Problems with my VU DUO and 4 LNB's

[discuit]

Hello, I have been having a few issues with my VU Box, and was wondering if anyone could help me fix it.

I am currently running the 2.2 VIX image on my box, and it has been working fine since I bought it, until a couple of weeks ago it began behaving very strangely. I have a static dish with 4 LNBS pointed at 13,19,23 and 28

For some reason Some channels, such as 4HD, Sky Sports 1HD are completely blank with no audio and visual, I have checked the frequency and everything is correct. Over the 4 sats I probably have 100 channels that I have the card for, but have just a black screen. Some Other channels have no video and just the audio, about 60% of them are fine with no issues.

When things start going badly wrong, my first idea is just to reset the box up, fresh. So I download the latest Image. 2.3, install that and then scan for channels. For some reason across 4 sats i am then only picking up 635 channels, and none of them work, not BBC one or anything, all black. So rather than being without Television, I have to reinstall 2.2 and revert to the backup with all the broken channels, as having some channels is better than none.

I have also encountered problems when installing 2.3 and it saying 100 odd updates are available, it then will not start after it reboots, just sits there with a blue screen saying "starting up" on the box.


Does anyone have any ideas on some test i can perform to figure out what the heck is going on?

Thanks in advance.

[Larry-G]

I have also encountered problems when installing 2.3 and it saying 100 odd updates are available, it then will not start after it reboots, just sits there with a blue screen saying "starting up" on the box.


Does anyone have any ideas on some test i can perform to figure out what the heck is going on?

Thanks in advance.

Which version of the ViX 2.3 image did you install as the very latest is 2.3-204 which does not require any updates at the moment. also be aware that to use the latest images you must update the receiver with he latest bootloader. This can be found in the same download thread as the ViX 2.3 image and is flashed in the exact same way as the image it self using a USB stick.

[discuit]

I can't seem to find the 2.3-204 for the VU Duo? Do you have a link?

[basilyoung]

http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?14236-Vu-Duo-ViX-2-3-%28Linux-3-1-1%29-Image-Release-s

here you go mate

[Larry-G]

its post number 3 in the ViX 2.3 release thread.

http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?14236-Vu-Duo-ViX-2-3-%28Linux-3-1-1%29-Image-Release-s

[discuit]

Thanks, right, i got it all installed correctly now thanks, but still have the issue with some channels now saying "tuner failed" when before it was just a black screen. It happens on both SKY UK channels like Channel 4HD and all of the Sky italia channels

[Larry-G]

are you using a premade bouquet pack or your own channel settings ?.

[discuit]

I'm using a premade Bouquet. When I scanned the channels on the latest firmware i picked up about 1500 Services from 4 sats. Still got tune failed on a lot of channels though

[hex_inc]

i was getting the same kind of problem with 4hd but i updated with silverfox's bouquet and did a re-scan. issue fixed.

[discuit]

I'll try that tonight.

Can you tell me if this is normal?

These are my 4 Sats

http://imgur.com/a/70ZWg

[discuit]

ok, using Silverfoxs Bouquet does fix Channel 4HD, but every channel on my 13 Degrees sat says tuner failed.

Is there a way i can scan 13e and see if it picks up any channels?

Sorry for the Noob questions, first time i've had issues with this box

[basilyoung]

how have you setup your dish,s ?

is one connected to tuner B the other to tuner A?
single lnbs rather than twin ( 2 connectors on the lnb )?
is tuner B set up for 13 east?

more info is needed to get you sorted

[Larry-G]

the silverfox bouquet only contains data for 28.2 east in it's satellites.xml file. you will need to generate a new one with the data in it for both 28.2 east and 13 east


http://satellites-xml.eu/


Then copy the newly generated file to the receiver using this tutorial

How To Update Satellites.xml File - Click Here (http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?11987-How-To-Update-Your-Satellites.xml-File&p=87270#post87270)
and once rebooted do a scan on 13 east.

[discuit]

how have you setup your dish,s ?

is one connected to tuner B the other to tuner A?
single lnbs rather than twin ( 2 connectors on the lnb )?
is tuner B set up for 13 east?

more info is needed to get you sorted

I have 4 LNBS going to

28.2
19.2
13.0
23.5

Each LNB has 2 feeds coming off it for recording purposes.

[discuit]

.............

