Lost my 410 to a dead battery

[Corrado]

I guess my DSR410 won't be my future 4DTV replacement after all for Jan. 1, 2011.

I purchased one from Skyvision back in the Fall of 2007 and used it here and later at my Dad's home. When the C band switch over to W5 happened, the unit went unused until yesterday. I decided to check it out in preparation for the coming months and it seems the infamous battery failed. It just turns on with all the front panel lights and remains on doing the Motorola boot up thing without AV output.

Looking inside, the button battery and board are corroded. Lesson learned. I suppose it would be good for parts or power supply. I WON'T be buying another. Skyvision should have replaced the decade old batteries in those 410s.

Now, I see why TVROPRO went with DirecTV.

 

[tdti1]

Hmm, I heard bad things about that,, heard Skyvision was selling used or refurb 4d's as well as the old 410's with out changing the batteries, thats not good.

 

[tvropro]

I guess my DSR410 won't be my future 4DTV replacement after all for Jan. 1, 2011.

I purchased one from Skyvision back in the Fall of 2007 and used it here and later at my Dad's home. When the C band switch over to W5 happened, the unit went unused until yesterday. I decided to check it out in preparation for the coming months and it seems the infamous battery failed. It just turns on with all the front panel lights and remains on doing the Motorola boot up thing without AV output.

Looking inside, the button battery and board are corroded. Lesson learned. I suppose it would be good for parts or power supply. I WON'T be buying another. Skyvision should have replaced the decade old batteries in those 410s.

Now, I see why TVROPRO went with DirecTV.

I know Skyvision was replacing all batteries on the 920's and the 922 if you requested it. Don't know about the 410's. I went to DirecTv since I'm fed up and wanted some of the cable channels back. I'm also married to a 2 year contract now which I don't care for. I may sub to some W5 stuff next year if Skyvision gets the 4D to operate for the W5 Comcast HITS SAC as is rumored right now. If anyone decides to get a 410 they need to either swap out the battery themselves or have Skyvision do before they send it. One of the biggest boneheaded maneuvers by GI was that stupid battery.

 

[Newbie_McNoob]

Stories like this remind me why I like PowerVu: no batteries.

I have a 920 boxed up that probably has a dead battery. I'm too chicken to look.

 

[tvropro]

I have a 920 boxed up that probably has a dead battery. I'm too chicken to look.

Heck plug it in it may surprise you

 

[eurosport]

Dead Battery...

Well that sucks. I better check mine too. Do these have the unit ID on the back, like the 920/922?
....although my 920 has no numbers on the back, that even remotely resemble the unit ID.
I'll have to get my 410 out and see.

 

[truckracer]

That's a lameabout the dsr's and batteries

 

[sergei]

I guess my DSR410 won't be my future 4DTV replacement after all for Jan. 1, 2011.

I purchased one from Skyvision back in the Fall of 2007 and used it here and later at my Dad's home. When the C band switch over to W5 happened, the unit went unused until yesterday. I decided to check it out in preparation for the coming months and it seems the infamous battery failed. It just turns on with all the front panel lights and remains on doing the Motorola boot up thing without AV output.

Looking inside, the button battery and board are corroded. Lesson learned. I suppose it would be good for parts or power supply. I WON'T be buying another. Skyvision should have replaced the decade old batteries in those 410s.

All batteries will fail sooner or later and you rolled the dice and unfortunatly lost so I wouldn't blame Skyvision for a 3 year old battery. Maybe there are still replacement boards available so it might be something to check out.

 

[sergei]

Well that sucks. I better check mine too. Do these have the unit ID on the back, like the 920/922?
....although my 920 has no numbers on the back, that even remotely resemble the unit ID.
I'll have to get my 410 out and see.

If you take the cover off the ID serial number should be on top the cage, I've found it on all 4 of my 920's.

 

[Corrado]

I have several models of the 410 I purchased cheap over the years. But those cannot be subscribed without having the unit ID cleared for a fee. I won't be doing that either. If they really want to sell me programming they should be able to use whatever receiver I already own. In that case I'll buy a $4 battery locally and keep my receivers alive.

If the idea of allowing the 4D receivers to utilize the Comcast stream that Mike was talking about on Access America last Friday comes true, no one in their right mind would pay a fee to have those receivers eligible. Why only 410s?

 

[Dishman Dan]

Stories like this remind me why I like PowerVu: no batteries.

Huh???

 

[tvropro]

If the idea of allowing the 4D receivers to utilize the Comcast stream that Mike was talking about on Access America last Friday comes true, no one in their right mind would pay a fee to have those receivers eligible. Why only 410s?

Lets keep our fingers crossed on the 4D working on HITS SAC. Why only 410's? Pure politics.

 

[tdti1]

Actually sergei I would blame Skyvision if it was purchased from them, everyone knows about the battery's in DCII equipment and they should swap batteries on all used or refurbished receivers before they retail them.

 

[sergei]

They probably replaced it but that's not to say that the battery just when bad or the shelf life played a factor into it. It wouldn't be the first time that this has happened and a lot of lithium batteries are only rated to be good for a typical lifespan of two to three years whether it is ever used or not. And I don't know what the 410 battery drain would be compared to my 920's.
But as much as there has been discussions on battery failures you really can't take a chance on putting something away without checking it first and he did have it in storage since 2007 which does put well past the 2 year mark.

 

[Corrado]

As long as other people learn from this, that's what important. If you have a doubt...replace it. Mine's been unplugged and stored for almost 2 years. I mapped it for C band and put it away.

I hoped they put in new batteries to protect themselves from flood of consumer complaints and lost profits. In fact, mine looked brand new when I bought it and it has the newer style screws securing the cover. My other GI boxes of the same vintage and unknown origin, have torx style screws. So it would appear that Skyvison or someone had a technician inside.

 

[eurosport]

.....I have several models of the 410 I purchased cheap over the years. But those cannot be subscribed without having the unit ID cleared for a fee. I won't be doing that either...

I talked to Skyvision a couple months ago, and they will do this for $40.
I paid 17 bucks for my 410, so for $57 altogether for a working, sub-able box is not too bad, considering they are selling them for over twice that much.

 

[Newbie_McNoob]

Huh???

Motorola satellite receivers have a battery that "floats" or keeps alive the Unit ID number. When the battery dies or is removed the receiver's Unit ID number is lost and the receiver can no longer decode scrambled programming.
The reasons they are designed this way are:
1) To reduce piracy and deter people from messing with the insides of the receiver (in theory)
2) To give the product a limited life (when the battery dies they hope you will run out and buy a new receiver)
Even Motorola's commercial satellite receivers have a battery. Heck, even my Motorola digital cable box from Comcast has a battery floating the Unit ID.

Scientific Atlanta/PowerVu receivers, on the other hand, do not have a battery to float the Unit ID. The Unit ID is hard coded onto a chip. Leave the receiver unplugged as long as you want and it will never lose the Unit ID.

Motorola's scheme is nice in theory, if they kept coming out with new models of the 4DTV.