Old timer needs system help please.

[jeallen01]

I appear to have "lost" the most recent post from A33, and then my reply to that - WHAT HAS HAPPENED??

Anyway, my reply to A33's post amounted to setting both receivers to use DiSEqC 1.2 as the motor control protocol so that they both send the same type of motor control signals to the GEOBOX.

 

[jeallen01]

Now "found" the missing post from A33 and my reply to which I was referring - which were:

If you use USALS (Goto-X), there is no problem in using two receivers on one motor.
If you use diseqc 1.2 (GotoNn) commands, you have to make sure that the Nn numbers in both receivers are identical; as the motor has a fixed Nn-memory that you stored in it.

Greetz,
A33

That sounds "about right", although I'm not sure if Tony's TM receiver has DiSEqC 1.2 (never had one, so I don't know) - but if it does, then I would suggest setting both receivers to use DiSEqC 1.2 on all sats, and then maybe both receivers would send the same type of signals to the GEOBOX?

 

[Tony Daly]

Which satellite is stored at position 1, on your G-Box?
It might be wise to move to that satellite, select it from your SX88+ satellites list, then play around with storing the position.

13East is position 1 on the GBOX. 19East is position 2 & 16East is position 3.
The problem is some of the GBOX positions are not used & I don't know of a way to skip positions on the SX88+ ?

 

[a33]

Now "found" the missing post from A33 and my reply to which I was referring - which were:

That sounds "about right", although I'm not sure if Tony's TM receiver has DiSEqC 1.2 (never had one, so I don't know) - but if it does, then I would suggest setting both receivers to use DiSEqC 1.2 on all sats, and then maybe both receivers would send the same type of signals to the GEOBOX?

My 'missing post' was at another topic.
For V-Boxes/G-boxes, USALS is not commercially available ~ you'd have to program that yourself.
The mathematics for that is doable: Design for a Positioner with DiSEqC Decoder
Don't know if anyone has succeeded in making it yet ~ and if it works satisfactorily (or that it needs some Auto-Focus function or so...).

Back to plain diseqc 1.2/GotoNn for the SX88+.

Greetz,
A33

 

[Tony Daly]

Now "found" the missing post from A33 and my reply to which I was referring - which were:

That sounds "about right", although I'm not sure if Tony's TM receiver has DiSEqC 1.2 (never had one, so I don't know) - but if it does, then I would suggest setting both receivers to use DiSEqC 1.2 on all sats, and then maybe both receivers would send the same type of signals to the GEOBOX?

The TM has DiSEqC 1.2 so in the SX88+ I have to set each satellite I choose to DiESqC 1.2 individually. There doesn't seem to be a setting where you can set all satellites to DiESqC 1.2 ?
I'll have another look tomorrow / today with fresher eyes.
What I really need is information / advice from someone who has set up a similar system to the one I have ?
I think William-1 has a similar setup ?

 

[a33]

Have you tried to define 'dummy satellites' for the unused GotoNn numbers?

If you really must store all the Nn numbers in proper order, then do so, but with dummys. Can't be too hard?
First define a bunch of dummy satellites, then do the StoreNn sequence of all your sats.
I am not familiar with the SX88, though.

(BTW. Why did you choose to have unused numbers, anyway? Or how in history did that occur?)

Greetz,
A33

 

[Mickha]

13East is position 1 on the GBOX. 19East is position 2 & 16East is position 3.
The problem is some of the GBOX positions are not used & I don't know of a way to skip positions on the SX88+ ?

Try setting up Hotbird, 13E, first then and see if you have any extra options, after setting up a satellite.
The menus, that you've posted, seem limited, especially compared to an Enigma 2 based receiver, but even cheap receivers, I've owned in the past, seem to provide more options, unless there is an advanced option, somewhere in the menu structure.
Unfortunately it seems you will just have to try it, unless another owner, of a SX88+, with a Diseqc 1.2 setup, can help further.
Please keep us updated.

 

[jeallen01]

Have you tried to define 'dummy satellites' for the unused GotoNn numbers?

If you really must store all the Nn numbers in proper order, then do so, but with dummys. Can't be too hard?
First define a bunch of dummy satellites, then do the StoreNn sequence of all your sats.
I am not familiar with the SX88, though.

(BTW. Why did you choose to have unused numbers, anyway? Or how in history did that occur?)

Greetz,
A33

"Dummy sats" - That's what I was trying to say in post #54.

 

[a33]

"Dummy sats" - That's what I was trying to say in post #54.

Ah, sorry!
I didn't read back all the posts. But you in fact proposed this already.
We haven't seen though, if Tony has tried it.

Greetz,
A33

 

[ozumo]

I can't find any option that lets you specify a position number. If the Technomate allows this, then starting from scratch - finding and storing all positions on the Octagon & GBOX first, and then editing the positions on the Technomate to match might be the cleanest way of doing it.

 

[jeallen01]

The TM has DiSEqC 1.2 so in the SX88+ I have to set each satellite I choose to DiESqC 1.2 individually. There doesn't seem to be a setting where you can set all satellites to DiESqC 1.2 ?...

That's correct - you have to individually set each sat to DiSEqC 1.2.

Although it won't apply in Tony's case, you can do more than that if you have a DiSEQC switch near a fixed dish with several LNBs - as well as a motorised one using USALS or DiSEqC 1.2, and with some sort of switch to change between the two - you can also enter the DiSEqC switch "positions" for each of those LNBs. Thus when the dish selector switch is set to use the motorised dish then it will control that, and, when the switch is set to the fixed dish then it will control the DiSEqC switch to select the appropriate LNB - "Simples" as one of the UK TV advertisements says.

