Fortec Lifetime Ultra..dead i think....

[satellite_girl]

Woe is me.

I had my lifetime ultra on AMC-3 and everything was fine. I was going to move it over to IA-6 to learn about feeds.

But the signal meter on AMC-3 went inexplicably down to 23 %. I thought maybe the lnb arm had moved a bit since i had been tinkering with the dish so much. But it was fine...and the signal popped up again momentarily.

But then back down. I tried changing out cables and LNB's etc. to no avail.

ANyhoo my receiver is probably dead...and i understand from reading the threads today that the prices of receivers are up right now due to hackers.



So i guess i have to wait to buy for a bit....

This is my SECOND lifetime ultra....the first i fried myself on day one by trying to hook up a slave analog without really knowing much about it....okay that was my fault , but sometimes that is just the way i do things.

But this one i feel is not my fault. So i am getting gunshy about the fortec.

So what do you all think ---what receiver do you recommend? My goals are receiving feeds mainly so blindscans are a must.


thanks for your input!

 

[W_Tracy_Parnell]

The Pansat 3500s is highly thought of and still a reasonable price. Check the review section for more about it. The Coolsat is a great receiver but the price is up.

 

[RtpiFan]

Do you have a DiSEqC switch installed somewhere in your setup?
I had smillar problem while back was sure it was the receiver but turned out i had burnt out a switch.


Tony

 

[Shawn95GT]

The Pansat 3500s is highly thought of and still a reasonable price. Check the review section for more about it. The Coolsat is a great receiver but the price is up.

They must have hacked the PanSat too because it's price has shot up to $175 (from $140ish) to your door on ebay. Most auctions are asking more than that.

I just bought one and the auction was canceled while I was trying to bid.

The same seller re-listed it for $10 more .

I'm looking forward to component video .

 

[W_Tracy_Parnell]

Yeah, it is creeping up too but not as bad as the Coolsat. That jumped about $80 in a short time.

 

[PipeDream]

Woe is me.

I had my lifetime ultra on AMC-3 and everything was fine. I was going to move it over to IA-6 to learn about feeds.

But the signal meter on AMC-3 went inexplicably down to 23 %. I thought maybe the lnb arm had moved a bit since i had been tinkering with the dish so much. But it was fine...and the signal popped up again momentarily.

But then back down. I tried changing out cables and LNB's etc. to no avail.

ANyhoo my receiver is probably dead...and i understand from reading the threads today that the prices of receivers are up right now due to hackers.



So i guess i have to wait to buy for a bit....

This is my SECOND lifetime ultra....the first i fried myself on day one by trying to hook up a slave analog without really knowing much about it....okay that was my fault , but sometimes that is just the way i do things.

But this one i feel is not my fault. So i am getting gunshy about the fortec.

So what do you all think ---what receiver do you recommend? My goals are receiving feeds mainly so blindscans are a must.


thanks for your input!

Well, that don't sound like a dead Fortec Ultra to me.
Does it power up when plugged in and turned on?
Do you get a Menu screen on the TV?
Either of these and I doubt it is dead.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

HMm

I am wondering if mine has dies as well.

My is giving a level of 20% but 0% quality. Yet I know I am on a satelite as my FTA tuner card in my PC is locked on the satellite.

The Lifetime Utlra moves the dish fin from one bird to another with no problems (but again the Level stays at 20%)

I dont want to do a factory reset to the box as my FTA card does not have a way that I can see to move and fine tune the dish.

Any ideas?

 

[PSB]

I would motor back to your True South Zero position before doing anything to be on the safe side. Then Power down using the switch on the back, remove the plug. Then plug it back in and see if it helps. If it does not a factory reset may be necessary. Hope not!

 

[digiblur]

I've seen this before. I just frown, get up off the couch, turn the box off(switch on back) and then turn it back on.

 

[goaliebob99]

mind does that too.. it freezes up and wont turn the motor to what ever bird i set it up to. Or back to zero location.. The fix for this has been to unscrew the cable.. unplug the reciver.. and then re plug it in and re screw in the cable. I would update the software in my fta reciver but have no idea how to.

