I just realized.....

[stogie5150]

I been doing FTA for over 10 years....wow...


Hey Y'all....yes I'm still kickin.....still rockin my Paraclipse 12 footer....and my Birdview...haven't done much lately FTA wise....the dishes just...work. Although tonight I blew a dish mover box....Didn't realize there isn't much out there except Brian's ASC box...What y'all using to move your dishes nowadays?

 

[Jason S]

Started with FTA in 2014 and a dish farm quickly bloomed...

My first and only dish mover has been the Titanium ASC-1. Programming was pretty easy and works great with my Manhattan and Amiko receivers. Overall, no complaints or problems after almost 3 years of continuous service.

 

[waylew]

Been receiving signals from space since 95 or 96,don't remember exactly.
Still using my DSR 922s to move the dishes.

 

[Lone Gunman]

Stogie those "cheap" dish controllers are still around, only not so cheap anymore. Last one I bought came from the guy in Canada over a year ago and was around $65 IIRC. I just looked and now he's asking $90 for one and another guy is getting $100 for them? WTF??

What happened was both WSI and DMSI STOPPED selling that inexpensive FTA equipment a few of years back and this is what you wind up with!

 

[bpalone]

You can't go wrong with Titanium's ASC1. Been very happy with mine.

 

[stogie5150]

I went ahead and pulled the trigger on an ASC 1...I've never known Brian to sell anything that wasn't good...

And Gunman, I SMOKED and old vbox I had lying around..hooked it up, pressed the button....therewith it emitted the magic smoke....LOL...I'll be damned if I am giving someone a hunnert bucks for that....

 

[Magic Static]

For future reference there are several versions of the VBox II out now. Under different names , Super Jack, Moteck, VBox II In the $55 ~ $70 range. I have not heard anything about them. I'm curious to know how the firmware is laid out in those. If it's the same as other versions of the VBox and which ones.

 

[Lone Gunman]

Magic the Moteck that I got from the guy in Canada works very similar to the WSI Powermax Vbox X models that I've had. The DMSI Vbox 7s that I've got are slightly different in how they work compared to the Vbox X models.

But in reality, the PC boards in them look pretty much the same as do the components that are used on them. IMHO there's not a nickles worth of difference between the 7, X or the Moteck.

And just an FYI, the ones that I've had go bad have been mostly because of lightning damage and I'm not sure an ASC-1 would have survived that either.

 

[Magic Static]

The difference between the VBox X and the VBox 7 (late model with plastic I/O panel) makes the latter not worth a nickel IMHO. When you send a VBox X to a position it double checks the count and if it over run the position it will back up to the correct count and display your position. If you drive one click off the position it will display the count. Drive it back to the position that one click and it displays the position number.
The VBox 7 (and the GBox) will go to a position and display that position number even if it has over run the position. It does not check to make sure it has arrived at the correct count but displays the position it was last sent to irregardless. If you drive one click away it displays the count number it is at. If you drive it back to the programmed position it does not display the position number, only the count. It only displays the position number of the last request to move to a position. It does not display positions when you manually drive to that location Other than that your observation on build and quality is essentially correct, "Not a nickels difference"

 

[. Raine]

I use a ASC1 and a Vbox 7 (5 years old) , the ASC1 is definitely a far superior unit and that's what I would get if I was looking to buy a mover.

The ASC1 is touchy in the sense everything has to be right with your system, ground, good wires, etc. If your system is setup right as it should be, you should have no problems. I absolutely love how my ASC1 performs.

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

Has anyone compiled a list of receivers (STB or PCI or PCIe) that are 100% compatible with the ASC1? My TBS9622SE seems to make the ASC1 go bonkers but it looks like my old Azbox Elite works fine with it. Since the Elite doesn't do blind scan and since the TBS9622SE doesn't work well with the ASC1, I would like to buy a new receiver that won't mess up the ASC1.

 

[stogie5150]

I went ahead and got an ASC1...it should be here tomorrow...thanks y'all.

 

[Titanium]

Has anyone compiled a list of receivers (STB or PCI or PCIe) that are 100% compatible with the ASC1? My TBS9622SE seems to make the ASC1 go bonkers but it looks like my old Azbox Elite works fine with it. Since the Elite doesn't do blind scan and since the TBS9622SE doesn't work well with the ASC1, I would like to buy a new receiver that won't mess up the ASC1.

Doubt that the DiSEqC control issues are caused by the TBS card. The software used with tuner cards often have DiSEqC switching and motor control issues. I find the EBSpro software to provide excellent switch and motor control. The control signal parameters are adjustable to enable almost any switch and motor cascade.

Any receiver correctly implementing the DiSEqC 1.2 protocol is compatible.

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

Doubt that the DiSEqC control issues are caused by the TBS card. The software used with tuner cards often have DiSEqC switching and motor control issues. I find the EBSpro software to provide excellent switch and motor control. The control signal parameters are adjustable to enable almost any switch and motor cascade.

Any receiver correctly implementing the DiSEqC 1.2 protocol is compatible.

You're probably right but the only software for linux is Kaffeine as far as I know.

 

[Magic Static]

Well curiosity got the best of me and I had to know what a VBox II was all about. So I bought one. Not that I need another DiSEqC 1.2 box, but it's my hobby.
So $45 + $10 shipping I now have all my questions answered. For one it's an improvement over the last run of the VBox 7. It has a sturdier case design, larger connectors on the I/O panel and a heavier transformer with stronger mounting. It has been redesigned so that all components are now on a single board. The E & W and power switch are now on the main board. The only wire connector is from the transformer. The firmware is the same as the later VBox 7 While running some tests with my bench test motor I discovered the unit is good at stopping on the desired count, even at speeds over 40 counts per second. While this is still an inexpensive controller sold under any name, I'm glad to see the VBox recover a little quality in this version.

 

[DVB-S2]

Well curiosity got the best of me and I had to know what a VBox II was all about. So I bought one.

Can you tell us who your supplier was? They seem hard to find.

 

[Magic Static]

They seem to be all over the place. And so are the prices, but when you look at the specs that are listed by some dealers you start scratching your head, huh??? Things like 60 positions with 99 memories. Most of these eBay sellers don't really know what they are selling. The ones sold under the name Motech seem to have confusing specs.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I have ordered a few of them, and each time have received a different box despite the name. Unfortunately most of them have been JUNK and only lasted a few months.

 

[KE4EST]

Exactly why I stopped carrying them. The ones I got just kept getting junkier on the inside.
Then after a couple of returns, I was like well that does that. I don't want the name of the guy that sells junk controllers.