How does a V-Box work

[raydio]

I sent my less than 1 month old V-Box back to DMSI as it was not working correctly. There seems to be some confusion between the technician who is checking it out and myself regarding how it works. The way I think it works is the counts from the reed switch are stored in the V-Box in a certain position for a particular satellite. The receiver then tells the V-Box to go to a certain position for a given satellite. This guy at DMSI seems to think the counts are stored in the receiver. Anyone really knows how this thing works?

 

[Shawn95GT]

The instructions on the VBOX are mis-leading. Basically everything in the instructions says in not so many words 'do it however your receiver does it'.

I don't know if this helps you of not, but see page 24 here:

http://www.eutelsat.com/satellites/pdf/Diseqc/Reference docs/bus_spec.pdf

It talks specifically about how DiSEqC 1.2 works. The recievers 'can' specify the counts, but likely it just sends the 'go to position ##' command to the VBOX. In this case I'd say the VBOX is counting.

 

[iammike]

I've been doing a lot of research this week on actuators and the vbox. I can't answer your question for certain, but I'd think the vbox would have to store the information. I think the receiver is going to store the motor position, like you'd use with a diseqc motor, and the vbox is going to translate that into the proper signal to send to the actuator.

 

[drhydro]

Raydio,
you can see the vbox counting as you move the dish (when doing dish alignment) so i think the vbox stores the counts, not the reciever.

BTW, how many magnets does your actuator posistioner use?

 

[iammike]

Man, 3 simultaneous responses. That's gotta be a record. We even agreed with each other!

 

[raydio]

The tech at DMSI is basically trying to tell me that he is not seeing a problem with the v-box and it has to be a problem with my receiver. I dont think it's my receivers fault that the v-box cannot keep track of its saved positions except for four of them. In other words, out of 12 or so sats, only four positions on the v-box are good all the time. All the others do not hold their "learned" positions.

 

[Shawn95GT]

Do you still have a SG2100 or similar?

You could verify if it's your reciever if the H to H motor 'can' retain the 1.2 positions.

Aside from what you suspect, it would almost have to be a problem with the reed switch / the actuator missing counts.

Shawn

 

[raydio]

Raydio,
you can see the vbox counting as you move the dish (when doing dish alignment) so i think the vbox stores the counts, not the reciever.

BTW, how many magnets does your actuator posistioner use?

I am not sure how many magnets there are. I'll have to go out and look. How many are there usually? This is a real cheap actuator. It was one of those 20.00 specials at some site that had them on clearance.

 

[Shawn95GT]

I am not sure how many magnets there are. I'll have to go out and look. How many are there usually? This is a real cheap actuator. It was one of those 20.00 specials at some site that had them on clearance.

I have the same $20 actuator on my dish... the Pansat gets here tomorrow. something tells me I'm going to have satellite ribbon cable strung across the yard tomorrow night .

I'll be sure to let you know if I have similar issues. Cascade seems to have had good luck with his.

I'll have a Pansat 3500, VBOX DP-710, $20 actuator, 5' Mesh.

Shawn

 

[raydio]

Do you still have a SG2100 or similar?

You could verify if it's your reciever if the H to H motor 'can' retain the 1.2 positions.

Aside from what you suspect, it would almost have to be a problem with the reed switch / the actuator missing counts.

Shawn

No, since I bought the v-box and actuator, I sold all my motors. I would think that if the actuator was missing counts that I would have problems on all sats...would this not be true?

 

[Shawn95GT]

No, since I bought the v-box and actuator, I sold all my motors. I would think that if the actuator was missing counts that I would have problems on all sats...would this not be true?

Yeah I'd think so. Good point.

The way to check would be to see if the 'count' number is changing for the stored position. Of course there is probably no easy way to check this since the numbers fly by at 600 MPH.

Shawn

 

[voomvoom]

There could be another possibility. The actuator may have some or to much play in it. I'm talking about between the actuator and the dish. There are two pivot points where this could happen. Either or both could cause a simular problem. This happened to me when I changed an H to H birdview mount that the birdview motor had gone bad to an actuator. My cheapo self wouldn't pay $200 bucks for a replacement motor for the birdview. I opted instead to get an actuator at a considerably cheaper cost. Apparently my welding was off a bit and when I go uphill with the actuator, I have no problems, but when I go downhill I can't hit any "sat" except the furtherest one, as in the last one, that's programmed in. I've tried and tried, but can't get it right. I've decided to get the birdview motor,which I have, but now I can't seem to find the other parts needed, that I removed to put the actuator on. These parts include a bracket, a couple of gears to go on the shaft of the birdview motor and a chain. I've actually found the chain. I need those gears, I wish I had a picture, I really don't know what all is missing. I hope they turn up, as I never throw anything away, they must be around here somewhere. Oh well.

Al

 

[hiebert]

I sent my less than 1 month old V-Box back to DMSI as it was not working correctly. There seems to be some confusion between the technician who is checking it out and myself regarding how it works. The way I think it works is the counts from the reed switch are stored in the V-Box in a certain position for a particular satellite. The receiver then tells the V-Box to go to a certain position for a given satellite. This guy at DMSI seems to think the counts are stored in the receiver. Anyone really knows how this thing works?

Jim
Yes the receiver only store the Nº of the Position and the V Box store the counts from the reed switch.

Saludos
Hiebert