 

[satellite_girl]

Do you have a DiSEqC switch installed somewhere in your setup?
I had smillar problem while back was sure it was the receiver but turned out i had burnt out a switch.


Tony

No....althougth at the time it was connected to the cheap satellite finder. I was thinking maybe it somehow had a surge or something. I disconnected it and ran the cable straight to the new lnb...still no life. I am bewildered by it.

 

[satellite_girl]

Well, that don't sound like a dead Fortec Ultra to me.
Does it power up when plugged in and turned on?
Do you get a Menu screen on the TV?
Either of these and I doubt it is dead.

Yes...i LIKE your optimism...

everything works......but the lnb appears not to be getting power.

any ideas?

 

[satellite_girl]

mind does that too.. it freezes up and wont turn the motor to what ever bird i set it up to. Or back to zero location.. The fix for this has been to unscrew the cable.. unplug the reciver.. and then re plug it in and re screw in the cable. I would update the software in my fta reciver but have no idea how to.

I will give it a try tomorrow if you say you have had a similar problem.

I did unplug cables and try a lot of things but i didn't have a lot of time that day. Tomorrow I am off so i will spend the usual 6 hours on the roof. hehe you would be surprised how many hours i have put into playing with that dish!!!

oh wait...none of you would probably be surprised!!!

 

[PipeDream]

Yes...i LIKE your optimism...

everything works......but the lnb appears not to be getting power.

any ideas?

Be sure to check your "Antenna Settings," that they are still correct.
I'd hook straight to the lnb and point at one of the Echo's since they have strong signals and see if I could lock onto it. If your receiver powers on and gives the menu it is most likely something else. It doesn't take much tinkering to bump a dish or lnb arm off a little. Cheap satellite finders have never caused me any problems...but connecting coax with the receiver "On" has been known to short switches and lnbs.

The info about the motor is correct. If you have an SG2100, it has a reset button on it. I've had to disconnect, unplug, reset, and line up "0" with my true south sat several times once to get my motor unlocked.

If you really think it's the receiver, perhaps the software has become corrupt. Maybe a Factory Reset, or just re-flash the software to it.

 

[satellite_girl]

well, I tried again to turn of the receiver and unplug everything. I unplugged cable from the dish...switched out lnb again.

Did a factory reset, and finally as a last resort tried a reflash.

that was all nice to learn about, but it seems nothing is working.

right now i am out of other ideas.

i will post the solution if i ever find it.

 

[sbacchus]

my fortec does this as well. i usually power off for an extended period of time and then it works. i decided last week that the fix was to order a pansat 3500

 

[bigOleB]

I would do the following:

• Check to make sure cable is terminated properly (ends correct?)
• Check LNB for proper operation (compare to another if you can)
• Visit SatelliteGuys two or three times a day for more info

I do not have a fortec but I have had the same problems with 2500A and most of the time it has to do with cabling.

 

[satellite_girl]

Okay fellow fortec sufferers.......

I purchased a new cable and installed it. Everything is working properly at the moment.

It could be a coincidence, but for now everything is fine and I am back in business, baby!!

 

[iammike]

HMm

I am wondering if mine has dies as well.

My is giving a level of 20% but 0% quality. Yet I know I am on a satelite as my FTA tuner card in my PC is locked on the satellite.

The Lifetime Utlra moves the dish fin from one bird to another with no problems (but again the Level stays at 20%)

I dont want to do a factory reset to the box as my FTA card does not have a way that I can see to move and fine tune the dish.

Any ideas?

Scott,

My Fortec has done that to me before. I had the exact same 20% signal strenth. In my case the problem was with a bad cable out at the dish. Since it's moving the motor okay, it sure sounds like you're cable to the lnbf is not working right. I'd check the connectors and make sure something hasn't come loose. I've also had issues like someone else mentioned where cutting the power off and on at the switch on the back fixed things, but your issue sounds like a cable.

Incidentally, I have the same config with a PC card slaved to the Fortec. If I turn off the power to the Fortec the PC card can control the motor and lnbf polarity. At least it used to. My card has been getting kind of flaky lately, the motor control quit working but it still controls the polarity and the disecq switch.

Mike