Moved to new home in Geelong Vic with satellite dish Moteck VBox II

[astroguy]

Hi,

I am setting the satellite system in our new home. Pretty much a newbee when it comes to satellite TV equipment, however I have experience with computer equipment/software and electronics. The dish is a c band dish and is already connected to what looks like a Moteck VBox II controller? See pic. Anyone have a manual for this system? The controller has me a little confused, it seems to have two LNB F connector inputs, motor and sender terminals. One is labelled "To LNB", the other "Line Input, To Receiver". There is a Coax connected to Line Input To Receiver, nothing connected to LNB. I am guessing the Receiver Plug should have a wall plug outlet somewhere? There are wires connected to the motor and sensor terminals.
There is also a Foxtel dish attached to the house with a wall outlet and two F Connector plugs. The Foxtel Box is already plugged into these and working.



Regards,

[mtv]

The C-Band LNB/F connects to the 'LNB' port on the positioner. Depending on the wiring in your home, that will usually be to a wall outlet for the C-Band dish, or directly to the dish, if there's no wall outlet for that cable.

The 'Line Input' on the positioner should be connected to the C-Band satellite receiver. Eg: the LNB input connection of the receiver.

In other words, the positioner has just been inserted in the coax line between the receiver and the C-Band dish LNB/F.

You have not mentioned what satellite receiver you have for C-Band.

Your Foxtel installation is completely separate from the C-Band set-up.

[astroguy]

Thanks for the info. There does not seem to be any receiver in the home. Also, there is not any separate LNB cable or wall outlet in the cabinet. I am wondering if the LNB cable has been incorrectly plugged into the Line Input of the controller? Is there any way to test this? I was thinking of buying a cheap receiver to start with, such as the Openbox.

Does Foxtel use two outlets? I thought one of the wall outlets in the living room might for the c band receiver?

[mtv]

It's possible the cable has been connected to the wrong port.

You can physically follow it to see where it goes, but probably easier to check continuity with a multimeter between the connector insude and the connector at the dish.

If there's something in-between though, such as a splitter or multiswitch, that method will give you a false reading.

Yes, Foxtel requires two connections from the Ku-Band LNB/F as it has multi-tuners so it can tune both horizontal and vertical transponders independently.

[astroguy]

I found some more cables under the cabinet. One of them is marked satellite, could possibly be the LNB cable. Am I risking anything by plugging it into the controller? Also, is the dish position managed by the receiver, or only the controller? There does not seem to be any way to specify the dish position on the controller, is it automatic?

[mtv]

The positioner is controlled by settings in the receiver.

The positioner just recalls where to drive the actuator on the dish to match the satellite selected in the receiver.

No, connecting a cable to the positioner will not harm it.

You really need a receiver to see what's happening.

[astroguy]

Thanks for all the info, next is to get a receiver.