[discuit]

the silverfox bouquet only contains data for 28.2 east in it's satellites.xml file. you will need to generate a new one with the data in it for both 28.2 east and 13 east


http://satellites-xml.eu/


Then copy the newly generated file to the receiver using this tutorial

How To Update Satellites.xml File - Click Here (http://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?11987-How-To-Update-Your-Satellites.xml-File&p=87270#post87270)
and once rebooted do a scan on 13 east.

Ok I have just done this, the scan found 173 Channels. When i went to browse them through the LAst scanned bit on the bouquet. All of them I checked said said Tune failed. Except one. French news,

[discuit]

Ok, the latest round of faffing around wi the box has had disastrous results. Since the scan with the new satellites.xml file, now all my channels except uk have a N/A in the bouquet, so. Resorted to a backup and now the channels that were previously working have got the dreaded Tuner failed message. Spain, France, Greece only provider that is working is UK.

[Maxwell]

Here try loading this, not fully upto date cos Im too lazy to bother for the odd channel :D but should get you most things you need

[discuit]

Thanks, will give it a go tonight.

[discuit]

Here try loading this, not fully upto date cos Im too lazy to bother for the odd channel :D but should get you most things you need

That didn't work either, still get Tune failed on 99% of non UK channels, UK is mostly fine. I'm starting to think it must be the dish, or the box. I also tried the Black hole image last night, but that was even worse with only 263 channels found on a full scan.

[Maxwell]

How exactly are you switching between the 4 lnbs and what are your tuner configs, I believe you do not have issues with channel lists or satellite.xml but either have external problems or your settings in tuner configs is incorrect

[discuit]

i'll take a photo of the Tuner Config screen tonight, is there a way i can get the box back to how it originally arrived when Brand new? I mean it always asks to restore settings (which i don't do, unless i need to get it back to working again quickly)

[discuit]

Anyone know how many services I should be finding on a full scan on 13,19,23,28 ?

[Sicilian]

Either do a factory reset or re-flash the receiver.

If all honesty having a quick read through this thread it sounds like your tuner configation is wrong.

I'm assuming your using a Diseqc switch? Post exactly how the lnbs are connect to the receiver and which tuner. I'm also going to change the title of this topic becuase this is not an issue with the VIX image its a setup error.

[discuit]

ok, I'll read up on how to reflash the receiver.

http://i.imgur.com/aZpPp.jpg Recover A

http://i.imgur.com/9gMmO.jpg Receiver B

I have 4 LNBS that go into some sort of Switch, and then 2 cables come into the house and into the Box. It was professionally installed.

http://i.imgur.com/eHtDx.jpg (http://imgur.com/eHtDx)

Thanks for your help on this, hope you can sort it, its drving me mad

[discuit]

whoops they are a bit big.

[Maxwell]

try setting Send Diseq only on satellite change to no

[discuit]

Doing a another scan now with it set to no.

[discuit]

ok, So a new scan found 1306 Services.

I return to the My bouquet and now have a lot of N/A on the channels that were previously "Tune Failed" as you can see here http://i.imgur.com/71Iqy.jpg

But now they say something different on the channels that say N/A http://i.imgur.com/I0gzK.jpg

[basilyoung]

go to tuner set up, and make sure 28 east is setup, and set to simple

[basilyoung]

sorry set up to DiSEqC ABCD

I would set A to 28 east, press ok..( leave the others set to nothing connected )
go to sat finder, and see if it finds 28 east, if not, go bach and set it to B, and so on

then once found, confirm by watching BBC local, then repeat the process on one of the other sats you are looking for, but leave the 28 east setting as is

[discuit]

it is already set up to ABCD and A to 28 east isn;t it? http://i.imgur.com/aZpPp.jpg

[basilyoung]

yes, at the mo, but you are not getting piccies, so A is seeing a sat, but by the sounds of it, not 28 east, hence my surgestion above

[discuit]

right ok, need to pop out shortly, but will check it when i get back. Thanks for your help, very appreciated

[Maxwell]

I agree with basil it would appear that your problem is that the lnb's are not connected to the correct ports you have set in the tuner config.

I would set tuner B to not configured for now and then as basil says try one at a time until the correct ports are found then copy the order into the tuner B setup

[discuit]

Ok, So, try 28A in A, see how many i get? and if I find a decent amount, save that, then try 19, 13, 23 in B until one finds a decent amount?

[basilyoung]

no,...the plan is to find which port (a,b,c,d)..currently A does not deliver 28 east, so set a,c,d to nothing connected, and B to 28 east, go to sat finder, and see if it gives a signal, if it does, unless you have a pre configged channel list, do a transponder scan, i would use this freq setting, both in sat finder, and single transponder scan ( its bbc HD uk )
freq 10847,
Virtical,
symbol rate 23000
FEC 8/9

if nothing found,
move 28 east to port C, and repeat

[discuit]

I'm going to try and fix this tonight again, Do you know if it is possible to do these scans/view signal strength remotely, i can remote in to my Home mac, was wondering if i could control the VU Box and get the results from work?

