Fortec Lifetime Ultra

[dsmith0429]

Anyone have these, they are no longer available on Fortec's site, they are for the Fortec Star Lifetime Ultra:

STB Editor 1.85 (June 17, 2004)
Uploader - v.3.31 (August 08, 2004)
Firmware - v.2.72 NTSC (May 19, 2005)

Going to revive this receiver to donate to someone so they can get started in FTA.

Thanks!

 

[mr3p]

While that receiver may still function and allow viewing of some SD content, it unfortunately is way outdated. Other than keeping it for nostalgia, there is little point in wasting time with it. Not trying to be a downer but its 10+ years old and you can get a new receiver for as little as 30 dollars.

 

[dsmith0429]

While that receiver may still function and allow viewing of some SD content, it unfortunately is way outdated. Other than keeping it for nostalgia, there is little point in wasting time with it. Not trying to be a downer but its 10+ years old and you can get a new receiver for as little as 30 dollars.

That's not the point, and I'm not using it for myself. And there is more than a just a few channels, I'm picking up over 400 channels of TV/Radio off 4 satellites. I'm trying to get someone else interested in FTA, and it is still a better receiver than a lot of these crappy new ones on the market. I hate all the internet connected boxes, everyone I've tried has issues, doesn't matter if it's $30 or $300, pretty sure it the OS, both Linux or Android, in them. And at least this one has never crashed or needed to be reloaded. Only reason I wanted the software was to replace the current configuration to factory defaults, since it has been customized. Only downside is no DVB-S2 or DiSEqC 1.1 support. No big deal, using it with 91w, 95w, 97w, & 103w Ku, plenty for them to play around with and get to know FTA. Then they can buy a newer receiver and replace if they like what they see, at least the dish will already be set up for them.

 

[FTA4PA]

Anyone have these, they are no longer available on Fortec's site, they are for the Fortec Star Lifetime Ultra:

STB Editor 1.85 (June 17, 2004)
Uploader - v.3.31 (August 08, 2004)
Firmware - v.2.72 NTSC (May 19, 2005)

Going to revive this receiver to donate to someone so they can get started in FTA.

Thanks!

Try this page at the Wayback Machine.

https://web.archive.org/web/2006040...tecstar.com/downloads/index.asp?products=65,1

They ask for email, etc so I didn't go any further than loading the page. Don't know if it will work to actually download the files or not. Good luck!

 

[mr3p]

I still have my old Pansat 2500 so I get where you are coming from but I don't think its going to get someone interested in FTA unless they want some of the international programming. Its been a long time but I think the 2500 and Lifetime can use the same firmware so if you do a Google search I'm sure its out there. FWIW, the 30 dollar box referenced isn't Android, isn't crappy and there is a thread discussing it in this forum.

 

[dsmith0429]

Try this page at the Wayback Machine.

https://web.archive.org/web/20060409104702/http://www.fortecstar.com/downloads/index.asp?products=65,1

They ask for email, etc so I didn't go any further than loading the page. Don't know if it will work to actually download the files or not. Good luck!

Files aren't there, just the pages... been there before...

 

[dsmith0429]

I still have my old Pansat 2500 so I get where you are coming from but I don't think its going to get someone interested in FTA unless they want some of the international programming. Its been a long time but I think the 2500 and Lifetime can use the same firmware so if you do a Google search I'm sure its out there. FWIW, the 30 dollar box referenced isn't Android, isn't crappy and there is a thread discussing it in this forum.

They actually like it, all they wanted to keep was the various news channels (CCTV, RT, CNC, etc.), a few Christian channels, a few English language channels, and radio channels (mainly the MTI channels on 95w and Muzak channels on 103w), so I'm removing all the stuff they don't want and with the combination of an OTA antenna, they have plenty of entertainment, the channels they would possibly watch that are DVB-S2 is available OTA, so no need for a newer box at this point, and best part they will no longer have a cable bill paying for channels they never watch... and I can easily edit with the old ChannelMaster software on my old WinXP laptop...

Also forgot to mention they don't have an HDTV, its a SDTV, standard definition with both analog and digital tuners, so this is another reason for an older box, since most of the new ones don't have RCA out, just HDMI...

 

[FTA4PA]

Files aren't there, just the pages... been there before...

OK, was worth mentioning. I'm sure some member has them on a drive - just need to hope they see your post. Very nice of you to try to help someone get a start in FTA.

 

[mr3p]

I just looked back thru some of my old files and I can't find any old firmware or loader for my 2500 but if you do a Google search, there are several forums which have threads with the files for 2500 attached but you likely have to register to be able to download. From what I recall the Lifetime can be flashed with 2500 firmware but you can also verify that by search.

 

[Titanium]

If the Lifetime Ultra is flashed with 2500 firmware, it becomes a 2500 and the Lifetime Ultra remote will no longer work with the STB.

A factory reset will return the unit to the firmware defaults. No need to reinstall / update firmware unless it has some funky 3rd party firmware was installed that is causing operational problems.

 

[Radioguy41]

I hope posting this link is OK. Two of the files you seek are here, but not the editor:

http://www.legitfta.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?59-Fortec-Files-Utilities

 

[dsmith0429]

I hope posting this link is OK. Two of the files you seek are here, but not the editor:

http://www.legitfta.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?59-Fortec-Files-Utilities

THANKS! Exactly what I needed. The firmware & editor was the most important, now I can wipe everything and put back to factory specs. I really don't need the editor, I can use the old ChannelMaster program instead.

 

[dsmith0429]

If the Lifetime Ultra is flashed with 2500 firmware, it becomes a 2500 and the Lifetime Ultra remote will no longer work with the STB.

A factory reset will return the unit to the firmware defaults. No need to reinstall / update firmware unless it has some funky 3rd party firmware was installed that is causing operational problems.

That was my concern, so just to be sure it was clean I wanted to reinstall the factory firmware. Finally found it, and all is good. This is still a great box to play around with, not missing too much without DVB-S2, but I'm sure that will eventually change. And I am getting someone else interested in the hobby, so that is always a plus. I have a couple more old DVB receivers I might do the same with, refurbish and repurpose. I'm thinking about using one just for satellite radio use.

 

[Corrado]

The Fortec Lifetime Ultra was my first FTA receiver 11+ years ago that got me interested in the digital satellite world. I bet it would still work today for 97W had lightning not killed it a decade ago. It would suffer from memory overload if it had too many channels logged in but I had the database backed up with Channel Master in case of disaster when a reboot wasn't enough.

 

[dsmith0429]

The Fortec Lifetime Ultra was my first FTA receiver 11+ years ago that got me interested in the digital satellite world. I bet it would still work today for 97W had lightning not killed it a decade ago. It would suffer from memory overload if it had too many channels logged in but I had the database backed up with Channel Master in case of disaster when a reboot wasn't enough.

Still works great for 97w Ku-band, it only scanned in 14 less TV channels than my newer DVB-S2 receiver, 183 channels out of 197 on my other receiver. Need to fine tune the dish, but so far everything looks good. Also using a 4x1 switch to add 95w, 103w, 105w, mainly for the radio channels.

I myself have a Viewsat Ultra setup while I'm waiting on a replacement GEOSATpro HDVR3500 from SatAV. Bad part is I can't connect more than 4 satellites, since it won't support my 8x1 DiSEqC 1.1 switches, but better than nothing... I usually use this receiver to align dishes because of the meter built in this receiver and the small size makes it easy to take outdoors. I use it with a small old B&W Remington security camera monitor for fine tuning.