Motor probelm with clone DM800

[saalty]

Hi all!

I have a clone box about 2 year old. At home I have motorised dish (motor is about 6-7 years old) and I can use it without any problem. Even I used it with another fixed dish via diseqc switch. I moved to another city and I have new outdoor installation (90 mesh dish, Inverto BU LNB, and Amiko DM3800 positioner), but the old receiver. Since the new installation the dish positioning is a torture. Sometimes I can move to the other satellite sometimes not and I got an "Tune Failed" error message. Sadly it's a house with six floors, I'm on third and the this is on the roof, so I can't see does it's moving or not, but I'm today checked it with measuring instrument. I checked the input voltage. It's stable 12.1 V, and when motor is moving then 11.9V. So I can see on instrument does it working. So the PSU is OK. I taked apart the box and as you can see on pictures bellow, looks like no problem inside (for example with capacitors). I tried to change the image but with same results. I have no idea what going on. Any idea? As I sad, sometimes it's working, sometimes not, from 19.2E to 1W I can move after some attempt, but from 19.2 to east no way. My setting are 100% OK. Maybe sometimes I can to 23.5E but to 28.2E almost never. Here are the pics of inside and tuner


A képet a Képfeltöltés.hu tárolja. http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu


A képet a Képfeltöltés.hu tárolja. http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu


A képet a Képfeltöltés.hu tárolja. http://www.kepfeltoltes.hu

 

[Ferret]

The ampage output the DM800 has to move the motor is very low, if your on a long run of cable then you going to have problems has the motor wont be getting the amperage it needs and can make the motor hit and miss.Seee it it performs better try to move it with a horiziontal polarity channel as these use 18v.

Normally id recomend replacing the cable with heavy duty ct125 stuff to try help with this.

Maybe this is something your not able to do.

 

[saalty]

The ampage output the DM800 has to move the motor is very low, if your on a long run of cable then you going to have problems has the motor wont be getting the amperage it needs and can make the motor hit and miss.Seee it it performs better try to move it with a horiziontal polarity channel as these use 18v.

Normally id recomend replacing the cable with heavy duty ct125 stuff to try help with this.

Maybe this is something your not able to do.

Thank you for reply. Yes, I have long cable, around 50m. Sadly I'm not able to change it.

 

[Ferret]

Thats your problem mate sure of it.

VU+ boxes dont have this issue but sadly the DMM range dont have the juice for that length of run, if it was poor quality or joined as well then no chance.

 

[hotsoop]

looks like the 50m cable is too much as ferret said.
you could try moving in small steps, that is by starting at say 13E move to 16E then to 19.2E, and so on until you eventually reach the sat you want.
your best option is to get the dish moved, or, as ferret said, replace the receiver, vu+ is an excellent choice.
good luck.

 

[johnnythefox]

try adding extra voltage in motor set up menu, gives extra 1 Volt.

 

[saalty]

try adding extra voltage in motor set up menu, gives extra 1 Volt.

It's 800 mV by default. How much may I add safely?

 

[Ferret]

Go up in 200mv if it will let you.Would not go much above 1.2v as that may hurt H/V switching.

I hope it works for you usually it not a voltage thing but a amperage thing worth a try though.

 

[saalty]

I don't thinks so that the cable length is the problem. I made some measuring today on receivers antenna input. Both amperage and voltage. The amperage in normal state was 110 mA. When I want to move to another satellite and the motor really moved, the amperage was around 350 mA but never more than 400 mA (only once for just a moment I saw 400 mA). When I wan't to move to another satellite but motor doesn't moved the amperage doesn't changed, it's stays on 110 mA. Same situation with voltage. When motor doesn't want to move voltage doesn't changed. When motor moved the voltage was less for around 200 mV.

 

[harryt]

or you could us a separate positioner and that way you don't have to worry about getting too much voltage draw from the dreambox and cause other problems.
Phoenix V Box II Satellite Dish Positioner

 

[Ferret]

Check the motor specofication to see if it is capable of working with the range of milliamps you have recorded.

 

[saalty]

Power Consumption: 50mA (Stand-by), 200mA (Normal), 350mA (Max.)

from http://www.amikostb.com/?q=product&id=137

 

[Ferret]

Well its on the line at the max range then you add LNB power consumption and there is the problem, as you had no trouble before it has to be down to power consumtion or lack of it after the long cable run.

 

[saalty]

I don1t think that it is the problem because in the case when I want to move the motor but it doesn't the amperage is as in "stand by" mode 110 mA (motor + LNB consuption), so looks like the motor abolutelly don't tried to move. I think the receiver sends diseqc command because when I tried to move from H polar to V, the output voltage is changed even when motor didn't want to move

 

[Ferret]

So when it needs to move and not standby what is the combined max amperage needed by motor and lnb by moving.

Try disconnecting the LNB to test if the motor then moves without issues then it will prove the point.

 

[saalty]

Ok, when it's moving the whole consumption (LNB+motor) is 350 mA...When it doesn't want then it stays on 110 mA . I mean standby when I watch some channel and doesn't want to move...

I'll try to disconnest thr LNB but it's snowing now and I can go to the roof

 

[Ferret]

So 350ma motor and 110ma lnb pushes the limits the dm800 tuner puts out.

 

[saalty]

So 350ma motor and 110ma lnb pushes the limits the dm800 tuner puts out.

No..... 110 mA is standing motor consumption plus LNB consumption. 350 mA is moving motor and LNB.... These are MEASURED values, not from spec... When I want to move to other satellite but motor doesn't move then value stay on 110 mV like motor doesn't get command to move.... But receiver I thonk send it cause he changes the LNB voltage if its needed (H to V)

 

[Ferret]

What is the make and model of your lnb ?

 

[saalty]

LNB is Invero BU. Motor is Amikor DM3800 and 90 mesh dish . These are new. And I have a two years old DM800 clone, which works at my other location (home) with digipower sg-2100 motor , 100 dish and inverto BU LNB