magnets where there are four, and mount a tiny reed switch. :up !
That would give twice as many counts.
And more might be possible.

Sounds like a great idea. That will come later. Do you have a photo of a retrofit with 8 magnets?

 

[Babadem]

Ok, the large White and Green wires are your motor wires. The "aluminum foil" covering is shielded wire from the dawn of time, lol. It protects the wires from picking up noise, so your counts are (more) accurate. Only the two wires that are hooked to the reed sensor are the "counting" wires. The other wires are just grounded to the case. They should be cut OFF and not used at the house end where you connect it to your Gbox.

You need to pull back the aluminum foil a little inside the motor to check the color of those wires, and to make sure that foil isn't shorting anything out in there.

Personally, I'd clean out the wasp stuff, and hook a car battery to the motor wires to see if that thing even works. If the motor part doesn't work, no use doing anything else until it does (tear down and repair?), or you deem it junk.

The motor extends and retracts beautifully and I'm in the process of cleaning out the dirt and wasp combs.

 

[Babadem]

What he said.

Troubleshooting this isnt hard, its a simple thing, two wires to count, and two power wires to run the motor. E2 on the gbox means no counts. From the look of those wasp nests in there that was likely the problem. If ti were mine, I would do what Primestar said, clean it out and try it again, I too would unhook all the wires except for the four that you need. Maybe use an old toothbrush to get the gunk out. Looks to me that sensor might need to be taken out and cleaned too, but I would do that AFTER I got it clean enough to see if it works, which you have now, for the most part.

Mine was making noise, I drilled a hole in the tube since it wouldnt come apart and filled it up with synthetic oil and let it sit a few days, then dumped it out, along with all the rust and other nasty stuff inside, yours is likely the same. Used a whole can of generic WD-40 getting it cleaned out too....now since i have a hole in it, I can just pour a little oil in there and lube it up...LOL

Let us know if you have anything else, we will be here. Saginaw actuators are the Lexus of actuators, you wanna try and save that puppy!

It works as I stated in my first post. I had identified the Big white and Green wires powered the unit by trial and error, but was confused as which two goes to the sensors. Since all this is new to me which is the Sensor on the unit?

 

[Babadem]

The sensors are available through Digi-Key last time I looked. Strange they shielded the ground wires. I agree the Saginaw gear drives are second to none... I have an old one as a backup that needed some TLC as it was sitting in a junk pile for at least a decade... It cleaned up well and works like a champ as far as I can tell, might use it on a 2nd dish if I put one up.
If you can varify the unit works it might be a good idea to change the cabling into the motor enclosure. Outdoor rated 16ga X 2 extension cord cable for the motor and shielded cat5 or cat6 for the sensor are likely the cheapest options unless there are surplus sources for ribbon cable. I picked up about 150' ribbon cable one time I drove through Fergus Falls (Skyvision) but in those days I was still using a polarotor. It was not cheap.
Just spend some time on the unit, I am sure yours will clean up well too!

@ the red highlighted:
What exactly would I be looking for? For example if i have a picture or part number will be highly appreciated.

 

[Babadem]

GBox Messed up

I have opened the box, and to my uneducated eyes everything seem fine, but the slight burnt pungent plastic smell still lingers. The Gbox when connected to actuator on my 6 footer Displays E----2 when you press the right or left buttons to move the dish, but the dish doesn't move. On the other hand, when I connect the Saginaw actuator to the GBox the motor without my input extends or retracts depending on the polarity of the wire inserted into it. What baffles is when the Saginaw Actuator is connected to the Gbox, for some unknown reason the GBox supplies power and moves Saginaw actuator even when the GBox is turned off, but plugged into the electric power supply socket. Why is that happening?

Below are pictures of the inside of the Gbox 3000

 

[stogie5150]

It works as I stated in my first post. I had identified the Big white and Green wires powered the unit by trial and error, but was confused as which two goes to the sensors. Since all this is new to me which is the Sensor on the unit?

The reed sensor is the thing that the two blue wires hook to. ( or is it blue and black? whatever) It mounts to the piece of plastic with a jamb nut. You can see the top nut in your picture. And the other ends of the wire hook to the terminal strip. Then the wires from your house hook to the other side of the terminal strip, i.e. reed sensor to reed sensor, motor to motor. Dont hook the reed sensor to the motor screws for any reason!

Here's something I threw together that may help. Maybe not, I am not an artist..LOL

 

[Anole]

Sounds like a great idea. That will come later.
Do you have a photo of a retrofit with 8 magnets?

Ha ha ha ! Not until you make one.

I was thinking about either popping out the original magnets, drilling 8 hole (in , and between current locations), inserting 8 tiny new super magnets, then mount a new tiny reed switch to that triangular plastic bracket holding existing reed.
Alternately, make a new magnet wheel (Magic Static has a thread where he's doing that for his Ajak 180).
10-12 magnets should be possible. Depends on diameter of the wheel.

Those jacks like yours are rated in how many pulses per inch of travel.
We know you get 4 pulses per rotation of the magnet wheel now.
Put a big red mark on the wheel, and tell us how many times it goes around for one inch extension of the arm.

(I see you tried to PM me. I cleared some space in mailbox)

 

[Babadem]

The reed sensor is the thing that the two blue wires hook to. ( or is it blue and black? whatever) It mounts to the piece of plastic with a jamb nut. You can see the top nut in your picture. And the other ends of the wire hook to the terminal strip. Then the wires from your house hook to the other side of the terminal strip, i.e. reed sensor to reed sensor, motor to motor. Dont hook the reed sensor to the motor screws for any reason!

Here's something I threw together that may help. View attachment 88535View attachment 88535 Maybe not, I am not an artist..LOL

Thanks for the illustration!!! I hope I didn't mess up the reed sensor on the actuator when I was doing my trial and error in an effort to find where the power and sensor wires belong on the GBox yesterday.