AMIKO Amiko A3 Owners Thread

[jorgek]

The specs on the barrel connectors look OK.
That is one ugly LNB ugh! What is it?

 

[Dee_Ann]

Oh the LNBF is an old school Primestar type. It's supposed to be quite good from what I've read.

 

[Titanium]

Try connecting only to a KU LNBF. Take the switches and multiple LNBFs out of line for testing.

Right now it appears that you may be powering both LNBFs and definitely both KU polarities at all times. This would account for the exceptionally high current draw displayed on your meter. If you continue to use a multi-switch for the KU LNBF, you best use a powered multi-switch instead of a passive version that requires quite a bit of power from any device.

The motor and LNBFs should present load value of approximately 75 ohms. Not sure why it is dropping to below 25 ohms. Likely the multi-switch is the cause, but it would need to be by-passed to test.

I really do not think that this problem is related to barrels or ground blocks. The Primestar LNBF is a great performer, but it is a power hog!

 

[Dee_Ann]

Try connecting only to a KU LNBF. Take the switches and multiple LNBFs out of line for testing.

Right now it appears that you may be powering both LNBFs and definitely both KU polarities at all times. This would account for the exceptionally high current draw displayed on your meter. If you continue to use a multi-switch for the KU LNBF, you best use a powered multi-switch instead of a passive version that requires quite a bit of power from any device.

The motor and LNBFs should present load value of approximately 75 ohms. Not sure why it is dropping to below 25 ohms. Likely the multi-switch is the cause, but it would need to be by-passed to test.

I really do not think that this problem is related to barrels or ground blocks. The Primestar LNBF is a great performer, but it is a power hog!

What about these? Would these work? I bought them quite a few months ago because they were in the sale section for a really good deal.
I wasn't sure what I would do with them but I bought them anyway.
They've just been gathering dust.

Honestly, I have no clue how to use them.

 

[jorgek]

I read somewhere else that a 22khz switch might pass power to both ports. This would certainly create the excessive current draw. Try bypassing it first and see what happens. But why is the Micro OK but not the A3?


I just tested 2 Ecoda 22khz switchs model EC-2111. I applied 20vdc to the input and both switches had 20 vdc on both output ports.

I know that both switches work correctly but strange test result. They are listed as power passing but all the time and on both ports?

 

[Titanium]

You got some nice multi-switches and insetters! Those aren't cheap!

The True Spec voltage inserter will provide proper voltage between the multi-switch and the Primestar dual output LNBF. This inserted power will eliminate the voltage and current draw from the receiver (or ASC1).

It would be better if the multi-switch had its own power as each inserted device can decrease the signal strength, signal quality and control signals.

 

[Chewie]

Hello Guys and ladies
I been trying to remove the back of the remote to install the strap that comes for the remote, has anybody been able to remove it? this thing just does not come off, what is the the best way so no damage is done.
Regards.
Tunder

 

[dougruss]

Hello Guys and ladies
I been trying to remove the back of the remote to install the strap that comes for the remote, has anybody been able to remove it? this thing just does not come off, what is the the best way so no damage is done.
Regards.
Tunder

You just slide the battery cover off and put the Lanyard Loop over that Tab and slide the Cover back on !

 

[Chewie]

Thanks doug
my wife nails worked better than mine, that cover is in-there tight, we manage to get it off.
Regards.
Tunder

 

[Dee_Ann]

I have no idea how I would apply the switches and power inserters (above) so I should start a separate thread for that since it isn't directly A3 related.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Brian, I got a video of the motor LEDs while it was moving.
I was extremely surprised that today the dish was moving on it's own without my meter in the middle.
However sometimes I would tell it to move and it would do nothing, I would have to click like 3 or 4 times before it would move.
This was random and not consistent. I was operating the dish with Spark2 on my little tablet, that was pretty cool, in the past I would have to run in and out of the house all day.

You can hear the motor speed up and slow down because during the motor move operation I would press the button for different channels, obviously higher and lower voltages being applied, on the fly.



I think the blinking red light was me trying to change channels while it was moving. Otherwise it was lit green which did not show well in the daylight.

