Motor recommendations for 1M 22lb dish

[cracklincrotch]

I've got a Winegard DS-3101 1 meter dish that I want to put on a motor. (specs at Winegard --- Home Satellite - 1m)

Winegard says the dish is 22lbs. I'm in a very windy area. It's not unusual to have winds to 80MPH through a storm here on the east coast.

I don't mind spending money on a decent motor for this. So what's your pick?

 

[brentb636]

Well, I'm at the Lake Michigan shore, and we get good gusts off the lake , as well as sustained 40 mph breezes. My new DG 380 is performing very well with my Fortec 1.2m dish. Moves it quickly and reliably, without apparent strain. I'd recommend it, it might even be overkill, but I'd rather be over-engineered than the reverse.

 

[starman345]

I"ve got that DS3101 Winegard here, put it on the scales onetime and it was 29-30 lbs without an lnb. I used a SG-2100 to move it for a few years, it seemed to work ok but I think it was at its max. I bought a Stab 100 and it couln't lift it off the horizon, plus it was really slow compared to the Sg-2100, I had to send it back.
If I were to put the dish back up again I think I would try the Jaegar SMR1224 36V and drive it with the Gbox. It seems to get pretty good reviews on the European forums. Drawbacks are:
No NA dealer(that I know of)
Its loud
$$$$$

 

[Sadie]

I'm a bit south of you near Kejimkujik park on a lake so I get the wind but probably not as much as you. I've used an SG2100 for 3 years, but wouldn't recommend it for a big dish my ex StarChoice dish is around 22lbs and is about as much as it can reliably do, once or twice a year I get really strong wind gusts which cause the dish motor to move in the wind enough that I have to re-calibrate the satellite positions and re-enter the positions in memory.

 

[updatelee]

Ive got the same winegard dish and use a sg2100. im actually surprised its worked so well. Ive moved to a much much windier location now so we'll see how it handles.

in my old location I had it for 3 years and used it at -20c regularly, sometimes even lower.

the HH120 is supposed to be stronger, and have all metal gears, this makes it louder and have a higher current draw, plus slower. but is supposed to be more reliable as well.

there are some stronger stab's on the market but they all use 36v actuator controls, not 13/18v diseqc. so you'll need a vbox or something similar, and those all have issues of their own I hear, re randomly forgeting their stored positions, and no usals at all.

 

[cracklincrotch]

How loud is loud anyway? I don't imagine it's "14HP snowblower at 3:30am" loud. Something that I'm gonna hear (or feel) through a brick wall?

 

[updatelee]

My sg2100 is as loud as a small cordless drill.

 

[cracklincrotch]

That doesn't sound like a big deal. Sounds like I've made up my mind on which one to get. Thanks!

 

[starman345]

Not sure what you've decided on here? But if its the SG-2100 keep in mind you will need to shim the tube so it will mate with the Winegard mount. If I remember correctly, the Stab is a perfect fit.

 

[DJ Rob]

If you get a new SG-2100, you may have a problem with USALS being accurate.

 

[Sadoun]

I would highly recommend our NEW and upgraded DG380 that we have in stock: http://sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Motors/HH-Motors.htm

The hardware has been upgraded on this motor to handle heavy dishes up to 1.2m and it has a 2.16" (55mm) shaft diameter.

 

[Lone Cloud]

I have the 1 meter Winegard. I bought the HH 120 Stab motor. I agree it's slow and sometimes stops.

I looked at it and did a modification that speeds it up some whare it never jams.

If you look at the placement on the mount on the back of the dish, you'll see it's low on the back. This appears to favor a dish motor that has the strut coming out the bottom of the motor. When you put the STAB strut up through the bottom of the mount (strut comes out the top of the hh120) the unit becomes very top heavy, since the balance point is so low on the dish. It's why it jams and goes slow.

I used a piece of stainless I had shaped like a --- well like this: [___________] It is about 14 inches long. I drilled through the edges to mount the stainless on the dish, and then drilled through the edges again to mount the motor higher up on back of the dish.

Now that the motor pivot is essentially positioned in the weight center of the dish, it goes back and forth without jamming and does it at the same speed in each direction.

This motor is still slower than others, but I don't have the problems anymore.

