Having problems slaving Geosatpro microHD to 4DTV

[Radioguy41]

A little background, I've been running a BUD for 20 years and about 6 years ago added a Visionsat FTA receiver by slaving it to the 4DTV. I had essentially no problems setting up and scanning the Visionsat. Last week I bought a microHD to replace the Visionsat. For the past couple of days I've been pulling my hair out trying to get it to scan correctly.

The first problem is that some (many?) of the TP settings in the microHD do not match what is listed on Lyngsat and do not scan in. Not sure what that is all about but I would guess the fix is to edit the settings manually unless there is an up to date file I can download somewhere and install? However, that problem moves to the back burner until I figure out why it won't scan correctly.

For instance, I can select a satellite and set the correct settings in Antenna Settings (Diseqc port #, turn off the LNB power, etc) and then scan but I get different results depending on whether the 4DTV is tuned to a V or H channel. On the surface that would seem to make sense if only V or H TPs were being scanned in but that is not the case, I get a mix of each but not the same mix. On one bird I can scan more than 30 channels in one polarity but only 8 in the other, still a mix of V and H polarity in each scan.

So, has anyone else run into this? Is anyone else slaving a microHD to a 4DTV and if so how? Does anyone have or know where to get a correct and up to date installable TP file? Please, before anyone suggests a factory reset, I've done that four times. THE HD pic is beautiful on the channels I have managed to scan so I'm reluctant to send this back but if I can't figure this out soon the Visionsat is going back in place.

Software = TDV10290-1-0-2-0
Product Ver = HDVS54012-1211457A0 2014-4-25

 

[FaT Air]

Leave the LNB power ON. The switch needs to be powered by it.
What's On the dish for a LNB or LNBF?
How are you 'slaving'? LNB(F) to switch- to receivers diagram?

I get different results depending on whether the 4DTV is tuned to a V or H channel

That will happen if you're using a servo operated feed with an LNB. You'll have to set the polarity with the 4DTV. Scan that polarity. Then change to other polarity and scan that.
If using a LNBF. In the 4DTV the polarity has to be set to "Rotate 90"

 

[Radioguy41]

Leave the LNB power ON. The switch needs to be powered by it.

I'm confused as to why the LNB power needs to be turned on to power what switch, the Diseqc? Shouldn't that be operated by a 22Khz pulse on port 2? The LNBs on the dish are powered by the 4DTV.

What's On the dish for a LNB or LNBF?

Standard C-band with dual C and Ku LNBs.

How are you 'slaving'? LNB(F) to switch- to receivers diagram?

Seperate C and Ku cables coming from dish through splitters. DC thru side to 4DTV, other side to 2x1 Diseqc switch. From switch to microHD.

That will happen if you're using a servo operated feed with an LNB. You'll have to set the polarity with the 4DTV. Scan that polarity. Then change to other polarity and scan that.
If using a LNBF. In the 4DTV the polarity has to be set to "Rotate 90"

Yep, know that, been running the C-band for 20 years and slaved FTA for 6 years. I also understand the 4DTV controls the polarity, my problem is that it doesn't matter what polarity the 4DTV is set to the microHD scans in some of each (V and H) but not everything it should in each polarity.

 

[FaT Air]

LNB power also powers the Diseqc switch. The pulses 'command' [operate] it - Selecting which port to connect to the output.

 

[Radioguy41]

I'm not necessarily disputing what you say but this is what the manual says (below). To me LNB power means just that, power to the LNB in a non-slaved configuration. In a slaved configuration the LNBs are being powered by the master (4DTV) unit. Until I see further confirmation I'm reluctant to turn it on and feed LNB power to the Diseqc switch. I really wish the manual was clearer on this.

 

[Lone Gunman]

Another thing, in the Micro HD single satellite search menu you can select which polarity you want to search, ie, H or V so make sure you select only ONE to keep the receiver from trying both on a single pass. If "Auto" isn't changed to H or V in the scan menu the Micro HD will automatically try to scan both.

 

[FaT Air]

The manual is correct, LNB power, except in the case where the receiver has to power a switch.

 

[waylew]

If you have a proper slave set up,each lnb should be connected to a 1 port power blocking splitter.From the splitter the power passing port goes to the 4DTV,the power blocked port goes to the Disqec switch,the Disqec then goes to the MicroHD,LNB power should be on to power the switch.Power will not get to the LNB because of the power blocking splitter.LNB's will be powered by the 4DTV thru the power passing port.

 

[Radioguy41]

Well with all due respect, thats wrong. I figured it out and LNB power does not get turned on when slaving the microHD. This receiver takes a lot more work than the old Visionsat did to scan in the channels. As usual in a master/slave setup the master must be pointed at the bird you want to scan. On that bird select a V or H channel. On the microHD set up the Antenna settings to match the bird and select either Diseqc port 1 (C-band) or port 2 (Ku band) depending on which you're scanning. Go to Scan a single satellite and select either V or H depending on which polarity the master is tuned to. Now here's the part that was causing me the trouble, contrary to recommendations posted elswhere on the forum (by the developer I believe) selecting a detailed scan was required. A normal scan just wasn't getting it done. I have no idea why but selecting Detailed instead of Normal did the trick.

The latest firmware available for download is still June 2013, I believe, but the firmware in mine is dated April 2014. If this is indeed a later firmware perhaps some bug slipped back in, I can't say, but it certainly doesn't scan like it should.

 

[Radioguy41]

I have now figured out why the Normal scan wouldn't work. Turns out it's what I consider a bug in the software. If you go into the TP List, select a TP and hit OK a popup window appears to scan that TP. Now there are two options, Normal and PID, just up arrow to Normal and right arrow and it changes to the PID settings. That's fine but here's the problem, if you scan the PIDs and then back out of the menu the default stays at PID instead of reverting to Normal. From there on when you select a Normal scan for a single satellite it's actually scanning the PIDs as selected in the TP scan done earlier. You have to go back into the TP List, highlight one, hit OK, up arrow to PID and right arrow to set it to Normal again then the Normal scan will work as it should when scanning a single satellite.

Everything is programmed now except 125W, just haven't been able to lock that yet.