View Full Version : Gigablue Unicable problem. 12 March 2020 drivers
I am also getting this problem on my gigablue 4k quad, using unicable gigablue ultra lnb, i have the tuners setup correctly as i was told in a previous post, i am using the latest image 5.3.034, some recordings go to the end and some don't, was there an answer to this problem? i also get tune failed sometimes. just to add though, i don't think my recordings just end early, i think mine loses the signal before the end of the recording, i have checked all connections, all fine.
abu baniaz
16-06-20, 23:48
Which tuner is being used for the recording when the issue occurs?
thanks, not sure about that, as i have been recording a few channels at the same time to test it out, seems to happen more on sd channels, pbs america for instance. the tune failed is not much of a problem, but the recording ending too soon is.
abu baniaz
17-06-20, 00:03
There is a bug with the Gigablue drivers for the UE 4K. I think the Quad 4K uses the same drivers. If the main tuner is not in use, power to the LNB is switched off.
so that means if i'm recording on tuner B the signal can disappear, that's handy, what needs doing to fix it? thanks for reply.
abu baniaz
17-06-20, 00:20
Does tuner B have a signal wire?
No, just 1 cable to tuner A.
@scouse645, the workaround for this problem (which is caused by drivers)...
1) When you are not using the box do not put it in standby. Leave it with tuner A as the currently playing service (if tuner A is doing a recording and you were viewing on different channel zap to a channel on the same transponder being received by tuner A).
2) Make sure tuner A is always active.
3) Disable HDMI-CEC if it was enabled.
Thanks for your reply, i will follow you advice, is the driver situation something that will be fixed? or be fixed at some future date?
is the driver situation something that will be fixed?Ask the manufacturer. As it is a driver issue it affects all images. No point image hopping in the hope of finding it working correctly in a different image.
Report it here please: https://support.impex-sat.de/
There more that report it, the faster the issue will be fixed.
Ensure you give them a link to this thread.
Report it here please: https://support.impex-sat.de/
There more that report it, the faster the issue will be fixed.
Ensure you give them a link to this thread.
Thanks, i have reported this problem as you advised.
abu baniaz
18-06-20, 16:51
Report it here please: https://support.impex-sat.de/
There more that report it, the faster the issue will be fixed.
Ensure you give them a link to this thread.
The Gigablue driver posts should be moved to their own thread IMO. Any objection?
abu baniaz
19-06-20, 15:31
The Impex/Gigablue guy is away until end of the month
I had an email from the support team at Gigablue, they suggested trying the Teamblue image, i have informed them that i tried it but it was exactly the same, after the information on here i wasn't hopeful, am i right in thinking that there's no point buying another receiver with FBC tuners?
abu baniaz
19-06-20, 16:58
The Vu receivers have changed drivers so that the voltage to be always on. If Gigablue do this, then the problem is fixed.
thanks, i can't believe they were not aware of this for some time, so it should have been sorted by now, is it done through a software update?
abu baniaz
19-06-20, 17:21
When they supply updated drivers, they will be included in the image that is built afterwards. Performing a software update will include them.
I have a GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K and recently upgraded my dish & also LNB to a Opticum Red Robust Legacy Unicable 2 SCR 2 LNB / 8+2 Receiver (8 subscribers) I had issues with dropped recordings until I updated to the their resent driver update which was added to (5.3.020.010) where they say 'Fixed Unicable issue and Improved tuning speed -. Fixed DiSEqC Loopthrough issue if Tuner B is connected to Tuner A'.
The reason I did not want to update to the new drivers was because of the juddery recordings you get with the new drivers which has been an issue for some time. But I was force to do this as the wife was not very happy with these dropped recordings and this driver update has resolved this as I have not had any dropped recordings since. But the juddery recordings is back. The only difference I can see we have is my LNB is for 8 subscribers and yours is for 16 but I don't no how that can make any difference though.:confused:
I have a GigaBlue UHD Quad 4K and recently upgraded my dish & also LNB to a Opticum Red Robust Legacy Unicable 2 SCR 2 LNB / 8+2 Receiver (8 subscribers) I had issues with dropped recordings until I updated to the their resent driver update which was added to (5.3.020.010) where they say 'Fixed Unicable issue and Improved tuning speed -. Fixed DiSEqC Loopthrough issue if Tuner B is connected to Tuner A'.
