problem with actuator

[roccky]

Hello,

My superjack 18'' actuator has stopped working well and just wanted to check if maybe someone knows any trick to fix it? It is 2 years, 8 months old now so it would be good if I didn't have to buy another one that early.

The question is it expands when I want to move west, but it doesn't compress when I give the order to move east. When I try move the dish with my hand it will easily go further west, and even come back east to previous position, but not further east than the last position I reached ellectronically.

Any insight about what could be going on would be helpful!

 

[Channel Hopper]

Sounds like you have set an electronic limit by mistake.

 

[Terryl]

More info would help, as to what your using to move it, how big are the wires going to the motor, stuff like that there.

Your standard DC powered actuator will take 24 to 32 volts DC (or very close to these voltages) depending on the motor, this should be measured at the motor, (this will tell if you have excessive voltage drop) the motor controller will reverse the DC voltage to move it one way or the other.

Lets say if you get positive (+) 24 volts DC when it's expanding, then you should get negative (-) 24 volts DC when it's compressing.(on the same terminals)

If not then the motor controller is FUBAR.

 

[roccky]

Sounds like you have set an electronic limit by mistake.

I am moving the dish manually with the vbox pressing the arrows because the remote stopped working! So I don't think I have set a limit (unfortunately, as that shuld be easy to fix...).

If not then the motor controller is FUBAR.

Well, everything had worked well for some time (apart from some water getting inside the cage because it was in an incorrect position, which I could fix with some tape and extra holes -I kept it in the wrong position though, maybe that limited its life time... I don't know-). So if there are no more mysteries, it sounds like it might be...

If that's the case, is there any trick to allow me to at least move the dish with my hands before I get a new one? now it is pointing like 40W and I can't go East...

 

[roccky]

Is it possible to manually move those little black circles in the actuator that I think are the ones defining the actuator position?

I have just tried to do it but they don't rotate with gentle pressure and not sure if it would be a good idea to try to force them to move with a screwdriver or something.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Those little circles are mechanical limit setters, you need to know the worm drive workings to set them correctly, and a mistake can break the gearbox, or the rose joint if the minimum limit is incorrect.

If the box on manual drives the actuator correctly then you should try resetting the receiver to factory and try again.

 

[Llew]

Is it possible to manually move those little black circles in the actuator that I think are the ones defining the actuator position?

I have just tried to do it but they don't rotate with gentle pressure and not sure if it would be a good idea to try to force them to move with a screwdriver or something.

You need to undo the retaining screw just enough to lift each cam clear of the stop. You can then rotate each one enough to change the limits. I think the bottom cam is usually for actuator retraction, top for extension.

 

[roccky]

With the help of a friend who has been with the vbox while I am in the roof I could find better what's happening.

It expands well, but when it comes to compress, the black circles inside the actuator cage rotate when the vbox sends the signal, but that doesn't translate into arm compression. By pressing with my hand at the same time that the vbox sends the signal to compress then yes, the arm comes inside and we can rotate the dish.

So it seems the actuator is no longer working well? Do you think there can be any solution for it or should I just buy a new one?

 

[Channel Hopper]

It sounds as though the retaining nut at the lower end of the worm drive has rusted away, or the weight of the dish has forced it off the end of the thread. Either way unless you can dismantle the motor and have a look, it is probably less bother to replace the whole assembly for a better made unit.

Grease everythng beforehand and and make sure all seals are doing their job.

 

[roccky]

I have been appliying wd 40 white lithium grease regularly on the arm. Maybe too much, because there was some accumulation of product in the joint (where one arm gets inside the other). Everything else is ok, so I guess you are right, probably too complicated to fix this in case it was possible.

All the stuff had previously been done by an installer but I guess I will do this on my own this time. Apparently I would only need to unscrew everything and screw the new one. What do you do with the completely rusty screws? Wd 40 maybe?

 

[jeallen01]

I would suggest something more "active" than WD40 - maybe Plusgas or something similar?

 

[roccky]

Plusgas was definitely much more useful than WD40, which didn't help much with the rusty bolts. All working well now with a new actuator. What a difference indeed, so smooth and precise now. The previous one was totally destroyed.

Thanks!