My Installation and Review of the DG 380 Dish Motor

The attached .pdf file was written by me back in 2008.

The DG380 was originally purchased to turn a Geosat 1.2 meter dish. At the time of its release, the DG380 had a higher rating for dish weight in pounds. At the time of its release, it was rated the same or higher in dish weight than the StabHH120 dish motor.
After I bough this motor, its dish weight rating was lowered drastically and its maximum dish size was lowered to 1 meter. Then its rating was raised back up to equal the 1.2 meter dish weight of the Fortec Star. I think this was done because Sadoun discontinued selling the StabHH120 and he needed a motor that was rated for his Fortec 1.2 meter dish. When you put a lnb and coax on the 1.2 meter Fortec Star, you have exceeded the maximum dish weight that is posted for the DG380!!!
The real problem with the DG380 motor and its various dish ratings is its extended motor travel of. This motor will move a dish further than the the HH120 will and this causes motor overload problems when a heavy dish is used at the East/West limits.
If you will notice, most of the dish motor manufacturers do not have a dish weight rating in pounds or in kilograms anymore. Sadoun and Stab are the only two that I know of with published dish weights for their motors.
How much weight a motor can handle is important to me. I do not like to buy a motor if I do not know what it is supposed to handle. I also like to have some extra room in the dish weight rating to allow for the lnb(s) and coax, plus the occasional ice and snow that we get in Atlanta. I do not appreciate Sadoun juggling the dish weight rating of this motor.
I recommend the DG380 motor for dishes 1 meter and below. If you want to turn a 1.2 meter dish, get the StabHH120. EB

[font=Verdana][color=blue] DG380 Specs as of 1-11-2011:

Sadoun PowerTech DG380
Metal Mounts & Gears Box Inside
Automatic Zero Backlash (Slack) Adjustment
For up to 120 cm Steel dish (Max 31lbs).
Heavy duty construction & precise technology.
0.1 degree precision resolution
+/- 80

Recently, I installed a 1.2 meter Geosat on the same DG380 that I purchased in 2008. So far, the DG380 has been able to handle turning the Geosat down to 15West.
I still do not think the DG380 is as good as the HH120 for turning a 1.2 meter dish, but so far the DG380 has been able to handle the 1.2 meter dish OK. We have not had any snow or ice yet, and I do not know how well the DG380 will turn the dish when it gets some extra weight on it. TheDG380 seems a bit stronger than the 9120 motor. I have had the same dish and lnb installed on the Powermax 9120 and the DG380. EB

I have not tried a DG motor yet , My StabHH90 with a 1 meter dish and Invacom QPH-031 LNB has been rock solid, also bought in 2008.
I'm not sure on the life span of a Stab motor, I guess it depends on how much moving you do and where you live, mine performs just as well in -30C or +30C so I feel I have got my moneys worth and would more than likely buy another Stab when ever it wears out.

I'm trying to set my DG380 with the Musac dish but is no-go .Something wrong I do .I don't have problem to follow the arc with the SG2100and the Musac but the dish looks little heavy for the 2100 so I decide to switch it with the DG 380
My coord are
Long-minus 81.40-that is 81-82West true south
Lat-28,60-set for the Motor latitude scale
Decl angle is 4.7
When I did set the SG 2100 5 years ago I set Mot Latitude on 28.6, Found the center and the arc was OK
Now when I set DG 380 on 28.6 on the motor Latitude scale the arc is OFF
Also I noticed the angle motor shaft on the 2100 is 30 degree
The angle on the motor shaft DG 3800 is 35 degree
Even with those diferences of 5 degree ,both motors have same numbers in the manuals for 'elevation and declination angle table'.
My question is do I have to add decl angle (4.7 in my situation) to the Mot Latitude(28.6)and set the motor on 33.3
El Bandido do you remember how did you set your motor latitude on the DG 380??.If you still use it ,
Thanks..

..Anybody???.

In my case, I really couldn't trust the numbers on the brackets and just did it by aligning to the South satellite for the elevation and tweaked the declination until the East/West satellites were aligned. More tweaking of the elevation and declination and I had the arc. It was all trial and error and due to using a NPRM on a sloped roof with metal shims to make it level, it took me awhile to get it right. Lift one side of the mount too far and the longitude is off.

Hope your experience is better than mine. I think my problem was that I was used to the STAB HH-100 that was on previously and this motor was upside-down compared to that and the dish wanted to slide off the motor shaft until it was tightened. Unlike the STAB, where I set it on, tightened it up, aligned and was done. With this one, every time I got the azimuth wrong, I had to fight with this dish to keep it on the shaft while tightening.

Sorry, I know I'm not much help and sound like an inexperienced fool, but whoever dreamed up an upside-down motor drive should be shot! :stressed:

My DG380 is still working.
I set the angle on the motor equal to my degrees of latitude, then I use a protractor to set the dish elevation for the due South or center satellite.
The dish elevation should be set to the same elevation once it is installed on the motor as it would be if it was on a stationary pole without a motor attached.