best feed hunting receiver

[iwol]

hi all using an azbox at the minute,very good for 4.2.2 feeds,but it has no blind scan,whats the best receiver for blind searching and nothing else,thanks

[dovercat]

"William 1" on 28th January 2009 at Sat-universe. com forum, posted.

Blindscan recievers.

1/ Manhattan Plaza XT series
2/ Vantage X200S series. Blind scan in 1,2,3,4 or 5 MHz scanning steps. Tunner about as sensitive as TM1500CI+Super, but not quite as sensitive as TM5200usb or Plaza XT-F.
3/ Technomate TM1000 Super series
4/ Technomate TM5000usb series
5/ Manhattan ST series
6/ Echolink EL777
7/ FortecStar Lifetime Ultra

A different poster "Purplemarina" on 24th June 2009 at Techwatch.com forum, answering the same question, posted
Own Vantage X200S, Manhattan XT-F, and TM1000 blind scanning receivers. Find the Vantage X200S best and fastest for blindscans.

I dovercat own a Manhattan Plaza-XT.
The Manhattan Plaza-XT blindscan in 1000-2000 symbolrates 4MHz steps, 2000-4000 symbolrates 4MHz steps, or all symbolrates 8 MHz steps. You can also stipulate the starting and end frequencies for the blindscan and the polarity to be scanned. It is relatively fast, especially all symbolrates 8MHz steps scan but it occasionally misses a low symbolrate transponder that a slower 4MHz step scan picks up.
The Manhattan might in theory miss a very low symbolrate transponder if it is was very close <4MHz away for a very high symbolrate transponder, that a Vantage X200S should find due to its smaller as low as 1MHz scanning steps. But the Manhattan allegedly has a faster blindscan and slightly more sensitive tunner so it might find slightly weaker transponders than the Vantage can. So its swings and roundabouts.

The receivers above are only DVB-S so you might want to look at getting a computer satellite tuner card or different receiver as the number of feeds using DVB-S2 is apparantly increasing.

[iwol]

thanks dovercat seeing i have a azbox as my main receiver i need something that can find all types of transmission thanks

[nelson_b]

hi -

i got a Vantage X200S series last year for blind searching --
very happy with it -- like all the different step settings etc for blind scan -- and i can confirm that the tuner is more sensitive than most recievers -- i certainly prefer it to the fortec lifetime ultra --although that did very well for me for a number of years ---

regards nelson.b.

[iwol]

hi nelson does it find dvb/s2 hd and 4.2.2 feeds though

[nelson_b]

hi nelson does it find dvb/s2 hd and 4.2.2 feeds though

hi -
sorry for a late reply ---
no it only finds 4.2.2 feed channels -- not dvb/s2 hd --

regards nelson.b.

[purplemarina]

Hi I am now using a technomate 6800 super for dvb-s2 hd feeds, the blindscan scan is a lot slower than the vantage maybe 3 times longer, but the scan is very through and dosent miss much, the tuner is sensitive better than the vantage. it finds 422 feeds although it dosent decode them. regards pm.

[Turok]

Echolink 3020,has also a fast blindscan and good sensitve tuner like dm 800!
old manhattan plaza series has a very bad tuner!
in the meantime there are so many blinscans avalible of diffrent brands,on the market!

[Huevos]

I dovercat own a Manhattan Plaza-XT.
The Manhattan Plaza-XT blindscan in 1000-2000 symbolrates 4MHz steps, 2000-4000 symbolrates 4MHz steps, or all symbolrates 8 MHz steps. You can also stipulate the starting and end frequencies for the blindscan and the polarity to be scanned. It is relatively fast, especially all symbolrates 8MHz steps scan but it occasionally misses a low symbolrate transponder that a slower 4MHz step scan picks up.
The Manhattan might in theory miss a very low symbolrate transponder if it is was very close <4MHz away for a very high symbolrate transponder, that a Vantage X200S should find due to its smaller as low as 1MHz scanning steps. But the Manhattan allegedly has a faster blindscan and slightly more sensitive tunner so it might find slightly weaker transponders than the Vantage can. So its swings and roundabouts.

The receivers above are only DVB-S so you might want to look at getting a computer satellite tuner card or different receiver as the number of feeds using DVB-S2 is apparantly increasing.

I've got both of these (Manhattan Plaza XT and the Vantage 2xx). Vantage is far superior. More sensitive tuner. If I set the Vantage to do a full scan on 5mhz step and the Manhattan to 8mhz (all symbol rates) the Vantage always finishes first (even though the steps are smaller) and often finds more.

Manhattan symbol rate thingy isn't very useful. Most feeds are below 7.5 mega symbols, not 4 or 2, so it would be much more useful to isolate this range.

Vantage scans both polarities at the same time as it clicks up in frequency. Manhattan scans verticals on first pass and horizontals on second, not that this matters really.

hi nelson does it find dvb/s2 hd and 4.2.2 feeds though

Not many DVB-S2 blind scan receivers out there. Consider the Vantage 8000. Not sure if it will blind scan on both tuners at once though.

[mattsnapper]

interesting thread! thanks guys.

Am looking in to getting a AZbox but heard rumours updates would include a blind scan... anyone know anything?! One day the ultimate receiver will be born. There are many good blind scan receivers but none that decode 4.2.2

being an apple mac man no PC will ever enter into my house but am seriously looking at building a PC and having a DVB-S2 tuner. Perhaps I should look more in other forums but not really the info for the beginner - are they good for blindscanning and decoding?

