Motorola DSR401DS Receiver

[PopcornNMore]

I bought a used Motorola DSR401DS digicipher receiver last year on Ebay. Once hooked up with dish pointed at Galaxy 16, I was able to sucessfully receive all the audio channels via HITS after a new channel mapping was download during the night. However, I could not receive American Life TV. I then performed a master reset (I know BIG mistake). I never was able to ever again receive anything on Galaxy 16, but was able to receive channels on Anik F1 (Starchoice).

Yesterday I took the receiver out of the closet and hooked it up with the dish pointing to Galaxy 16. Since no mapping was downloaded I called Skyvision who previous told me that they will soon be able to authorize the DSR401, 405, 410 and other receivers for X4 programming. The guy told me no, so I called SPS programming. The woman said she thinks its possible and asked for the receiver ID number. She then put me on hold and talked to a supervisor. She came back and said it would be possible and asked what programming I wanted. I ordered GSN for only $3 just to get the receiver authorized. She notified me that it would take about 5 minutes and to remain tuned to channel 255 which I had to enter the frequency manually since it was not mapped for channel 255. I had it sitting there for over an hour and nothing. I then turned the receiver OFF thinking the mapping will download overnight and nothing when I checked this morning.

So, I left the receiver ON this morning before I left for work tuned to channel 255 to see if it will work when I arrive home tonight. I know this is possible, because I received the audio channels on HITS before perforing a master reset and the woman at SPS said it is possible.

Does anyone have a DSR401DS receiver authorized and receiving programming on Galaxy 16 (X4) HITS?

Perhaps someone has a suggestion I could try tonight so that I could gain access to American Life TV and possibly even order the X4 package of channels.

 

[Mr Tony]

American Life TV is only accessible once you sub to something. I have a 905 sidecar and all I get is the audio channels on X4 and BlackBelt TV on 644

Dang if you could move the big dish to G5 you mifght be able to download the maps there first. I had to do that with the 905 whren I first got it. the 6 foot dish worked fine for it

 

[voomvoom]

Maybe, just maybe, while you were manually setting the frequency, it went through from SPS to your receiver and you hadn't quite gotten the channel in yet? If it wasn't on the channel yet, it didn't get the hit? You may need to call them back and get another hit? A hit is not automatic, at least not with a 920. I believe a 922 will do an automatic re-hit, maybe even the 905? But I know the 920 won't. I also know it has to be on the channel when the hit goes through, or you don't get it. I know nothing about a 401, Good Luck!

Al

 

[PopcornNMore]

Thank you Iceberg. This is why I subscribed to GSN for $3 in order to authorize the receiver and to gain access to American Life TV. The woman told me that the receiver ID number entered into their system ok and that they were able to send me a hit. However, no programming after waiting over an hour.

Perhaps tonight when I arrive home I will be surprised and see GSN, American Life TV and the audio channels. I can only wish.

If the maps still didn't download I will call SPS again for a rehit or try moving dish to G5 like you suggested.

The signal level is at 96% on channel 255, so it should be able to become authorized.

I read that this receiver can ONLY receive StarChoice programming, but if so how did I receive the audio channels last year and had the mapping for X4? So it must be possible, after all it is a digicipher unit.

 

[PopcornNMore]

Thank you voomvoom, I will call and ask for a rehit.

 

[Mr Tony]

I read that this receiver can ONLY receive StarChoice programming, but if so how did I receive the audio channels last year and had the mapping for X4? So it must be possible, after all it is a digicipher unit.

it should be able to receive more. There are 2 models. One was for SC only and one was for everybody else. I heard that any motorola box could be set for other channels if you let the maps download properly

I always learned with the Motorola boxes...unless you are subbed, do not master reset. that will lose everything and be a pain to get those back

 

[PopcornNMore]

I got a wiggler (basic debug mode) programmer from work that I plan on using along with the 4play software application and then eventually write my own application in order to load channel maps from a generated text file. I just haven't gotten the time to do so.

I called SPS from work and they sent out a rehit to the receiver which I kept on channel 255 all day. Hopefully that worked.

Skyvision did tell me last month that they are working on authorizing units like this, but as of last night they only can authorize DSR920, 922 and 905 sidecars. SPS Programming said it is not a problem and went ahead to setup an account to authorize the receiver.

 

[PopcornNMore]

Came home and the receiver still was not authorized. So, I called SPS again and discovered that the receiver really wasn't being tuned to channel 255 in order to accept the hits. Instead the frequency 1070.000 was for channel 206. It turns out that the receiver uses a L band frequency instead of a KU band frequency. So, In order to manually adjust the frequency I needed to convert the KU band frequency into a L nand frequency. I found this website, but it didn't help me.

