Page 1 of 7 123456 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 62
  1. Collapse Details
    Titanium ASC1 or ASC-1: Read This Before Buying
    #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
    Posts
    8,191
    Post Thanks / Like
    Contribute If you enjoy reading the
    content here, click the below
    image to support our site.
    Click Here To Contribute To Our Site
    The claimed satellite dish lifting power of the Titanium ASC1 Diseqc Positioner is Bogus!

    The ASC1 is not capable of producing 36 volts at 5 amps without modifications to the power supply.
    Here is one example of the bogus or fictitious claim:
    [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

    Powerful
    Designed with the versatility to control and power both LNBFs, LNBs, pass switch commands and generate or regenerate switching voltages, the ASC1 works on virtually any consumer or commercial system. Packed with the lifting power rated to a maximum of 38Vdc at 5amps, the ASC1 will lift any motorized dish. No other consumer motor controller even comes close to the power provided by the ASC1. The F-fitting port simultaneously provides voltage that is user set to 13/18Vdc, reversed 18/13Vdc, fixed 13Vdc or fixed 18Vdc at 450mA. Our proprietary motor control feature ramps in and out the motor speed at the beginning and end of a motor movement. This minimizes wear and tear on your dish mount and frame. The ramp also allows micro adjustments when fine-tuning the dish positioning. No more speeding past the correct motor landing and having to bump the dish back and forth into position.
    On its best day, the ASC1 can only produce about 25 volts dc at 4 amps of current as measured at the back of the ASC1. Why was it decided to use a false higher power rating for the ASC1? That answer is probably simple: The heavy duty big dish actuators require 36 volts at 5 amps for maximum performance. The ASC1 can actually produce 5 amps for a very brief period of time, 5 amps on the ASC1 only has about 20 volts dc coming from the power supply, so the energy or power level at 5 amps (100 watts) on the ASC1 is about the same as 4 amps (100 watts) on the ASC1.

    The ASC1 would have been a great product had it actually been able to produce the power of 36 volts dc at 5 amps. But with the dc power supply it has, the satellite dish lifting performance of the ASC1 is equal to or not much better than the VBox line of positioners.

    Anyone that has purchased the ASC1 thinking it could produce the power of 36 volts dc at 5 amps has been duped! EB
    Last edited by el bandido; 05-27-2017 at 07:43 AM.
    Reply With Quote
     

  2. Thanks 172, DaveLH, eastof111, ViP3R, skink, sideswiper thanked for this post
    Likes Costactc, easily confused liked this post
  3. Collapse Details
    #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
    Posts
    8,191
    Post Thanks / Like
    I have owned and tested the following dish positioners or dish movers:
    Gbox
    Vbox
    VboxII
    Titanium ASC1

    Here is the power output I have seen (in watts):
    Gbox = 80-90 watts
    Vbox = 60-80 watts
    VboxII = 60-80 watts
    Titanium ASC1 = 80-100 watts

    DC Voltage on these positioners vary. Most Gbox or Vbox positioners will start out with 42 volts dc, and will have about 35-36 volts dc at 1 amp current draw. The Titanium ASC1 will have about 32 volts dc at 1 amp current draw. The Gbox and V box will move the actuator a little bit faster at the 1 amp to 1.5 amp current levels, due to the dc voltage being slightly higher. After 2 - 2.5 amps of current draw, the ASC1 moves the actuator faster because it has a higher voltage. The more voltage you have, the faster the actuator will move. This is why I want a positioner that could produce a Solid 36 volts dc at 5 amps of current draw.

    A Vbox or Gbox would probably be ok for anyone using a mesh dish up to 3 meters in diameter unless the weather is extremely cold and/or windy.

    The Titanium ASC1 should work ok on any satellite dish up to 3.7 meters in size unless the weather is extremely cold or windy. The ASC1 has thermal protection, and would probably be fairly hard to burn up when moving a heavy load. The same cannot be said for the Gbox and Vbox positioners.