That's how I managed to almost completely "automate" the selection of dishes & LNBs for the lounge SX88+ because the dish selection switch is an RF-remote controlled SPAUN antenna relay (with that remote stuck to the rear of the SX88+ remote!) and that selects either the Gibby on a motor, or the EMP 16-1 DiSEqC switch near the fixed dishes - and I don't have to make any changes in the Installation menus when I choose either the Gibby or the LNBs on the EMP switch.

 

[Tony Daly]

Morning everyone.
I'm out for the day so it may be tonight or tomorrow before I can have another look at it.
Thinking about it over night I will do as has been suggested by a couple of posts now.
I will store the satellites in the SX88+ in the same order to my list & as stored in the TM7102HD. Where there is a gap in the numbering I will store a dummy satellite (one that I will never need). That should sort it out hopefully
I can't think of any other way.
The TM is old tech now & the menus are clunky to say the least so I don't want to start messing with them.

a33 asked why there are gaps in the numbering?
The truth is I don't know. The TM was set up six years ago. Maybe satellites were deleted along the way or something?
We'll see how things work out.
Meanwhile if anyone has any other ideas please put them up here.

Thanks everyone.
Tony.

 

[Tony Daly]

Hi Everyone.

Got home early so had a go setting up the SX88+ using the same positions as my TM 7102HD.
Took me a while to get my head around getting satellites set up & scanned but I think I might have some idea of what I'm doing now.
I wouldn't fancy being a novice trying to get this going
I tried to add a satellite, got it named & gave it a position at 37.5 West but when I tried to save it to a position, it wouldn't save ?
Maybe its because I have no transponders on the satellite ?
Trouble is I don't know how to add a transponder

If I load the William-1 satellite file will I lose the positions I have saved or is it just the satellite, transponder & channel lists that are updated ?

 

[jeallen01]

1 - get onto a website like Lyngsat or KingofSat (etc.) and select the satellite for which you want to find transponders (@william-1's sat list might help) and find ones which ought to be "strong" in the UK
2 - on the SX88+, go into the menus, Installation, list of sats and select the one of interest - then click the Green F2 button on the remote to get you to the transponder list for that sat. and then click the Blue F3 button to get a pop-up menu where you can enter new transponder parameters
3 - From the sat transponder that you chose in "stage 1", enter the frequency, polarity (the default is Horizontal, so you change that if the transponder is "Vertical") and the bit rate, and then click on the "button" below to add that transponder to the transponder list for that sat.
3- Then use the (can't remember which, ATM) F button on the remote to go into Search Mode, and then start an actual search - that will probably take a minute or so, and result in a list of identified channels on the screen.
4- Exit that mode, and then, "with luck", and if the dish is correctly aimed at that sat, then the on-screen SS & SQ bars should then "light up" in red to show that you have got a signal - on the SX88 series, an SQ level of about 22% or higher should indicate that you might then be able to view receivable channels..

Tomorrow, I might comment further.

 

[Tony Daly]

1 - get onto a website like Lyngsat or KingofSat (etc.) and select the satellite for which you want to find transponders (@william-1's sat list might help) and find ones which ought to be "strong" in the UK
2 - on the SX88+, go into the menus, Installation, list of sats and select the one of interest - then click the Green F2 button on the remote to get you to the transponder list for that sat. and then click the Blue F3 button to get a pop-up menu where you can enter new transponder parameters
3 - From the sat transponder that you chose in "stage 1", enter the frequency, polarity (the default is Horizontal, so you change that if the transponder is "Vertical") and the bit rate, and then click on the "button" below to add that transponder to the transponder list for that sat.
3- Then use the (can't remember which, ATM) F button on the remote to go into Search Mode, and then start an actual search - that will probably take a minute or so, and result in a list of identified channels on the screen.
4- Exit that mode, and then, "with luck", and if the dish is correctly aimed at that sat, then the on-screen SS & SQ bars should then "light up" in red to show that you have got a signal - on the SX88 series, an SQ level of about 22% or higher should indicate that you might then be able to view receivable channels..

Tomorrow, I might comment further.

Thanks for that.
I'll give it a go tomorrow.
Haven't been able to find information like that anywhere.
There doesn't seem to be any sort of user manual available anywhere for this receiver.

 

[jeallen01]

The SX88 series (and its "clones" like the Primo) is a "total learning curve" for newbies without any guidance - but "we do try to help" (even if we/I "get in wrong" sometimes - especially at this time of the evening!) in such circumstances
PS: ref "Stage 2": "F3 Blue" should have read "F4 Blue"

 

[Tony Daly]

If I load the William-1 satellite file will I lose the positions I have saved or is it just the satellite, transponder & channel lists that are updated ?

 

[ozumo]

Back up your own transponder and channel list first, then if william-1's list does overwrite the positions you can restore what you had before.

 

[jeallen01]

If I load the William-1 satellite file will I lose the positions I have saved or is it just the satellite, transponder & channel lists that are updated ?

Almost certainly - I think you will have to use one or more of the sites like Lyngsat, KingofSat, Flysat, etc. to create lists of the transponders that you want to receive on each sat in your lists on the both receivers, and then enter those manually as above.

Back up your own transponder and channel list first, then if william-1's list does overwrite the positions you can restore what you had before.

You do that via another section of the Menus. (the same one as you would use to load William-1's list).

 

[Tony Daly]

Back up your own transponder and channel list first, then if william-1's list does overwrite the positions you can restore what you had before.

Not really worried about the transponder & channel list, it's more the satellite positions I would worry about losing. I don't want to start the positions again.
Is it possible to save & restore just the positions or do you have to restore the entire file ?
Maybe William-1 if he sees this might comment