Best Digiboxes for Fringe reception

[devonbrown]

Rellstar, there is a thread dedicated to this subject and the download is now working. I'll bump the thread up so you can have a look at it

 

[ralphmagno]

CAN YOU SEND ME INFORMATION ON THE BBC 1 AND 2 USING YOU 3.8 M DISH
WE HAVE A 4 METER DISH IN NAPLES AND WE CAN NOT PICKUP ANY BBC OR ITV
THANKS
noemailaddresshere@BOOHOO.COM

 

[makum101]

My Pace 2600CI does a sterling job down here in Tenerife on my 3.2M prime focus dish but it's getting rather old and I'm thinking of replacing it soon. However buying another second hand 2600 would not give me any more life span than the one I already have.

I can not believe the manufacturers (all of them) have not made technological advancements on the 2600CI. Surely one of the current receivers must have a better (or as good) threshold as the 2600?

 

[iceman]

I can not believe the manufacturers (all of them) have not made technological advancements on the 2600CI. Surely one of the current receivers must have a better (or as good) threshold as the 2600?

Why should they?Dont forget these digiboxes are designed for UK market and they ALL work perfectly OK in UK...Its only in fringe areas where the tuner sensitivity comes into play and thet does not concern the manufacturers..;)

 

[dxsat]

Amstrad has the best tuner of the current bunch, avoid Pace 440n at all costs.
There are many 2600 units still going strong. Many on eBay haven't been used for a long time and are in good condition, apart from the updating software problem.

 

[Zorba]

What don't you like about the Pace 440 ? They seem fine over here,or am I missing something. Apart from the 2600,which new receiver would you recommend ?

 

[dxsat]

The Pace 440 works Ok in the UK, or in any place where signals are relatively balanced in strength across the spectrum.
In a country such as Spain where the south beam is so strong, and north and 2D beam so weak, the 440's tuner easily overloads and shows 'No signal' when it is actually receiving a very strong one.
I had a particular problem with a 440 showing no signal on Sky Movies and History Channel. At the time, it was caused by adjacent transponders on Eurobird swamping the wanted one. The distributor asked me to send back reception reports on the H and V channels either side. all were about 90- 95 % signal quality (BER) The one in the middle that was problematical was slightly lower. I replaced the box with another 440, result: identical, then went back a third time with a secondhand Pace 430n, result: perfect reception. Others have reported similar problems elsewhere in Europe.
The new Amstrad is preferred by the distributor/ installer that I work with in the UK, there have been some problems with the Thomson boxes in multiswitch installations in flats.

 

[billnot]

The point about the 2600C1 is that it was built using quality components. I have seen it stated that the reason for the change from the 2600 to the 430 was that the 2600 was simply too expensive to make.

The 2600 is still just about the most reliable box there is. I sell them with a 6 months guarantee. I have never had a claim on that! In fact, the only ones I've ever replaced, guarantee or otherwise, have had tuners damaged in thunderstorms (together with the LN.

I agree with snap that the Amstrad is the least bad of the newer units. The answer to the Pace 440 / 445 overstrength signal problem is a Tecatel variable attenuator - a standard accessory in any new installation on the Costa Blanca, but completely unnecessary with a 2600 (or a 430N for that matter).

 

[dxsat]

Tecatel Have a attenuator for intermediate frequency : 'antenuador RF- FI'.
Never having used one, can I ask some questions..
I assume you can reduce one set frequency, how does this work and what happens if a channel changes transponder?
Is there insertion loss?
Can it compensate for the crappy tuner used in the Pace 440n?

 

[makum101]

Thanks for the replies guy's.

Is there not any independent manufacturers like in the old days of Echostar and the likes that caters for this niche market of fringe reception. I would gladly pay more than 3 times the standard price for a receiver that is as good on fringe reception as the 2600CI. Surely the market is proven? Demand is out there.

 

[billnot]

Tecatel Have a attenuator for intermediate frequency : 'antenuador RF- FI'.
Never having used one, can I ask some questions..
I assume you can reduce one set frequency, how does this work and what happens if a channel changes transponder?
Is there insertion loss?
Can it compensate for the crappy tuner used in the Pace 440n?

