2 motorised dishes - one receiver.

Yorks

Well I finally got a round-tuit!

I have added a second motorised dish to my system - my first attempt at installing a motorised system [IMG]http://www.*****.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG], and have both dishes working fine (if a bit quirky) on my TM1500 receiver.

There could well be compatability issues, with different combinations of equipment (some may work better some may not work at all), so I will give a full inventory of my system:-



Dish 1: Triax 88cm solid dish with Lemon 0.2 lnb and Fortec Star FS2100 motor.
This dish is situated at rear of house tracking the arc from 53E to 8W.

Dish 2: Raven Aries 80cm mesh dish with Lemon 0.2 lnb and Moteck SG2100A motor.
This dish is situated at front of house tracking the arc from 12.5W to 58W.

Technomate TM1500 CI+ Super receiver.

Global 2x1 DiSEqC switch (connecting dishes to receiver).




I have tried several combinations of DiSEqc switch settings - these work best for me:-

Dish 1 is connected to 'LNB A' on Global 2x1 DiSEqC switch and Dish 2 is connected to 'LNB B'.

In the 'Motorized Setting' menu I have tried 1.2 and Usals - both work equally well.

As you can see from attached photos below, in the 'Satellite Setup' menu, I am using DiSEqC 1.0 on dish/motor 1, and DiSEqC 1.0 and 1.1 on dish/motor 2.

The quirk is this. When I switch from Dish 2 to Dish 1 by selecting a channel or sat, the motor 'misses' the 1.2/Usals command and does not move. I think that the DiSEqc 1.0 command is taking priority - as dish 2 doesn't try to move instead - fortunately. The result is that if Dish 1 is already parked at the chosen satellite - then it switches to LNB A and works. If not - it reports 'moving to ....', and after a few seconds times out. After it has timed out, by selecting a different sat on dish 1 (it thinks it's already at the one chosen in the first place, so selecting the same one again doesn't work!) - it receives the command and moves to that position. After that, it skips between sats on that dish fine. I can live with that!

I had the same 'quirk' on Dish 2 when switching from Dish 1, but by using a combination of DiSEqC 1.0 and 1.1 - any number from 1-16, it moves fine - on it's first instruction! (If DiSEqc 1.0 is switched off it doesn't work). This combination doesn't work with Dish/motor 1.

Another quirk is that Dish/motor 1 won't nudge when rooted through the Global switch on either LNB A or B connection, but Dish 2 will nudge on LNB B but not on LNB A - although it will receive initial command on LNB A and move to relevant sat. I have tried all DiSEqC combinations and think this must be down to the switch. Dish 1/motor 1 behave the same on LNB A and LNB B switch terminal, so Dish 2/motor 2 is better suited to LNB B, giving full functionality on positioning and nudging.
To fine tune dish 1 if required (seldom now there is no Fox Sport ME), I just bypass Global switch and plug directly into receiver.

The newer SG2100A motor copes better on my system, although it could be a combination of receiver, switch and motor and DiSEqC protocol. A different combination would no doubt give different results.

So basically YES [IMG]http://www.*****.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG][IMG]http://www.*****.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG][IMG]http://www.*****.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG] it does work - suffice to say that I've ditched the manual A/B switch, and my arse is getting wider by the minute!

Regards,

Yorks.[IMG]http://www.*****.co.uk/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG]


DiSEqC settings for Dish 1 (First Photo) on 28.2E at the time

DiSEqC settings for Dish 2 (Second Photo) on 30W at the time

Attached Thumbnails

   

Life's a bitch ................ and then there's S*y (No change there then)
Wurdoch ist ein Manker. (Mank being a city in the Austrian Alpine foreland)

rolfw

Well done Yorks, an interesting setup. Glad to see you got it working.

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. Follow us on Twitter, click on the twitter image.

Yorks

Thanks rolfw,

Found this tutorial very helpful.

http://www.satellites.co.uk/satellit...eqc-motor.html

Can't remember who wrote it though.

Regards,

Yorks.

Life's a bitch ................ and then there's S*y (No change there then)
Wurdoch ist ein Manker. (Mank being a city in the Austrian Alpine foreland)

rolfw

LOL, flattery will get you everywhere.

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. Follow us on Twitter, click on the twitter image.

Yorks

I may bore you all with some photos tomorrow . Weather permitting.

Life's a bitch ................ and then there's S*y (No change there then)
Wurdoch ist ein Manker. (Mank being a city in the Austrian Alpine foreland)

CROSSBONES

Nice post Yorks Sticky material me thinks

Llew

Very interesting Yorks. I didn't reckon you could send Diseqc 1.2 commands with a diseqc 1x switch in line. Great stuff

Llew

Celebrating Ten Years Of The Forum As A Founder Member

Yorks

It would be interesting to see if motor/dish 2, switching to motor/dish 1 would work seamlessly - if motor 1 was also an SG2100A. But I don't have a spare 40 quid to waste, so I'll live with the extra key press.

I hoped that my findings may be of use or interest to someone, but a sticky! Fame at last lol. Thanks.

Regards,

Yorks.

Life's a bitch ................ and then there's S*y (No change there then)
Wurdoch ist ein Manker. (Mank being a city in the Austrian Alpine foreland)

Llew

I don't use Diseqc 1.2 or Usals for my motorised setup, but I think there will always have to be the extra stage with which to switch the ports of the Diseqc switch, as the switch cannot operate to the Diseqc 1.2 protocol.

Llew

Celebrating Ten Years Of The Forum As A Founder Member

Yorks

Yes, that sounds a good enough reason to keep my £40 in my pocket.

Regards,

Yorks.

Life's a bitch ................ and then there's S*y (No change there then)
Wurdoch ist ein Manker. (Mank being a city in the Austrian Alpine foreland)