RC2000 dual axis antenna controller

[Captain Jack]

Don't see why it wouldn't - it's designed for that, though it won't accept DiSEqC commands.

VBoxes work OK but they are a bit rudimentary...

 

[moonbase]

Hmm I wonder if this would control my 1224 motor?

As I've had enough of rubbish quality vboxes

No, theoretically it will not control a 1224 motor, the pulse count output by the Jaeger motor is in theory too high for the RC2000 to accept accurately, it cannot keep up with the pulse count rate output by the 1224. If an H to H motor is to be used for Azimuth then the pulse count output from the motor needs to be low enough for the RC2000 to be able to accept and count accurately.

To use an RC2000 correctly it needs to be setup to control two linear actuators rather than an H to H motor with an additional linear actuator for the elevation. The ideal mount for these is a polar head with inclined orbit tracking, this allows for fitting of two linear actuators. Alternatively, any other "Heath Robinson" type of mount that allows the use of two linear actuators will be OK.

 

[Captain Jack]

Wow...

 

[moonbase]

What a result MB , it is the C model , its like brand new and still has the plastic over most of the front of it.

Martin,

Well done, that is a bargain, "C" model for £114 delivered, lotto this weekend Martin, your luck is in....

If you get tired of playing with it or no longer have a use for it please stick my name at the top of the list.

 

[Archived-1]

To use an RC2000 correctly it needs to be setup to control two linear actuators rather than an H to H motor with an additional linear actuator for the elevation. The ideal mount for these is a polar head with inclined orbit tracking, this allows for fitting of two linear actuators. Alternatively, any other "Heath Robinson" type of mount that allows the use of two linear actuators will be OK.

I am making my own mount MB when I get round to finishing it off, I cant wait to see it all in action,

Martin,

Well done, that is a bargain, "C" model for £114 delivered, lotto this weekend Martin, your luck is in....

If you get tired of playing with it or no longer have a use for it please stick my name at the top of the list.

Many thanks MB, lotto would be nice , I don't think I will tired of playing with it but if I ever do your name is on it ,

 

[wod]

A good idea to buy this as would a vbox have enough power to move a cm 1.8 dish?

My 1224 motor think can use up to 4 amps to move the dish.

Does it have a remote or will you have you press a button each time on the unit to switch satellites?

 

[Vipersan]

I can answer your first point ..
Yep a Vbox will move a 1.8 m dish..
Christina is actually 2.2 m ..but originally 1.8 petalised alluminium plus fibreglass petal extensions ..and voxes have no problem moving her AZ or EL
rgds
VS

 

[Archived-1]

A good idea to buy this as would a vbox have enough power to move a cm 1.8 dish?

My 1224 motor think can use up to 4 amps to move the dish.

Does it have a remote or will you have you press a button each time on the unit to switch satellites?

I do not have a remote Wod, but I think I can control it via pc, from what I can make out (I have only had a quick read) when tracking inclined sat you just input some info into the unit and it tracks it on its own.

 

[moonbase]

I do not have a remote Wod, but I think I can control it via pc, from what I can make out (I have only had a quick read) when tracking inclined sat you just input some info into the unit and it tracks it on its own.

Martin,

The orbit for inclined satellites is constantly evolving, ie, the degree of inclination increases by marginal amounts day on day.

 

[Archived-1]

Thank you MB I am aware of this, I am also aware of what evolving means ;), there is a place to get track tables from to input, I've not looked into it in detail yet,

Also from my reading you can lock manually then switch modes and it will track the bird on its own. it also has a search set the area of search of your choice and let it go on its own,

Also there is software that updates the track on line when the unit is connected to the pc,

The PDF file is the fist link here MB if you would like to have a quick look.

https://www.google.co.uk/?gws_rd=ssl#q=RC2KC AE MAN_250902_GN

 

[moonbase]

...there is a place to get track tables from to input, I've not looked into it in detail yet...

The Celestrak website provides daily updates to the Two Line Element sets that have these tables.

 

[Archived-1]

Looks like a nice well built bit of kit ...but does it do more than 2 daisy chained Vboxes ?

Hi VS, I have been reading up a little on the unit, this is nothing like the V box its a $3000 item new ,

If it has diseqc control ...which I doubt ...then I would be interested.

positioning is automatic from what I can make out you just input your lat/long

But then again it might have signal level autofocus ..which in theory could automatically track an inclined bird..

Yes this is just one of many features.

 

[Archived-1]

The Celestrak website provides daily updates to the Two Line Element sets that have these tables.

Thanks again MB I will take a look, its going to be next year when I get the 1.8 up so I have plenty of time to read up on the unit.

 

[Archived-1]

The RC2000C is typically a professional item, this is just the worse dish controller I've never used in my life, for the moment, he is in stand by,
very complicated to setup and the instruction manual is only 120 pages long...

And don't forget for automatic tracking, you need a receiver which is capable to give the signal level information (AGC)

I will have probably need this antenna controller in a nearest future because of the 13 Ampere capable

(my english is not perfect, sorry)

Many thanks, you say its the worst you have used, is this down to it being complicated to setup are just not good in general please, yes i did read about needing a receiver with AGC,

It will probably be next year now when i get round to using the unit.

 

[BM300]

20 years back I was using a device from a company in Pakistan called Waveteck on my Echostar 5500.
It had an input for connecting the signal from the SR5500 that detected the signal level. It activated the up down actuator on the dish to get the maximum signal.

Later on I simply connected a saginaw actuator that I simply controlled with a remote control once the dish stoped moving. The dish was controlled by Echostar 8700.

That was an H/H 14ft dish by Paraclipse.
It is no longer in use as the satellites became more powerful so smaller 1 meter dishes are connected to an 8 input DiseqC switch.

​

 

[Archived-1]

The RC2000C is typically a professional item, this is just the worse dish controller I've never used in my life, for the moment, he is in stand by,

Hi Feedsat, would you tell me the problems your having please, also are you using the correct mount for the firmware your using ?

 

[Anonymous_1]

The firmware is 2.70e, the problem is not the firmware but the controller itself, not easy to setup but it's OK now...

 

[Archived-1]

The firmware is 2.70e, the problem is not the firmware but the controller itself, not easy to setup but it's OK now...

Thanks Feedsat, do you know if you can change the Firmware/software to the mount your using as there are 3 different C models depending what mount you want to use, I guess you have the polar mount version ?

Three versions of the RC2000C are available: the RC2000C AZ/EL for use with elevation over azimuth type antenna mounts, the RC2000C POLAR for use with polar mounts which employ either a motorized declination or latitude angle adjustment, and the RC2000C EL/AZ for use with azimuth over elevation type antenna mounts.

 

[Anonymous_1]

Thanks Martin for this point,
Mine is the RC2000C AZ/EL, I use this with the CM 3.10m with a polarmount and a 2nd actuator for the elevation (inclined orbit satellite only). but it works well, you set the 2d actuator only for inclined orbit satellites (I set it manually on the front panel).

 

[Archived-1]

Thank you for the information Feedsat , at least now I know if mine is AZ/EL I can still work it with the polar mount, it still would be nice to know if its just a software change needed for polar az/el, I will look into this and report back,

I would love to have my dish working on AZ/EL for fringe reception, and will make another mount if my controller is the AZ model, I already have some drawings to work from