SATbazar

Motor Stab 120
[Stab 120]

105.00 EUR

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer
ZStab S.n.c., I-44031 Ambrogio-Ferrara
Type
Stab Rotor Sat HH120
Product description
Horizon-to-horizon mount with DiSEqC
Supported DiSEqC version
1.2
Rotation angle
120° (+60°/-60°)
Connectors
F-type
Finetuning
manual or auto-focus
Satellite positions
max. 49
Preprogrammed positions
20
Max. dish size
120 cm
Power
13/18 Volt
Consumption in standby
50mA
Consumption in operation
200mA
External temperature range
-40/+80° Centigrade
Maximum humidity
100%
Connections
Coaxial cable

For more information, please visit this products webpage.

This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 13 January, 2004.

Product's review

Stab Rotor Sat HH120

Many satellite hobbyists once started with a simple fixed dish. Later on, they wanted to receive more than one satellite - a dual feed installation was to follow. As soon as most people discovered TSI and the frequency lists, which were carefully examined, one would understand that there is even more, whether analogue or digital. So after a proper time of investigating what would be the best solution, one would install a polar mount and an actuator to perfectly align the dish to other satellites as well. The installation may have been rather simple but the wiring probably kept you busy for quite a while.

Once upon a time, or rather: a couple of years ago, Eutelsat developed DiSEqC [Digital Satellite Equipment Controller], a simple system to control any part of a satellite reception system over the one cable that is needed anyway: the co-axial cable. Today, almost every receiver supports DiSEqC, which can also be used to control a motorised dish. However, the actuator must be DiSEqC compatible, of course. DiSEqC is a standardised system and the level 1.2 is its latest version.

Utilising a transparent protocol, special features can be added by any manufacturer easily without interfering with other functions. Stab's Rotor Sat HH100 is the first and only actuator to work with the DiSEqC 1.2 protocol as the new universal standard. It arrived just in time when we needed to motorise a 120 cm dish. We have tested it immediately, and here are the results.

The HH100 has been designed to be used with dishes of up to 1 meter in diameter. Great of course, but we are talking about a 120 cm dish. We installed it anyway and it appeared to be no problem at all. In fact, the manufacturer actually acknowledged that the HH100 can indeed be used with dishes of up to 120cm. Most satellite enthusiasts know that the same channels encrypted on major satellites can also be found 'open' on other, less known satellites.

Others may find it interesting to catch Reuters newsfeeds, or those from WTN and APTV. Therefore, a motorised dish is even more to be desired in digital times. Although actuators are not really new, you always used to need an extra cable and a positioner. And even when the motor supported DiSEqC, it was most of the time only simple east/west control. Now, the HH100 offers up to 49 programmable satellite positions between +60° and -60°. Although this is not truly horizon-to-horizon, because this would need about 15° more, for the majority of viewers this will do fine. In many regions of the world you would need a larger dish for the 'missing' satellites anyway.

The HH100 supports DiSEqC level 1.2 and therefore offers a lot more than simple east/west movement. A special feature of the HH100 is the auto-focus, which will ensure precise positioning of the dish to a certain satellite. Twenty positions of the most common satellites, together with the east and west limits, are preprogrammed. Have you ever experimented with an analogue receiver and a DiSEqC control?

You may have noticed a black screen when you were changing the dish's position. Reason was that the motor was taking too much power from the receiver, so nothing was left for the LNB to operate. Result: LNB without power, and therefore a black screen. Most motors use about 300mA, not leaving enough for the LNB. The 22kHz control signal could also sometimes be disturbed when passing through the motor. The power consumption of the Stab is only 200 mA. This leaves enough power to serve the LNB at the same time. For elderly receivers without DiSEqC protocol and with too low LNB-power, Stab supplies a additional interface which solves this problem. Since not every receiver has DiSEqC version 1.2 or any DiSEqC after all, this interface takes care of this as well. However, most of the recently introduced receivers support the DiSEqC 1.2 standard.

The HH100 is built very sturdy, solidly and specifically designed for the job. It achieves lasting reliability even in the most adverse and critical conditions. The mechanical part is being driven by a powerful motor. The housing protects it from all weather influences, so even on a cold winter morning you will not find your dish frozen and unmoveable. During our tests, we did not notice moist or water ingress under any conditions.

Although there is some room for tolerance in the mechanical part, this will in practice not exceed 1°. The motor can move the dish at a speed of somewhere between 1.6°/s and 2.5°/s, which is a good compromise. At this speed, satellites are quickly found and positioned to while the motor's noise output is kept down to very acceptable levels. Too much speed would also increase the centrifugal force exerted on the system, increasing its wear and tear.

The installation of this motor is fairly simple. Simply mount the motor on top of the existing mast and position it towards the true south. Usually, you can use a satellite to do this alignment - however, which one you should take depends on your location. (You can use a compass as well, of course.) Adjust the mount to the proper elevation of your southern satellite and connect the motor to the receiver and the LNB. The motor will then extract everything it needs from the data stream and let all other information sent to and by the LNB pass unharmed.

Conclusion
It is one of the most solid motors we have seen so far, offering much functionality since it supports DiSEqC 1.2. Because this new standard will be implemented by most manufacturers within a very short period, it is the very motor for now and the future. Dishes up to 120 cm can be positioned by this motor, making it a valuable addition to any digital or analogue installation for Ku-band reception. [C-band antennas usually have to be larger than 120 cm in diameter.] The optional interface can take of a separate power supply for the motor, so elderly receivers can be used as well. To cut a long story short, the HH100 is an ideal motor for existing as well as for new satellite dish installations.