    A Venture Actuator engineer has told me that their best 36 inch satellite dish actuator can move 1500 pounds at 24 volts dc with 4 amps of current. In theory, a stock ASC1 should be able to move 1500 pounds for a short distance. The majority of consumer satellite dish systems would never see a load like this unless there was a mechanical issue or problem with the dish system, or unless the weather was extremely bad.

    My satellite dish actuator is rated for 36 volts at 5 amps of current. This is supposed to be a maximum rating, and I would never expect to see 36 volts at 5 amps being used by my dish system. The higher the voltage, the faster the actuator will move, so I am in the process of buying parts to make the ASC1 actually produce 36 volts dc at 5 amps of current.

    There is a lot of extra room inside the ASC1. There is a tremendous amount of room inside the ASC1 if the 110/220 vac transformer is removed and replaced with a 110 vac transformer. The dc voltage of the ASC1 to power the actuator drops almost 50 percent when a 5 amp load is applied. I have seen many complaints about the ASC1 not holding the correct position for the actuator, and I wonder if a dirty or noisy power supply is causing this? It should be noted that I had no problems with my stock ASC1 holding the correct position. A dirty or noisy power supply can cause problems.

    Installing a bigger dc power supply for the actuator is easy to do in the ASC1. Remove AC power. Solder a wire to the plus side of the bridge rectifier, and solder another wire to the minus side of the bridge rectifier. Then cut one of the yellow wires on the secondary side of the transformer. Connect the two wires you installed to a good 36 vdc power source and you are done!

    It looks like the inside of the ASC1 is big enough to handle an additional dc power supply board, so I will look at modifying the inside of this positioner. External meters for dc voltage and dc amps also need to be installed. The ASC1 should look about the same on the outside once these modifications are made, and I will post in this thread what parts I change, or what parts are used.

    Overall the ASC1 is a good unit. It just does not live up to its advertised power rating for the actuator. Now we will move on to fixing where it will hopefully do 36 volts at 5 amps current draw. Success will depend on finding a decent dc power supply that will fit inside the ASC1.
    Reply With Quote
     

  4. Thanks eastof111, DaveLH, sideswiper, ViP3R, easily confused thanked for this post
    Likes DaveLH liked this post
  5. Collapse Details
    #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
    Posts
    8,191
    Post Thanks / Like
    Actuator Power Supply
    Several reasonably priced power supplies are available from EBay. The problems will be: (1) Finding a power supply that will fit or can be made to easily fit inside the ASC1 case, and (2) Finding a supply that will hold 36 volts dc at 5 amps current draw.
    I have done a similar actuator power supply mod to a Gbox, and used a 27 volt dc supply for it This supply works very well, and can hold a steady 7 amps of current draw at about 26.6 volts.
    I recently purchased a 36 volt dc supply, but it will only produce around 30 volts dc when a small amount (1 amp) or a large amount (5 amps) of current is being drawn.

    Replace ASC1 Transformer
    The ASC1 transformer has a current rating that is a bit more than a transformer in a Vbox. So in reality, it should be a little bit bigger. But the ASC1 also has provisions to be ran on 220 ac voltage, so this means another 110 vac tap had to be added. This extra tap adds to the size of the ASC1 transformer. Looking at a picture of the ASC1 transformer would make you think the unit has plenty of power for an actuator, but looks can be deceiving. Replacing the stock ASC1 transformer with a smaller one that can still perform the same duties will be the key to adding or installing another power supply inside the ASC1 case.

    Here is a picture of the stock ASC1 transformer. The yellow transformer wire is cut, and we are using 110 VAC. The overall size of this transformer can be reduced by a considerable amount, and it will still be able to do the same job it is doing now. Not having to provide power to the actuator will take a tremendous load from this part.

    [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
    Reply With Quote
     

  6. Thanks ViP3R, easily confused, eastof111, sideswiper thanked for this post
  7. Collapse Details
    #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
    Posts
    8,191
    Post Thanks / Like
    I am hoping these parts will work correctly and fit inside the ASC1. Should have plenty of room once the big transformer is replaced.