This is a cheap all frequencies attenuator. Sorry once again to give a reference in Spanish, but everybody locally uses this place. It's item no. 510003 here

I am a practicioner, not a theoretician, so I don't pretend to understand the science. It might all be snake oil. But if you put one in line and check the signal quality of a weak station, either using the manual tuning in the engineer's menu, or with a satellite meter, then as you apply the attenuation you can see the signal quality rise (slightly) as the strength goes down, reach a peak and then go down. The idea is to find the sweet point where the quality is the greatest. That definitely happens. Just how much difference it makes in practice is debatable. I don't use them, because with the boxes I use, almost exclusively Pace 2600 and 3100, they are unnecessary. But they are a standard fitting with new installations (with new boxes) for all the local installers, including those who are most definitely not cowboys.

All I suggest you do it to give it a try - at under 5 Euros, they're not exactly expensive!

 

[billnot]

Thanks for the replies guy's.

Is there not any independent manufacturers like in the old days of Echostar and the likes that caters for this niche market of fringe reception. I would gladly pay more than 3 times the standard price for a receiver that is as good on fringe reception as the 2600CI. Surely the market is proven? Demand is out there.

Why not just buy a Pace 2600? Or, if you want Sky Plus, a Pace 3100? You can either buy one on Ebay or from a reseller with a guarantee.

 

[makum101]

Hi Bilnot, Like I said I have one already but would like to replace it with a brand new receiver that is as good.

 

[dxsat]

When it finally goes on sale the Lyngbox may be the long- awaited solution for fringe area FTA users.
_http://www.lyngbox.com/overview/

 

[billnot]

When it finally goes on sale the Lyngbox may be the long- awaited solution for fringe area FTA users.
_http://www.lyngbox.com/overview/

I fear they may have shot themselves in the foot with the proprietary software. FTA is all very well and good, but many people will be wanting to use their (legitimate) viewing card - in my case, Sky UK. That's why, attractive though it sounds, I won't be getting one.

 

[Turok]

Hello!
oh,very old topic this,funny to read,in the past 3 years back

my personal farites in sensitvie tuners

1.my Homecast HD reveiver 5101 CI,use it on turky east beam,and eurobird 25,8
better,then echostar,in weak signals,and kaon!
2.Kaon Xtreme Hornet
3.running Koscom UDF 3510,with openbox sofware patched,with jitag,the openbox x810,has no good tuner,and the blindcan takes long,and read many transponder double times!
4.very old reveivers,the old galaxis tv box,and Echostar Ad 2500 IP,someone told me,in Austria,with 4,5 Meter Andrew Dish,it was the only reveiver,wehre it was posible,in the 90``s to reveive the 31.east turkey beam!

Echostar 5020,has better Tuner,then dvr 7000

a testet,many many tuners,these are my personal favorites,test the homecast,and you will be surprised,this tuner,is better,then kaon,and koscom!
2.K

 

[andyw37]

Content removed by Admin​

 

[Moscow Wolf]

I live in Moscow, Russia. I am not a technical person and had my system installed for me, but am now taking a closer interest in what system I actually have and what I might be able to do to improve it.

I have a Russian manufactured 2 metre dish mounted on the top of the 14 storey building where I live with dual cables running down to my 5th floor flat.

My LNB packed up recently and I didn't even know what this was, but the Russian technician said that the replacement was of Chinese manufacture. (I'd have to go back up on the roof to try and find out what type it is).

I have a standard PACE SKY + (Model not known) and can receive most channels except any BBC, ITV or Film 4 types. I used to be able to receive Channels 4 & 5, but of late they either lock up or drop out.

Signal strength is usually around 60%, but never better and sometimes worse. I can never use the 'Red Button' facility to watch a football game of my choice as I will receive the 'Technical Fault' message so I just have to watch the main game.

 

[iggy]

I am afraid that 2 metre dish is not big enough. I use 1,8 metre in Poland and am only able to watch V transponders. H requires at least 2,4 metre. In your case I would be aiming in some 3,6 - 4,2 metre. Moscow is way too far from main footprint. My advice is - get a bigger dish sir

 

[Lazarus]

Well he's had two years to think about it ......................... Despite no longer being a member of the forum!