I Need Help, Installing a Titanium ASC1

[primestar31]

I usually don't set software limits and instead ALWAYS set the mechanical limits on the motor. The choice is yours if you also wish to set East and West software limits. See page 9 of the ASC1 Guide.
View attachment 118641

OP, you'd be WISE to do the same as I bolded above in setting the mechanical limit switch in your actuator. If you don't and something goes insane or brain-dead, you may find your dish plowing into the East or West ground some day... Whatever you do, do NOT trust just the software set limits.

 

[shanklej]

Thank you primestar for replying.
So far I have NOT been able to set the mechanical limit.
Right now the dish is pointing to about 99 degrees. The
position is a minus figure and the set east limit is a minus figure.
Can't figure out how to change that. Disabling the set limit doesn't
work for me.
I want the dish to be about 6 inches off the ground on the East side.
Then set that mechanical limit to 00000.Most of the satellites I
watch have to be on the east side because of the trees.

 

[KE4EST]

Your mechanical limit is the physical limit on your actuator out at the dish.
You need to press the East button while constantly watching your dish. You may have to run back and forth from the ASC1 and out to your dish till you get it where you want it.
Do all of this while you ignore the position number on the front of the ASC1.
NOTE: If your dish is moving the wrong way, for instance you are pushing the East button, but the dish is moving West. Go back to the rear of the ASC1 and swap around the black and red wire going to M1 and M2.

Once you have your dish where you want it physically on the East side...Go to your dish, pop the cover on your actuator and then set the hard limit(mechanical limit/hardware limit), with a screw driver.

Once that is done, come back into your house and go into the menu of the ASC1 and go down to resets and then position reset and hit OK 2 times.
Now your counter should read 0000. If not go through the reset again,or refer to the manual until it says 0000.
If you wish to set a soft or "software" East limit, at this point drive the dish about 10 ticks to the West, with the WEST button. Now go into the menu and set East limit.
Now you are ready to go back to your receiver and start setting up satellites.

 

[shanklej]

Thanks for all the help.
I reinstalled the Uniden temporarily and moved the dish as far East as it would go.
It stopped about 18" from the ground. Then I went outside to the dish and the actuator
was all the way in. Then I realized that the dish would go no further East.
Reinstalled the ACS1 and will try what Ke4est suggested.
What I need is an ASC1 manual for dummies....
Working.....

 

[Titanium]

What I need is an ASC1 manual for dummies....

Thought I already wrote that!

When you are done, maybe write up a simple step by step of what worked for you?

 

[shanklej]

Forgot to mention this. Being on the east coast I have the actuator connected on the East
side of the fish.
The instructions by ke4est worked fine and I got 00000 on the ASC1.
That's as far as I can get. I have no idea how to use the ASC1 to find the satellite at
55 degrees. Where ever I look I see intelsat 21 and a signal strength of about 44.
The dish won't move......

 

[Titanium]

If you press West in the 9000i DiSEqC 1.2 menu, does the dish move West?

To program the 55w satellite see previous post #14 and further clarified in post #20. No need to retype...

 

[shanklej]

Thanks for responding Mr.Gohl.
The dish moves east and west.
On the Linkbox remote I bring up the motor window with the East/West tab.
Above it I put in the #1.
With the dish sitting at the most Eastern point I move the dish West.
The signal strength stays at between 45 and 49 for about half way up the arc.
Then I give up. It should find a sat at 55 degrees just short of the eastern most point.
Sorry for all the trouble I am causing.

 

[KE4EST]

Have you got two separate coax cables coming into the house?
Do you have a known active transponder programmed into your linkbox for 55W.
Your other box wasn't running a reverse skew was it?

 

[Titanium]

Agree with KE4EST, sounds like you haven't selected an active transponder on 55w or the skew setting is incorrect. To follow-up on his question about the polarity setting...

Place the 9000i on a Vertical transponder with the the dish in the center of the arc (pointed at your southernmost satellite). Look inside the feedhorn throat. Is the probe pointed straight Up/Down (12 o'clock / 6 o'clock)? If not, the feedhorn is installed with an nonstandard offset skew angle. It would be easiest to rotate the feedhorn so the probe is pointed straight Up/Down (12 o'clock / 6 o'clock), rather than have to adjust the skew on each satellite and each polarity as the ASC1 is programmed.

My father is Mr. Gohl, I am Brian or Titanium... LOL!!!

