Help starting up old system

[horizon]

I've got a 10' mesh dish and a Toshiba trx-80 reciever.

I haven't used it in a few years but decided I'd fiddle with it. It came with my house and I never really used it, I put in a DirectTV system. When I played with it then, it was reporting "no pulse from actuator".

I bought a new sensor for the actuator and installed that today. Now it doesn't say that message anymore.

However, it doesn't want to go east/west very well. At first, the dish wouldn't move at all, so I took the motor off of the actuator and rotated the tab sticking out of the actuator arm manually with a wrench and the dish moved.

I looked at the motor and had my wife press west on the remote. You could see the motor rotate maybe an 1/8th of a turn each time she would press it.

I checked the voltage at the reciever and it makes a number above 12v most times, but it's only there for a brief moment and the meter doesn't really have a chance to read it the same each time I guess. Same thing out at the motor, I checked the voltage at the brush end of the motor and it's getting a signal which sometimes reached 20+ volts, but only for a moment.

I put the motor back on and it would then move the dish, ever so slightly.

Shouldn't I be able to press east or west when setting the dish limits so that it continually moves?

Right now when I press east or west, the receiver makes a click noise (it sounds like 2 clicks extremely close together), puts moving east (or west) on the screen and then seems to go blank on the receiver display and then it all comes back to normal.

Each click makes the dish arm move about 1mm. It's really very slight, you have to put your finger on the arm to feel it move.

What should I look at next?

 

[Change]

My wild guesses would be there's something wrong with the receiver.
Remove the motor power cable from the receiver and check the voltage there, see if it's producing constant power there. If so, perhaps there's a short in the cable somewhere.

 

[gizzer777]

Wild guess

I've got a 10' mesh dish and a Toshiba trx-80 reciever.

I haven't used it in a few years but decided I'd fiddle with it. It came with my house and I never really used it, I put in a DirectTV system. When I played with it then, it was reporting "no pulse from actuator".

I bought a new sensor for the actuator and installed that today. Now it doesn't say that message anymore.

However, it doesn't want to go east/west very well. At first, the dish wouldn't move at all, so I took the motor off of the actuator and rotated the tab sticking out of the actuator arm manually with a wrench and the dish moved.

I looked at the motor and had my wife press west on the remote. You could see the motor rotate maybe an 1/8th of a turn each time she would press it.

I checked the voltage at the reciever and it makes a number above 12v most times, but it's only there for a brief moment and the meter doesn't really have a chance to read it the same each time I guess. Same thing out at the motor, I checked the voltage at the brush end of the motor and it's getting a signal which sometimes reached 20+ volts, but only for a moment.

I put the motor back on and it would then move the dish, ever so slightly.

Shouldn't I be able to press east or west when setting the dish limits so that it continually moves?

Right now when I press east or west, the receiver makes a click noise (it sounds like 2 clicks extremely close together), puts moving east (or west) on the screen and then seems to go blank on the receiver display and then it all comes back to normal.

Each click makes the dish arm move about 1mm. It's really very slight, you have to put your finger on the arm to feel it move.

What should I look at next?

A wild guess...Perhaps the toshiba has the limits confused, and needs a master clear? Also the actuator probably has physical limit switches. that could be out of adjustment or worse!

 

[horizon]

A wild guess...Perhaps the toshiba has the limits confused, and needs a master clear? Also the actuator probably has physical limit switches. that could be out of adjustment or worse!

I did the master clear and was trying to set the east/west. What do the actuator physical limit switches look like and where are they? I don't get any messages like east limit reached etc.

 

[gizzer777]

Different on all

I did the master clear and was trying to set the east/west. What do the actuator physical limit switches look like and where are they? I don't get any messages like east limit reached etc.

but some have small microswitches, some old ones had leaf type affairs...I think it may be prudent to check the voltages out of the receiver first as the other poster suggested, also the reed switch could be the culprit...the Skyvision site has a small parts section as some of our sponsers miay as well!
...look for broken wires as well and maybe ohm out the wiring (with the set unplugged and wiring disconnected from the receiver!)to make sure there are no breaks....and I also think you would have gotten a "limit" reached msg, had one been off!
A really stupid idea...are the batteries in the remote fresh?...
you would not believe how many times........
jeff

 

[horizon]

Yeah, I put new batteries in the remote

I pulled all of the connections off of the back and put the multi-meter back on the M1/M2 connections for the motor and this time it wasn't getting any numbers. So the receiver must be the culprit, or at least part of the chain.