    1 amp, 110 to 24 vac transformer
    [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]


    36 vdc at 5 amps Power Supply
    [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
    Reply With Quote
     

  8. Thanks sideswiper thanked for this post
  9. Collapse Details
    #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
    Posts
    8,191
    Post Thanks / Like
    The replacement transformer is supposed to be here tomorrow, and the 36 vdc 5 amp power supply should be here before the weekend.

    One other thing that I do not like about the ASC1 is you cannot see the display unless you are very close to the unit. The counts on the Vbox or Gbox can be seen from across a room or across a wide area. To solve this problem, I would like to mount a dc volts, and a dc amps meter on the front of the ASC1. Being able to watch the amps and volts tells you the dish is moving, and also how well it is moving. Pictures of these two meters are attached.


    Amp Meter
    [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]


    Volt Meter
    [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]


    Both of these meters can easily be seen at a distance.
    Reply With Quote
     

  10. Thanks DaveLH, ViP3R thanked for this post
    Likes eastof111, DaveLH liked this post
  11. Collapse Details
    #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
    Posts
    8,191
    Post Thanks / Like
    The transformer and power supply arrived today.
    I am testing the power supply now and am very impressed with it. Several dc volt meters show that it is producing roughly 35.5 volts dc, but the voltage does not change when a load is applied to it. So far I have seen 35.7 volts at 3.4 amps. This was a peak reading that lasted about a second. Voltage and amps readings like this is what I expected from a stock ASC1.

    The size of this power supply is very similar to a pack of cigarettes. It should not be any problem installing this supply inside the ASC1. Will continue to test it, but I see no reason right now not to use it. The dish moves at a very nice speed when this power supply is used to move it. The motor speed slows down a good bit when 24-30 volts is used to drive it.
    Reply With Quote
     

  12. Thanks DaveLH, eastof111 thanked for this post
  13. Collapse Details
    #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    North Bay Ontario
    Posts
    68
    Post Thanks / Like
    I really like your retrofitting ideas with the ASC1. I for one have a similar comment, don't know if the dish is moving. Was thinking of two flashing LED's for E and W movement but the volt and amp indicators give more information and can be seen. In the past have had a problem bringing the dish back if it went to far to the east, had to go out and physically nudge it then it took off.
    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.
    Reply With Quote
     

  14. Thanks el bandido thanked for this post
  15. Collapse Details
    #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
    Posts
    8,191
    Post Thanks / Like
    Watching the actuator counts change is better than nothing for tracking movement of the dish, but watching the voltage and amps gives a much better idea of how things are working, and if any maintenance is needed. The amount of power needed will vary with the weather, but my dish system only needs 1 or 2 amps most of the time. The dish moves considerably faster at 36 volts compared to the stock ASC1, and the faster movement means less travel time which means less heat. Usually less heat means longer life for the actuator motor and power supply.

    If you have time, connect a dc voltmeter to the back of the asc1 and see how many volts you have while the dish moves from one end of the arc to the opposite end of the arc. You may install two meters and have a voltage reading in each direction.
    Cheap dc meters are in the link.
    [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
    Reply With Quote
     

  16. Thanks eastof111 thanked for this post
  17. Collapse Details
    #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    North Bay Ontario
    Posts
    68
    Post Thanks / Like
    I connected my Greenlee DM 820 digital meter across the actuator motor terminals and read 32 VDC. Trying to get a picture uploaded.
    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.
    Reply With Quote
     

  18. Thanks el bandido thanked for this post
  19. Collapse Details
    #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, Ga.
    Posts
    8,191
    Post Thanks / Like
    My notes say the stock ASC1 will deliver about 1 amp of current at 32 volts dc. My notes also show 37 vdc measured at the ASC1 bridge rectifier without any load. So the voltage on a stock ASC1 drops by a very noticeable amount, even with a small current load.

    I have tested this new power supply to 4.5 amps of current at 35.5 volts. That should be more than I will need, so now the task of installing it inside the ASC1 will start.
    Reply With Quote
     

Page 1 of 7 123456 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •