Advice Needed Setting up a DiSEqC motor system

[Fisty McB]

So I've decided to bite the bullet and look at getting a DiSEqC motorised system for easier feed-hunting & for satellites that are I suppose "less" popular.

At the moment I have both an 80cm and 100cm offset dish - I plan to use the latter for motorised use and the former for an additional fixed dish with multiple LNBs for the more common 13/19/28E satellites (plus whatever might fit there).

I also have a patio mount that's 1 metre tall. It's secured to a paving flag (not 100% sure of it's weight, but it's heavy, at least 50kg) with four 150mm coach bolts, with additional bolts and washers to allow for adjustments to make sure the pole is plumb. The paving flag is to placed in a hole dug in a garden with some gravel & sharp sand underneath the flag (additional weight on top of the paving flag can be considered e.g. a couple of extra concrete or cinder blocks).

Have a 100 metre reel of Webro WF100 already, numerous F-connectors & self-amalgamating tape.

So I'm just left with a few things to ask before I get the rest of the necessary stuff...

1. What recommendations are there for a DiSEqC motor? USALS/Go-to-X is preferable. Since the set up is going to be mounted in a back garden I'm assuming noise will not be as big a factor as say mounted on a wall on the house? If that's the case, is it better to go for a motor with metal rather than nylon gears/cogs or is there not really a difference between the two?

2. I'm looking to get an Inverto Black Ultra LNB for the motorised dish, but I'd prefer to get a twin output rather than just a single so that the second output can be routed to a PC card in the near-future. Does the twin or even quad output versions of the Ultra LNB be as good in performance as that claimed for the single output version?

I might have more to ask about still in future, but if anyone can help with the above, thanks!

 

[Lazarus]

Motor = TM2600
LNB = Black Ultra Twin no problem
Weight = Definitely! Same set-up in sheltered spot still fell over and broke LNB arm. Now weighted with two sand bags minimum and another two when strong winds are forecast.

 

[sonnetpete]

I'd also consider the Clarke Tech usals motor I use. It's performed flawlessly even with my 1.2M dish on it. I've tried the Black Ultra twin but couldn't discern a difference. You may find that because the feedhorn is a bit shorter it's not as easy to get to optimum facal length.

 

[gibertini]

stab 100 usals motor or darkmotor would be my choices

 

[lovelyperson]

stab 100 usals motor or darkmotor would be my choices

Had the Stab HH120 for some 8 years.........basically faultless and sees 57.0ºE - 63.0ºW.

The Stab was quite a bit dearer than other motors at the time but I bought it because of the metal gearing and the bonus was that it runs almost silent whilst moving and still does after those years, dearer but job done.

I believe these days alternative motors are very competative both price and quality wise.

STAB-USALS and USALS are licenced names of STAB Italia but 'Go to X' is the other commonly seen usage term.

The peeps here will no doubt give their own findings but I feel sure that a good , ease of use and cost effective motor is available now.

Best of luck with this and enjoy your weekend.

 

[Captain Jack]

It's difficult to go wrong with motors these days. They are all generally reliable and it's relatively rare for any to go wrong.

I've had a Stab way back when it was the only USALS type motor around and it was fine. I found it to be much slower than the current crop of motors but is silent.

There are some isolated issues with some Dark motors (mine doesn't respond to receiver's fine tuning/step commands) but it's very strong and has the widest arc of all.

 

[rolfw]

I'm still using my moteck 2100 motor, installed temporarily some 10 years ago with an 85cm transparent dish, it's a little slow compared with the newer Moteck and Technomate motors, but still does the job well in an exposed location. http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/threads/pictures-of-members-systems.11062/

Not so keen on the dark motors, as the connectors are difficult to get at when set up at my latitude.

 

[Fisty McB]

Well I've ordered a Dark Motor Superior (not sure if the extra price for the LED display on the Supreme is worth it if the display is anything more than a gimmick) as it seems to get good reviews from what I've read despite the couple of misgivings made here. Hopefully it'll work fine and come by the weekend when it gives the sun to shine a bit here.

So on that note, I've another question - my longitude is 7.3 degrees west, therefore the Eutelsat 7 West A satellite would be virtually overhead here though I've never attempted to receive it before. Would it be a good idea to use this as my reference "due south" satellite on a 1 metre dish or might I be better off using a stronger satellite nearby e.g. Eutelsat 5 West A?

 

[rolfw]

If you can't get 7W, you should get 8W, either will do.

