Alsat Super Darkbox rev 2008 combo

I

inkyboy

Member
My Satellite Setup
alsat super darkbox hd rev 2008 combo and acer aspire e14 laptop
My Location
bristol england
Hi im new to satellite systems so if this is the wrong section i apologise and perhaps someone could direct me the the correct section..I have purchased a new Alsat super Dark box HD rev 2008 combo and understand that there were updates to the firmware released to install via a usb memory stick.Unfortunately i have searched the internet in vain for the updates so can anyone help?.Regards and thanks.
 
Could well be totally wrong but I believe that Alsat (at least as a company as such, rather than a just a brand, in the UK) went out of business a long time ago; and the "2008" might indicate that it is around 10 yrs since this model receiver was made, and so it could be that there have been few, if any, recent firmware updates for it - and I don't think I have seen it mentioned on this forum in the last 3 years or so.

Others on the forum know quite a lot about the history of Alsat (I don't).

Personal advice would be to try to return the unit and get your money back from the supplier to buy something a lot more modern (on that point, there is a lot of advice you can find here) - Just my opinion though!
 
inkyboy said:
Hi im new to satellite systems so if this is the wrong section i apologise and perhaps someone could direct me the the correct section..I have purchased a new Alsat super Dark box HD rev 2008 combo and understand that there were updates to the firmware released to install via a usb memory stick.Unfortunately i have searched the internet in vain for the updates so can anyone help?.Regards and thanks.
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Well I hope you got it very cheap. There's one on Fleabay for £20 new. 302602806784
 
Following up TJ's ebay lead, the ad says "PVR via SATA" - hardly been anything like that with external SATA (correctly "ESATA") for years (except some Sky models) as the norm has been for PVR by USB, unless, of course, it means that you fit an internal disk into it (which is very common). To me that would tend to tend to confirm that this IS a very old receiver.

Also, lots of illustrations of the box and packaging, but none of the actual receiver - almost literally a "pig in a poke" !
 
Alsat also make some diseqc 1.2 positoners. Both mine make enough humming to wake the dead!

They are cheap and nasty, but that’s my opinion of the company.

I thought the ceo went down for a tax issue, can’t remember.
 
Chris1979 said:
Alsat also make some diseqc 1.2 positoners. Both mine make enough humming to wake the dead!

They are cheap and nasty, but that’s my opinion of the company.

I thought the ceo went down for a tax issue, can’t remember.
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Busted for pay tv piracy about 6 or 7 years ago.
 
Chris1979 said:
Alsat also make some diseqc 1.2 positoners. Both mine make enough humming to wake the dead!

They are cheap and nasty, but that’s my opinion of the company.

I thought the ceo went down for a tax issue, can’t remember.
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I think one or two of there Diseqc 1.2 positioners actually caught fire!
 
Absolute rubbish they were very cheap boxes I was offered one but declined save up your money & buy an Octagon SX88 :)
 
@Chris1979
I've got a couple of "Alsat" Superior Dark Motors, and they aren't that noisy (certainly by comparison with the 1990's-era NEC/Jaeger H-H motor in my then NEC 5000 system - that was noisy!).

And I don't think I would worry much about a motor fire - unless you have one in a bedroom with the dish looking through the windows (well, you would, wouldn't you - if you were "mad" :D! ). At worst the cable to the motor will short out at that end and the cable supply circuit in the receiver would (or at least should!) simply shut down - so all you will get is simply a burnt-out motor because the casing is almost all metal and there will be virtually nothing around it to burn and spread a fire.

@inkyboy
Seems that my suspicions on the age of that receiver appear to be true!

I would seriously suggest you do as I said about trying to get a refund (particularly under the grace period for returning products bought from ebay if that was where you got it from) and put the cash towards something more modern. What you get will be determined by what channels you need, so are those satellite, terrestrial, cable (DVB-C is actually of little use in the UK because pretty much all of cable TV is encrypted by the provider) or IPTV for channels accessible over the internet - so what are you looking for?

