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November 25, 2019
Humax Box – Trouble Shooting
I am a newcomer to the Forum and apologise for this long preamble but I am trying to give you as much information as possible.
I have a Humax Foxsat-HDR Freesat box; with both LNB connections taking a signal from a common dish via a De-Stacker. One of the cables from the de-stacker connects to a white box with two co-ax female sockets, one is not used (UHF/VHF) the other, marked SAT, connects to a LNB in socket on the box. I have a User’s Manual.
My main bugbear is “No or Bad Signal” (NBS), often present to a minor degree, sometimes so bad that the picture either isn’t there or severely pixelated. Calling up System/Diagnostics shows the strength and quality, sometimes one tuner is showing less than 50% strength, some times nothing. Invalid post code often appears but I tend to ignore it now. Experienced technicians tell me the signal is sound.
Having found and read some topics in your Forum I have a much better understanding of how the box functions but doing so has prompted additional questions. If they have been dealt with before please tell me where I can find them, failing that let me ask the following:
Can I by-pass the white box?
Should I do a Freesat or Manual retune? I’ve never been able to carry out a Freesat retune.
Is some greying out of channels in List while recording correct?
Do the two LNB inputs deal with different specific channels?
If so how do I assign a channel to an input? One tuner is always better.
Can unwanted channels be deleted? I am aware that I can “favouritise”.
Is it possible to assign channels to a specific tuner (LNB input)?
Is there some way of telling a greyed out channel while in the Guide?
Thank you,
Ron C
A stacker-destacker arrangement shifts the second tuner connection to a higher frequency which increases the losses. You should always use the best quality cabling and may need a larger dish.
At only 50% your signal is poor.
Assuming you don’t live in the most northerly parts of Scotland 100% quality should easily be obtained on all transponders. Channels on Pan europe wide beam transponders are likely to be less than 100% signal but 100% quality should be attained.
Setting up a freesat box requires the box to contact the freesat home transponder. This temporarily downloads a postcode database to your box. When you input a postcode, the box sets up the local channels like say BBC1-HD on 106 and hides ITV regions so that you have to watch local adverts.
There is a good option that uses a special digital lnb that is much superior to your arrangement. Hopefully repassac who has some experience with this arrangement will respond.
However I would get rid of the stacker at the lnb end and remove the destacker at the box end. The box can be made to work pretty well using just one cable and will serve to help in getting the box working correctly. The box is aware of the limitations of single cable mode and will not let you make impossible recording combinations.
This thread indicates what you can do with a single cable.
https://myhumax.org/forum/topic/what-can-i-record-and-watch-using-1-or-2-cables
Channels are aligned to a particular tuner depending on the order you set recordings.
To proceed connect a single direct cable to tuner 1 in. Make up a short link cable (if you don’t know how to fit screw on f connectors google it). Connect the middle socket (tuner 1 out) to tuner 2 in.
Switch on the box and TV and select the HDMI input. Do a factory reset and hopefully you will be able to validate a post code. If that doesn’t work your dish alignment may need tweaking.
Post what happens to get instructions how to use manual tune to check the home transponder signal.
I addition channels carried on UK spot beam transponders have a much higher field strength than those on wide beam pan-europe transponders.
You should however get 100% quality on all. All my UK spot are 100/100 with Europe beam about 80/100.
grahamlthompson – 12 hours ago »
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There is a good option that uses a special digital lnb that is much superior to your arrangement. Hopefully repassac who has some experience with this arrangement will respond.
……………
Graham is referring to a unicable LNB, I used a Inverto one which worked well and allowed single cable distribution (SCD) which can be split.
It is based upon the principle that only a number of channels (max 8, 4 is better) are wanted at a time.
A Foxsat needs to have this mode selected via the hidden Antenna menu where you can choose the translated frequencies for the channels. I used the defaults the Foxsat suggested. The LNB also has (I think two) standard universal connectors.
You however, mentioned a common dish which complicates the issue. I would enquire what the other users experience is and their configurations.
Hi both,
A huge thank you for helping me with my difficulties; but you grant me too much technical understanding, 12 volt DC is my limit. I will mull over the changes you recommend but after I have made the best of what is available now within our flat.
As repassac has spotted there is a common dish, no-one else (19 flats) are reporting any concerns. I am interested in the digital LNB, but that will be part of the common installation, my stacker is in an outside cupboard marked 4D (photo) so I won’t go there either at this stage, for the same reason, tweaking the dish is a no no and a separate dish conflicts with the building rules. So at this point I can only deal from where the co-ax comes out of the wall beside the box within our flat (photo).
I understand why you want me to improve my signal, but my immediate issues are purely day to day understanding of the box and its capabilities.
Let me return to some of my previous questions maybe expanded a bit, a yes or no is fine at this stage:
1. Does something essential happen in the white UHF/VHF box or can I take it out of circuit?
2. Is some greying out of channels in List while recording correct? Or is it a result of a less than 100% strength, quality is always (usually? 100%).
3. Do the two LNB inputs deal with different specific channels? I think you answered this but I don’t understand the answer… how can I “order set recordings?
4. Is it possible to assign channels to a specific tuner (LNB input)? Same question as 3 I guess.
5. Is there some way of identifying a greyed out channel while in the Guide?
6. Am I wasting your time & mine if I don’t deal with the “common facilities?
Numbers 2 & 6 are the most important at this time.
It may be that I am getting the best possible set up recognising the need to stay away from common facilities… but help me make sure.