The reason I did not want to update to the new drivers was because of the juddery recordings you get with the new drivers which has been an issue for some time. But I was force to do this as the wife was not very happy with these dropped recordings and this driver update has resolved this as I have not had any dropped recordings since. But the juddery recordings is back. The only difference I can see we have is my LNB is for 8 subscribers and yours is for 16 but I don't no how that can make any difference though.:confused:
If Gigablue have updated the drivers on a previous update it couldn't have worked as i'm having those problems with a newer image.
After an initial answer from gigablue about this problem they have been quiet since, so i had a fiddle myself, i am using an openatv 6.3 image from october last year which is working how it should do, not ideal i know but at the moment i'm not sure gigablue will do anything about it, as on the gigablue forum there is quite a few members who have had the problem for some time, it seems VU+ boxes don't have this problem with unicable, i like using the unicable lnb so i may get a new box.
Just get an injection power supply and you are done.
Just get an injection power supply and you are done.
Thanks, but not a clue what that is.
A power supply that keeps the LNB powered 24/7. It is the exact same power supply that would be used to power a switch via the co-ax cable rather than a direct connection at the switch. "Injection" just means the power can be inserted at any point along the co-ax line. Any 12-19 volt source t'ed into the co-ax line via a power pass splitter should work.
If anyone can give a link for the above item it would be appreciated.
abu baniaz
01-07-20, 22:46
Search for sky sp161 on ebay. I'm sure it will work.
Search for sky sp161 on ebay. I'm sure it will work.
Thanks, does it matter that it's a signal booster also?
Thanks, does it matter that it's a signal booster also?I very much doubt that device has a signal booster built in. Most likely just a muppet that has no clue what they are selling.
Wouldn't allow me to edit above with:
Does the voltage to a Unicable 2 LNB matter?? 12/13v from receiver power supply is very easy to arrange.
I've ordered the sky device abu thinks will work, didn't cost much so worth a try, in the meantime i will continue the older openatv image which works perfect, when i get the sky power inserter i will try the latest vix image.
For anyone that does need an injection power supply they are going to be available from WoS.
https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/satellite-and-terrestrial/universal-and-unicable-lnb/unicable-universal-lnb-power-inserters/gt-sat-gt-pi1-unicable-universal-lnb-power-inserter
I sorted mine out anyway, i bought a VU+ ultimo, as gigablue don't seem to think there's a problem, bit disappointed with there attitude, i won't buy another gigablue.
I sorted mine out anyway, i bought a VU+ ultimo, as gigablue don't seem to think there's a problem, bit disappointed with there attitude, i won't buy another gigablue.
Did you log the issue with Gigablue?? Their support forum is in German, but Google translate does a good enough job.
Did you log the issue with Gigablue?? Their support forum is in German, but Google translate does a good enough job.
yes i did do that, they answered me telling me to try Teamblue image, i had already tried that but no good, on the gigablue german forum there are post's about this problem, they sound as frustrated as me with there lack of help, they never answered anymore emails.
Of course it won't make any difference, it is a driver issue.
I've been testing the GT-Sat power inserter with Gigablue UHD Quad 4K and different configurations on the VU+ Ultimo 4k.
Cures power issues for the Gigablue models and also stops many tune failed message on the VU+ Ultimo 4K depending on the setup you have.
In my honest opinion no receiver works spot on with a Unicable LNB unless its powered 24/7. Being powered also saves waiting 2-3 seconds for the first boot.
I'd recommend the Power injector all day long when using a Unicable LNB no matter what receiver you have: https://www.world-of-satellite.co.uk/satellite-and-terrestrial/universal-and-unicable-lnb/unicable-universal-lnb-power-inserters/gt-sat-gt-pi1-unicable-universal-lnb-power-inserter
abu baniaz
20-07-20, 19:12
When injecting power via an inserter is there a facility to stop the box also providing power to the LNB - the two power sources could be fighting each other?
There is an option for "externally powered". I have not checked the output voltage from tuner with this enabled though. However, it should not be an issue because you could have multiple receivers connected to an LNB.
The output voltage is controlled by drivers. The "externally powered" is just so Unicable power up delay can be ignored.
@Sicillian, do you know if that inserter block lets voltage through from the STB. e.g. if you remove the power source from the inserter does the VU+ FBC tuner "A" still work?
abu baniaz
20-07-20, 23:02
So how are drivers told not to power LNB?
Independent power going to uplead of Unicable LNB.
Only tuner controlled dual voltage wigglies to Legacy.
The tuner setup asks if there is an external power source. I assume the answer instructs tuner what to do.
abu baniaz
20-07-20, 23:33
The tuner setup asks if there is an external power source. I assume the answer instructs tuner what to do.
