Here's what I've got, what can I do? (newbie looking for options)

[Change]

I have a Paraclipse 12' dish with an unknown brand 36v actuator and C and Ku band LNBs on a corotor feedhorn.

My dilemma...
There are few receivers with control output for the corotor servo. There are even fewer with control output for the 36v actuator. My options, as I see them...

1) Get one of the very rare receivers that can control both the servo and the actuator.
2) Get a receiver that can control the servo, and for control of the actuator, use:
..a) An old analog receiver that has an updated satellite listing
..b) The V-Box (which is cheap but has known problems with drift)
..c) The V-Box II (which has no drift but is extremely expensive)
3) Replace the LNBs and corotor with some kind of C/Ku LNBF solution, either a C LNBF with a Ku LNBF attached to the scalar ring (which I've found, but I don't know the quality of the included Ku LNBF), or some kind of dual-band C/Ku LNBF (which I've found reference to, but it appears to be discontinued), and see item 2) for the actuator control options.

What thoughts do other folks have? What have I missed in my searching?

 

[iammike]

How about a 4dtv receiver to control the dish and slaving your fta receiver to the 4dtv? That would give you the option of subscribing to cband programming along with doing fta.

 

[Change]

This is going to be primarily used by my parents, so I'm trying to keep it as simple as possible to operate Certainly an option though, but it looks like 4DTV receivers are pretty pricey on eBay at the moment.

I did find a circuit for controlling the actuator (won't let me post the URL as I haven't made 5 posts yet, google for "Diseqc 1.2 to standard 36 V DC Motor interface.")
I wonder if it works better than the V-Box...

 

[rallycrawford]

Hi jammike,

How do you slave a viewsat 5000 platinum to the 4 dtv. Please give more details of what is needed and how to do it.