 

[Titanium]

Did you change the switch configuration and add the power inserter as we discussed? I would expect continued problems with the set-up's high current draw that far exceeds any STB. Something is definitely wrong when the resistance drops to 23ohms and the current consumption skyrockets.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Did you change the switch configuration and add the power inserter as we discussed? I would expect continued problems with the set-up's high current draw that far exceeds any STB. Something is definitely wrong when the resistance drops to 23ohms and the current consumption skyrockets.

No, not yet. I'll probably tie into that tomorrow. I was out messing with it today but then I got blindsided with some unwanted news and I just threw everything in the blue box and called it quits for the day.
My ASC-1 should be here tomorrow so there's that happening soon.

The power inserter thing, I'm not sure how to go about that. I looked at some photos the original owner posted when he put them up for sale to see how to connect them up.

I reconnected them to the same as the original sellers photo.



I believe I see how they are to be used. I've never seen that power inserter used before so it was a mystery to me.
One problem I see with this is that it needs to be powered by 110. I have the original wall wart for them but there's the problem of having power OUT THERE.
I don't.

I'm trying to acquire a fancy above ground waterproof box and I had intended on digging up my underground PVC and put all new 4" PVC and run an extension cord through the pipe up into the enclosure.
But if I'm moving to a different home in a few months, I don't want to go to all that trouble. The other option I suppose would be to run two wires all the way from the LNB into the house. I'm not sure that's a good plan. Also it involves having to dig up and replace the PVC. So I guess until I'm told otherwise, I'm shouldn't make any gigantic efforts to change things around if I'm just going to rip it all out soon.

I don't really know what to do now. I guess just sit on all my stuff and wait to see if I move or not.

Maybe putting the ASC-1 inline will help for the immediate future without having to make any big changes?

Since my C-band is already up and somewhat usable it won't hurt anything at all to put a motor controller on it since that's only switching a few wires from the G-box to the ASC-1.

Also, I think I'm going to move my meter over to in front of my TV screen so I can record both the meter and what the screen is doing at the same time.

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

That was a problem I learned early on in my (never ending) learning days. So when I make connections I always make the copper center wire a little longer than normal.

If you have the coax center conductor protruding out more than 1/8" inch you are not making professional connectors.

 

[Dee_Ann]

If you have the coax center conductor protruding out more than 1/8" inch you are not making professional connectors.

I'm not a professional, just a hard headed hobbyist that's too dumb to know when to quit.

Here's the length I make my wires to. I bought all the proper tools so it strips the wire to the same length every time.

Example: (I can't translate decimals to fractions so I don't know if this qualifies or not but the mm button on the gauge says 5mm if that matters)

 

[Titanium]

Likely with that extraordinary current draw and a DiSEqC 1.2 motor to boot, the ASC1 will display "Over Current" and go into protection mode. There is something wrong out at the dish farm. Bad multi-switch? Bad LNB?

If AC power at the inserter is not an option, then it might be best to swap the passive multi-switch to a powered multi-switch that has the AC adapter inside and the DC runs through a regular dedicated coax run to the multi-switch.

 

[primestar31]

Start at the end of the chain, and disconnect one thing at a time. Maybe you'll get lucky and find out what the power-hog is right away.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Likely with that extraordinary current draw and a DiSEqC 1.2 motor to boot, the ASC1 will display "Over Current" and go into protection mode. There is something wrong out at the dish farm. Bad multi-switch? Bad LNB?

If AC power at the inserter is not an option, then it might be best to swap the passive multi-switch to a powered multi-switch that has the AC adapter inside and the DC runs through a regular dedicated coax run to the multi-switch.

I will think real hard on this. I THINK I understand what you are saying there. I need some time to process that and try to make sense of it.
When the ASC-1 comes in I'll set it aside awhile until I can brain me up a way to fix this.

 

[Dee_Ann]

 

[Cosmo Blatz]

I'm not a professional, just a hard headed hobbyist that's too dumb to know when to quit.

Here's the length I make my wires to. I bought all the proper tools so it strips the wire to the same length every time.

Example: (I can't translate decimals to fractions so I don't know if this qualifies or not but the mm button on the gauge says 5mm if that matters)

View attachment 101020

(1/8" is .125 decimal.) Your connector looks just fine! Nice work.
I've seen connectors (some sold commercially) with 1/2" sticking out. That's wrong.