AZBOX AZ BOX PREMIUM+ (NO SINAL - NO QUALITY)

chasmtl

Member
Original poster
Dec 5, 2012
8
0
Montreal
Have been running a Manhattan with no problems. Decided to upgrade to AZBOX PREMIUM +. Cannot get any signal or quality. Thought it might be an incompatable 1X4 diseqc 1.0 switch so I changed it to a 1X8 1.1 switch. Everything works perfectly with my Manhattan but I cannot get any signal or quality reading on the AZBOX. Changed to the latest firmware via USB and still have the same problem. Has anyone had the same issue and been able to correct it?
 
Since you do not have a signal reading, you are not communicating with you LNB. Some suggestions: Check cabling, be sure connectors are tight and making good contact. Check your settings on the AZ Box, especially, the frequency. Be sure you tuner is seated properly. If still no results give more information about the box and the settings you are using. Those are just a few suggestions, the Premium+ is an excellent FTA box-- Good luck.
 
chasmtl,

Are you using a fixed point dish or a motorized dish? Ku or C-band?
Have you downloaded and read the "A-Z Guide for AZBox" yet?
Are you certain that you connected the cable to the LNBF-IN jack and not the LOOP-OUT?
In your set up menu, do you have the correct LNBF type selected and is the LNBF power set to ON?
Do you have the switch type and routing mapped out correctly for your system?
Do you have a valid sat and TP list installed?
Is this your first time to set up this AZBox, or was it working before and has quit on you?

First, bypass all switches for troubleshooting and run one single cable direct to one known good LNBF on a dish aimed at a well known sat with good reception.

There are a lot of things to consider, but we will find the problem in short order if you can provide as many details as you possibly can.
The AZBox is an exceptional FTA receiver, with high quality manufacturing, so I doubt that there is any defect. It is a bit squirrely in some aspects and you have to get to know it well.
I suspect that you simply have a setup parameter incorrectly programmed, but it is too early to diagnose anything without more information.

Check everything and report back with all that information and we can continue on. If I am personally not on line, there are LOTS of folks here that know this machine well and they will be eager to assist!

RADAR
 
Thanks so much gentlemen.

After giving this a go several times with no luck I went throught the checklist RADAR provided and found that I was plugging into the LOOP OUT. Just looking at 97 west presently and getting a 60-70 percent signal quality.
The quality on my Manhattan reciever was reading 70+. Looking forward to learning more about this unit.

chasmtl
 
Thanks so much gentlemen.

After giving this a go several times with no luck I went throught the checklist RADAR provided and found that I was plugging into the LOOP OUT. Just looking at 97 west presently and getting a 60-70 percent signal quality.
The quality on my Manhattan reciever was reading 70+. Looking forward to learning more about this unit.

chasmtl

Chasmtl,

Good catch on the port connection! That was an easy fix.

That % SQ sounds reasonable. I think you can do better with the dish/motor alignment to hike up your signal quality % on the AZBox, but I wouldn't fret about it too much at this time.
Get to know your new AZBox reciever first. It will take some time as there are many items to cover and become accustomed to. You can get that accomplished with the signal quality level that you are receiving now. On down the road, when the weather is nice for you, you might want to tweak your alignment a bit and boost your signal quality a tad. I say to wait because you need time to get adjusted to the AZBox and you might be reporting the signal quality from one of the weak TPs or your motor setup within the AZBox might require some fine tuning, so don't rush out and tweak anything mechanical at the dish immediately until you figure out some of the other stuff on this receiver. Are you using a motor or are you on a fixed point dish at this time?

I'll provide a word of caution here for you. Aligning your dish, and motor if you are using one, is not really top notch using the AZBox. The meter is slow to respond, so keep that in mind with your project.

I am now glad that I mentioned the point regarding the LNB-IN and the LOOP-OUT ports since that turned out to be your problem. I ran across this "oops" myself because I had an AZBox Premium and then bought the Premium Plus. For some reason Opensat reversed the position of these ports between the two models (well, whomever designed the tuner module did so). Therefore, everytime I swap out the Premium for the Premium Plus, I have to double check what I am doing because the port positions are reversed. I found it to be confusing in the beginning. I am used to the difference now, but I still have to spur myself to check this when I am swapping receivers in and out. When you are thinking about something else, it is easy to forget this item.

RADAR
 
Radar,

The AZBOX is definetly a great machine. However comparing it to the Manhattan I noticed the blind scan is slower. In addition it is not as sensitive and toes not download channels on weaker transponders. I have 3 fixed dishes with multiple lnbs. Due to the terrain in my area I have a weak signal on 125. The Manhattan plays all the PBS stations however the AZBOX downloads only one plus the Claro scrambled channels. Do you know if this is something inherent in the hardware or can it be improved with a software modification? I like the fact that the AZBOX plays 4:2:2 which allows me to see the Canadian wild feeds on 107.3.

Chasmtl
 
Radar,

The AZBOX is definetly a great machine. However comparing it to the Manhattan I noticed the blind scan is slower. In addition it is not as sensitive and toes not download channels on weaker transponders. I have 3 fixed dishes with multiple lnbs. Due to the terrain in my area I have a weak signal on 125. The Manhattan plays all the PBS stations however the AZBOX downloads only one plus the Claro scrambled channels. Do you know if this is something inherent in the hardware or can it be improved with a software modification? I like the fact that the AZBOX plays 4:2:2 which allows me to see the Canadian wild feeds on 107.3.

