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Old 02-01-2009, 01:26 AM   #1
Richard and Rhonda
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Default Need info on Motosat normal behavior

I am having a little problem with my Motosat. I have gotten an error code when I run test that indicates the vertical sensor is whack.

I have played around with the satellite dish, and I curious about two things. One, when you stow your dish, does it fold down against the roof and make whomp whomp sound for a couple of cycles before it shuts down?

Two, when I move the dish by hand it gets to within six inches or so of being down, and something releases in the drive mechanism and it free falls the rest of the way. Have any of you ever manuever yours by hand. I have disconnected the wiring harness as the manual says before I started moving it by hand.

Sorry for the weirdo questions.
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Old 02-01-2009, 03:04 AM   #2
dbroberts
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Default Motosat

Mine does not make the sound you describe, just folds down and shuts off. I can watch the electrical draw end. I've never tried moving mine by hand, sorry. Have you tried doing the recalibration? By the way, used to be I used mine constantly, but now my Verizon broadband card in my computer receives much faster signal nearly everywhere.
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Old 02-01-2009, 04:11 AM   #3
Richard and Rhonda
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Thanks

I took it off the roof and took it to the shop. Iwas expecting to find some kind of clutch that was slipping when it stowed. No such clutch.

I found the chain between the drive motor and the gear was partially derailing when it stowed. Really bizarre in that it didn't completely come off, just enough to let the drive motor slip. When it raises it would rotate the other way and put itself back on.

When I put it back together, I cycled it by hand, and by golly it did it again. Hmmmmm. Close examination showed a slight misalignment between the drive gear and the gear on the sat. I shimmed the drive box to make the gears align. Too dark to get on the roof and reinstall it now. It'll have to wait till morning. I hope that is the culprit.

BTW, after tearing the motosat completely apart, I am impressed with the engineering. Solid stuff and concepts.
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Richard Rhonda Ty and Alex Entrekin
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Old 02-01-2009, 07:10 AM   #4
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Hopefully that fixes your problem Richard. If not, post any questions you might have on the DirecTV/Dish section of http://www.datastormusers.com and we will get you the assistance you need.
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Old 02-01-2009, 03:25 PM   #5
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Fixed.

When the chain would slip, the sensor would obviously see the motor spinning, hence the the sensor error.

Thanks for everyone's help.
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Richard Rhonda Ty and Alex Entrekin
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Old 02-01-2009, 03:32 PM   #6
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Yep, that will cause an error to be thrown then a need to recalibrate.

MotoSAT builds great products, well designed, well built and reliable equipment. Wish I had a MotoSAT DirecTV dish instead of the Datron DirecTV dish on the front of my coach. Fortunately, I do have a MotoSAT DataStorm automated internet dish with an extra LNB so I can receive DirecTV (standard definition not High Def) using it.
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Old 02-01-2009, 07:03 PM   #7
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Speaking of that, I have to ask a dumb question. It is my understanding that the Internet birds and the Direct TV birds are in pretty differnet places. Maybe that is wrong. Do you have to reposition the dish when you go from internet to TV? Also what prevents you from aiming the dish at the two new HD satellites and getting that signal? Assuming that have have HD subscription and the two filters on the input it takes to descramble the signal.
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Old 02-01-2009, 08:19 PM   #8
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Not a dumb question at all Richard. Yes, internet and DirecTV are generally on different satellites. As you know, satellites are identified by their longitude. Hughes Internet service will assign you to one of nearly a dozen satellites located currently on longitudes 83, 87, 89, 91, 93, 95, 99, 113, 117, and 127 (but changing regularly) and are all KU band. Standard Definition DirecTV has always been on 101 which is also KU band. When DirecTV started broadcasting in HD, they added two more satellites for HD, 110 and 119, again KU band. At that time the only way to get 101, 110 and 119 was to be assigned to internet satellite 117.

Recently, DirecTV changed the playing field by moving HD from KU band to KA band and using still different satellites. At first they used a dish that received 5 satellites for DirecTV, KU band 101, 110 and 119 plus the new KA band 99 and 103. After migrating most HD programming off of 110 and 119, they dropped to a 3 head antenna called the SL3 which only has KU 101 plus KA 99 and 103 for most applications.

In the past, MotoSAT provided a bracket to mount the single 101 LNB to the side of the DataStorm. It was adjustable and as long as the internet satellite to which you were assigned was less than about 17 degrees from 101 you could get both internet and DirecTV simultaneously off the DataStorm internet dish which is about 24" tall and 38" wide.

Here is a photo of my satellite dish.

The three small blue LED's are mounted to the side of the internet LNB (Low Noise Block) and the DirecTV LNB is on an arm just to the right of the internet LNB. The internet LNB is aligned with the center of the dish and points to satellite 117. The DirecTV LNB is offset to the side and angled to align the signal from satellite 101 close to the center of the dish.

When HD came along, again a bracket and LNB's were available but ONLY worked if your internet service was on 117. Two DirecTV LNB's were attached to the arm on the side of the DataStorm and a third small round LNB referred to as a lipstick LNB was mounted against the internet LNB.

With the recent change to KA band and different satellites, there is currently not a bracket available to receive those satellites plus KU 101 on the DataStorm. Several individuals have constructed their own brackets and are using them reasonably successfully if assigned to one of several of the internet satellites.

Here is a photo of an SL-3 High Definition head adapted to the DataStorm internet antenna:

The DataStorm provides the larger dish which is needed by the multiple LNB DirecTV head. You can see the three individual LNB's behind the frosted cover.
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