Fortec Star 4400 - Unable To Find Some Channels

Justin · 16-10-2009

Could anybody please help me with this?

I bought the Fortec Star 4400 from Maplin yesterday.

I spent ten hours yesterday afternoon/evening/night trying to tune-in all the FTA channels. It's driving me mad.

I live in a block of flats and the landlord installed a communal Satellite Dish, so I have no idea what model or size it is.

I figured out how to manually add the Eurobird 1 satellite to the Satellite List (28.5E) and the receiver has found some channels on a Blind Scan. I've also enabled all the other satellites in the Satellite List by "ticking them" in the appropriate menu. I've ran a Blind Scan on every single satellite now, countless times.

The channels which it has picked up are a mixture of Horizontal and Vertical - so after Googling (a lot) I believe that means that the LNB is fine.

I can't tune-in any of the ITV channels; No C4 channels; No C5; No BBC2, BBC3, BBC4...

All the receiver seems to pick-up is BBC1 (most of the regional variations), Zone Romantica, True Movies, Movies4Men, Movies4Men2, Movies4Men2+1, some lame quiz channels, Flava, NME TV, Scuzz, Flaunt, and countless scary channels featuring religious preaching or women writhing around in their underwear.

I bought the receiver predominantly so I could receive the Film24 channel. I know how to add the relevant satellite, manually add a TP and search the TP... It just keeps coming up with nothing.

Can anybody help?

I've updated the firmware from the Fortec website which doesn't appear to have made any difference - and in fact seems to be an earlier version than what was originally installed!

Would it be helpful if I wrote down which TPs fail when processing a Blind Scan on the Astra 2 and Eurobird 1 satellites?

I'm in Bolton, 53°35'N 02°26'W.

***Tivù*** · 16-10-2009

Well there is no point at all in ticking and scanning all the Satellites as the Receiver can only detect Channels from the Satellite position the Dish is aligned to.

Other "Satellites" are just Data Tables and, as similar frequencies are used on a variety of Satellites, if you scan the "wrong" table you may get some Channels showing - but they are still from 28e ...........

Also, with Blind Scan on "Eurobird 1", you will (should!) find all the Astra 2 Birds as well, as they are co-located. Your Receiver cannot distinguish between them and just finds everything coming from 28E.

Therefore, adding "Eurobird 1" wasn't necessary: If it makes it easier, just Edit the name of the table "Astra 2" to "UK", if you wish. What's in a name?

So, that leaves us with why you are not getting all the Channels.

Bear with me while I check against the Listings to see if there is an obvious common link.

***Tivù*** · 16-10-2009

The channels which it has picked up are a mixture of Horizontal and Vertical - so after Googling (a lot) I believe that means that the LNB is fine.

Not necessarily ........

Please confirm you have selected something like "Universal", "Universal 1", "Universal 9750/10600" in the relevant Menu.

Justin · 16-10-2009

Originally Posted by Tivù

Other "Satellites" are just Data Tables and, as similar frequencies are used on a variety of Satellites, if you scan the "wrong" table you may get some Channels showing - but they are still from 28e ...........

Ah, right. That explains all the duplicates then.

Originally Posted by Tivù

Also, with Blind Scan on "Eurobird 1", you will (should!) find all the Astra 2 Birds as well, as they are co-located. Your Receiver cannot distinguish between them and just finds everything coming from 28E.

I'm new to all this. I knew nothing about satellites yesterday. I read on the net someplace that the Eurobird 1 and Astra 2 satellites were all in roughly the same place in orbit. I thought a few degrees would make a difference, so manually added it. I'll delete it from the list now.

Originally Posted by Tivù

So, that leaves us with why you are not getting all the Channels.

Bear with me while I check against the Listings to see if there is an obvious common link.

You're a star!

Justin · 16-10-2009

Originally Posted by Tivù

Not necessarily ........

Please confirm you have selected something like "Universal", "Universal 1", "Universal 9750/10600" in the relevant Menu.

This is what's displayed in the "Antenna Setup" menu...

Satellite: ASTRA 2A-B-D This can toggle between satellites
LNB Freq: Universal(9750 - 10600) This has loads of other options
Transponder: (1/99) 10714 H 22000 This is changeable, listing each TP
IF Channel: 1 This is greyed-out and I can't select it
Centre Freq: 1210 This is greyed-out and I can't select it
DiSEqC1.0: Disable This can be toggled between Ports 1 to 4
DiSEqC1.1: Disable This can be toggled between 1Cascade M1: Ports 1 to 16
22K: Auto This is greyed-out and I can't select it
0/12V: Off This can be toggled between Off and On

Should I change those disabled options to something else?

***Tivù*** · 16-10-2009

No, that's fine: When you select Universal it sets the correct parameters and prevents you form bu**ering them up!

I'm puzzled, though ............

You are getting some H TPs, some V TPs, some Low Band, some High Band.

I wonder how the distribution system from the Dish is arranged? ie Direct feed to each Flat from eg Octo LNB: or indirect Feed from Multiswitch supplying more than eight Feeds overall.

It might be easier if:

a. You try your Box on a "Sky" system other than your own - ie A friend with his/her/its own Dish

b. You try said friends Box on your Feed

Justin · 16-10-2009

Originally Posted by Tivù

It might be easier if:

a. You try your Box on a "Sky" system other than your own - ie A friend with his/her/its own Dish

b. You try said friends Box on your Feed

Well, that was going to be my next plan anyway. My parents have got an old Sky Digital dish they never use. I'll take the box around there and plug it in.

I'll let you know what happens!

Justin · 16-10-2009

Originally Posted by Tivù

I wonder how the distribution system from the Dish is arranged?

There'a big beige box underneath the dish, like an electric meter box - roughly the same size too.

***Tivù*** · 16-10-2009

Originally Posted by Justin

Well, that was going to be my next plan anyway. My parents have got an old Sky Digital dish they never use. I'll take the box around there and plug it in.

I'll let you know what happens!

Ok. Good luck!

Justin · 16-10-2009

I've just done the Blind Scan one last time...

ASTRA 2A-B-D 10818 H 22000 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 10936 H 22000 Failed
ASTRA 2A-B-D 10389 H 27500 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 11426 H 27500 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 11488 H 24790 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 11526 H 27490 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 11565 H 27500 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 10818 V 22000 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 10936 V 22000 Failed
ASTRA 2A-B-D 11343 V 27500 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 11389 V 27500 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 11488 V 27500 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 11527 V 27500 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 11565 V 27500 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 11240 H 27500 OK
ASTRA 2A-B-D 12338 H 27490 OK

Oops! I couldn't keep-up with it fast enough. They were all okay, except for when it searched from 10,936 Mhz, both horizontally and vertically.

I've lost the Movies4Men and True Movies channels now. I only ticked the Astra 2 satellite in the satellite list this time around.

***Tivù*** · 16-10-2009

Still no concrete evidence!

dodgy connection somewhere?

Just not enough to go on.

Need to prove Box as per previous.

Justin · 4 Weeks Ago

The box is fine. I took it to my parents' house yesterday, plugged in their old Sky Digital dish, and it scanned in 340 channels.

So, it's either the dish alignment or wiring I suppose. An engineer's coming on Thursday to take a look.