[Huevos]

Am looking in to getting a AZbox but heard rumours updates would include a blind scan... anyone know anything?

Software blind scan is extremely slow. The SS2.3 PC card has hardware blind scan that takes minutes. Later models have software blind scan and these take hours. If you want much fast feedback (a few seconds) get a spectrum.

[iwol]

the azbox is still waiting for blindscan maybe next week maybe 6 months no one knows,but it will be software until the premium + comes out which is said to be hardware...one thing for the azbox is it will decode the 4.2.2 feeds which is a bonus ,thanks for all replys guys keep it going

interesting thread! thanks guys.

Am looking in to getting a AZbox but heard rumours updates would include a blind scan... anyone know anything?! One day the ultimate receiver will be born. There are many good blind scan receivers but none that decode 4.2.2

being an apple mac man no PC will ever enter into my house but am seriously looking at building a PC and having a DVB-S2 tuner. Perhaps I should look more in other forums but not really the info for the beginner - are they good for blindscanning and decoding?

[Oakey22]

like people have said about the AZBox waiting for the premium+, i dont think it will ever happen to the elite or premium as it lacks the Hardware.

[sopetran]

Is there a software to find TPs?

[wod]

at the moment to find feeds you need

azbox or pc satellite card to view mpeg2 4:2:2 or dvb s2 4:2:2

and a receiver like the vantage 8000s to blind scan mpeg2/mpeg4 hd stuff, as they will find 4:2:2 feeds but will just display a black screen or messed up image and then to view the 4:2:2 stuff on azbox or pc

[iwol]

is that the cheapest wod what about the vantage 1100hd

[Vipersan]

The Holy Grail of feed hunting receivers is yet to be born I think..
I still muddle along with the following setup :-

My trusty old Nokia 9600 (DVB2000 firmware) which will scan any given fequency carrying SD ..and has the older tuner which allows FREQ XXXX :fec = none: SR = none
If anything on the chosen frequency /channel is locked and you can then interrogate the tuner for the found SR and FEC
Sadly no 4.2.2 or HD

I use in combination with a dedicated PC fitted with a Skystar2 rev2.3 ..
which allows hardware blind scan ...and will resolve 4.2.2 with elecard codec and VMR7 rendering..
..again ..no HD

I also use a fabulous bit of software called BXS - Transponder Finder ..
which will scan the entire spectrum C or KU - HandV - in predefinable steps /delays and return any active frequencies ..
These can then be scanned by the same software to find the SR and FEC
..again only SD as this is determined by the SS2 card ..
In the same PC case ..I also have an S2-3200 technisat HD card ..
This will of course do HD ...but since the BXS software doesn't recognise the S2HD card ...it isn't possible to use its superior scanning facillities..

It is possible to interrogate the HD stream using Transedit ...but so far I've not found a way to 'pseudo blindscan' with this card ..
ie ...use a pre-defined table setup in small steps..
In short I still have no way to blind scan HD feeds..

If anyone is aware of any software to do this I'd appreciate the knowledge..
..and ..yes ... I know 'pseudo' blind scanning takes like .....forever..doh!!

One day everything we need will hopefully be in one box..
SD
HD
C & KU band handling
low symbol rate handling
4.2.2 and variants enabled
Motor control
Diseqc Switching
and superior gain/threshold tuners ...at least on a par with my Nokia 9600

fingers crossed..

rgds 2 all
VS

[Huevos]

The Holy Grail of feed hunting receivers is yet to be born I think..

Personally I think blind scan is too slow. Spectrum is so much quicker. Just superimpose a known trace over the satellite fingerprint you are looking at and check out any unknown peaks. It takes seconds.

[iwol]

thanks could i do that with my satlook micro and how would i super impose one over the other please

[Vipersan]

Personally I think blind scan is too slow. Spectrum is so much quicker. Just superimpose a known trace over the satellite fingerprint you are looking at and check out any unknown peaks. It takes seconds.

I totally agree Huevos ...
A spectrum Analysis is certainly the quickest way to go ..
..but the hardware for a self contained unit is painfully expensive.
..certainly a quality analyser will cost as much as a high end receiver ..and leave a gaping hole in ones bank balance.
rgds
VS

[Llew]

My Triple Dragon Linux receiver gives a good account of itself with its spectrum analyser plugin. Finds anything DVB-flavoured.

Just need a calculator handy to convert IF to Ku

[Vipersan]

...Not bad Llew ..I have to say..
I've seen far worse receiver/scanalyser displays.
I suppose the only real problem is distinguishing the actual peakes of the scanned transponders ..particularly when closely packed on the louder ..more active birds..
I can only assume the lack of rapid falloff (transponder seperation) is down to the agc capabilities of the specific receiver/tuner combination.

rgds
VS

ps ..just out of curiosity ...which 'bird' are we looking at ?

[kenny1234]

I'm sorry to go off topic but i must say i got all excitied when i initially saw this post, i miss read the title and thought it was Breast Feed Hunting Receivers.

I thought maybe there was a new reciever available possibly a DDbox



coat...................

[iwol]

so when youve found the freq how do you find the channels sr to allow you to receive the channel or do you have to input that freq into a blindscan receiver

[Vipersan]

I'm sorry to go off topic but i must say i got all excitied when i initially saw this post, i miss read the title and thought it was Breast Feed Hunting Receivers.

I thought maybe there was a new reciever available possibly a DDbox



coat...................

I heard the basic design for the type of receiver you're describing was dropped as it proved to be un-sucksessful in initial tests.
doh !
My coat is the one under yours.......