Captain Jack
Retired human
- My Satellite Setup
- See signature
- My Location
- North Somerset
Titanium ASC1 DiSEqC Positioner
- Thread starter blademedia
- Start date
- My Satellite Setup
- A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
- My Location
- UK
'We will start with the first mod which is the easiest. This is an external mod, and the power supply used may be purchased from Ebay or any other source for a 36 volt dc supply. The 36 volt dc supply should be rated for 36 volts minimum at 5 amps and should be load tested to verify these specs. I use low wattage automotive lights wired in series for a test load'.
Based on the above description, plus the images, this is not a 'modification' , more Heath Robinson as the manufacturer is unlikely to endorsed the 'colostomy bag' approach.
I would consider replacing the existing transformer for a toroidal one that fits inside the original chassis, in order to maintain minimum safety considerations, eliminating the hazard of interconnecting wiring and with it the chafing/severing between two distinct and mechanically separate case designs.
Based on the above description, plus the images, this is not a 'modification' , more Heath Robinson as the manufacturer is unlikely to endorsed the 'colostomy bag' approach.
I would consider replacing the existing transformer for a toroidal one that fits inside the original chassis, in order to maintain minimum safety considerations, eliminating the hazard of interconnecting wiring and with it the chafing/severing between two distinct and mechanically separate case designs.
el bandido
Member
- My Satellite Setup
- 1.2 meter KU band
3.6 meter C band
Enigma2 Receivers
- My Location
- Atlanta, Ga. USA
I did mount everything inside the case. That is step two and it includes dumping the original transformer, and replacing it with a smaller one for more room. What are the rules here for posting links to parts such as power supplies and transformers that are listed on Ebay? I wish to respect forum rules.
A
Archive-8
Guest
Normally eBay links are permitted.
As long as it's for the parts needed.
Nice build :-)
- My Satellite Setup
- A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
- My Location
- UK
blademedia
Member
- My Satellite Setup
- Sky
- My Location
- UK
What is it capable of ?. wouldn't it be easier to change the motor at the actuator end to suit the ACS1 capability ?.
What actuator was you using that it wouldn't move ?
My ASC1 moves a 2.4 with ease from one end of the arc to the other connected to a Thomson Saginaw
I will put a test on it see what its doing, but working fine here very pleased with it far better than the cheap Chinese rubbish,
Its great running it along side the tbs card I like being able to control the dish view channels from any pc/mobile phone.
el bandido
Member
- My Satellite Setup
- 1.2 meter KU band
3.6 meter C band
Enigma2 Receivers
- My Location
- Atlanta, Ga. USA
1. Here is what I found the stock ASC1 capable of:
37 volts at bridge rectifier, no load.
34 volts at .5 amps
32 volts at .8 amps
27.4 volts at 3 amps (3 minute max)
25 volts at 4 amps (1 minute max)
20 volts at 5 amps. (a few seconds)
More or less, 100 watts of moving power.
Much better than the Chinese junk which has 60 - 80 watts of moving power.
2. Never said I had an actuator it did not move. (If I did say this, it was in error.)
Please check the dc output and see if the readings are similar. Maybe I got a defective ASC1?
My c band dish is 3.6 meter commercial. While it is not nearly the biggest beast on the planet, it does have 8 dish panels that weigh about 18 kilograms a piece. So it has a bit of weight to it. The stock ASC1 moved it fine. But the stock ASC1 could not move the dish at its maximum speed, nor could it give a good burst of energy at the start of moving. We have good weather now. Winter demands a bit more energy to move the dish at times.
I think overall, the ASC1 is a great unit. It just falls short of what it is advertised to have in the power department. My actuator is rated at 36 volts at 5 amps, and I wanted a dish controller capable of that. One of the cheap Chinese boxes burnt up while moving this dish system last winter. Doubt I have that happen now.
37 volts at bridge rectifier, no load.
34 volts at .5 amps
32 volts at .8 amps
27.4 volts at 3 amps (3 minute max)
25 volts at 4 amps (1 minute max)
20 volts at 5 amps. (a few seconds)
More or less, 100 watts of moving power.
Much better than the Chinese junk which has 60 - 80 watts of moving power.
2. Never said I had an actuator it did not move. (If I did say this, it was in error.)
Please check the dc output and see if the readings are similar. Maybe I got a defective ASC1?
