Powermax actuator arm

[jibaro29]

Hi guys,

I have been struggling with this actuator for awhile now. I'm using a V-Box (Power max) to control my dish. When the dish is running from West to East everything works like is suppose to. East to West it never stops on set position. I am at least 3 clicks short on every satellite. It looks like a have to much play on the actuator shaft but I'm not sure that's the issue. I have tighten all nuts and bolts that I can find and it has not made any difference.
Any suggestions?

 

[Lak7]

I have similar issues with the Arms I have used.
Not too noticeable on C Band, but Ku definitely shows.
I found that is it the play in the Arm itself, and no mount of tightening will help.
My just try to set all my positions going the same direction, and when returning, I manually over-run the Sat, and return going the same direction as I set them.
If that makes sense.

 

[jibaro29]

Thanks Lak7. I have done that and still doesn't work. I'm not even using Ku right now because of this problem. I have thought about take the motor out of the actuator arm and check it for loose parts. It does look like the shaft is the issue. It just has to much play. I also thought about calling Galaxy Marketing but they'll probable tell me to check with Satellite guys forum.

 

[turbosat]

Park it on a satellite, and go to the dish , just push/pull on the edge of your dish, the motorshaft is probably worn and about to die. I had one I could move a good 3/4" , the screw inside the motortube would slide that far just from worn out parts. Wasn't long before that one broke completely. Dish didn't fall but it sure wouldn't move any more!

 

[jibaro29]

I hope not Turbosat. I just got this actuator and the 6' dish last month from Galaxy Marketing. It looks ike I'll be calling them soon.

 

[stanleyjohn]

I find that once in a while my dish may shift alittle due to the pivot action where my actuator arm is secured to the polar mount.Havent found a solution for this yet i just learned to live with it.

 

[FaT Air]

It's most likely some "play". either in the actuator itself, the holes for the pivot? or the holes that mount the actuator. A small bolt in a large hole..

just push/pull on the edge of your dish

and look for something moving that "shouldn't be", and when you know what the "play" is you can either remedy it or compensate for it.

 

[turbosat]

I didn't understand it was a new actuator, shouldn't be much slack in the tube if its new! FatAir is on the beam, as always-look for 'looseness' elsewhere in the drivetrain. (pivot point, motor attachment bolts, where the end of tube fastens to the dish ring, etc) There's usually several places on a dish that can have some slack.

 

[sonyajon]

We owned one for about 2 months and we wrapped it around a tree just before it was taken to the dump.

 

[outbackjack]

mine does overshoot /undershoot. one of them. but it moves so fast it really doesnt bother me to go back in and move it till the tp is peaked. i know this is a little extra but i think it is more at the pivot bolt than the actuator. the thread on putting these dishes and actuators in working order had many of us trying different ways to make that actuator flush with the mount. extra washers, spacers etc. for me i have it about as good as it will get with the pivot and just come to accept tweaking the settings when i move dish to dish. i will continue to mess with it a little but not much.

 

[turbosat]

Outback I had a dish like that, the extra slack turned out to be in the pivot point. I never did figure a way to take up the slack and just learned to live with it.