Social Feed

I am trying to change the sat location. The version that came with the plus allowed it. Usually it is only 1/10 or 2/10 just to peak it a bit

Swamp_Rat said:

I am trying to change the sat location. The version that came with the plus allowed it. Usually it is only 1/10 or 2/10 just to peak it a bit

Click to expand...

Swap Rat,

This is a major flaw in the AZBox programming. I have been disgusted with this operation for quite a while, so you are not alone. I know that at one time, when using a specific version of the firmware, you could make adjustments to the satellite position to help "tweak" it, but I cannot do so with the most recent version. Also, with the version that DID permit this, if you made some alterations like adding a new satellite or altering your longitude coordinate, one or more satellite positions would become corrupt (extremely). i.e. Changing AMC 21 @ 125.0°W to AMC 21 @ 63.0°. When that corruption occurs, you cannot alter it via the remote no way, no how, regardless of the firmware version. It allows you to change it, but when you command the receiver to accept the change, it automatically reverts to the corrupted position. In this case, the only recourse was to delete that particular satellite and re-enter it or have a back-up list where everything was pristine and reload that.

You might give the latest version of MazEdit (3.0.0) a try. I posted it yesterday in this forum. Use it at your own discretion as I haven't tested it too intensely, yet. So far, it is working nicely, but after having such bad luck with previous revisions of this editor, I am quite shy of it.

The AZBox is a really great receiver, but the firmware is "buggy". However, it is not "buggy" enough to give up on it, so hold tight and keep checking in with us as we are always experimenting and trying to resolve the problems.

RADAR

AcWxRadar said:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swamp_Rat
I am trying to change the sat location. The version that came with the plus allowed it. Usually it is only 1/10 or 2/10 just to peak it a bit

Click to expand...

Swap Rat,

This is a major flaw in the AZBox programming. I have been disgusted with this operation for quite a while, so you are not alone. I know that at one time, when using a specific version of the firmware, you could make adjustments to the satellite position to help "tweak" it, but I cannot do so with the most recent version. Also, with the version that DID permit this, if you made some alterations like adding a new satellite or altering your longitude coordinate, one or more satellite positions would become corrupt (extremely). i.e. Changing AMC 21 @ 125.0°W to AMC 21 @ 63.0°. When that corruption occurs, you cannot alter it via the remote no way, no how, regardless of the firmware version. It allows you to change it, but when you command the receiver to accept the change, it automatically reverts to the corrupted position. In this case, the only recourse was to delete that particular satellite and re-enter it or have a back-up list where everything was pristine and reload that.
...

Click to expand...

I was confused by what SwampRat was saying, and am confused about this response too.
Re the former, I wasn't sure if he was referring to some "MOVE" type command in the USALS menu, which some receivers have, but this is really a diseqC-1.2 command. I don't remember this being in any of the firmware versions I've used, but it may have been there. The other possibility of what he meant, was the ability to change the USER or SAT longitude, thus altering slightly where the dish goes. This, I AM able to do on my Azbox with the current firmware, so I'm confused as to why he can't do it if that's what he can't do.

Re this post, I've never observed what you describe. I've added satellites, and I've changed satellite and user longitudes with the remote back and forth without a problem. As a disclaimer, again, my Azbox isn't connected to a small dish with a diseqC/USALS motor, so all my experiments just involved the setup, and not the actual use, but the problems you describe and the OP describe seem more related to setup than actually moving the dish. Anyway, I'm still suspecting that people who experience problems like this may not have removed the original corruption from the default channel lists that came with the receivers, as I don't see these things happening. I see plenty of other issues with the receiver, but not these problems.

Off topic.... One of my main uses of the Azbox is to use the file manager tab to play video files that I have on one of the computers on my LAN. I've been doing this for months, and it works great, even with relatively high bitrate MPEG4 HD. However, I had an issue a couple days ago, where I tried playing a recording that had corrupted audio. I tried playing it on the Azbox, and it wouldn't play, saying unknown format, even though it was regular old MPEG4, which played fine on other players, except that the audio didn't work. Well, I fixed the audio issue on the file, which then played on other players, but the Azbox still said that it wouldn't play it, and the Azbox wouldn't play ANY file I asked it to play, each time saying that it was an unsupported format.
I rebooted the Azbox, and everything was back to normal, and it played all the files fine, but I just thought it was strange that trying to play a file with bad audio would completely hose the file manager function, while everything else such as playing live sat video worked fine.
I really like the Azbox, and think it's a very capable receiver, but it sure is the most unstable receiver I've ever used. Little things seem to upset the thing, requiring reboots or sometimes even reloading firmware, etc. I really hope that they eventually fix all the problems that exist with the Elite/Premier, and not devote all their efforts to getting the new Ultra/Plus models working. So far, their firmware updates seem to be for ALL models, but I'm not sure if the improvements are really affecting the old Elite/Premier models or just the new ones. I just hope that they don't forget that they have a responsibility to the owners of the old receivers that have NEVER worked as advertised, despite being the most capable receivers on the market.

Sorry guys, I was away from this the last couple of days.
Whatever firmware the Plus came with did allow me to edit the existing sat position to peak for the best quality in USALS. I could change position 101 to 101.2 if necessary by editing the satellite localtion in USALS to peak as my dish is ever so slightly off. The newest version does not allow any edit of the sat position. I would have to create a new satellite at that position if I wanted a slight move.
I just wanted to clarify this.
I think the stb is great it just needs a little software love.
My other complaint is I can not get it to lock RTN on AMC 9. The 9200 that came off it had it. I have peaked it a bit since I changed stb's and most of it is pretty close. I have from 30w to 125w and getting most of the channels. It still needs a bit more to get it all but it is close. I have the NBC color bars on 83 at 99 quality but not a wif of RTN. My 9200 had quality of just over 90 and RTN was as strong as can be.
What am I missing???