 

[shanklej]

To Ke4est:
1 coax coming into the house.
2nd ? - NO
3rd ? - I really don't know.

To Brian:
When I had the Uniden sq530 working I had a great picture on 55. Just couldn't
move the dish as I lost the guide from the Uniden on the TV.
What I am going to is remove the ASC1 and reinstall the Uniden.
Run the dish to the East most point and back it up to see if I can get 55.
If I can do that, then I will reinstall the ASC1 and see what happens.

 

[Titanium]

No need to swap to the SQ530 as it is only used as a manual dish mover. The ASC1 can serve the same purpose.

Since you are unsure how to select an active transponder in the 9000i install menu, tune the 9000i to one of the preprogrammed channels on 55w and bring up the signal meter. Use the ASC1 remote or front panel East / West keys to position the dish. Does the channel come in when doing it this way?, If not, the skew will need to be checked and possibly adjusted as suggested in post #30.

 

[shanklej]

7-18-2016

Got a brand new Linkbox 9000i and the Titanium ASC1 that
I can't get to work.
As of today the dish is settings at what I think is the East
limit. Just past 53 degrees. The latest thing is the actuator
doesn't move the dish. I have no idea why.

I am also having difficulty getting to the sub menus from the
main menu of the ASC1. Ex: System reset and it's sub menus.
I need to set position 00000 and back the dish a few clicks
but can't.

There are no big dish techs here where I live.
I have read the ASC1 manual several times but don't claim to
understand it all.

The actuator is not that old and has had light use. So I don't
think it has failed.

Would resetting the ASC1 help any? That means I would have to find
the sub menu to do it. I have been very careful to turn off
everything before connecting or disconnecting any wires.

This is my only pleasure in life anymore at my age and I am afraid
I have lost it.

 

[gpflepsen]

I see you've been battling this setup some... That said...

Just guessing, but reverse the motor leads and see if it works OK. The actuator may be moving in the opposite direction.

You can use a DC battery to move the dish to a mid-point of its travel, then hook up the positioner. Then move the dish to ensure it's going in the intended direction.

 

[Titanium]

Not much information provided to diagnose.

Does an error message appear in the controller when attempting to move the dish?

Are you attempting to move west using the ASC1 remote, front panel or the 9000i?

Can you navigate the ASC1 cursor up/down/ok buttons using the remote or front panel keys? If not, has the ASC1 front panel LOCK key been enabled?

Too many missing details right now. It would be best for you to call in during business hours when you are in front of your system and we can walk you through the menu, check settings and receive realtime feedback.

 

[shanklej]

Thank you for your support Brian.
I'll take you up on your offer to help me by phone as soon as I find out
if I need a new Actuator. It got a lot of use with me trying to figure
out how to use the ASC1. I might have damaged the actuator.
Ex: trying to drive it East when it was already at the farthest East
position. I bought it from Satellite Distributors in Columbia, TN in
7-2010.

 

[Titanium]

The only way to physically damage an actuator with a controller is to fail to set the mechanical limiter switches inside the motor housing. If the motor stops turning and the reed switch counts quit, the controller should cut the motor power.

Running a motor past the physical limits could damage gears, the tube or arm. It's quite difficult to damage and actuator with the controller as safeguards are built into them to prevent that from happening.

Take a 12v battery out to dish and directly connect to the motor wires (bypassing the limit switches) and attempt to drive the motor to free it up. If the motor doesn't immediately move, disconnect the battery. The actuator can be disassembled and then see if the 12 V battery will drive the motor without the arm and tube attached.

 

[shanklej]

OK I can take a car battery out to the dish to do what you ask.
But so that I don't do any damage could you give me a diagram
of how to do it?
Can I use car jumper cables to do it.
I have never had one apart.
Thanks

 

[Titanium]

Disconnect the actuator wires inside the house. Open the actuator case and identify the two heavy gauge wires running down from the terminal strip to the motor.

Attach two 14gauge or thicker wires to the battery terminals. Touch one battery wire to one wire running to the motor and the other battery wire to the other wire running to the motor. If the motor doesn't start or moves in the wrong direction, swap the wires.

 

[waylew]

A long enough piece of "lamp" cord will suffice for the short distance from the motor to the battery.You may find it easier to attach the wires to the motor and then touch the battery terminals.
When you remove the motor wires in the house,make sure they don't short to anything.