RC3000 Support Page

Cutsheet
RC3000 Cutsheet

Manual
RC3000 Manual

Appendix Downloads
Beacon Receiver
RCI DVB Receiver
Prodig DVB Receiver
Hemsphere GPS Compass Option
PC Remote Control
Single Axis Compass
Tracking
Ephemeris (Two Line Element) Tracking
Ethernet (IP)

Troubleshooting Tips
Auto Locate (accuracy)
Battery
Compass
Fluxgate Compass
GPS
Idirect Modem
Jammed Error
Limit Switches
MTBF
Programming Satellites
Pulse Sensors
Remote Front Panel
Resolvers
Runaway Error
Software Upgrade
Stowing (troubleshooting)
Tracking













Auto Locate (accuracy) (back to top)

If you find that your controller is consistently auto locating inaccurately then you might have to adjust your offset. In the azimuth calibration screen, you will see a setting labeled "FG:" if your controller is consistently off by the same amount, you can simply put in an offset angle to correct your positioning. This is the same for each calibration screen (azimuth, elevation, and polarization).


Battery (back to top)

The RC3000 controllers have an internal battery that keeps the memory chip powered even when the unit is powered off or even unplugged. If the battery is low the controller will display a “low battery alarm”. It is easy to replace the battery. You can contact RCI or purchase somewhere else a Duracell DL2450BPK battery. Below you will find the procedure to change out the battery safely.
1. Power on the unit.
2. With the unit powered on pull out the old battery carefully.
3. Insert the new battery.
4. Your battery has been successfully changed out.

Fluxgate(back to top)

Not Communicating
An easy way to test for fluxgate communication is to go into the maintenance mode. This is done by holding down the mode button for 5 seconds. You will see a screen appear (most likely the expert access screen), press the mode button once and you will see a list (the maintenance mode). Select option #7 for FG COMM. If you see numbers and strange characters flow across the screen then your fluxgate compass is working correctly.

Not Accurate
If the fluxgate compass is not accurate then there are several things to check that can compromise the accuracy of the compass

The first thing to note is the location of the truck. If the compass is in an area that has high voltage lines near, re-barb in the ground, or anything else that could potentially throw off a magnetic signal then that could be the reasoning for the inaccuracy of the fluxgate.

Another thing to check is the calibration of the fluxgate compass. The compass comes calibrated from RCI, but sometimes the compass might need to be recalibrated. Refer to section 3.3.2.9 (page 126) entitled "Compass Calibration Procedure" to recalibrate the compass.

GPS(back to top)

If the GPS does not seem to be working there are a few things to check.
1. Make sure that the GPS is enabled in the CONFIG-System Definitions screen.
2. Check the GPS communication screen in the Maintenance menu (option 6).
3. Check the wiring from the GPS to the controller to make sure nothing has been spliced.

If the mentioned troubleshooting steps do not solve the problem, contact RCI Support for further evaluation.

Jammed Errors back to top

Jammed errors occur when the controller gives a command to drive a motor but does not sense feedback. Sometimes a jammed error occurs due to a mechanical jam. More often a jammed error occurs due to either faulty sensors or broken wiring.

In emergency situations, it might be necessary to temporarily disable jammed sensing due to a bad sensor or broken wire. This can be done in the CONFIG-Azimuth Drive and Elevation drive monitoring. To disable jammed errors, set the jam slop to a value of 0. Note: We do NOT recommend permanently disabling jammed errors since this is a precaution used to prevent damaging the antenna. Jammed errors should be evaluated and repaired immediately.

Runaway Errors (back to top)

Runaway errors occur when the controller senses pulse counts without giving a command to drive the motors. Most runaway errors occur due to improper wiring. Some things to check when getting runaway errors:
A. The shield should be grounded at the RC3000 controller and left open at the sensor side. Furthermore, a shield that is dangling loose in a junction box can still cause ground loops.
B. The shield should have continuity throughout the wire. A broken shield can result in runaway errors.
C. A cable that has no shield can also allow excessive noise through the line causing runaway errors.

The CONFIG-Azimuth drive monitoring and Elevation drive monitoring can be used to temporarily disable runaway errors. Setting the runaway slop to 1023 will disable runaway errors. Note: We do NOT recommend permanently disabling runaway errors. This should only be used in an emergency situation and repairs to the controller or antenna should be performed immediately.

Software Upgrade back to top

Software upgrades can be purchased from RCI. Generally software revisions have very minor changes, thus upgrades are not needed nor encouraged.

If you wish to obtain extra options for your controller (DVB Receiver, Tracking, Remote Control Interface, etc...) you may contact Research Concepts for a quote more details.


Stowing (Troubleshooting)(back to top)

Situation: Antenna will not stow.
There are several reasons why an antenna will not stow. I'll walk you through some steps you should take when troubleshooting your antenna.
1. Check to see if you can find your azimuth stow switch/position. You controller will indicate "stow" next to azimuth in manual mode when it sees this switch. If you are unable to find this position, you POT could be slipping and off centered. Visually check to see if your antenna is close or at the position it should be when it stows.
2. If your antenna is continually jamming on elevation when you stow, then your down limit switch is usually the problem. When the down limit switch becomes active, it ignores any kind of jammed error. You should check to see if your down limit switch is active by going into the LIMITS screen. If you find that your down limit switch is 0 when it should be 1 then you should check wiring and for functionality of the switch.
3. Another reason for your antenna jamming when stowing is that your inclinometer has been installed incorrectly. The inclinometer only has a certain operating range where it reads accurately. This range is accurate mainly when the antenna is up and looking for satellites. When stowing your antenna, you are running into the lower threshold where your inclinometer remains accurate. The controller might think that the controller is jamming because it might see a pause in the voltage. Because of this your down limit switch should become active before you reach the lower threshold of your inclinometer.