Major malfunctions with my folks S9, need advice

[Tron]

No doubt its a power supply board issue. From some of the threads here, it looks like a few people are having power supply-related problems with their Openboxes. You were fortunate to have bought one from a dealer who is honest, many who sell these boxes aren't (especially on EBay...)

 

[Dee_Ann]

A few days ago the people we got my parent's S9 from sent a replacement.

It's sat in the box, unopened this week, we had more important matters at hand.

Yesterday evening after the funeral we were sitting and talking so I picked the box up to see if they replaced it or sent back the original one. I had placed a secret mark on the original one, just in case.

Sunday I'm going back over there and set it up for Dad.

I just wish Mom was still alive to enjoy it, she really loved PBS a lot..

I hope this will be the end of their satellite problems..

 

[KE4EST]

Glad to see they sent a different one.....I too will put marks on things, just to see if I am trying to get snookered...

 

[Dee_Ann]

Glad to see they sent a different one.....I too will put marks on things, just to see if I am trying to get snookered...

Yep. My dad suggested to snap a photo of the serial number but those can be changed (just a sticker) so I took a sharpie and put two tiny little dots in two different places, just in case. One on the black case and one green board inside it, there was a place you could see through the metal case to the green board so I put a tiny little dot through there on the board inside.


Just in case anyone tried to play sneaky little switcheroo games. I've had that happen to me in the past with getting PC's fixed. One time someone charged me hundreds of dollars to fix my PC, said they replaced parts inside but really did not replace anything at all. The problems came back, I had someone different check it and he told me what had been done and NOT done. Things got ugly. I went redhead on them..


What scares me is auto repair. When my dad goes I will be at the mercy of the wolves. I don't know how nor can I do the work even if I did know how.
I can change the oil, a battery, jump start it, put anti-freeze, etc.. All superficial things. Dad has been the family mechanic forever.
Dad has always warned me that auto repair places are ALL really, really bad about taking advantage of people, especially women.

 

[PKII]

Not sure but when AVSatellite new receiver comes out my Openbox S10 is going into the electronics closet. : /

 

[Dee_Ann]

Well I went to Dad's house a while ago and set up his replacement S9.

So far, so good.

It came with older firmware on it (no "accurate scan") but I suggested to my dad that we leave it as is for a week to see how it's going to work out. If after a week it shows that it's A-OK, then we can put newer firmware on it at that point.

This way, if there is a problem we can ship it back and say "Hey, we didn't tamper with anything at all, we ran it as shipped."
I know for instance if you jailbreak an iPhone, they won't honor the warranty. So I want to play it safe for awhile, just in case.

At least Dad has satellite again, it will provide a little distraction for him.

I hope this is the end of his satellite problems.

I also asked him about a big C-band dish and he said no, he doesn't want to get all wrapped up in TV like I have. : Who me?

 

[KE4EST]

Glad to see he is back going.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Oh yeah, one other thing..

When I was setting up Dad's tuner, it needed the GPS for the USALS location.

Weeeeeeell, I didn't have that. And my dad does not have Internet at home.

And on my iPhone, I don't have data/internet either. It's hacked/jailbroken/unlocked to work on T-mobile and it only functions as a cell phone unless I can get on a WIFI somewhere.

I couldn't figure out how to use the GPS on my iPhone since it didn't have internet so I called my son and asked him to help.
He is back in OKC now and was already in bed so he reached over and got his iPad and I had him go to Dishpointer.com
He put my Dad's address in and hit go and I had him read me the GPS which I punched into Dad's tuner.
Bingo! Good to go!

After I got home and on my WIFI, I found an app called MyGPS in the app store. It is specifically designed for people that don't have data, such as me with a hacked phone. It will get your GPS and let you send it via SMS to anyone else and it has an email option too. But in my case, I just needed it to be on the screen so I can read it.
I went ahead and got the app so that if I ever need it again, I have it.

Other than that, I have a GPS for the car but I didn't have it with me this time. I could have really used that thing earlier.

 

[KE4EST]

I would write down his coordinates and put it somewhere safe at his house(tape it to back of tv) then you want have to go through that again.

 

[Dee_Ann]

I would write down his coordinates and put it somewhere safe at his house(tape it to back of tv) then you want have to go through that again.

Ooooo! Good idea and so very simple! Why didn't I think of that? I'm such a simple person it should have come naturally to me!

 

[osu1991]

The compass on the iphone will show the coordinates where you're at too.

 

[Dee_Ann]

The compass on the iphone will show the coordinates where you're at too.

OMG DOH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had no idea! But yes, it sure as heck does! Thank you!!

Oh well, 99 cents for the app isn't going to bankrupt me..

 

[Anole]

sticker, sticker, everywhere!

I would write down his coordinates and put it somewhere safe at his house(tape it to back of tv) then you want have to go through that again.

I have keep well-stocked on Avery 05422 removable white labels.
They're ½" x 1¾" in size, with rounded corners.
On the back of the TV and other electronic equipment, I've listed the power consumption running and in standby (I measured it).
On the edge of hard drives, I put the size and date installed.
On things with passwords, I put the master manufacturer's password, just in case I get locked out (I don't set my own, but you never know).
And of course the computers which do have logins, have a sticker nearby.
The router has the default IP and master pass, too.
On the back of clocks and inside remotes, I put the date of the last battery change (room for 6 or 8 on the sticker).
When I used to put up fixed dishes, I'd write the azimuth, elevation, and skew for the particular bird, put the sticker on the back of the dish, then cover it with a small piece of the 2" clear package sealing tape.
Now, I put a similar sticker on the BUDs, just to have the info handy if I need it.