I think I can do a photo tomorrow if asked.

 

[starman345]

DJ Rob is your SG-2100 a one or two button motor? I've had quite a few of them and had other problems but they were always bang on with Usals. If it is newer maybe there are new problems?

I"ve been reading good things about the DG-380 and also the DG-280 as well.

Lone cloud, I'd like to see the picture of your modification if you wouldn't mind?

 

[gillham]

DJ Rob is your SG-2100 a one or two button motor? I've had quite a few of them and had other problems but they were always bang on with Usals. If it is newer maybe there are new problems?

I have a fairly new one button model with the same issue. Here is the thread.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/154324-sg-2100-issues.html

I would avoid the SG-2100. I like the reports on the DG380 myself, especially for a big dish, and might pick one up next time I need a motor. Price on the SG-2100 is good, but it doesn't account for much if the motor is not accurate.

 

[starman345]

I have a fairly new one button model with the same issue. Here is the thread.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/free-air-fta-discussion/154324-sg-2100-issues.html

I would avoid the SG-2100. I like the reports on the DG380 myself, especially for a big dish, and might pick one up next time I need a motor. Price on the SG-2100 is good, but it doesn't account for much if the motor is not accurate.

I read through that thread, very interesting. One thing I would add is I've always had good luck with Moteck motors, they are the ones made in Taiwan, almost all the others are made in mainland China and they are just one problem after another.I spoke with one of the Moteck people about a year ago and he said they had started stamping their name (Moteck) on the housing of their motors to try to avoid confusion. I bought a couple recently and they both have the stamp and work fine. They are one button models btw.

 

[updatelee]

my sg2100 usals is bang on.

I did forget to mention the adapter sleeve Im glad someone else did. I had the local machine shop make me one up. I just brought in the arm on the motor, it comes off with 1 bolt and brought in the back mount of the dish, it comes off with 3 simple bolts. and they made one that was bang on, even drilled the sleeve so a bolt could go through the mount, sleeve, and arm, all ting it together. cost me less then $20

 

[DJ Rob]

DJ Rob is your SG-2100 a one or two button motor? I've had quite a few of them and had other problems but they were always bang on with Usals. If it is newer maybe there are new problems?

I"ve been reading good things about the DG-380 and also the DG-280 as well.

Lone cloud, I'd like to see the picture of your modification if you wouldn't mind?

The SG-2100 I had was a newer one button model. It appears they started with a one button, then went to a two button and then back to a one button. The US importer I was dealing with in the thread posted above (DMSI) just stopped answering my emails. After reading some more threads here, it looks like Satcom1 brought to their attention the USALS problem with the newer SG-2100 motors and then the same people that Satcom1 named acted surprised when I explained the issue again to them. They admitted to me that they didn't even have a dish setup to test their motors. I've learned you get what you pay for when it comes to these motors. I would avoid the SG-2100 at all costs. At least the new ones...

 

[Lone Cloud]

DJ .

Lone cloud, I'd like to see the picture of your modification if you wouldn't mind?

I'll get it tomorrow, Saturday, in the daylight and post in the afternoon.

 

[wen]

I also had the 1 meter Winegard and it is a heavy dish with considerable offset. I had two new SG-2100 motors that would not turn it lock to lock and had to be returned for repair. I bought two STAB 120 motors and they worked well. They are a little slow, but with the limited amount of current (power) available, you either get speed or power. Also check carefully for the correct RG6 to use with a motorized system (solid copper center conductor with quad shielding when available) as the dc drop in the RG6 coax is very important for proper operation. I always run a #12 insulated ground wire from the grounding block at the dish to the grounding block at the receiver, particularly when quad shielded RG6 is not readily available.

P.s. I had to use a split 2 inch pvc conduit about 8 inches long to shim the STAB output shaft (which is larger than the SG2100) to the correct size for the Winegard antenna.

 

[eurosport]

I would highly recommend our NEW and upgraded DG380 that we have in stock: HH Motors STAB, DigiPower, Moteck, SatControl, Sadoun DisEqC

The hardware has been upgraded on this motor to handle heavy dishes up to 1.2m and it has a 2.16" (55mm) shaft diameter.

This sounds like what I need to motorize my 1.0m Primestar! :up