My c band dish is 3.6 meter commercial. While it is not nearly the biggest beast on the planet, it does have 8 dish panels that weigh about 18 kilograms a piece. So it has a bit of weight to it. The stock ASC1 moved it fine. But the stock ASC1 could not move the dish at its maximum speed, nor could it give a good burst of energy at the start of moving. We have good weather now. Winter demands a bit more energy to move the dish at times.
I think overall, the ASC1 is a great unit. It just falls short of what it is advertised to have in the power department. My actuator is rated at 36 volts at 5 amps, and I wanted a dish controller capable of that. One of the cheap Chinese boxes burnt up while moving this dish system last winter. Doubt I have that happen now.
el bandido
Member
- My Satellite Setup
- 1.2 meter KU band
3.6 meter C band
Enigma2 Receivers
- My Location
- Atlanta, Ga. USA
Quickly, Here is the rest of it:
The trick to all of this for me was getting everything in one package or case. I had purchased some rather large strip light power supplies to beef up the cheap China movers, but something smaller than those were needed. I managed to locate and purchase the one in the link. It comes up short on dc voltage, producing 35.5 volts dc, and I have tested it to 4.5 amps at that voltage level.
AC-DC Inverter 110V 220V 100-265V to 36V 5A Adapter Switching Power Supply SMPS | eBay
All that was left to do was install it in the case. The original transformer was removed, and a smaller 24 vac at 1 amp secondary voltage transformer was installed. The back of the ASC1 is set for dual ac voltages which is controlled by a slide switch. I disabled this switch, which gave me two ac inputs, 1 for the new transformer, and another ac input for the new power supply. The replacement transformer was mounted to the top of the ASC1 case, but I probably had enough room at the back of the ASC1 directly behind the new power supply. Now I have an ASC1 that has the dish moving power I expected it to have from the factory.
A hall effect dc amp meter was also installed. I have purchased a couple more amp meters and will mount the one I like best to the front of the ASC1 if possible. I cannot see the positioner counts at distance so I will watch the amps instead.
Pictures = MEGA
The trick to all of this for me was getting everything in one package or case. I had purchased some rather large strip light power supplies to beef up the cheap China movers, but something smaller than those were needed. I managed to locate and purchase the one in the link. It comes up short on dc voltage, producing 35.5 volts dc, and I have tested it to 4.5 amps at that voltage level.
AC-DC Inverter 110V 220V 100-265V to 36V 5A Adapter Switching Power Supply SMPS | eBay
All that was left to do was install it in the case. The original transformer was removed, and a smaller 24 vac at 1 amp secondary voltage transformer was installed. The back of the ASC1 is set for dual ac voltages which is controlled by a slide switch. I disabled this switch, which gave me two ac inputs, 1 for the new transformer, and another ac input for the new power supply. The replacement transformer was mounted to the top of the ASC1 case, but I probably had enough room at the back of the ASC1 directly behind the new power supply. Now I have an ASC1 that has the dish moving power I expected it to have from the factory.
A hall effect dc amp meter was also installed. I have purchased a couple more amp meters and will mount the one I like best to the front of the ASC1 if possible. I cannot see the positioner counts at distance so I will watch the amps instead.
Pictures = MEGA
- My Satellite Setup
- Some SAT-related hardware.
- My Location
- N-E from Riga
- My Satellite Setup
- A little less analogue, and a lot more crap.
- My Location
- UK
Does the SMPS used have inbuilt protection to cope with inductive transients (thyrectors) ?
el bandido
Member
- My Satellite Setup
- 1.2 meter KU band
3.6 meter C band
Enigma2 Receivers
- My Location
- Atlanta, Ga. USA
Updated photos? What exactly do you need to see?
cmoorr
New Member
- My Satellite Setup
- 2.7mt solid dish arc between 53e and 180e on a H to H mount and multiple ku dishes
- My Location
- Perth Western Australia
Hi
Photos of the new transformer setup.
An update on my older ASC1 unit.
I did some output tests and under minimal load I was getting 29v AC and under heavy load 20V ac. mains transformer output was 25v AC from the .8a tap and 27v AC from the 4amp tap.
On removal of the small switch mode board it was noted there was PCB track burns under one of the heat sink regulators.
I am sending the PCB back to titanium for service.
