HELP!! Can't get USALS setup to work

[goldtar]

Hi all

I've given in - I need help!

I have recently bought a TM600 and a TM2600 motor and am trying to set it up.

I've taken great steps to ensure that the mounting pole is vertical and that I have the latitude set accurately on the motor etc.

I can pick up the satellites by using the position option in the motor setup menu. I.e. the arc seems good!

However when I follow all the USALS tutorials which say - send the dish to the nearest South satellite (in my case 5W (Atlantic Bird) which is still 2 degrees away from true S, I live at lat 55.142), the motor moves by about a degree and back to zero. It won't move the motor to 5 degrees W to allow me to then manually move the dish to ensure that I have got the nearest south satellite.

Is there something in the TM600 box that needs to be reset? I have done hardware resets and even moved to 2 older software/firmware versions incase there were bugs in the most recent UR versions.

I have been playing with this for days now and I am getting frustrated)(-red

I would really appreciate some help.

Many thanks in advance

 

[satelliteman]

Hi, have you tried a motor reset and also what is your longitude?

 

[rolfw]

For use of USALS, you need to zero the motor, then send the dish to 5W, then align the dish on 5W and it'll work. See the guides in the sticky section.

 

[goldtar]

Sorry, should have said that - I've done the rest a number of times as stated in the manual (pushing reset with a paper clip type thingey! and then turning off power of TM600. Doesn't seem to make any difference!

 

[satelliteman]

Well as above, you need to follow the guides in the sticky section.

The motor will drive to satellites positions but needs a reference ie. site coordinates entered.

 

[goldtar]

Thanks rolfw - thats where the problem lies. In short when I send it to 5W by using the send to satellite menu option it moves slightly east (i reckon 1 degree) and then it returns to 0 degrees?????

 

[goldtar]

Sorry Satelliteman - forgot to say my longitude is -6.678 (W)

 

[satelliteman]

Check your correctly inserting your coordinates into USALs.

Once inserted, the motor should move approx 1.5 deg to 5W. Maybe a receiver or motor fault if not.

 

[Robbo]

I have a TM600, and I never got the thing to work with USALS properly. I gave up and used Diseqc1.2 instead. I think it depends on the image to some extent.

 

[goldtar]

I have entered the coordinates about 20 times and the motor has never moved!! Are you saying that the the motor should only move about 1.5 degrees on it's scale to get to 5W?

 

[goldtar]

Thanks Robbo - whilst it doesn't full me with confidence on the TM600, it does give me some relief that I don't have any dodgy hardware which cpould have meant returning either the motor or receiver only to find that they are both tested as working.

Are there any good tutuorials on setting up on all satellites with Diseqc1.2 on a TM600.

Many thanks again

 

[satelliteman]

I have entered the coordinates about 20 times and the motor has never moved!! Are you saying that the the motor should only move about 1.5 degrees on it's scale to get to 5W?

Yes.

If using DiSEqC 1.2 then pan the dish and save the positions on the pre installed motor table.

 

[Robbo]

I have entered the coordinates about 20 times and the motor has never moved!! Are you saying that the the motor should only move about 1.5 degrees on it's scale to get to 5W?

you are at 6.7 degrees west, the satellite is at 5W, so to get to the correct position it only has to move approx 1.5 degrees eastward.

Try it, to see whre it goes if you send it to Hotbird, it should go to approx 21 degrees eastward. that will test if USALS/GotoX is working.

USALS is much quicker and easier if you can get it running, Diseqc1.2 takes a while to store all the positions.

 

[goldtar]

Thanks again - I have to say thay I am overwhelmed by the responses - great credit to you all.

I have tried moving to a lot of satellites. Others I recall were all close to 5W eg Thor at 1W and it did the same thing i.e. went back to 0 degrees. I also tried hotbird but can't recall what happened. Are you saying that hotbird (13 degrees) should read 14 degrees on the motor scale?

I will try this tomorrow.

Many thanks again.

 

[goldtar]

Sorry - another question - before I try anything new should I do anything to the receiver before I start or should it automatically know that the motor is at 0 degrees when it is turned on?

 

[satelliteman]

Correct, although the further from reference the difference from site longitude will be greater.

You need to send to zero/reference/calibrate before entering USALs details.

 

[goldtar]

Correct, although the further from reference the difference from site longitude will be greater.

You need to send to zero/reference/calibrate before entering USALs details.

When you say "reference", do you know exactly how this should be done on the TM600 - i.e. do I goto fixed dish setup or use the Disq option and try to send to 5W.

I have normally entered the USALS details before I did anything - this could be my breakthrough:-worship

 

[satelliteman]

Sorry, don't own a TM600, Robbo maybe better to give advice re the receiver. The info given is standard for most receivers.

 

[Robbo]

Don't ask me about the TM600, as I said, I gave up with USALS, I have the receiver in a spare room.

Thanks again - I have to say thay I am overwhelmed by the responses - great credit to you all.

Are you saying that hotbird (13 degrees) should read 14 degrees on the motor scale?
I will try this tomorrow.

Many thanks again.

No, sorry, I cocked up, it should be 21.5 eastward for Hotbird.

Here's a very basic program I just wrote:-

enter your long, lat and the sat you want, and it calculates the motor angle

 

[Turok]

2 weeks ago,i set up the darkmoto.r with usals on my gregory 90 cm,works everything good,but the dish,stop to moves shortly before the satellite signal is here,this happens on all satelites,i enter the correct location data but i can try what i want,afer testing many hours,i give up at the moment!
try to change the south and east valu,in my kaon receiver a little bit,without success,dont do much with disqec motors!

3 year ago i have my staab hh 100 is gone now,was very nice,i selected all satellites in my kaon xtreme hornet receiver,then the dish moves and scans automaticly over night each satelites and make automatic search,in the morning i have all sats up to date,but this not work,on ervery receiver/stb motor combinatio,and i dont know why!
at the moment,i stop the projekt,today my only have year old mti flange 0.3 db is gone on gregory 90 cm,and i have to replace,on the 15 meter high roof..!
thanks for your help!