Changing the transmitter is very easy, four screws on one end and sometimes one on the other. A new 6 watt runs near $1000.
If you already ran a bypass transmit cable directly to the BUC and tried your modem on another system then the likelihood of it being the transmitter itself is very high.
-------------------- Don Marr WWW.OREGONRV.NET 541-683-5361 See where I am Country Coach Concept 40' F1 - D3|7000s|99W|LinkSys wireless with 1000mw WiFi amp & Ext. antenna Posts: 3414 | From: Eugene, OR | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
All this bad XPol discussion makes me wonder if it is the transmitter unit at all. Did some mud dauber insect get in there and build a nest? Is the little gold element in the Xmt feed assy bent? Cause you're problems are very strange.
I'd like to see a good spectrum analyzer on the LNB to try cross pol on the Rx, using the beacons on the satellite to make sure the feed assy is ok.
Then try a known good BUC, even if it is only an old 2 watt unit.
posted
I do have some good used 3W units for $100.
-------------------- Don Marr WWW.OREGONRV.NET 541-683-5361 See where I am Country Coach Concept 40' F1 - D3|7000s|99W|LinkSys wireless with 1000mw WiFi amp & Ext. antenna Posts: 3414 | From: Eugene, OR | Registered: Jun 2004
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The first night when we tried to get this unit online, I specifically remember saying to the tech that I was getting 9V at the transmitter side of the Tx coax cable. The tech at the time didn't say anything.
In reading the specs of the iDirect 3100, it's saying it should be 24v DC.
Well today, I grabbled the volt meter. Getting 18.7v on the Rx side at the modem and 9v out of the Tx.
So now I'm starting to think it's the modem.
Would that assumption be correct?
-------------------- Kevin Michael Reed Producer/Director/Photographer 24' Production Trailer Internet: F3 | D3 | iDirect 3100 | 101W/1440 ||| TV: DirecTV, Winegard Crankup (for now) Current Location: http://map.datastormusers.com/user3.cfm?user=7260 Posts: 26 | From: New York, NY | Registered: Apr 2008
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So here's an update of where I'm at. (FYI, I'm not quite sure what I'm saying here, so bare with me, I'm just explaining it as I think he explained).
After much diagnosis with tech support, we narrowed it down to the iDirect 3100.
I received a new iDirect 3100 yesterday, and brought it to the trailer today. Set it up, imported the options file, etc.... (On a side note, my issue was definitely the modem, or at least one issue, as I opened the old one and saw that the board was cracked... which I'm assuming caused the 9V Tx power issue)
Here's where I stand now - I can get on the network, but only after I use "Manual Motor Control" to rotate the Skew by +141.2618 degrees... The guy that I'm working with (since it's the weekend) knows very little about D3's so I'm waiting for a call back.
Basically, when he did the cross pol, we were 90 degrees off (meaning the Tx & Rx were the same, i think). So we used Manual Control to find a correct (perfect) polarization which got us to the 141.2618 degree number (which somehow equals the 90 degree offset?).
Before we got off the phone, he suggested I change both the Rx & Tx Polarization to Vertical. I did that, and I have a good receive signal, waiting on him to get back to me so we can see if it works --- but as I understand it, this SHOULD NOT work....
Anyone have any clue what's going on?
-------------------- Kevin Michael Reed Producer/Director/Photographer 24' Production Trailer Internet: F3 | D3 | iDirect 3100 | 101W/1440 ||| TV: DirecTV, Winegard Crankup (for now) Current Location: http://map.datastormusers.com/user3.cfm?user=7260 Posts: 26 | From: New York, NY | Registered: Apr 2008
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I have not been following this thread, but took a look at this latest post. That sounds strange on the skew. It reminded me at one point when I was having issues locking on Motosat had me check to make sure the skew motor was not wired backwards! They had me check the orientation of the LNB when the dish was stowed but I cannot find a record of the position it is supposed to be in. Seems like looking from the rear, the LNB should be at about the 2pm position.
posted
Before playing with the manual control, the LNB was in the 9:00/9:30 position when locked on the signal. After manually rotating, it was in the 2:00/2:30 position.
Skew Angle went from -72.72368 to 68.53815
-------------------- Kevin Michael Reed Producer/Director/Photographer 24' Production Trailer Internet: F3 | D3 | iDirect 3100 | 101W/1440 ||| TV: DirecTV, Winegard Crankup (for now) Current Location: http://map.datastormusers.com/user3.cfm?user=7260 Posts: 26 | From: New York, NY | Registered: Apr 2008
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Has this worked in the past without making that kind of a dramatic change? When the dish is stowed, where is the part of the LNB that connects to the coax cable (sort of L shaped thing) located? If you have it stowed and you are looking from the rear toward the front you will be able to see this part. From that perspective is the "L" at 2, 4, 6, 8 ,10 12 o'clock?
-------------------- Bill Adams Winegard Company Posts: 15779 | From: Traveling the Western US | Registered: May 2003
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Skew is set by the controller based on the H/V settings. If they are right, you are fine.
Now, here's an important point: The F3 CANNOT do V/V or H/H. It can only do H/V or V/H. I have not heard of an iDirect provider using V/V or H/H, but if they are you cannot use that service.
When you rotated it you didn't just change the LNB, you changed the BUC (transmitter) also. If it all worked it means that the settings you had in the controller were exactly opposite what was needed - you had V/H on an H/V service or vice versa.
posted
I'm having a similar problem: I haven't used my XF3 and 3100 (3100 purchased new last year this time) for a year. Used to work ok, now it doesn't.
Scott at Motosat sent me a new option file with new ip addresses, I guess something happened with ethersat a few months ago while I was not paying any attention and I needed annp update.
Still no TX.
I swapped the tx and RX cables at the 3100 and at the XF3 base to see if it was a problem with the coax. I suppose tomorrow AM I should check the voltage on the TX F connector.
Right now I have RX lock on 101 90 / 700+ on quality and level. But no TX.
Should I consider bypassing the tx cable from the base to the buck?
If my q year old 3100 or my 3 year old 4 watt BUC is toast I'm going to be bummed but I need to address this because I'm going to need that bandwidth in about 10 days -- this is the only time of year I really need sat bandwidth and I really need it.
If I need to buy a new 3100 or a 4 or more watt BUC who would you recommend I contact?
Going to be working with Scott on this in the morning.
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