Advice Needed Actuator counting

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Hi all I have just installed a gibertini 1.25cm dish, polarmount and 18" actuator. It's marked as a "superpower jack"heavy duty. But it's model is harl-3618+.

Firstly I think this is a copy of the superjack I thought I had ordered.

Every time I select a satellite the dish moves fine, but I have to move the dish upto 15 clicks if it's from the east to west. And 12 clicks west to east.

I use a gbox400 as my positioner. This was used with a superjack h2h mount for many years with out needing all the clicks to correct its position.

Is this just me? And have I been ripped off with the actuator.

Ps the end stop switches always used to come up E1 for east and E2 for west.

Now both ends trip the E2 limit.

Any advice please.

All the new equipment was purchased from hisat.com
 
Can you manually move the dish slightly ( when the motor is near the centre of travel) by hand ?

If you can then there is a good chance one of the bolts of the polarmount hasn't been tightened, or is incorrect.

Also check that there is no play in the worm drive of the motor, a replacement would be required if there is.
 
I had that before... check that both ball/spherical joints on the actuator are free to move. New ones are usually stuck solid needing lots of grease...
 
Just come back in from checking. The actuator arm has about 2mm play (as total movement) but evry sat still is widly out.
 
The arm will always have a play in it - nothing you can do there. Did you check the spherical joints?
 
If you didn't replace the actuator with the "EXACT" same model number and manufacture, you will have to dump everything from your G box as far as satellite positions and start fresh.

Not all linear motors have the same counts on the position, and the end to end limits.
 
I was just thinking the same.

Reset the vbox and try it again.

do you keep a list of the number of counts to each sat position to save you some time ?
 
Yeah I have dumped the old data from the positioner, I have written down the count numbers but they are out each time.
 
Chris1979 said:
Yeah I have dumped the old data from the positioner, I have written down the count numbers but they are out each time.
Click to expand...
Hopefully you did not reset your receiver! You have your channels. Take one from each satellite starting from East of West and turn antenna till you get picture, remember counter number. Yes, that will probably take some time, but not a big deal.
 
Another way that will get you very near I did it with my last change of actuator, send the dish to lets say 30w then pull the dish so your at 30w, lock the dish in place with clamps,

Disconnect the actuator send it back to 30w then wind the arm back and reconnect it will get you lots closer then fine tune and save.
 
Got the mount set to 4w now as top dead centre. The elevation set to 50 as per location. And I am just starting to look east to west and I must say things are looking very good.

Even the offset cband lnb is working very well!

The positioner seems to be behaving its self now so I will keep an eye on the numbers just in case.
 
Chris1979 said:
Just come back in from checking. The actuator arm has about 2mm play (as total movement) but evry sat still is widly out.
Click to expand...

Backlash should be zero

It's faulty . send it back.
 
Chris1979 said:
Yeah I have dumped the old data from the positioner, I have written down the count numbers but they are out each time.
Click to expand...


If the count is different each time to the same satellite then the positioner is FUBAR, and I agree with Channel Hopper, send it back for a new one.
 
Channel Hopper said:
Backlash should be zero

It's faulty . send it back.
Click to expand...
...and say you asked for a Superjack, not a Superpowerjack. Mine lasted for less than two years before the seal between piston and shaft cracked and let in water. Result - corroded motor laminations.
 
I will post some photos
2014-03-11%2018.20.46.jpg
2014-03-11%2018.26.09.jpg
That's all I could take. Happy to do some more.
 
It's on a 3" ground stand and slabs on the base. Then it's the gibertini polar mount and the 1.25 bolted to that. The ku lnb is an rt inverto and the cband is titanium c1-pll.
 
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