I'm not sure why it was getting some voltage readings before.

So can I put a FTA reciever on this big dish or what do I do with it now to watch things that I don't have to pay for (I like my DirecTV for regular viewing)

 

[tdti1]

Yeah, I put new batteries in the remote
I pulled all of the connections off of the back and put the multi-meter back on the M1/M2 connections for the motor and this time it wasn't getting any numbers. So the receiver must be the culprit, or at least part of the chain.
I'm not sure why it was getting some voltage readings before.
So can I put a FTA reciever on this big dish or what do I do with it now to watch things that I don't have to pay for (I like my DirecTV for regular viewing)

What type of programming do you watch? I would dump DTV in a minute for 4dtv, the prices are better and the picture quality blows away mini dish hands down, also with the 4dtv and a c/ku setup it would be easy to slave a FTA unit for even more programming.

 

[gizzer777]

Yeah, I put new batteries in the remote
I pulled all of the connections off of the back and put the multi-meter back on the M1/M2 connections for the motor and this time it wasn't getting any numbers. So the receiver must be the culprit, or at least part of the chain.
I'm not sure why it was getting some voltage readings before.
So can I put a FTA reciever on this big dish or what do I do with it now to watch things that I don't have to pay for (I like my DirecTV for regular viewing)

I am sure you know that M1 and M2 get power when the receiver tells the dish to move, so you are on the right track! While you are there, Try disconnecting M1 and M2 from the DISH AND Receiver....then tie the ends together at the dish and check the open ends at the receiver end with an Ohm meter....if no connection...something has broken! Also check the Polorotor and skew wires while you are at it!

Like TDTI1 said...go with 4DTV (there is even some stuff free up there and the Package prices are much better! (CALLNPS.COM, OR SKYVISION.COM), not to mention the picture.
The idea of slaving an FTA receiver is also very appealing! A lot MORE of what you are paying for is also free, including free Music channels!(no sho, hbo etc on FTA) but a lot to keep you busy and FREE! The fun there is that you never know what you might bump into! There is even some AC3 making its way up on FTA.

Checkout www.Lyngsat.com and poke around! Then go to the FTA forum

 

[horizon]

Thanks for all of the info. I'm going to borrow a friend of mines C-band reciever and try it out on my system as additional verification to where the problem lies.

My ribbon cable only has one coax wire terminated, the other wire is just sitting there with no screw on connector.

Is the other wire on the ribbon for a Ku band? Which then should make me wonder if I have a Ku reception capability at the dish right?

 

[Change]

The coax has been sitting exposed with no connector or anything else sealing the end? Yikes. If coax is left out in the elements, moisture gets inside and is wicked far along the cable by the shield. That leg is probably ruined by now.

 

[horizon]

Sorry, I meant the end that's inside the house doesn't have a connector and looks like it's never been stripped to put one on.

 

[Change]

Ah, very good. Hm, I didn't actually answer your question. Yes, one leg is usually for C and the other leg for Ku. Pop open your feedhorn cover sometime if it's easy to get at and see if the second leg has a connector on it or not.

 

[horizon]

Ah, very good. Hm, I didn't actually answer your question. Yes, one leg is usually for C and the other leg for Ku. Pop open your feedhorn cover sometime if it's easy to get at and see if the second leg has a connector on it or not.

Thanks. I looked in there today and there's only the connection for the C-band.

It connects to a thing with a model number MC95-40 which I guess corresponds to a temperature of 40 which was also marked on the other end.

I took my boat battery over to the dish and ran two leads to the dish motor and it moved one way and switching the +/- made it move the other way so it looks like the motor portion is fine.

Do I need Ku band for FTA stuff? I'm still a bit confused about it.

Since I've determined my old C-band receiver is dead and right now I'm not looking for 4dtv pay services, I think I need the following:

replacement c-band or 4dtv receiver to move the dish
FTA receiver
switches to split the c-band to both the c-band receiver and FTA receiver.

I thought I saw one writeup where only the C-band coax was used and not additionally Ku-band. Do you just have a lot less channels without Ku or what?

 

[gizzer777]

I get a ton....