Chasmtl

I believe that it is a hardware issue, with the tuner, which is designed and built by a consigned company. If it were a firmware or software problem, I think they would have compensated for it by now.

On another point, you can enter the data for the channels you want (as opposed to scanning) and they will come in for you most of the time.

RADAR
 
It's a tricky machine to get used to, but it does have some great tools, that other receivers do not have. Now, if we could just get the YouTube problem corrected.
 
It's a tricky machine to get used to, but it does have some great tools, that other receivers do not have. Now, if we could just get the YouTube problem corrected.

A new firmware version which will correct Youtube issues plus a few other things will be available very soon...
 
Thought I would add to this thread, kind of a related issue:
Almost all the time (last two or three firmware versions) when I boot up the Ultra from a cold state, it will go to the last channel but no signal or quality reading shows up. Seems that there is no LNB power or the receiver isn't operating. After switching TPs once or twice (same sat or a different one) then all of a sudden the satellite signal comes up as normal. I haven't checked for voltage at the IF port yet so I can not confirm a voltage issue. Mostly just curious if anyone else has experienced this or if it is something hardware related on my end.
 
Cham, it sounds like it may be a switch/power problem. For example, my Star Choice dual satellite quad output LNBs work fine with a 4x1 DiSEqC switch, but they don't get enough power through the EMP Centauri 8x1 DiSEqC switch. It does the same as you get, no signal and no quality. It has done this when the 8x1 was on the Pansat or the AZBox. The LNBs are on a 4x1 to the Pansat and on the 8x1 to the AZBox. Just have to tune in one of the satellites on the Pansat, and then I get signal on the AZBox for both satellites. Only rarely can I tune to one of those satellites without the Pansat also being tuned on that LNB.

So, try and figure out whether it is a switch problem, whether it only does it on certain satellites, etc. As well, I see you have a MicroHD which is connected to one LNB that is also connected to the AZBox. If it does it on that LNB, check if it does it when the MicroHD is also turned on and tuned to that satellite.

Since you do get the signal back after changing transponders/satellites, it may just be that the DiSEqC commands aren't kicking in for some reason.
 
Forgot I posted the above in this thread... also posted the same (only after a few tests in the "New Firmware.."thread)... so sorry about duplication. After I posted the above I checked the LNB (IF) connector on the receiver after re-boot. I only get about 2v until I wait for a minute or two, or play with the channels/TPs. I had at first thought about the diseqc switch that is in line but it seems there is another issue. Seemed to start after I upgraded to the latest firmware.

Only happens at cold power-up or re-boot. No problems when coming out of sleep mode. Seems consistent, at least for the last month or so.
Tried a full re-install and format application area thing and loaded the previous firmware... which made no difference. I am back to the latest firmware now and re-loaded the original user files.

Tried the MicroHD on the same feedline, no problems; but the AzBox had the same issue when attached where the Micro was... so not likely switch or antenna related, IMHO. I can live with it as long as this isn't indicative of a failure in the near future!
 
That is strange that it does it on the soft REBOOT. If it was a power issue (like the old tube technology where sometimes things took a bit to warm-up) then you would think that everything should be well charged when doing a soft REBOOT.

Just out of curiosity, go into Settings, TV Channel, and change "Always start in TV mode" to OFF. Then when you do a cold start, and it goes into the Settings screen on start-up, does the channel come in immediately when you go to TV mode?
 
Kieth you may have something there!
I had left the "always start in TV mode" to "off". Just for fun I set it to "on" and re-booted. LNB voltage fired up immediatly.
Second test, shut down the receiver for a few minutes and booted it up again. Instant on.
Guess that fixed my problem. Was hoping it wasn't a hardware issue. Strange it would act that way though. Will have to remember that setting next time I upgrade firmware or re-format.
Much appreciated!
-C.
 
Very interesting! I'm glad that seems to have fixed it. I wonder whether the Priority Manager V1.8 by Buyukbang, which tries to reduce usage of resources (for example, it turns off the TV mode after a certain amount of time when you are watching a movie/video), doesn't turn on all resources for the TV mode if you boot up with the "Always start in TV mode" turned to OFF, and therefore, took a bit of time to instigate them when you did go to a channel.

Either that or there was a glitch that was corrected by the change!

Whatever it was, hopefully it has been corrected for good!
 
I have had this problem off and on with the AZ Box Premium Plus. No signal of any kind on the meter, but I would go to the Quali TV and now the Traxis 6000HD and get a strong signal that scans in. The other night this happened and I forgot to clear the menu on the AZ Box, between peroids I went to do that and the signal was booming. I had messed with it for about 10 minutes or so before I went to the Traxis. The signal did come it, but it took a long, long time. I look at this as an AZ Box Premiun Plus just being an AZ Box Premium Plus. I know the regular users of the AZ Box Prem Plus don't like it when I say this, but man, I hate that receiver.
 

GEOSATpro microHD and Standby Mode..LNB

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