Voom OTA help...

[dimitriz]

Hi,
I just got a Voom receiver from eBay (about 100mi from my location)
Hooked it up and got to the Installation Wizard. (only had like 30min to play with it)

In installation menu #2 and #3 do not have checkmarks next to them and if I click OK it just drops me to view live TV (ch.100) and gives me message that I have no sat signal.
#4 (Scan Locals) has checkmark next to it.
Also #1 (format mode) briefly flashes 1080i and then displays NATIVE.

Got some more info from receiver:
Software Version 02.4c
Firmware v16

Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?

I have a 25" CM3020 antenna outside from which my Dish receiver gets all the locals without any problems, but I cant get Voom to even Aim Off Air Antenna.
The box is activated.

Thanks

 

[puck71]

You don't have to do anything with #1 and #2 - what happens when you try to Aim Off Air Antenna?

 

[dimitriz]

If I click OK it just goes to view ch.100, that is it.
I dont see the menu that I am suposed to see as this guide suggests:
Darn, I cant post the link, lol, but it's on winnfreenet dot com site

I am going to play around with it some more tonight though.
It's just weird..., might need to try reseating the OTA module. hmmm ?

 

[Shawn95GT]

If you have the antenna connected, just run 'scan locals'. It doesnt' matter that it's already checked.

To use the 'aim' feature you have to enter the frequency number then the signal bar will come up.

In PHX Frequency 36 is 12-1. So if I want to check my signal to 12-1, I enter '36' on the aiming screen.

< edit >I see it's just dumping you to 100 when you try - wierd. I'll poke around with mine when I get home< /edit >

 

[dimitriz]

Here is more info that I came up with today.

I took the receiver and hooked it up to my big screen and used an CM3020 to test it. (making sure my new LCD+SilverSensor setup was not the issue here).

I tried to go into the installer menu to try running a local channel scan. No go again, as soon as I press OK I get dumped to LiveTV (ch.100)
Even Remote configuration option dumps me to LiveTV.

Next, I tried going through existing "not my locality" local channels and to my surprise I found 3 that actually worked.

My thoughts is that the box needs to be reset, however I do know that resetting it will render it useless. It will probably work just fine if it is returned to original locality where all the channels will work properly.

Any thoughts?

 

[Shawn95GT]

I wouldn't reset it - that's all but sure to make a doorstop out of it.

Are you hitting 'ok' in the middle if the directional arrows? (sorry for asking!)

On mine (also 2.4c) hitting ok brings up the scan screen and the scan starts.

Shawn

 

[Shawn95GT]

Quick video (with button press overlays) of me doing a channel scan:

http://www.shawnz.com/sg/Voom_scan_locals.wmv

 

[dimitriz]

Shawn95GT,
This is pretty much what I do in the video except scan never starts
I do hit the OK button that is between the arrows, and I've double checked that it's the only thing that gets pushed down.

On AVS local forum I asked if anyone has Voom receiver that I can cross check mine with, beyond that I am probably going to make a short video of this on Sat.

 

[Hoopnoop]

Also, you may want to go into the local channels menu and uncheck any that you might want to see.

I have two Voom boxes and I waited and bought them locally so I at least knew that the locals were all scanned in case I ran into a problem with the scan. But I have the benefit of living in a large metro area.

 

[puck71]

How do you have the antenna connected on the back? Did you remove the diplexer?

 

[dimitriz]

Also, you may want to go into the local channels menu and uncheck any that you might want to see.

I have two Voom boxes and I waited and bought them locally so I at least knew that the locals were all scanned in case I ran into a problem with the scan. But I have the benefit of living in a large metro area.

I unchecked some, but since the receiver is originally from over 100mi away I only get 3 channels that I can actually watch. only 1 of them is OK, lol.

 

[dimitriz]

How do you have the antenna connected on the back? Did you remove the diplexer?