That just tells it to ignore the wake up time. ( just learnt that)
So how are drivers told not to power LNB?Not sure what you mean. Sending voltage up the co-ax line from the STB will happen regardless of the "externally powered" setting. This can be confirmed with a multimeter.
abu baniaz
21-07-20, 00:57
I was asking how to tell the receiver not to send voltage to the LNB when power from receiver is not needed.
Also, if you are using a power pass splitter it should be diode protected so voltage from one STB cannot arrive at the aerial socket of another that shares the same LNB. i.e. the voltage can only flow from the STB to the LNB but not in the opposite direction... and the STB itself should also have diode protection at the socket to prevent external voltage from entering it.
I was asking how to tell the receiver not to send voltage to the LNB when power from receiver is not needed.
1) As far as I know you can't... so if your LNB is powered over a shared co-ax line the device supplying the highest voltage will be the one that powers the LNB. This is due to the diode protection, i.e. if the voltage is greater outside the the STB than supplied by the STB there will be a negative voltage at the protection diode and therefore no forward current from the STB.
2) If you want to be certain the STB is not supplying current to the LNB use a DC blocker. https://www.tdtprofesional.com/es/bloqueo-de-tension-para-repartidores-conector-f.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpNr4BRDYARIsAADIx9zS45S06iKwB Sn7vz7YCF2Bq7oyl68nN7aVpRhxMZa29mgOp1_RI_oaApzVEAL w_wcB
3) A wall plate for a community Unicable install would/should have a DC blocker built in.
One question for my own education
In a unicable tuner mode do the STB boxes with multiple satellite input sockets produce the voltage on all these socket inputs all the time when the box is switched on or only when a tuner (or tuners connected to the socket by various internal means) is required for watching/recording?That is the crux of this thread. It would seem that the people writing the closed source drivers don't understand when voltage should or should not be sent to the LNB... or there is not sufficient flow of data from enigma to the driver to be able to work this out... or just coding incompetence.
In the case of the GB, voltage is being switched on/off on the root tuners irrespective of whether one of the link tuners is in use.
In the case of the VU, voltage is always present on socket A (but according to Sicillian's testing it is not clear what is going on at socket B).
As we haven't got access to the closed source code the only way for us to know what is really going on is to test the voltage supplied by each socket with a multimeter.
The output voltage is controlled by drivers. The "externally powered" is just so Unicable power up delay can be ignored.
@Sicillian, do you know if that inserter block lets voltage through from the STB. e.g. if you remove the power source from the inserter does the VU+ FBC tuner "A" still work?
I've got this connected feeding into a splitter, then to a receiver, but I'll check.
abu baniaz
21-07-20, 13:42
In the case of the GB, voltage is being switched on/off on the root tuners irrespective of whether one of the link tuners is in use.
The voltage is being switched off when a Root tuner is not in use. A leaf/link tuner can't function without the root tuner unless LNB has independent power supply. If it does not have an independent supply, root tuner/s should remain powered. But there is no way of telling it to power or not power going by the comments.
The voltage is being switched off when a Root tuner is not in use. A leaf/link tuner can't function without the root tuner unless LNB has independent power supply. If it does not have an independent supply, root tuner/s should remain powered. But there is no way of telling it to power or not power going by the comments.Yes, beyond the control of the user as far as I can see.
....... force lnb power on driver change..............
https://github.com/oe-alliance/oe-alliance-core/commit/a282a00645005370090cdaee29580024d7d20d9c
abu baniaz
27-07-20, 03:30
The issue is solved for me on a GB UE 4K.
....... force lnb power on driver change..............
https://github.com/oe-alliance/oe-alliance-core/commit/a282a00645005370090cdaee29580024d7d20d9c
And what does one do with all that please?? Seems to be 4 files and 2 machines??
.... wait until they are released in the next image. (Or build your own.)
Think I'll wait. Meanwhile, have just received a Vision V5-033 DC inserter to power LNB. So will fit that instead of my home made one.
abu baniaz
30-07-20, 18:38
I have moved posts relating to the DIY power inserter issue to their own thread, please continue there for discusssions pertaining to the power inserter.
https://www.world-of-satellite.com/showthread.php?63171-DIY-Power-inserter
The updated drivers will be in the next ViX image, probably just before middle of August.
If you want to benefit from the drivers, you can flash OpenATV or any other image built after drivers were updated to resolve the issue.
Thanks. I'll wait for the next Vix image.
And as Sicilian suggested earlier, I'll use a proper DC injector permanently, Vision unit going back for full refund.
Overall, quite a learning curve just to watch TV!!
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