VBox II problems.......... I think.......

pm1961

Hi Guys,

I've been lurking for ages and enjoying the info, but now I really need your help........

I have a PC based setup with a Twinhan clone connected to a Moteck VboxII and then to a 36V Alba SA58 H-H mount like this;

PULSAT - ALBA SA58 H-H MOUNT

I've got the dish nicely aligned and getting everything between 30W and 30 E but I can only use the Vbox as a manual positioner. As soon as I try moving the dish, the Vbox displays "Er2" on the display.

According to the manual, this relates to "no pulses." It urges you to check;
1. the wire connection....... seems ok
2. mechanical limits...........nowhere near
3.Reed Switch Sensor is broken.......... not sure about that..........
4.Motor broken...........................well it moves fine........

I can store sat positions but they don't do anything..... in fact if I try to to use the remote to cycle through the stored positions then I can't; the display shows the I- -I symbols to indicate "electrical limits."

I've reset countless times to no effect. I can loop the co-ax through the Vbox for diseqc or without as a standalone positioner............ no difference.

Any ideas gratefully received....................

Paul

rolfw

Sounds like the sensor or the cable connection, may be worth replacing the sensor, they are not expensive.

Can you post a picture of the actual installation, as the picture of the H to H is not very clear.

__________________

Rolf If you enjoy our site, you can help support it by wearing our unique branded merchandise, you can do this by clicking on my baseball cap, making a direct donation with Paypal by clicking on the Donation button below, or using our site supporting advertisers, to do this, click on the central image below

pm1961

Hi Rolf,

Thanks for the quick reply. I hope these help.

One thing the manual confused me on was the electrical "ground."

On the Vbox, there are 4 connections; two sensor and two motor. Confusingly, the motor terminals are labelled M1 M2 whereas the sensors are both just called "sensor" on the box but the manual refers to "pulse" and "ground."

I would have thought that the motor being 36V DC would have a ground? Or does it work by reversing the polarity, therefore they are both power and both ground depending on which way it's travelling?

Cheers,

Paul

dish setup.JPG Alba innards.JPG alba left.JPG alba right.JPG alba top view.JPG

rolfw

Well the motor power cables can be reversed, but it will of course reverse the action of the motor, not so sure about the sensor wires, I presume that you have tried them both ways?

__________________

Rolf If you enjoy our site, you can help support it by wearing our unique branded merchandise, you can do this by clicking on my baseball cap, making a direct donation with Paypal by clicking on the Donation button below, or using our site supporting advertisers, to do this, click on the central image below

Orthoclipse

The pulse and ground can be reversed and it will still work fine. Reverse M1 and M2 if the motor goes in the wrong direction e.g. it goes west when you click east.

pm1961

Chaps,

When looking inside the positioner, it struck me that the reed wires don't go anywhere......

If you look at the "innards" photo, the reed wires go to the PCB and then go nowhere. There is however, an empty hole on both sides adjacent to the wires with a solder blob on the track behind but no component connected.......

Should the reed connect across these two pads?

Anybody got any pictures or a manual of an Alba SA58 please?

Or some details of another make? They must all surely be similar inside.........

Cheers,

Paul

Alba innards.JPG

iceman

No exerience in the particular model but what you say makes sense..There should be a magnetic reed switch at the end of the reed wires..

Attached Images

Alba innards.JPG (51.0 KB, 20 views)

pm1961

Thanks Iceman, nice drawing! I'm thinking out loud now....... Presumably the black round object in the photo is a magnet connected to the motor shaft..............

And every time it comes around it makes and breaks the reed hence the vbox is able to count the pulses.......

A big up for Pulsat by the way....

Their chap was very helpful in chatting and getting a new reed to me overnight..... and I didn't talk to him until 4pm........... and then I went and broke the glass case. ....

It was because he said it would be "obvious" what to change when I opened the cover, but didn't anticipate it not being there, that the penny started to drop............

Hey ho, hopefully RS or Maplin will do something similar........

iceman

Thats right...

pm1961

Thanks for the help chaps!

A bit of searching online, Maplins, Farnell and RS all do reed switches. A bit of guesswork with a ruler and the specsheets was enough to get going first time.

The reeds themselves were only 60p each, but they are delicate so worth ordering a few I think............

The hardest bit was setting up a soldering iron in-situ and working off the ladder! That was still easier than dismantling the whole dish setup to get at the mount......

The Vbox/Alba combination works a treat. Very reapatable settings and a resolution of about 1/4 or 1/5 degree per pulse count I think.

I still get the childish grin when making the dish move........ because I can..

kalhalal

Thanks
ThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksTh anks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksTh anksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksTh anksThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksTh anksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksTh anks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanksThanks
ThanksThanksThanks
ThanksThanks
Thanks
T h a n k s