Yeah, I removed the diplexer and have the antenna hooked up directly to the OTA module. The only other thing hooked up is a S-Video cable.

 

[dimitriz]

Well, it's definitely the box.
I've gotten ahold of another box this weekend and that one works properly.
Looks like this box will work just fine as long as it stays in the area it was initially activated in.

 

[Kandiru]

He bought it from me guys, Hi Dimitriz.

The fact that you got 3 OTA channels to work means that it already scanned.

I agree that the menus are not very logical.

Do not reset it please. Watch Shawn95GTs video please.

I hope the others input helped and i hope you dont regret your purchase. Really it wil work in any area as long as the digital stations are within range. People have been selling these from coast to coast all here will agree that an activated VOOM box from California will work in New York.

Please dont hesitate to email me with any other questions. In the end if you are not satisfied put it up on ebay, it will sell fast.

Kan

 

[Kandiru]

Oh, Dimitriz i dont know what "diplexer" u removed but there is only one 8VPSB(or something like that) module that should not be removed.

 

[dimitriz]

Hey Kandiru,

1st of all dont worry., I aint going to give you a neg. feedback.
In the worst case if I cant get this receiver running it's going to be donated to the "project".
I've followed these instruction which are the same as video that you mentioned.
Search for winnfreenet voom guide as I cant post direct URL here...
(OK, why in the hell can I NOT post the damn URLs??? I've got more then 5 posts already..grrr..)


You can see in the guide the diplexer being removed. (gray box that joins Sat+OTA)
I have straight antenna connection so no need for it.
(Antenna picks up about 30 channels on my Dish HD OTA receiver and the same on my MCE HDTV box)

The glitch is when I get to the Installation Steps menu.
If I select 3 or 4 (heck even 6) it does not scan. I get kicked out of the menu completely. The 3 channels that I am lucky to pick up are on the same frequency that were already scanned in the box previously.

 

[Ilya]

The glitch is when I get to the Installation Steps menu.
If I select 3 or 4 (heck even 6) it does not scan. I get kicked out of the menu completely.

Oh I remember this bug! "The Dreaded Wizard Trap!"
The only solution to it was a factory reset followed by the box reactivation via VOOM customer support. Unfortunately it is no longer possible to reactivate the box, so I am afraid you might be stuck with that...

 

[dimitriz]

Oh I remember this bug! "The Dreaded Wizard Trap!"
The only solution to it was a factory reset followed by the box reactivation via VOOM customer support. Unfortunately it is no longer possible to reactivate the box, so I am afraid you might be stuck with that...

Thanks Ilya!
Exactly what I thought was the problem and what I'd have to do resolve it.
To bad I'll get to watch only 3 channels on it, lol

 

[notny41]

www.antennaweb.org will tell you which exact direction your antenna should be pointed. Then you don't need to worry about aiming it.

I had little to no luck with an indoor antenna. I got a cheap outdoor at home depot and aimed it and threw on a 12 db amplifier (no diplexor) and mine pulls in 21 locals perfectly clear. I am also in a metro area but it is awesome!

Gotta do the channel scan though once you have the antenna up correctly. Also, like someone else also said make sure the "Hide" feature is not stuck on the channels you want to be able to watch. But I thought when you do a scan, whatever it finds comes up in "unhidden" status.

You are never going to get away from the 100-999 channels as they are the satellite ones and you can't get rid of them nor can you hide them. But once your locals are scanned in you can use your remote channel up and down to stay within your locals and not have to get up into the satellite channels. (small price to pay for cheap good-quality HDTV in my opinion)

P

 

[wallypa]

Hopefully this is not off-topic, but if it is I apologize. Anyway, I have the old voom stb and I hooked it up to my 27" hdtv ready lcd screen that I just bought. My question is: when you go to the system menu and aim the antenna, is there a certain frequency number I need to use specific to my location? Or do I just kind of play around with it until I get the highest signal. Appreciate any feedbacks.