Best regards, Ron C
Hi both,
A huge thank you for helping me with my difficulties; but you grant me too much technical understanding, 12 volt DC is my limit. I will mull over the changes you recommend but after I have made the best of what is available now within our flat.
As repassac has spotted there is a common dish, no-one else (19 flats) are reporting any concerns. I am interested in the digital LNB, but that will be part of the common installation, my stacker is in an outside cupboard marked 4D (photo) so I won’t go there either at this stage, for the same reason, tweaking the dish is a no no and a separate dish conflicts with the building rules. So at this point I can only deal from where the co-ax comes out of the wall beside the box within our flat (photo).
I understand why you want me to improve my signal, but my immediate issues are purely day to day understanding of the box and its capabilities.
Let me return to some of my previous questions maybe expanded a bit, a yes or no is fine at this stage:
1. Does something essential happen in the white UHF/VHF box or can I take it out of circuit?
2. Is some greying out of channels in List while recording correct? Or is it a result of a less than 100% strength, quality is always (usually? 100%).
3. Do the two LNB inputs deal with different specific channels? I think you answered this but I don’t understand the answer… how can I “order set recordings?
4. Is it possible to assign channels to a specific tuner (LNB input)? Same question as 3 I guess.
5. Is there some way of identifying a greyed out channel while in the Guide?
6. Am I wasting your time & mine if I don’t deal with the “common facilities?
Numbers 2 & 6 are the most important at this time.
It may be that I am getting the best possible set up recognising the need to stay away from common facilities… but help me make sure.
Best regards, Ron C
Ron C – 3 hours ago »
Hi both,
A huge thank you for helping me with my difficulties; but you grant me too much technical understanding, 12 volt DC is my limit. I will mull over the changes you recommend but after I have made the best of what is available now within our flat.
As repassac has spotted there is a common dish, no-one else (19 flats) are reporting any concerns. I am interested in the digital LNB, but that will be part of the common installation, my stacker is in an outside cupboard marked 4D (photo) so I won’t go there either at this stage, for the same reason, tweaking the dish is a no no and a separate dish conflicts with the building rules. So at this point I can only deal from where the co-ax comes out of the wall beside the box within our flat (photo).
I understand why you want me to improve my signal, but my immediate issues are purely day to day understanding of the box and its capabilities.
Let me return to some of my previous questions maybe expanded a bit, a yes or no is fine at this stage:
1. Does something essential happen in the white UHF/VHF box or can I take it out of circuit?
2. Is some greying out of channels in List while recording correct? Or is it a result of a less than 100% strength, quality is always (usually? 100%).
3. Do the two LNB inputs deal with different specific channels? I think you answered this but I don’t understand the answer… how can I “order set recordings?
4. Is it possible to assign channels to a specific tuner (LNB input)? Same question as 3 I guess.
5. Is there some way of identifying a greyed out channel while in the Guide?
6. Am I wasting your time & mine if I don’t deal with the “common facilities?
Numbers 2 & 6 are the most important at this time.
It may be that I am getting the best possible set up recognising the need to stay away from common facilities… but help me make sure.
Best regards, Ron C
Removing the stacker/unstacker arrangement will not affect anyone else. It will reduce your feed to a single cable. As the arrangement clearly does not work you haven’t lost anything. Once you have a single cable it will be much easier to check what is wrong.
In the meantime swap the two infeeds and try a reset to factory defaults.
If you have the unstacked input on tuner 1 in you have much better chance of actually setting up the box to a postcode.
Hi folks,
Humour me please, should some channels be greyed out in List whilst recording?
Sorry to persist. Ron C
Ron C – 19 mins ago »
Hi folks,
Humour me please, should some channels be greyed out in List whilst recording?
Sorry to persist. Ron C
It’s the way a lnb works.
A satellite tuner as well as providing power to the lnb has to control it.
The band is split into two frequency bands high and low. In order to allow a smaller gap in frequency (fit in more transponders) adjacent ones are polarised horizontal and vertical.
“A modern “Universal” LNB requires a 22 kHz signal at 0.5v p-p to switch its Local Oscillator to 10.6 GHz (“high band”). Otherwise it uses its 9.75 GHz oscillator.
Polarisation switching is controlled by DC voltage supplied by the receiver. 12.5v to 14.5v gives vertical and 15.5 to 18v gives horizontal polarisation. A higher voltage than that can damage the LNB (although I have run it up to 24 volts, briefly, without damage). A voltage that is too low will prevent the LNB from working correctly.”
Yours is working the same as a Humax box working in single cable mode. Either tuner 1 or tuner 2 in is connected to the higher frequency stacked connection.
Only 1 tuner can control the lnb connection it has. There is 4 possible combinations.
Low band horizontal, low band vertical, high band horizontal, high band vertical.
When a Foxsat-HDR is setup in single cable mode with the tuner 1 out tuner 2 in.
Tuner 1 controls the lnb. Tuner 2 in has no lnb control but it can use any channels carried on transponders that are in the same band and polarisation as tuner 1 has switched the transponder to.
Because there are very few high band channels on Freesat that means for most recording situations then a little less than 50% of the total number of channels can be watched. This explained in the link I gave you with a link to tell you enough to determine what channels are available to the second tuner when tuner 1 is recording or about to start recording. The greyed out channels are the ones locked out by virtue of band and polarisation.
If press the channel up down button the channels available to tuner 2 in will cycle through all the possible ones.
The only way to try and sort this out is do as I suggested. Ditch the stacker-destacker arrangement and get the box setup with a single cable direct to a lnb or a communal multiswitch out connection.
Otherwise it’s just guesswork.
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