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    #51
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    Dec 2010
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    Calgary, AB
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    Quote Originally Posted by eastof111 View Post
    I still use a SatHero meter for my ku dishes which makes it very easy to align. Many years ago for the bud, I made a laser pointer contraption that fits in to the throat of the lnbf. Nowadays, you can buy a laser digital level that can be used to center the feed horn and then the lnb or lnbf.
    Same here I use the Sathero SH-200 for my KU dishes it makes thing so much easier..When I first started the hobby with KU i was just running back and forth to the TV and the dish...lol

    click click b00m
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    #52
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
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    I ran into problems moving this dish to the far end of the west arc or 139 West. The GBox V3000 purchased from Sadoun several years ago did the best job. I tried a couple of VBoxes, but they did not last long before producing errors. Both types of positioners would start with around 36 volts, but the voltage would drop by a large margin once the dish moved 20-30 degree from center or due South.

    My solution to fix this issue was simple. I purchased a 24 volt dc supply from Ebay that is rated at 200 watts. I disconnected the 36 volt dc supply in the GBox and installed the Ebay supply in its place. Now there are no more dish moving issues.This dish system seems to need about 180 watts at peaks which is about double the amount of power a GBox or VBox can produce.

    I do not like butchering or modifying electronics like this but there were not many options left besides a commercial dish mover. Most commercial dish movers do not have diseqc 1.2 capability. About the only dish positioner or dish controller left to try would be the Titanium ASC1. This is the only Consumer positioner that I have seen that is rated at 5 amps at 36 volts, which would be 180 watts.
    FTA consumer specs are usually wrong and cannot be trusted. My experience testing the other cheap positioners shows a large voltage drop as the amperage draw increases. The Titanium ASC1 will need to stay around 30 volts and give 5 amps at peaks to correctly drive this dish to the far ends. I will try to test the ASC1 in the near future and see how it does compared to the stock VBox and my modified GBox.
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    #53
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    North Bay Ontario
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    Just read this project of yours EB missed it when you were doing it. That is some dish and 12 feet to boot. Looks good.
    Octagon SF4008, Vu+ Solo2, Titanium ASC1, Perfect 10 C/KU mesh 10 foot dish,Chaparral corotor II, 24 inch Von Wiese actuator, old AZBox premium HD Plus, TBS5925.
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    #54
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
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    I finally got to try the Titanium ASC1. The dc power output for the actuator is not much better than the other positioners I have. The ASC1 has a large case, and should be better suited for modifications than the other consumer satellite dish movers. A thread on modifying the ASC1 is in the link.

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    I would like purchase a 36 inch actuator for this dish later this Summer or maybe in the early Fall.
    .
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    .
    Meine Dreambox One ist ein Stück Scheiße!.
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    #55
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    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
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    The actuator that came with the dish is still working, but I am tired of waiting for it to die.
    A Venture 36" ball actuator will be installed when time permits. Looking forward to getting more satellites!

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    #56
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Mid-Michigan
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    I love Venture actuators, they are built really well, and the ball screw version especially will last nearly forever with a little maintenance. They are also usually so quiet, you can't hear them run even if standing right next to them while they are running.
    My name is Mike.
    My posting name at Satguys is Primestar31
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    #57
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    Dec 2010
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    Atlanta, Ga.
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    I have been using the Venture actuator for over a year now, and am pretty much satisfied with the way it has operated. The dish had to be modified a little bit to get into the eastern satellite arc, and in the process of modifications, I made an error that bent the actuator tube. This error ended up costing about $200.00.

    The actuator motor cover filled with water in the later part of 2019 which resulted in some moving errors, and I ended up re-calibrating the dish. No actuator or dish calibrations have been needed since the water issue, which means this dish system has ran for at least 6 months without losing any actuator counts. The dish is normally moved several times a day as I do a lot of blindscanning.

    Actuators such as this one do not have a braking system, and rely on the friction of the screw to stop and hold a position. This particular satellite dish weighs close to 350 pounds without counting the weight of the polar mount or any of the mounting hardware. This much weight is highly unusual in fta satellite dishes.

    When this dish is parked at 40 west, then moved up a bit to another satellite a few degrees away, the actuator will move the dish without issue, but the dish weight pulls the dish actuator back east a bit. This unwanted rollback of the dish will mess the positioner counts up. There are no brake systems that I could find for this actuator, so my solution is to run the dish up at least 61 degrees west before driving the dish back down. So if I am at 40 west and I want to select the 43 west satellite, I need to first drive the dish to 61 west, and then back down to 43 west.

    Another thing that I dislike about this Venture actuator is it is extremely noisy. The noise seems to have decreased as the actuator has aged a bit, but in my opinon it is still too noisy.

    Other than the problems or issues previously described, this Venture actuator performs flawlessly. I enjoy the trouble free movement this dish actuator has provided, and I am pleased with the actuator speed, which is usually around 2 degrees of movement per second. This actuator gets its energy from a power supply that can produce 5 amps for extended periods and 8 amps of surge at an advertised 36 volts dc, with an actual 35 volts dc being measured under a 5 amp load.

    Attached is a video showing the actuator moving the dish from 40 west to 87 west. More or less, the actuator has to pull the weight of a car engine when it is started up at 40 west. The venture 36 inch ball screw actuator handles this job with ease. Having a proper power supply also helps.
    Attached Files Attached Files
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    #58
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
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    I'll show you mine if you show me yours. ASC1 more power and custom build.

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    #59
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
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    Excellent Custom Build!

    I use the small WX-DC2416 power supply, which can produce 180 watts for extended periods. (See Link)

    [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

    That little supply has been driving my dish around the arc for some time now. There is a thread on modding the dish mover.
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    #60
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Posts
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    I like that power supply Good price too. Wish they had some. The one I used is from a 4DTV unit. A DSR920 or 922. I used a lot of the cables and other stuff from those as well. I have read your threads but the pictures are not there anymore. I was thinking the same as you about the LNB power options I don't use. So I deleted that and the F conn boards and put the DiSEqC switch inside the box. The smaller transformer is from an old Uniden receiver 20V. But I have another plan to rebuild the thing rotating the mainboards 90° CW and ridding myself of most of the cabling inside. I picked up a length of 3-1/2" wide 1/8" thick aluminium strap that I cut new front and rear panels for the ASC1 case. They fit nicely.
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