Stab HH-120 Motor Speeding up & Slowing Down: - Is this Normal?

[jsattv]

How Do You Know If Your Motor Is Working Properly?
After spending approx 4 hours up on the roof Fine Tuning my Fortec Dish and Stab HH-120 Motor this past week, I've noticed that the Motor seems to slow down at times when moving, and then it speeds up again. For example, if I go from Sat 74.0W over to 123.0W the Motor slows down (it seems to be labouring), as it is moving toward the top part of the Arc - which for my location is Satellite 97.0W, then it speeds up on the way to Sat 123.0W. Is this intermittant Motor Operation normal?? Or is this happening because once the Motor is past the Highest point in the Arc it is easier for it to move?

My question is shouldn't the Motor movement be fairly constant, or do I have a defective Motor that is just about done, or on its last legs?? Replies from other Stab Motor owners would be very much appreciated.

 

[colbec]

My SG2100 does the same thing. I thought this was due to the voltage supplied at the time the motor was moving which depends on where it is in the arc. The motor is drawing A amps which is supplied at V volts by the box. The motor is actually moving because of the power W watts which is A*V.

Now as the motor moves across the arc it is remembering some information about the various satellites or stops on the way. The box is doing the same thing. Some satellites have a first TP (in the setup list on the box) which is vertically polarized and some are horizontally polarized. If the box senses that it is on a satellite then it adjusts the voltage on the line in order to set the polarization according to what it thinks it should be whether it is actually trying to lock on it or not. This voltage can be either 13 or 18 V with the current remaining the same, resulting in a (18-13)/13 increase or (18-13)/18 decrease in watts supplied to the motor.

I'm assuming that this will be context dependent. If you are in setup/install mode and moving from one stop to another it will be applying the first TP settings, if you are in viewing mode then it will apply the last-viewed channel settings.

I'm sure if I am wrong on this I will be corrected. Likely while it may not indicate a worn motor it is up for discussion whether this is good for the motor or not. But then cars do come with gas pedals.

 

[stogie5150]

Its WEIGHT! The motor has the least amount of strain on it going 'downhill' than going 'uphill', regardless of polarity, although one polarity has more voltage than the other, so more speed. My 1m P* does it all the time, going east from 97 to 74 is a LOT faster than pulling that heavy dish BACK UP from 74 to 97.

 

[jerryt]

My SG2100 used to make that laboring sound until I modified it to run from an external power supply.

It just moves without any laboring and motor sounds much healthier now. (2 years later)

I think it is low voltage to the motor.

 

[jsattv]

Thanks, Colbec, Stogie5150, and jerryt, the great explanations do make sense. So would the HH-120 Stab Motor would act the same as an SG 2100 Motor?

 

[TiminMb]

Thanks, Colbec, Stogie5150, and jerryt, the great explanations do make sense. So would the HH-120 Stab Motor would act the same as an SG 2100 Motor?

It would in the respect that it is supplied with voltage from the receiver, and the receiver supply voltage is varied to select polarity at the lnb. Any motor will run faster at a higher voltage.

If you are moving the dish far, make sure you select a channel that is horizontal polarity, so it gets the higher voltage.

 

[jsattv]

It would in the respect that it is supplied with voltage from the receiver, and the receiver supply voltage is varied to select polarity at the lnb. Any motor will run faster at a higher voltage.

If you are moving the dish far, make sure you select a channel that is horizontal polarity, so it gets the higher voltage.

Thanks TiminMb, how do I know I've got a channel that is horizontal polarity? Is this listed in the Sat Tp channel info?

 

[gabshere]

you can edit your channel list to reflect it or you can print or pick one from lyngsat chart for each satellite.