One Receiver Controlling Two Dish Movers: Help Request

[gpflepsen]

I've reached the point in my FTA evolution that is somewhere in the area of leaving the club and using the spear...



I have one receiver (MicroHD) and two dishes; one Ku moved by a SG9120B, and the other an 8' C-band with a linear actuator and VBox7.

I have it configured as shown here;



The SG9120B is using a combination of USALS and diseqc 1.2 for it's satellite positions. The Vbox7 is using diseqc 1.2 for all positions. When I go from satellite to satellite, both dishes will move if a diseqc 1.2 command is sent, and only the SG9120B moves under USALS control commands.

I've tried finding explanations of how to make this work so that only the chosen dish will move, but that is not the case with my configuration.

Does anyone have suggestions for controlling one big dish with a positioner and another with a motor?

 

[SatelliteAV]

Two solutions:

1. Use USALS for KU-band and DiSEq1.2 for C-band
2. Use USALS and/or DiSEqC1.2 for KU-band and DiSEq1.2 for C-band. Assign different motor positions for the C-Band and the KU-band satellites. Example: If programming DiSEqC1.2 for both C and KU satellites, program 97w-KU with motor position 1 and 97w-C position 51, etc...

Hint: Make sure the DiSEqC positions are first erased from both the HH and the V-box before programming. Both devices currently have duplicate have saved motor positions.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Use USALS for KU-band and DiSEq1.2 for C-band

This would be the option I would utilize. Then separate all the satellites in the list into C and Ku band territories so that there are no intermingled channels/TPs of the different bands on ONE satellite selection. C and Ku are totally separate sats - even if they are at the SAME orbital position in degrees. Just rename them to keep them separate and use USALS for Ku and DiSEqC for C. I think this is the BEST strategy for your setup.

With my AZBox, I am planning to incorporate the DUAL tuner option and have one tuner control a C-Band BUD and the other tuner contral my HH Ku dish.

RADAR

 

[Magic Static]

I use a DiSEqC 1.1 Uncommitted switch in place of the switch you are using. Only one dish moves at a time. Hint: the uncommitted switch defaults to port one when off. I don't use port one. This way the DiSEqC commands are not recieved by a device on port one unintentionally. The switch I use will pass enough power for KU motor operation.

 

[rodder]

i have mine set up similar to that but with a DiSEqC switch and i use USALS for Ku and DiSEqC for C and it works great.

 

[Anole]

i have mine set up similar to that but with a DiSEqC switch and i use USALS for Ku and DiSEqC for C and it works great.

Yea, the (otherwise wonderful) ecoda passes 22khz to both sides.
Replacing it with a diseqc switch solves the problem.
I can't vouch for current handling of average diseqc switches, so I'd locally power the Ku motor.

Implementing Brian's solution #1 above is probably best.

 

[gpflepsen]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not sure I can abandon diseqc1.2 on the HH motor, as some locations need just an ever-so-slight tweak, such as NBC tps on 103 ku.

 

[Anole]

Try this:
Give 'em a 0.1 degree different USALS position.

 

[gpflepsen]

Try this:
Give 'em a 0.1 degree different USALS position.

That's what I was thinking too. Thanks, that's probably the way I'll go. I'm not sure if the HH motor will drive to 30w under USALS though. It seems to return an out of range message.

 

[SatelliteAV]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not sure I can abandon diseqc1.2 on the HH motor, as some locations need just an ever-so-slight tweak, such as NBC tps on 103 ku.

That is why suggestion #2 allows for DiSEqC 1.2 for both devices. Just do not use the same motor assignment number.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Yea, the (otherwise wonderful) ecoda passes 22khz to both sides.
Replacing it with a diseqc switch solves the problem.
I can't vouch for current handling of average diseqc switches, so I'd locally power the Ku motor.

Implementing Brian's solution #1 above is probably best.

I once had my system set up to drive a motor through a series of switches (1st switch being a DN SW21 and second switch a Chieta 4X1 DiSEqC heavy duty). It worked quite well, but I have a disclaimer on that setup as I was utilizing a Coolsat 5K receiver when doing this. I had seven fixed point dishes and one motorized dish feeding one receiver via the use of two SW21s and two DiSEqC 4x1s and the H-H Ku band motor control passed through the switch matrix.