[Maxwell]

yes you can if your mac at home can access the box webif

[Midnight]

If your sats and channells were working correctly before and have only recently started to fail then its highly unlikely that the ports have somehow changed.

Diseqc switches are notorious for failing, I would initally try running a direct feed from each LNB to your Duo to ensure that the LNB's are sound.

If they are then I would change the diseqc switches, they're cheap enough.

[discuit]

Ok, So I've tested 28.2 on the 4 ports. And disabled Tuner B

Results are as follows:

Port A

SNR 61%
AGC 99%
BER 0%

Port B

SNR 0%
AGC 6%
BER 0%

Port C

SNR 0%
AGC 6%
BER 0%

Port D

SNR 0%
AGC 6%
BER 0%

So I assume 28.2 Belongs in Port A

______________________

13E



Port B

SNR 88%
AGC 99%
BER 0%

Port C

SNR 86%
AGC 99%
BER 0%

Port D

SNR 0%
AGC 97%
BER 0%


So I assigned that to Port B, Leaving me with 2 ports.

----------

19.2

Port C

SNR 50%
AGC 99%
BER 0%

Port D

SNR 50%
AGC 99%
BER 0%


No difference, so put that in C, then the final one stick in D Yeah?

[discuit]

If your sats and channells were working correctly before and have only recently started to fail then its highly unlikely that the ports have somehow changed.

Diseqc switches are notorious for failing, I would initally try running a direct feed from each LNB to your Duo to ensure that the LNB's are sound.

If they are then I would change the diseqc switches, they're cheap enough.

Thanks, not got the DIY Skills for that though, the dish was pro installed for me.

[Midnight]

In that case I would call out the installer and get them to sort it out.

Thr disecq switches are the two small black boxes lower down on your mast (in your Pic).

They cost about £10/20 each and are prone to fail, especially if they catch a surge. Did you disconnect the LNB lead to the back of your receiver reciever recently without switching off the reciever 1st as that will knock the switches out.

Also, the switches are usually better placed nearer the reciever end but the installer probally did this as its neater.

Assuming that it worked correctly when he 1st installed the system then my mony is on the switches having failed.

[Midnight]

Nice professional looking installation by the way, very tidy.

[discuit]

Right, another update. Full scan with the Sats on the ports outlined above, 1265 services found. Mostly sky uk. Still nothing of note on the other channels apart from some very random german ones.

Installation was done by Rick oper on tech watch. Superb installer.

[basilyoung]

well you are getting some where now, on the vacant ports, try fing 23 east

also, I was going to comment on the install as well,...its very classy, where are you situated ? ( not exact, just approx ) as the guy that did the install, might be of use to other members

[discuit]

The Guys based in Blackburn area UK, but i live in 90 miles from there, if its a decent job i'm sure he'll travel.

[basilyoung]

well I have done a few dish installs, and bow to the guy, very neat install, hats off to him

[discuit]

try fing 23 east

I've organised them into the correct ports i think, put it in a post above, what do you mean by "Fing" I can only get Sky UK still, very frustrating, starting to think its the Equipment. Looks like i'm going to miss the football this weekend.

[basilyoung]

sorry, but been on the amber nector, so cant decrypt, but we will get you fixed

baz

[discuit]

Anyone got any further ideas?

[Sicilian]

The only way you are going to find out for sure that you are inputting the correct settings is to go up a ladder and check exactly which port each LNB is connected to. Facing the dish I'd say the 28.2 LNB is on the right then work you way in for the others with 13deg being furthest left.

[discuit]

In a very strange twist, on Sunday afternoon I downloaded and installed 2.2, it didn't ask me for any set up instructions such as 1080i , restore from backup etc but programmed, asked to be rebooted then booted straight into German tv, working fine, All German and some Spanish channels have come back. But Italy remains blank. Very very weird.

[discuit]

I have my installer coming round on friday to see if theres anything up with dish etc

[Midnight]

Cool, should be able to get to the bottom of it.

Let us know how you get on.

[discuit]

Finally sorted this, the dish was a little out of alignment and needed the installer to put the correct sats on the correct A,B,C,D within VIX. Thanks for all the help, especially Basil who even called me up to help.