OTHER Best Blind Scan Receiver

I know this is a shot in the dark, but the channels in the LAFF MUX that won't come on has me wondering if they possibly switched to HD265 when they went HD. None of the receivers I have supports it. Is that possible? Also, is there additional remotes available for the Amiko Mini's?

According to my Linkbox 9000i, Laff is H.264, AC3 at 3890H12500.
 
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According to my Linkbox 9000i, Laff is H.264, AC3 at 3890H12500.

Um, that eliminates that theory. I assume you're getting a picture and audio? My receiver will scan in LAFF, Escape, Grit and Bounce, but nothing but a black screen. The signal level on all these channels is around 98/94, but they will not come on. I've done everything I know to do, including a factory reset on the receiver, but still no picture.
 
My receiver will scan in LAFF, Escape, Grit and Bounce, but nothing but a black screen. The signal level on all these channels is around 98/94, but they will not come on.
In my geographic area, I pull those and other local stations in through a non-satellite-ATSC receiver and added switch, HDMI, to switch between satellite and local receivers.

Guessing: I don't know as though signal quality can be seen on a receiver without pulling in the reception.
 
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Um, that eliminates that theory. I assume you're getting a picture and audio? My receiver will scan in LAFF, Escape, Grit and Bounce, but nothing but a black screen. The signal level on all these channels is around 98/94, but they will not come on. I've done everything I know to do, including a factory reset on the receiver, but still no picture.

Works fine here. Picture and audio are good.
 
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In my geographic area, I pull those and other local stations in through a non-satellite-ATSC receiver and added switch, HDMI, to switch between satellite and local receivers.

Guessing: I don't know as though signal quality can be seen on a receiver without pulling in the reception.

Where I live there are no local stations I'm able to receive due to the mountains. All the local stations are north of me and I'm on the south slope of the mountains. Everything goes right over us. Used to get a decent picture before the stations went digital, but not now.

These channels have a great signal, and they're locked, but will not come on. When I check the PID info, it matches the PID info listed on SatHint and Lyngsat. Not sure what's going on. Had them for a while even after they went HD, but lost them for some reason. Everything else on Galaxy 19 comes in, including Justice and BUZZR, but not these. Can't seem to find a solution. I've had 4 different receivers hooked up and it's the same thing. I'm kind of shooting in the dark at this point. :)
 
I don't know about receiving on the other side of a mountain. Have you used a reception-distance checker of your more specific location: tvFool.Com? Anything in green? Bigger omni-directional antenna? I went from a small 2 foot x 1 foot--very seldom dropping signal for minutes--to a medium 2.5' x 1.5 '--next to never dropping signal.

LNBF skew clockwise-counterclockwise?
 
I don't know about receiving on the other side of a mountain. Have you used a reception-distance checker of your more specific location: tvFool.Com? Anything in green? Bigger omni-directional antenna? I went from a small 2 foot x 1 foot--very seldom dropping signal for minutes--to a medium 2.5' x 1.5 '--next to never dropping signal.

LNBF skew clockwise-counterclockwise?

Been through all that. The signal just isn't there. Had a friend come out with a field strength meter and antenna, and he found nothing. BTW he works for the local cable company and used their site survey equipment. I installed a digital antenna and a converter box for a lady down the road. At first, she received 6 stations. Six months later, she was down to 2 unreliable channels that went in and out.

As it turned out, the local TV station had moved their transmitters 35 miles north of where they were, causing her to be behind the hill. I installed a 60 foot, telescopic tower half way up the mountain behind the house, and got nothing. Couldn't go higher, not my property beyond that point. Now the tower is being used for HAM radio. I also set and reset the skew hoping to hit the sweet spot. The channels are there, but won't come on.
 
[wvman] Someone able to watch the satellite video or turn the volumn loud enough if able to hear it at the dish, while tugging the top of the dish, then bottom, left, right to see if the full-reception comes in? Reception from a transponder on the same satellite can require a very fine degree difference from other transponders on the same satellite, to pickup all transponders. Aware Signal Quality, not Signal Strength, is what determines display/tv reception?
 
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[wvman] Someone able to watch the satellite video or turn the volumn loud enough if able to hear it at the dish, while tugging the top of the dish, then bottom, left, right to see if the full-reception comes in? Reception from a transponder on the same satellite can require a very fine degree difference from other transponders on the same satellite, to pickup all transponders. Aware Signal Quality, not Signal Strength, is what determines display/tv reception?

Picking up the transponder is not the problem. I'm getting a 98/94 signal/quality level on these channels, but the screen is black, no picture. It's like the video format is wrong. When I was running a GeoSat Pro HDVR 1200 receiver, I used the "Manual Add Channel" function to preprogram a channel when looking for a particular satellite. When I hit the satellite, the channel would come on.

On ocassion when programming a channel, I'd accidentally pick the wrong video format, like MPEG when it should have been MPEG-2, which would leave me with a black screen, even though everything else was correct. Once I corrected the video format, I had a picture. I've picked up and pulled down and both directions on the side of the dish and it didn't make a difference. I've even adjusted the skew both directions in small increments and that made no difference.

I just did a transponder scan using the PID info. When it finished scanning, it showed it found a channel and went to channel #15, which in one of the channels with the black screen. The only thing I haven't tried is deleting all the transponders in the list and then doing a blind scan to let it pick up the transponders. I'm missing something, but not quite sure what it is. :)
 
Haven't tried the SX88.

The 1978 is good for fixed dishes, but not a good choice for motorized dishes. The satellite and channel lists don't have "OK" function to select, so as you scroll through a list, the motor is constantly moving all over the place. There were supposed to be updates to fix the problem, but it has been several years now, so I wouldn't expect any updates. Other than that, it has been a good receiver.
 
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I haven't used either of those receivers so my opinion is based on my personal experience with other Amiko receivers (and the support provided here by KE4EST) as well as what I've read on other sites about the other two models.

Others will have different opinions but If I were looking for another basic H.265 receiver right now (without 4K capability), I'd buy the Amiko.
 
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