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

That's what I was thinking too. Thanks, that's probably the way I'll go. I'm not sure if the HH motor will drive to 30w under USALS though. It seems to return an out of range message.

You are right, if you are in Nebraska or further west, then Hispasat @ 30W will not be accessible via USALS. You will have to use DiSEqC 1.2 motor control or set up a separate fixed dish devoted to Hispasat. I am not sure if the USALS logorithm is the limiting factor or if the equipment cannot process the full USALS function because it is not 100% compliant of the USALS code. This is a question that I have never gotten a firm and definite anwser upon.

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

Try this:
Give 'em a 0.1 degree different USALS position.

That's what I was thinking too. Thanks, that's probably the way I'll go. I'm not sure if the HH motor will drive to 30w under USALS though. It seems to return an out of range message.

Depending upon the receiver's software, you may not have to do that. I had satellites with the exact same orbital degree, but simply gave them different NAMES and that worked fine.

RADAR

 

[gpflepsen]

Depending upon the receiver's software, you may not have to do that. I had satellites with the exact same orbital degree, but simply gave them different NAMES and that worked fine.

RADAR

I'm about 45 miles S of Omaha. I was able to give the few MicroHD satellite locations a tweak as suggested for USALS control. The Al Jazeera-Russia Today tp on 97 went to 97.5, the NBC tp on 103 went to 103.2. Everything Ku, except for 30w, is now under USALS control. I think this solved my motion issues.

I've got a few SW-21s laying around, how do these work? Are they tone switched? Would I get better performance over the ENCODA with a SW-21?

 

[AcWxRadar]

I'm about 45 miles S of Omaha. I was able to give the few MicroHD satellite locations a tweak as suggested for USALS control. The Al Jazeera-Russia Today tp on 97 went to 97.5, the NBC tp on 103 went to 103.2. Everything Ku, except for 30w, is now under USALS control. I think this solved my motion issues.

I've got a few SW-21s laying around, how do these work? Are they tone switched? Would I get better performance over the ENCODA with a SW-21?

Hey, looking good so far!

I can't recall how the SW-21's operate, I thought they were 22 KHz tone activated but I would have to look that up to confirm. I like the SW-21's, they are good work horse switches, rarely ever fail if they are the original DN branded ones. The ECODA switches have pretty much the same rugged and dependable design, but I think they operate differently. I would have to look them up, too. I am not much educated on their operation.

PS I am located in the Fremont area (Cedar Bluffs / Fremont / Nickerson / Fontanelle). So we can compare some reception information readily when I get my dishes set back up. I had to move and now all my dish farm equipment is in storage.

RADAR

 

[chaskuchar]

i was frustrated trying to set up my 6' on c and k band yesterday. so just now i signed on to find out hooking up two dishes to one receiver. and lo and behold... i have a 6' on a v-box. i have a 1.2 on a dg380. both are controlled by diseqc 1.2. i have a 22k switch i got when i got my microhd so i was thinking i could feed the 22k switch out of the receiver. then the 22k port would feed the 1.2 with the dg380 motor and the port without the 22k would feed the v-box. would this work? charlie

 

[SatelliteAV]

Yes. See post #2 of this thread for suggested options for a 22kHz switch, V/G-box and HH motor.

 

[chaskuchar]

i read that post #2 but it said use usals for the 1.2 and my dg380 only responds to diseqc 1.2. hopefully then there is no difference between the diseqc 1.2 and the usals on the other side of the 22k switch. thanks, charlie

 

[SatelliteAV]

The second option was to use USALS and/or DiSEqC 1.2 for the HH and DiSEqC 1.2 for the V/G-box.

When using DiSEqC 1.2 on both, be sure to clear the memory motor positions from both devices and program each satellite with a different motor position number for KU and the C-band. Have the V/G-box disconnected when programming the HH and the HH disconnected when programming the V/G-box.

Curious why you suggest that the DG380 isn't controlled by USALS? Maybe a defective motor? That model supports "Go To X", so it does accept USALS commands.

There is no signal difference between DiSEqC1.2 and USALS. Both pass through an Ecoda switch. The signals are both identical modulated 22khz tone, just a different command sequence.

 

[gpflepsen]

Yes. See post #2 of this thread for suggested options for a 22kHz switch, V/G-box and HH motor.

Brian, do you have any suggestions for not using a 22kHz switch that would be more preferable than what I diagrammed out at the start?