 

[Lazarus]

As 7.2W is a bit dodgy with a 1m dish at your location, and there's very little on 8W receivable in these parts right now, use 5W as it's foolproof: It's not strictly vital to use your South Satellite if you use USALS/DiSEqC 1.3, so long as everything is plumb.

 

[RimaNTSS]

Would it be a good idea to use this as my reference "due south" satellite

If you can receive that sat at all, than it would be perfect reference for your installation.

 

[Captain Jack]

7.3W is Eutelsat, so it might be stronger in NI than Nilesat 102.

 

[Fisty McB]

I'm thinking that it might be a good idea to take out the 1 metre dish on its own sans motor and try and line up 7.3W on it to have a crack at seeing what reception conditions are like for it, using 5 West as a reference point and then nudge the dish west slightly to look for any signals from 7.3 West. Elevation for both positions here are the same (27.8 degrees). I know from earlier experiments that Eutelsat 5 West A's France Televisions FTA signal is an easy catch with my Sky Z2 mk3 dish with its original LNB set on "1" on its skew.

 

[hexah]

I also have a patio mount that's 1 metre tall. It's secured to a paving flag (not 100% sure of it's weight, but it's heavy, at least 50kg) with four 150mm coach bolts, with additional bolts and washers to allow for adjustments to make sure the pole is plumb. The paving flag is to be placed in a hole dug in a garden with some gravel & sharp sand underneath the flag (additional weight on top of the paving flag can be considered e.g. a couple of extra concrete or cinder blocks).

Tivù's method of using sand bags is good because you can pile them high if you need them and take them off if you need to move things around a bit.

Think of it as a superior car tyre method.

Have a 100 metre reel of Webro WF100 already

Good cable, now at a decent price.

1. What recommendations are there for a DiSEqC motor? USALS/Go-to-X is preferable. Since the set up is going to be mounted in a back garden I'm assuming noise will not be as big a factor as say mounted on a wall on the house? If that's the case, is it better to go for a motor with metal rather than nylon gears/cogs or is there not really a difference between the two?

The metal gears are the best, the Technomate 2600 can handle 1.4m dishes in a sheltered area. It should be quiet even if you are standing beside it.

2. I'm looking to get an Inverto Black Ultra LNB for the motorised dish, but I'd prefer to get a twin output rather than just a single so that the second output can be routed to a PC card in the near-future. Does the twin or even quad output versions of the Ultra LNB be as good in performance as that claimed for the single output version?

The Quad is supposed to be better than the Twin. I would use a Quad though I have a single, the nightmare of wiring it all up has put me off.

 

[Piltdownpaul]

"The metal gears are the best, the Technomate 2600 can handle 1.4m dishes in a sheltered area. It should be quiet even if you are standing beside it."


Hmm, i have one and from new you can here it moving, its not really noisy but you can here it from 20 foot or so(i live in the sticks and its oh soooooooo quiet!)

 

[sonnetpete]

I can hear my dish moving even through a 50cm wall. Of course this is partly because any motor noise will be transmitted by the T&K wall mounts. On the odd times I've been outside when it's turning I can't say it's very noticeable, though the dish being fibre and not metal will help deaden the sound I guess. My Clarke Tech motor has plastic gears I believe.

 

[Piltdownpaul]

I thought the plastic geared motors were supposedly quieter from what i've read, i havent experience of it though.

 

[Lazarus]

I've got two plastic-geared motors (A Moteck and a Fortec-Turner {which is a Moteck clone}), one on T&K and one on a Patio Mount: I struggle to hear the one on the T&K from the room on whose wall it's mounted and simply cannot hear the other one at all unless I open the window.

I can't think the noise would be a nuisance to anyone unless you spent several hours a day panning back and forth.

 

[Mickha]

If noise is a problem would it help putting some sound deadening material, in the pole, to cut down on the vibration? I seem to remember accoustic carpet, but I'm sure there's other material.

 

[hexah]

Compared to the various actuators I have heard over the years the disecq motors are very quiet indeed.

If noise is a problem would it help putting some sound deadening material, in the pole, to cut down on the vibration? I seem to remember accoustic carpet, but I'm sure there's other material.

That stuff is good but expensive. Its lightweight so good for a short pole on the wall if you really needed it.

Sand is great but once it gets wet it can take a long time to dry and will cause rust when wet.

Cement is good but heavy and may take a while to dry.

The expanding foam spray insulation stuff would make it sound less metallic by cutting down the resonance. This isn't too heavy either so it should be ok on the wall.