STRONG 4375 SOFTWARE UPGRADE

PRINCE

Hello Everyone,

I am trying to upgrade the software in my receiver to version 1.02, I have downloaded the software to my C drive, I then clicked on the download wizard and then select the location I downloaded the software to and since then Wizard has been flashing with message "please wait downloading firmware" for the past 30 minutes,I am doing something wrong or does it take that long for the software to be upgraded.

Regards


PRINCE

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2old4this

It takes more than 30 minutes to upgrade the firmware in my Echostar ad3000... don't know about the Strong.

2old

PRINCE

Hi 20ld,

Thanks for your reply, I am been waiting by My PC all night,can you please confirm if downloading and saving the software to my hard drive and then uploading it from there through the cable using Com port 2 to my receiver is the correct procedure for upgrade.

Regards

Prince

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2old4this

I don't hava a Strong recei ver and don't know the specifics of the upload process, but the procedure you describe is certainly the one used for Echostar receivers.
Are you sure the com port is the correct one?
Have you checked your com-port settings, or tried to adjust them? I have had problems in the past with the fifo buffer settings. You might also try specifying a lower baud rate.
Have you checked the Strong website for details on the procedure? Are you sure you have the right kind of cable?
Have you ever successfully performed an upgrade before? If it worked last time what are you doing differently this time? Haver you tried re-downloading the software in case it was corrupt? etc etc etc.,
2old

PRINCE

Hi,

I have never done an upgrade before and you now why,the cable I am using is the one with 9 pins(male) fitted to the back of the receiver and 9 holes(female) which is the same one I used for my millenium programmer and I know that my millenium programmer used com port 2,the procedure I used was my understanding of the instructions on Strong site,anyway I would try what you suggest and possibly leave it on overnight.

Regards

Prince

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2old4this

First, I really do advise you to consult what Strong have to say on the cable and procedure.
In all likelyhood you are using the wrong cable.
Programmers use a standard modem cable.
The cables used for linking PC to PC of PC to other device (such as a receiver) are usually NULL-MODEM-CABLES.
The Null-modem cable has its pins crossed with respect to the modem cable.
2old

PRINCE

Hi 2old,

Thanks for your reply, I am going out now to an electronics shop to ask for the Null Modem cable and I have also email Strong but as usual I don't expect any reply from them.For some reason the upgrade is becoming like a challenge for me as I have been avoiding doing the upgrade until now and my receiver is now sitting idly looking at me with a smirk on his face saying now what.


Regards

Prince

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2old4this

you don't need to email them with this sort of stuff.
Just take a look at their websit
http://www.strongsat.com./
then "enter site" and follow the link "support".
Then click on the receiver (left "software" panel) you have.
The instructions are very clear. There's even a wiring table for the cable, and yes, that's a null-modem cable.

2old

PRINCE

Hi 2old,

Just want to thank you for your help, I have finally done the upgrade today after almost a week trying with 4 different null modem cables sold to me as the real one by electronics shop who it now appear are as ignorant as me. I finally took the receiver to my local dealer who did the upgrade for me and then sold me the correct Null modem cable, I hope the upgrade is worth all the hassles I went through.

Regards

PRINCE

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2old4this

If ever in doubt, always buy the "full" null modem cable. IE the "fully-wired" versions. Some variants do not use all the flow-control pins, and these receiver loaders usually need them.

And note: Sometimes people insist until they are blue in the face that a fully-wired null-modem cable is called a "full modem cable". It ain't. You can get partially- and fully-wired modem cables just as you can get partially- and fully-wired null-modem cables...

2old

sleeper

HI PRINCE DID THE SOFTWARE UPGRADE MAKE MUCH DIFFERANCE? I ALSO HAVE A 4375 STILL USING OLD SOFTWARE IS IT WORTH THE UPGRADE? THANKS SLEEPER

PRINCE

Hi Sleeper,

I have not notice any significant change in performance since the upgrade,I only did the upgrade because I read in one of 2old
post that the supplier might not help you if you got a problem with a receiver that has got an old software in it.

Regards

Prince

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Channel Hopper

Dear All

Where would you get information such as no help from your dealer, if I had bought one I would send it straight back.
The dealer if he has integrity in his product should back up the product fully for a minimum of twelve months, and hopefully longer.

The only instance that this might happen is if the manufaturer happens to recommend that the original software has indeed some flaws in its original release, leading to problems (dishes driving beyond predefined electronic limits, crashing when channel list gets near maximum, some functions such as audio choices missing, switching problems between CAMs when two are inserted) etc etc. The above seem to be favourites with the 4375

You are right though, there hasnt been much released from Srong to cover these and other silly faults.

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

2old4this

CH - it's not so much a probelm with the dealers as with the manufacturer (or at least, the party supporting the software).

For example, you (or your dealer) report to Echostar that your Echostar box "freezes" on some Scandanavian channels. Echostar will simply tell you that the this is a bug which is solved in the latest software release and you should upgrade. Or if it is something unfamiuliar to them they will suggest in any case upgrading to the latest version for the very simple reason that they do not retrospectively fix older versions (so any fixes they bring out are ONLY applied to the latest software release, not to every preceding release).