My new titanium ASC1 works fine under load with the motor output not dropping below 29v AC
.Also the front display has been updated and there is now no issue virwing the display from any angle. I have also been told the new display is available in a green or blue backlight.
el bandido
Member
- My Satellite Setup
- 1.2 meter KU band
3.6 meter C band
Enigma2 Receivers
- My Location
- Atlanta, Ga. USA
That is great that you got it fixed, and the output voltage for the motor is dc voltage, Not ac voltage.
Anyway, modded power supply pictures can be seen in post#29 of this thread. The power supply that was used is still listed on Ebay under AC-DC 100-240V to 36V 5A 180W 50/60HZ Power Supply. I have been running this power supply in the ASC1 for a couple of years without any issues. Works great for me.
Anyway, modded power supply pictures can be seen in post#29 of this thread. The power supply that was used is still listed on Ebay under AC-DC 100-240V to 36V 5A 180W 50/60HZ Power Supply. I have been running this power supply in the ASC1 for a couple of years without any issues. Works great for me.
cmoorr
New Member
- My Satellite Setup
- 2.7mt solid dish arc between 53e and 180e on a H to H mount and multiple ku dishes
- My Location
- Perth Western Australia
Thanks for the info
Sorry for the confusion yes the motor output is now between 25-30 dc depending on load
The reference to 25V ac and 27V ac was at the actual transformer output before the regulator. I also did a megaohm test in the transformer to confirm if there was any breakdown in windings
el bandido
Member
- My Satellite Setup
- 1.2 meter KU band
3.6 meter C band
Enigma2 Receivers
- My Location
- Atlanta, Ga. USA
My modded power supply for the motor or dish actuator stays at 35 volts dc all the way up to 5 amps. The modded supply can do a bit more than this at peaks, so I have at least 180 watts of power to drive the dish motor or actuator. My 3.6 meter commercial dish is the only one I have that needs this much power, and it does not need it if the dish is within 20 degrees of due south, or 20 degrees of the center of the satellite arc. The 3.6 meter dish is commercial, and it has 8 dish panels that weigh about 19 kilograms a piece. So it is a heavy item that most users will not have.
A 3 meter mesh dish or consumer fiberglass dish will not need this much power to operate, and the ASC1 should run them with ease, providing everything in the dish system is healthy. One or two amps at 36 volts is usually all you need for these types of dishes.
A 3 meter mesh dish or consumer fiberglass dish will not need this much power to operate, and the ASC1 should run them with ease, providing everything in the dish system is healthy. One or two amps at 36 volts is usually all you need for these types of dishes.
cmoorr
New Member
- My Satellite Setup
- 2.7mt solid dish arc between 53e and 180e on a H to H mount and multiple ku dishes
- My Location
- Perth Western Australia
My 2.7mt solid is a single piece spun alaminium dish. I have an Ajax compatible heavy duty H to H mount rather then a screw actuator arm. I can arc from about 50e to 180e or aprox 140deg arc with the motor only really drawing load on the last 20deg. I have accidentally left a smallladder under the dish and the motor still had enough grunt to push it into the grass without effecting the overload sensors on the ASC1. My dish gets used daily by my self and remote users via VNC viewer it teamviewer
That is a very nice dish/motor setup and also a good arc. We have a couple of forum topics with tables presenting the size of satellite dish and the arc range of forum members. Would you like me to include your dish and arc in the topics? I have pasted some links below to the topics.
Dish Topic
Who Are The Big Dish Men & Ultimate Dish Men ?
With satellite dishes it's how big it is that generally has the most impact on signal reception. With that in mind I have created the "Big Dish Men & Ultimate Dish Men" table to provide visibility of which forum members are in the premier league. The table is attached below. If any forum member...
www.satellites.co.uk
Arc Topic
Who Are The Big Arc Men & Ultimate Arc Men ?
Following on from the interest generated in last years five page topic titled "Who Are The Big Dish Men & Ultimate Dish Men", here we have a topic on a smilar vein, "Who Are The Big Arc Men & Ultimate Arc Men" I have attached a picture of a template below that contains several columns for arc...
www.satellites.co.uk
Thank you for your contribution to the two topics, I will update them.
I will put your arc range as 53.0E to 180.0E as listed in your satellite setup details in your drop down profile. If your entry in the arc table needs to be updated please let me know.