Swamp_Rat said:

Sorry guys, I was away from this the last couple of days.
Whatever firmware the Plus came with did allow me to edit the existing sat position to peak for the best quality in USALS. I could change position 101 to 101.2 if necessary by editing the satellite localtion in USALS to peak as my dish is ever so slightly off. The newest version does not allow any edit of the sat position. I would have to create a new satellite at that position if I wanted a slight move.
I just wanted to clarify this.

Click to expand...

I understood this complaint as I have observed the very same response from my box. At one time, I had tested this and it did allow me to adjust the sat orbital degree, but no more.

Swamp_Rat said:

I think the stb is great it just needs a little software love.
My other complaint is I can not get it to lock RTN on AMC 9. The 9200 that came off it had it. I have peaked it a bit since I changed stb's and most of it is pretty close. I have from 30w to 125w and getting most of the channels. It still needs a bit more to get it all but it is close. I have the NBC color bars on 83 at 99 quality but not a wif of RTN. My 9200 had quality of just over 90 and RTN was as strong as can be.
What am I missing???

Click to expand...

Swamp Rat,

In certain cases, the AZBox seems to be finicky regarding the TP frequency. Just for a test, try deleting the TP for RTN on AMC 9 and re-enter it with the TP freq adjusted by 1 MHz (i.e. if you had entered 11735, re-enter it as 11734 or 11736) and try scanning again. It seems very odd and annoying, but I had to do this on a few specific signals in the past.

This receiver is NOT like the Coolsat 5000 in this regard as I was able to adjust the TP frequency by +/- 5 or more MHz on the Coolsat and always retain the lock, but the AZBox wants it just perfect!

This edit and test doesn't take too much trouble, so it is worth a shot to try.

RADAR

Thanks Radar, I'll give it a shot when I get home tonight. Funny thing is it doesn't even scan a transponder in at or around 11735. I even deleted all but one on 83 as I have read of some issues with neighboring transponders and it still doesn't pick it up.
One other ? what is a good drive to use in these. I haven't put one in yet and thinking about going shopping. Does it just take a standard desk top drive?
I have seen a few posts from guys that have drives the Az won't recognize but that seems to be a format issue.
I am not sure if they don't come with one but I did not get an owners manual with the box when I purchased it so I have no destructions.

Marty

B.J. said:

I was confused by what SwampRat was saying, and am confused about this response too.
Re the former, I wasn't sure if he was referring to some "MOVE" type command in the USALS menu, which some receivers have, but this is really a diseqC-1.2 command. I don't remember this being in any of the firmware versions I've used, but it may have been there. The other possibility of what he meant, was the ability to change the USER or SAT longitude, thus altering slightly where the dish goes. This, I AM able to do on my Azbox with the current firmware, so I'm confused as to why he can't do it if that's what he can't do.

Re this post, I've never observed what you describe. I've added satellites, and I've changed satellite and user longitudes with the remote back and forth without a problem. As a disclaimer, again, my Azbox isn't connected to a small dish with a diseqC/USALS motor, so all my experiments just involved the setup, and not the actual use, but the problems you describe and the OP describe seem more related to setup than actually moving the dish. Anyway, I'm still suspecting that people who experience problems like this may not have removed the original corruption from the default channel lists that came with the receivers, as I don't see these things happening. I see plenty of other issues with the receiver, but not these problems.

Click to expand...

B.J.

I have removed/deleted everything (satellite and TP) that came stock with my AZBox and entered all my satellites and TPs manually (what a job). I didn't witness too many problems after that, but I never really had a reason to alter one specific sat's orbital position. I was following another thread related to this issue and read that you could simply "overtype" the orbital position to change this. I didn't have a reason to do so, but I tried it out and it worked fine. I kinda forgot about the issue since I didn't require it.

Then once, when I needed to adjust my site longitude because my azimuth had moved slightly, I changed my longitude entry to compensate, rather than going out to the dish and doing it mechanically. I later noticed that ONE of my satellite positions had become corrupt. I tried changing it back to what it should be, but it would not accept the change, no matter how I tried it. I simply deleted that satellite and re-entered it once again.

Now, I have saved the three main files and whenever a corruption occurs, I simply reload those files and reboot and try again. Since the corruption does not always occur, I can usually get my edits or additions in with one to three attempts, then I save the three main files once again so I always have a proper list backed up.

What is strange is that when I do try to adjust my site longitude in the menus, it almost invariably corrupts one satellite. Not every satellite, never two or three or half of them, it is always ONLY ONE satellite that gets messed up. And the satellite that is affected is random. It has no relation to the satellite that I might have been on at the time in any way. It is very strange and confusing.

When I ADD a new satellite, I don't always observe this problem, but it does occur from time to time.

I can do anything regarding editing/adding/deleting TPs and channels without a hitch.

Very weird, I know.

RADAR

Could be worse. I put on 4829 last night and it won't move move to USALS positions at all. I thought the motor had croaked, but it will move by manual diseq commands east or west.

v4890 is up!

AZBox Snapshots

fixed standby lnb power issue | fixed configuration file | fixed recording problem