Finding the exact coordinates for my house is never a problem, but maybe I'll add it to the sticker on the bottom of my FTA receivers, now! - :up
. . . and to the side of the Ku motor, just in case. -

 

[Dee_Ann]

I have keep well-stocked on Avery 05422 removable white labels.
They're ½" x 1¾" in size, with rounded corners.
On the back of the TV and other electronic equipment, I've listed the power consumption running and in standby (I measured it).
On the edge of hard drives, I put the size and date installed.
On things with passwords, I put the master manufacturer's password, just in case I get locked out (I don't set my own, but you never know).
And of course the computers which do have logins, have a sticker nearby.
The router has the default IP and master pass, too.
On the back of clocks and inside remotes, I put the date of the last battery change (room for 6 or 8 on the sticker).
When I used to put up fixed dishes, I'd write the azimuth, elevation, and skew for the particular bird, put the sticker on the back of the dish, then cover it with a small piece of the 2" clear package sealing tape.
Now, I put a similar sticker on the BUDs, just to have the info handy if I need it.

Finding the exact coordinates for my house is never a problem, but maybe I'll add it to the sticker on the bottom of my FTA receivers, now! - :up
. . . and to the side of the Ku motor, just in case. -

THIS.....

Is excellent advice!

Thank you!

 

[Dee_Ann]

Dad told me that he played with the satellite today and it is working just fine, so far.

 

[KE4EST]

Great News Dee!!!!

 

[Anole]

more sticker shock

THIS.....

Is excellent advice!

Thank you!

Yea, I know it sounds a little anal when ya write it down like that.
But if you do it little by little, over the decades it pays off!

Oh, and I forgot one:
Back in the days when CD drives, Hard drives, and Floppy drives took wide flat cables...
I used to buy big red stickers and use a ¼" hole punch to make little ones.
Then, by pin one (the side of the cable with the stripe), I'd put the red dot.
You have NO idea how many times that paid off months later when working on a machine!

And here's a variation on that:
Now, on my FTA receivers, whichever is the main coax input to the box, it gets a red dot, too.
Why? Well, when changing receivers, it's SO easy to look for the dot to plug the cable back in!

These dot ideas are partly for finding things in low light, but also finding things that you might otherwise have to stand on your head to see down in the confines of a computer or on a rack above the TV.

 

[Dee_Ann]

Yea, I know it sounds a little anal when ya write it down like that.
But if you do it little by little, over the decades it pays off!


Oh, and I forgot one:
Back in the days when CD drives, Hard drives, and Floppy drives took wide flat cables...
I used to buy big red stickers and use a ¼" hole punch to make little ones.
Then, by pin one (the side of the cable with the stripe), I'd put the red dot.
You have NO idea how many times that paid off months later when working on a machine!


And here's a variation on that:
Now, on my FTA receivers, whichever is the main coax input to the box, it gets a red dot, too.
Why? Well, when changing receivers, it's SO easy to look for the dot to plug the cable back in!


These dot ideas are partly for finding things in low light, but also finding things that you might otherwise have to stand on your head to see down in the confines of a computer or on a rack above the TV.

More good advice..


One thing I would like to share..


Having raised two children I have first hand experience with spilled fluids, phones and remotes.


More than once, my kids have spilled sodas, milk, cereal, etc. into cordless phones, cell phones, calculators and remote controls.


After having had a very bad experience trying to replace damaged stuff, I began to learn how to open them up and clean them out.
Sometimes I could do it, sometimes not. 100% of the time though the edges would be all chewed up from me prying on it with butter knives and screw drivers.


Eventually I got wise and began a policy of REQUIRING everyone to place ALL remotes, phones, etc. face down. This way the chance of things getting spilled into the buttons and keys is greatly reduced. Dust and crumbs are also much less likely to find their way into them as well.


BUT, as we all know, most of those gadgets are black. Finding them in the dark? HA! So I bought a package of florescent HOT GREEN stickers at an office supply store, like Staples for instance, and I stick them on the back of the remotes so they can be seen in the dark. I usually place the sticker on the top of the backside so that I can also tell which end is which. I used to place clear packing tape over the battery covers to make them spill proof when the kids were still at home but I no longer need to do that now.


I can't find my stickers so I haven't put one on my S10 remote yet and you can see the one on my PC satellite remote is well worn. I'm not about to put one on my iPhone but I never have a problem misplacing it and it's light enough to see easily. I did have a hot pink cover on it but it wore out so I put a new translucent one on it for now.

 

[Anole]

Dee - excellent ideas! - :up
Love the fluorescent sticker on the back side.
And for the ones of similar size, green, orange, pink would allow you to tell at a glance.

I've heard of people putting saran wrap over remotes and keyboards.
Not sure how that works.
Maybe with some 1" or 2" clear packing tape on the back side?

I keep a life-time supply of new IBM clackety-clack keyboards in the garage, for personal use.

 

[Dee_Ann]

OMG....... Not again...

My Dad's S9 is freezing up again...

He said it runs about an hour then the picture freezes but the sound continues playing. He can still bring up the menus and attempt a channel change.
When he changes channels he said the video will play for like barely one second, only enough frames to notice motion then it freezes almost instantly..

He gets P***ED OFF and pulls the power cord on it.

I don't blame him. This thing has been a POS from day one.

I think it's time to junk it and find something else.

We need something that does USALS and DVB S2.. Openbox again? Nope...