GEOSATpro MicroHD won't move motor - motor IS getting power

[oldsmobile]

Hi. I hadn't done much with my setup for a couple of months. Got back to tinkering mode, and found that my MicroHD would NOT move the motor to any other bird. Tried the East-West buttons, tried Disecq 1.2 commands, tried everything I could think of on the setup menus. Nothing worked.

Tested the button on the SG2100, and it responds just fine to move east and west. Did a reset on the motor, and nothing changed.

I've spent time here and there over the last few days re-loading the June 2013 firmware, resetting to factory defaults, loading new .udf....nothing works. That dish is completely stationary. It's like the motor isn't getting MOVE commands from the receiver.

So, is there anything I'm missing, or should I start saving my shekels for a new receiver?

Thanks!

Oldsmobile's dish farm - five active dishes and growing!

 

[FTA4PA]

Hi. I hadn't done much with my setup for a couple of months. Got back to tinkering mode, and found that my MicroHD would NOT move the motor to any other bird. Tried the East-West buttons, tried Disecq 1.2 commands, tried everything I could think of on the setup menus. Nothing worked.

Tested the button on the SG2100, and it responds just fine to move east and west. Did a reset on the motor, and nothing changed.

I've spent time here and there over the last few days re-loading the June 2013 firmware, resetting to factory defaults, loading new .udf....nothing works. That dish is completely stationary. It's like the motor isn't getting MOVE commands from the receiver.

So, is there anything I'm missing, or should I start saving my shekels for a new receiver?

Thanks!

Oldsmobile's dish farm - five active dishes and growing!

Have you checked your coax for a loose/open connection?

 

[oldsmobile]

Coax does appear to be okay. I installed these runs about a year ago, and they're protected via underground conduit going into my basement where they run into an Amiko 8x1 switch. What is outside and necessarily exposed shows no sign of wear. I had a slightly questionable connection on my coax going into the STB, so I replaced it, but there's no difference.

 

[FTA4PA]

Coax does appear to be okay. I installed these runs about a year ago, and they're protected via underground conduit going into my basement where they run into an Amiko 8x1 switch. What is outside and necessarily exposed shows no sign of wear. I had a slightly questionable connection on my coax going into the STB, so I replaced it, but there's no difference.

Might want to check it with a meter just to be sure - could be open somewhere inside that you can't see.

 

[oldsmobile]

Would I use something like this?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-VDV-Coaxial-Explorer-Plus-Tester-VDV512-058/202520424

 

[FTA4PA]

Would I use something like this?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Klein-Tools-VDV-Coaxial-Explorer-Plus-Tester-VDV512-058/202520424

That should work fine. I'm ordering one of these while they are on sale: http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=brcxm-03638

 

[oldsmobile]

'Ang about. I just remembered I had a Viewsat VS2000 in my garage for test mule purposes. It moves the motor just fine. It's not tuned to anything at the moment, but the motor responds to commands, and I'm concluding that the coax is good. MicroHD is possibly at end of life?

 

[FTA4PA]

'Ang about. I just remembered I had a Viewsat VS2000 in my garage for test mule purposes. It moves the motor just fine. It's not tuned to anything at the moment, but the motor responds to commands, and I'm concluding that the coax is good. MicroHD is possibly at end of life?

That was a lot cheaper test! Hope it's not your MicroHD but sure is looking like it.

 

[oldsmobile]

I think I'm going to order one of those coax testers too...thanks for the heads-up! I do have many runs of coax between my attic / roof and basement, and into a few rooms as well. Seems like that tool will be well worth the cost at some point.

But honestly, I'm thinking the Scientific Method has shown a failure at the MicroHD. I suppose I can use it as another test box, and maybe someday I'll do a fixed dish in the garage for music, but this swap strongly indicates a MicroHD failure. Nuts.

 

[primestar31]

I think I'm going to order one of those coax testers too...thanks for the heads-up! I do have many runs of coax between my attic / roof and basement, and into a few rooms as well. Seems like that tool will be well worth the cost at some point.

But honestly, I'm thinking the Scientific Method has shown a failure at the MicroHD. I suppose I can use it as another test box, and maybe someday I'll do a fixed dish in the garage for music, but this swap strongly indicates a MicroHD failure. Nuts.

Are you sure that maybe your USALS coordinates you originally set on your MicroHD didn't vanish? Because if they did, that could explain the not moving the motor.

 

[oldsmobile]

Are you sure that maybe your USALS coordinates you originally set on your MicroHD didn't vanish?

Oh, I've gotten expert at entering 76.90W and 40.30N. And other numbers in there too just to see what happens. Nothin'. But I appreciate the thought!

 

[Blindowl1234]

I've had an SG2100 that I could manually get to move by going outside and pushing the east west button, however the Micro wouldn't move it. Many SG2100's have been junk, I've had a few over the years. Try using it on Disecq rather than Usals and see if it moves. I've had a few SG 2100's that only worked that way after a while too. I might be wrong but with the troubles I've had with the SG2100's since 2009 I'd suspect it is the culprit. Just something else to try anyway.

 

[oldsmobile]

Try using it on Disecq rather than Usals and see if it moves

Diseqc commands negative on the MicroHD. Positive on the Viewsat.

MicroHD sitting here on my desk. I'm no electronics technician, but I can take ANYTHING apart.

. Appears that the coax connection isn't quite solid...maybe it's not making a good connection inside? Hmmm....

 

[gpflepsen]

I believe there's a current limiting feature built into the microHD, maybe that is interfering with moving the motor. Can you view both H & V transponders? If so I'd say there's nothing wrong with the coax connection in the box.

 

[Titanium]

Does your motor have a status LED? If so, does the LED blink when the microHD issues a move command? Test on both a horizontal and a vertical transponder.

If the microHD LNB voltages are tested typical (13Vdc on vertical / 18Vdc on Horizontal) then it is possible that a component failed in the 22KHz tone generation circuit. I recall replacing a failed smt capacitor on a few units to restore tone generation.

 

[oldsmobile]

I don't have a way at the moment to see both the motor and the MicroHD at the same time, but I will see about getting a second person to observe.

I did a quick built-in transponder scan on 97W (where I have a fixed dish), and I'm getting both horizontal and vertical TPs as expected.

 

[oldsmobile]

And a check of the light on the motor shows it to be solid when the micro hd sends move commands. Titanium, is my box fixable, or should I just plan to replace it?

 

[Titanium]

Solid LED on both horizontal and vertical TP? Was the voltage reading correct for both polarities?

 

[Lone Gunman]

And speaking of coax testers, there's this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Klein-Tools...141443?hash=item25c2367f83:g:Y2AAAOxyMZ5Rm8JW

 

[a33]

Did you also test the MicroHD directly at the motor, with only a short (test)cable?

I've had problems with long cables and one receiver: the motor executed certain commands while in the motor menu, but often didn't execute motorcommands while zapping channels. With a shorter cable it performed flawlessly, again.
With another receiver and this long cable, there was no problem at all! (So that is the receiver I use now with my motor.)

I'm not sure what was the exact cause of these problems, but since then I allways advise to test the motorcommands with a short cable, to see if the problem persists. In one case this advise hit the jackpot ; and with a new wiring setup the problem didn't occur again.
(I'm not sure if i should call that 'problem solved', or 'problem by-passed' ? It's a bit of both, perhaps...)

Greetz,
A33