Azbox ME problems

GenBap

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Apr 25, 2011
162
0
Southeast Missouri
Got my Azbox from Rick. Great service and quick mailing. Set up the box and was loading satellites when the front panel started reading gibberish and then I was completely locked out. Rebooted and was allowed to use remote shortly then spazed out again leaving me locked out - no response at all from the box. So here is what I have done:

1. rebooted several times - sometimes I am allowed to work briefly often it either says Azbox Me before spazzing and sometimes it just spaces right up front. I can make it work a little longer by unplugging the unit and letting it sit without power for awhile but eventually the front will show gibberish and then freeze.
2. opened box to check for loose connections. Other places on the internet stated that Azbox had these kind of problems. All appeared to be good.
3. Installed/re-installed Azbox Me E2 RTi Core v.1.8.1
4. Installed OpenRSi OpenPli 2.1 with kernel openrsi.org/kernelfiles/me/azboxme-kernel-20120204.img.
5. Put new batteries in remote.

Repeat after being encourage to do so by other users. This time with RTi E2 1.8.1 again. Usually locks me out between 4 and 6 minutes. Same sequence gibberish on face, blank, remote will get no further response. After hard reboot (rocker) will almost immediately lock up. After unplug for a few minutes I can usually get 4-6 minutes again before lock up.



It is a Saturday so Rick did not answer (I don't blame here there). Thought someone in the community may have had similar problems and knew a fix.
 
i think my new azbox has power problems. when i leave it on for about 50 minutes several channels die. both are ones that did not scan in with blind scan so i created the tp's and couldn't find q on them. had the unit turned off while i hooked up the s9 and the s9 got both of them at high signal strength. then i thought i had to reboot when i added tp's. after a while i went back to escapes and had no signal. went back to the s9 and had plenty of signal. then back to the azbox. hmmmm. good signal from escapes so played around with the azbox doing different things. about 45 minutes and no escape again. so powered down the azbox till 2030 tonight. at 2120 lost signal. gets a little scratchy and then about couple of minutes later, it is no signal. that is channel 22 on 99w where escapes is. go to channel 1 which is kcwy and it is fine. i will check it tomorrow again but it's done it three times now. charlie
 
Seems like Azbox Me is not as good as everyone wants it to be.

My older and original model Elite works like a champ. Heck no blind scan but no problem. I use an Openbox for that. :D

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
 
GenBap,

Unplug your power and cables and place the receiver in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, then retest it and see how long it takes for the failure to begin to show again.

I am thinking that you're porcessor is running too hot or that it is faulty or that a power supply component is crapping out under just mere warm temps. It definitely sounds tempature related to me. The fridge trick may help to prove that. Another trick is to use a low temp hair dryer to heat certain areas of the unit (with the cover off) and see if one particular area is more prone to the heat. Or, if you can find a few cans of electrical grade "FREEZE MIST", you can chill certain components individually. Freeze mist is a aerosol gas that gets extremely cold when it is released from under pressure in the can.

If that's the case, try to return it for warranty.

RADAR
 
Try installing the official AZtrino factory firmware instead of these third party firmwares to see if it's the firmware or a hardware issue on your box. We just released version 1.75 of AZtrino North American edition which has numerous fixes including blind scan and a pre-installed American satellite list.


Regards,

PwrSurge
AzBox Canada
 
Well not an xml file problem. Please understand, I really like this box. Very, very sweet. Used it for two days nonstop, even left in playing overnight with cover off - no problems. Decided all was well this morning and put the top back on and had the same problem as before - everything continues to work but the front panel lcd and power button shut down and the remote ceases to work. Took lid back off and used it hard all afternoon - channel scans, etc. with no problem. Put the lid back on this evening and the front panel shut down within 30 minutes if not within 15. Hoping a usb fan will keep it cool enough to put the lid on but unsure where it will fit once I put in a hard drive. Also did not care for the Aztrino NA version - still much prefer Azbox Me E2 RTi Core v.1.8.1. Needless to say the top is off now and I am enjoying the best picture I have ever see from my satellite.
 
GenBap,

You should return it for an exchange. Some receivers may run hot and require you to position it in your entertainment center so that it gets plenty of ventilation, but you should never have to operate it with the cover off. That is telling me that there is a component that is failing and stresses out most under heat. It will probably fail totally in the future. Return it for a warranty exchange and then you will not have to fret over the situation.

RADAR
 
I am going to return it today. Oddest thing - it works great with top off but no more than 30-45 minutes before VFD locks up with lid on. I added a HD and got everything set up and did a backup so that when the new box comes in I will just have to add the HD and update and be ready to go. Very nice box - great picture. It does not do all I wanted especially in the upnp area streaming from my home computer but still pretty satisfied.
 
I am going to return it today. Oddest thing - it works great with top off but no more than 30-45 minutes before VFD locks up with lid on. I added a HD and got everything set up and did a backup so that when the new box comes in I will just have to add the HD and update and be ready to go. Very nice box - great picture. It does not do all I wanted especially in the upnp area streaming from my home computer but still pretty satisfied.

GenBap,

I know that it is the wisest thing for you to do (returning the box for a warranty exchange or repair). They understand when they offer such a great guarantee and warranty on their product that it will be inevitable for a few to fail due to some electronic component that doesn't meet par. Heck, as great as OpenSat is with their products, I believe that they would even honor their warranty if it was something that was your fault (barring smashing it with a sledge hammer or something like that). That would be abvious abuse and no one should honor that.

I have dealt with the OpenSat service techs and support people directly through a few issues and they certainly treated me well! I cannot tell you how impressed I was with their service to me as a far-away customer. Sincerely, they went far out of their way to keep me happy with my AZBox'es and I am very proud to own them knowing that they really DO stand behind their products.

I want to go on record here to support a couple of other companies. However, before I say anything at all, I want to let it be known, in all fairness to the other sponsors of this site, that I am not omitting any sponsor from this discussion because I ever had any trouble with them, but merely because I have either never purchased anything from them nor had to to contact them for any reason. I believe that they will all understand that.

Now, to proceed with my point, the other companies that have really been TOP NOTCH in my book for customer support are SatelliteAV, Sadoun's and Applied Instruments.

I could list most of the people from these companies right off the top of my head (as if they were as familiar to me as my neighbor). These folks are the best! They will assist you with any troubles or training required with "THE PATIENCE OF JOB". I wish they had manufactured my car and my computer, too! :)

I give all the companies and sponsors that I have mentioned here major marks in all aspects of quality of service and support. For the sponsors of this site that I have not yet dealt with personally, I trust that your service is the same because YOU ARE HERE and you are listed as a trusted sponsor by all the people that I have come to know as my friends, neighbors and trusted advisors!

You just cannot go wrong with SatlliteGuys! :)

I beg your pardon... SatelliteGALS TOO! :) (That's for all the ladies here but expressly for Dee_Ann!)

RADAR
 
Awesome! I am sure you will enjoy having the new box w/o the problem and it will last you a long time.
I have several AZBoxes (Premiums and Premium Plus models) and they run 24/7 and never have trouble
with heating issues, etc.

RADAR
 
after i found out about the enable fan button in setup, i haven't had any more problems with mine. i like also that the fan quits when i put it in the sleep mode. glad that genbap is being fixed up. charlie
 
after i found out about the enable fan button in setup, i haven't had any more problems with mine. i like also that the fan quits when i put it in the sleep mode. glad that genbap is being fixed up. charlie

Never knew the Me had an inbuilt fan. Where did you find the enable fan feature?
 
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