Downlink Frequency Conversion Chart Ku

I then tuned to channel 255 and went to the signal strength screen where you add a provider ID. The signal was red, but when I entered 4160 as the HITS provider the signal increased and turned green. I then called SPS again and asked for a rehit. It still didn't authorized, but it may take several minutes. I will keep everyone posted.

 

[PopcornNMore]

Update:

In order to find the L band frequency for channel 255 you take the KU band frequency minus the LO frequency of the KU band LNB (10750).

Now what is the KU band frequency for channel 255? It is not listed on the Lyngsat website under the HITS programming package list. It seems that no programming exists on channel 255. If anyone knows please let me know. I will keep searching.

 

[PopcornNMore]

Ok, I am assuming that if channel 255 existed it would be located at 11940V Ku band. So, this would mean a L band frequency of 1190.000 since 11940 minus 10750 (LO) equals 1190.000.

I manually entered this frequency into the receiver and channel 255 appeared. If I get no trips within the next hour I will recall for a rehit.

 

[Anole]

above and beyond . . .

Seems to me the provider would have this info readily available so as to not cause undue stress on the consumer's neurons.
You've gone to great lengths.
Imagine what the average couch potato would be up against!

 

[PopcornNMore]

Yes, the phone operators have no idea what you are taking about when you mention L band, LO frequency, etc.

I now have manually entered the L band frequency of 1190.000 to gain access to channel 255. The signal level is high at 95% and I am tuned to channel 255. However, still no trips are received by SPS.

I will keep trying until I succeed.

 

[PopcornNMore]

I moved the dish over to Anik F1 to receive the Star Choice programming and the receiver worked perfectly.

I discovered that the reason the HITS programming on X4 didn't authorize is because the EMM Provider number remains 4128 (Star Choice). While on X4 the EMM Provider needs to change to 4160. I need to figure out just how exactly to make this happen.

 

[Larry1]

deleted....


ooops... I see you posted while I was typing.

I do not think that Motorola allowed using a StarChoice box for other services. The provider setting may only be able to be changed by Motorola. As I understand it, when a hit is requested, the information is sent to Motorola who sends the encoded information. If Motorola has the box id listed as only StarChoice, then it would not process a activation for another company. ***I may be totally wrong with this however.

 

[Mr Tony]

there should be an option in the menus to change the LNB 90 degrees... on the 905 its options 6-3-3

 

[PopcornNMore]

After spending 4 days trying to get the DSR401DS receiver to sucessfully activate I gave up and placed on a DSR410DS receiver which is an actual HITS receiver. I then called SPS and changed the receiver ID over to the 410 receiver and asked for an authorization hit. It didn't work. The signal strength is at 99%, the satellite name is now X4, the EMM provider is 4160 and the EMM stream is now saying YES, but still no authorization.

I am able to get the music channels, but for some reason they are located in the 700 channel range. Hopefully tonight an updated channel map will download. My trip count is now 1, so I guess that is good news.

I believe the moral of the story is to just go buy the proper 4DTV receiver (DSR920, DSR922 or the DSR905 sidecar) and get it authorized without spending days and even months trying to get other receivers to work.

If anyone out there WAS able to sucessfully get a DSR401, 405, 410, 403 or any other digicipher receiver authorized I would like to know.

 

[PopcornNMore]

I just read this online which could explain why I couldn't get the DSR401 or DSR410 receivers authorized:

A part of the Motorola Agreement with each of the DCII program providers; serial numbers are set aside for use by 1 programmer only. All parties agree not to authorize any other serial numbers. So if it's a HITS receiver; it's a HITS receiver - there ain't no more

 

[SatPhreak]

Too bad it doesn't work with other providers, since I have an old Gi DSR401 that used to be subbed to *Choice. It would have been nice to sub to HITS with it.

It makes sense though, the 921(?) was a *C box that would move your BUD and could use a subbed VC2+ but wasn't able to sub to the 4DTV stuff, only choice.

 

[PopcornNMore]

When I came home from work today I noticed that the receiver had gotten 7 trips during the day and the top menu bar now saids "unsubscribed channel" instead of "not authorized". However, the channel mapping is still incorrect and the GSN that I ordered is not active.

Like I said previously, I believe the serial number of the unit has a lot to do with it and determines which boxes get authorized correctly.

 

[PopcornNMore]

Can anyone please tell me why the 4DTV VC field shows "E" on some channels within the channel package list for HITS on Galaxy 16 at 99 degrees W?

The channel mapping for the X4 satellite on the DSR410 receiver is about 100 channels off. For example the music channels should be within the 800 channel range, but they are within the 700 channel range instead.

I believe this is due to the EMM Provider being 4160 for HITS rather than what it should be for 4DTV. 4128 is Star Choice, but what number should appear for 4DTV?