Thanks. I looked in there today and there's only the connection for the C-band.
It connects to a thing with a model number MC95-40 which I guess corresponds to a temperature of 40 which was also marked on the other end.
I took my boat battery over to the dish and ran two leads to the dish motor and it moved one way and switching the +/- made it move the other way so it looks like the motor portion is fine.
Do I need Ku band for FTA stuff? I'm still a bit confused about it.
Since I've determined my old C-band receiver is dead and right now I'm not looking for 4dtv pay services, I think I need the following:
replacement c-band or 4dtv receiver to move the dish
FTA receiver
switches to split the c-band to both the c-band receiver and FTA receiver.
I thought I saw one writeup where only the C-band coax was used and not additionally Ku-band. Do you just have a lot less channels without Ku or what?

I think most of the FTA stuff is on the KU side (at least I get a ton on my 4DTV with KU split off to the FTA receiver). BTW: DO go for a 4DTV!

Also check the feedhorn for a spot for an additional KU LNB spot? The CO Rotor dual feedhorns are expensive!

When you get the splitters, use care...you will need approx 950-2500mhz splitter with power passed to 1 leg ONLY!
I have not even thought of hooking up the C band side for FTA...too much to digest now, and I am going to devote a smaller dish to FTA this spring.

 

[horizon]

Also check the feedhorn for a spot for an additional KU LNB spot?

What would that look like?

I've got a chapparal feedhorn and a chapparal servo motor, then there's that c-band MC95-40 from gardiner. Do the Ku lnbs just clamp on and wire in next to the c-band?

 

[Change]

Take a look at this page: http://www.chaparral.com/products/feedhorns/corotor.html

See the smaller elbow? That's where the Ku LNB would mount. If your feedhorn only has one mounting position, then to add Ku reception you'd have to either replace the feedhorn (pricey) or cut the scalar ring and attach a Ku LNBF (a bit of a kludge and not optimal placement).

You may not need a splitter, some receivers have an LNB passthrough.

 

[gizzer777]

here is a link for splitting

What would that look like?

I've got a chapparal feedhorn and a chapparal servo motor, then there's that c-band MC95-40 from gardiner. Do the Ku lnbs just clamp on and wire in next to the c-band?

If you get the KU LNB (and Co Rotor) and do need splitters...here is a link for the diagram. Again High freq (950-2500mhz) and 1 leg for power!
http://www.allsathelp.com/kit5.jpg
Jeff

 

[horizon]

I opened it up again and I have a c-band feedhorn and c-band lnb. There's no second angle off of the horn to attach a ku-band LNB.

harumph, I was hoping to use what I had since I'm just playing around with it.

When you look at www.lyngstat.com and "Free TV - United States" are all of those on Ku-band? It doesn't seem to indicate to a newbie such as myself. Unless the DVB versus Digicipher is the indicator?

If I get a new feedhorn do I need c-band too, or just Ku?

If I got a new ku/c-band feedhorn, can I use the same servo motor that's on my current c-band only feedhorn?

How do I make sure the feedhorn is the style that works with my big dish and not one for something else, I haven't seen one that says "big dish model" etc. Do you just tell by the look of it?

Is it cheaper to just buy a smaller dish than to retrofit my 10' dish or would I be better off with the 10' dish?

 

[tdti1]

Freq from 3000-5000 are C-band 11000 and up are Ku-band, I would get a c/ku feed with good lnb's it will cost a bit but will be worrth it, and if you do upgrade to 4dtv later the dish will be ready for it.

 

[gizzer777]

Servo Motor

I opened it up again and I have a c-band feedhorn and c-band lnb. There's no second angle off of the horn to attach a ku-band LNB.
harumph, I was hoping to use what I had since I'm just playing around with it.
When you look at www.lyngstat.com and "Free TV - United States" are all of those on Ku-band? It doesn't seem to indicate to a newbie such as myself. Unless the DVB versus Digicipher is the indicator?
If I get a new feedhorn do I need c-band too, or just Ku?
If I got a new ku/c-band feedhorn, can I use the same servo motor that's on my current c-band only feedhorn?
How do I make sure the feedhorn is the style that works with my big dish and not one for something else, I haven't seen one that says "big dish model" etc. Do you just tell by the look of it?
Is it cheaper to just buy a smaller dish than to retrofit my 10' dish or would I be better off with the 10' dish?

it has been a long time but I seem to recall that both feedhorns use the same servo motor. I change one out on my Co Rotor about every 10 yrs!! I think they run about $20 and change out very easily (3 wires + 2 screws). If you can see both odd and even channels, your servo motor is ok...if ONLY odd OR even then you need a new servo motor. (not to be confused with the dish positioner motor!)