That's what I was actually getting at...


2old

Channel Hopper

Dear 2Old

My response was for Prince who seemed to be getting no joy from his dealer, which annoys me immensly.

However your point with regards to successive versions of software still does not make much sense with a lot of equipment out there that has been upgraded successively,by purely serial upgrades.

For example the design criteria for the 4375 was originally both normal motor operation and DiSEqC 1.2 through the signal cable.

There are relases of software for this one as well as the 4200/4250 that do not run in line with each other. You will see from the Strong website that there are in fact two parallel receiver designs, with different current ratings for LNB supply, suggesting that the first batch of receivers released are NOT safe to upgrade to DiSEqC. There is a change of both hardware and therefore the software/firmware that runs it.
No refund/ no exchange / no returns policy exists for those that realise they have purchased the wrong box at the beginning.

A client was supplied his 4250 under the understanding (directly from Strong) that the unit was forwardly upgradable. Twelve month later and whilst he has received some DiSEqC software from another company in Japan - apparently non serial number specific - there is no release from Strong. The Japanese site - where the receiver is badged under a different name - the new software works but has problems in accurate positioning. They are working on it as we speak.


This means that problems found will not always be seen and cured by a later version. The multiple changes to hardware in a lot of equipment after first production will prevent known faults from being removed. The only solution is to quietly drop the receiver from the public eye , and change the distributor at the same time.

The manufacturer of equipment in this industry is rarely the same as the name on the front of the box. Always look at the names/numbers on the circuit board if youre competent enough to open the box.


I must be getting old - that was a rant wasnt it ?

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

2old4this

Perhaps we are talking at cross-purposes.
Fact is, for a given hardware/platform release, it is rarely the case that multiple different versions of software are supported. And this is true in all software applications, whether it's satellite receivers or commercial mainframes. To support older releases means that all bug-fixes have to be retro-fitted to an ever increasing trail of versions (especially expensive in the satellite-receive business given that no revenues are being generated to support that - whereas a bug-free current version WILL be generating revenues by virtue of increased sales of the receiver).
Now it would be a differnt matter if users of the software in satellite receivers paid an annual maintenace fee, as is normal in most other commercial applications of software...

2old

Mike16

PRINCE,

I am also trying to upgrade my 4375 and seem to be experiencing the same problem with the cable. I have tried 3 different null modem cables with no luck. All three cables work when connecting two computers via serial ports. I have been trying this with my laptop. Could this be a problem also?

Did your Strong dealer metion anything that was special about his cable and/or why his worked and yours didn't?

You say you didn't notice much of a difference with the new software upgrade, so that may not be so important. But, I am also interested in up/downloding the channel list so I can manipulate it on the laptop. Have you had any luck with this?


Mike16

PRINCE

Hi Mike,

I don't think your using a laptop has anything to do with it, but as I found out the cable is very important and if you don't get the right cable it will never work ( I have 4 RS232 cable which fit the back of my receiver and the serial port and none of them works).Make sure you get it from a satellite dealer because most electronics shop haven't got a clue about the real null modem cable that you need. I have not got round to uploading the channel list but I am sure that if you get the right cable the channel upload would be okay.By the way the new software display not only the freqency but the PID, VID and some other information about each channel.

Regards

Prince

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2old4this

Mike - check the early posts in this thread (page1).
You need a fully-wired null modem cable. Not all null modem cables are fully-wired...

2old

Channel Hopper

Just heard from two good sources that a number of 4375 units are failing just within or just outside the warranty period, ie 1 year

Failure is not down to software upgrading, the receiver just fails to do anything useful and cannot be hard rebooted, or software upload

Will keep you informed as soon as I know more

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"

Mike16

Prince,

The laptop turned out to be the problem. The same cable worked with my desktop (an older P-200). I read somewhere that newer, higher speed computers can also cause problems.

Mike

sleeper

Hi MIKE16 see you managed to upgrade you strong reciever what cable worked in the end and how long did it take to upgrade? Thanks SLEEPER

Satman

Try this very good site for strong

Strong srt 4375
This is an official strong upgrade site.

http://www.sirius-systems.com/downloads/4375.zip

nexusuk

Hi all.
First of I to have a 4375 and i recently upgraded to 1.02 18 dec version.
The upgrade took no more than 5 min.
I put together a null mudem cable simply by parts from maplins.
Here are the pins.
DB9 female > DB9 male
2 > 3
3 > 2
5 > 5
use ITLINK.EXE to backup data and the rest.
worked like a treat.

PLEASE note that BACKING UP DATA IS IMPORTANT before doing this upgrade!!!.

After upgrading i simply turned to digital radio (any channel i suppose tho im not clear on this yet!)
menu,
system settings,
system upgrade,
this will upgrade via satauto and it took around 12mins to upgrade.
Nexus