PS: I will send you a message that says I am starting a "Conversation" about this thread, as, being new to the forum, you probably have not received any indication that members have commented on your post #1
 
jeallen01 said:
@Chris1979
I've got a couple of "Alsat" Superior Dark Motors, and they aren't that noisy (certainly by comparison with the 1990's-era NEC/Jaeger H-H motor in my then NEC 5000 system - that was noisy!).

And I don't think I would worry much about a motor fire - unless you have one in a bedroom with the dish looking through the windows (well, you would, wouldn't you - if you were "mad" :D! ). At worst the cable to the motor will short out at that end and the cable supply circuit in the receiver would (or at least should!) simply shut down - so all you will get is simply a burnt-out motor because the casing is almost all metal and there will be virtually nothing around it to burn and spread a fire.

@inkyboy
Seems that my suspicions on the age of that receiver appear to be true!

I would seriously suggest you do as I said about trying to get a refund (particularly under the grace period for returning products bought from ebay if that was where you got it from) and put the cash towards something more modern. What you get will be determined by what channels you need, so are those satellite, terrestrial, cable (DVB-C is actually of little use in the UK because pretty much all of cable TV is encrypted by the provider) or IPTV for channels accessible over the internet - so what are you looking for?

PS: I will send you a message that says I am starting a "Conversation" about this thread, as, being new to the forum, you probably have not received any indication that members have commented on your post #1
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I have the Alsat diseqc 1.2 positioner’s x2
 
jeallen01 said:
@Chris1979
I got a couple of "Alsat" Superior Dark Motors, and they aren't that noisy (certainly by comparison with the 1990's-era NEC/Jaeger H-H motor in my then NEC 5000 - that was noisy!

And I don't think I would worry much about a motor fire - unless you have one in a bedroom with the dish looking through the windows (well, you would, wouldn't you - if you were "mad" :D! ). At worst the cable to the motor will short out at that end and the cable supply circuit in the receiver would (or at least should!) simply shut down - so all you will get is simply a burnt-out motor because the casing is almost all metal and there will be virtually nothing around it to burn and spread a fire.

@inkyboy




PS: I will send you a message that says I am starting a "Conversation" about this thread, as, being new to the forum, you probably have not received any indication that members have commented on your post #1
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Notifications (if User enabled) should be ok but, as a new User, PMs (Conversations) might not. Historically, Members are required to have made several relevant Posts before being able to use that feature. That said, as the Forum Software has recently been upgraded, the proof will be in the pudding!
 
william-1 said:
Absolute rubbish they were very cheap boxes I was offered one but declined save up your money & buy an Octagon SX88 :)
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... or the forthcoming SX88+ (Dolby D + capable), or the Edision Primo IP S2 :cool:
 
Chris1979 said:
I have the Alsat diseqc 1.2 positioner’s x2
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May be slightly different to the Dark Motor series w.r.t. the noise issues - but must be virtually identical to the Dark Motor series w.r.t. the fire issues, and so I would not worry about that in the least (unless your receiver(s) are "not very good" and in plastic cases where a receiver fire might spread away from it!).
 
Edision Primo IP S2 looks very interesting same outer case as my Amiko A4K :rolleyes:
Primo IP S2
 
Lazarus said:
Notifications (if User enabled) should be ok but, as a new User, PMs (Conversations) might not. Historically, Members are required to have made several relevant Posts before being able to use that feature. That said, as the Forum Software has recently been upgraded, the proof will be in the pudding!
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I started the Conversation - so he should get the message (if he actually bothers to read his emails)
 
And the same Menus etc. as the SX88!

See the separate Topic on it .... can be got v.cheap, too :p
 
jeallen01 said:
May be slightly different to the Dark Motor series w.r.t. the noise issues - but must be virtually identical to the Dark Motor series w.r.t. the fire issues, and so I would not worry about that in the least (unless your receiver(s) are "not very good" and in plastic cases where a receiver fire might spread away from it!).
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This is a pic of one:

76C09398-1B47-4B92-83B3-B9129B15389B.webp

Diseqc 1.2 to 36v positioner.
 
Chris1979 said:
I didn’t know that.

Looks like something else that needs replacing urgently.

I got 1 of them plugged In at both addresses.
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Sure it was a member on here, that said one caught fire a few years back.
 
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