Best Digiboxes for Fringe reception

[jin6x]

I wouldn't bother with the DS430n if I were you! Reports of its fringe reception seem over stated to me. Just cos it looks like a 2600 it don't mean it acts like a 2600. See if you can borrow one to test first - it may save you some money and hassle!

You convinced me, I went for the Pace 2600 and there is a significant improvement in reception between that and the Pan 30. Thanks for your advice.

 

[bignick]

I just got my thomson 160 sky plus yesterday and have noticed an immediate difference in performance compared to my pace v2. It is bringing in some itv now on a 2.4 famaval near limassol. I think it is about the same as a 2600 but I will test them side by side soon and let you know.


I'm definately impressed

Nick

 

[simonskyman]

I just got my thomson 160 sky plus yesterday and have noticed an immediate difference in performance compared to my pace v2. It is bringing in some itv now on a 2.4 famaval near limassol. I think it is about the same as a 2600 but I will test them side by side soon and let you know.


I'm definately impressed

Nick

How much do the Thomsons go for?I was going to order one,but my man in UK says they have problems but he wasnt specific.
Is your pace v2 model number 3100?

 

[bignick]

I've heard a couple of things that they had the odd problem mainly on DS forum. I got mine on Ebay a little cheaper but they generally go for about £300 sterling. As for my old box, yes it is a 3100 only 10 months old, good as new, and available

But thats a PM job. I am now certain that the tuner isn't as good as the thomson 160. I suppose that the technology in it is similar to Pace D430N the reception is similar to it but definately not better, but then I never tested it on anything bigger than a 2.4 famaval! on that it gets everything on Astra 2b and nothing on 2D what more can I really ask for?

How much do the Thomsons go for?I was going to order one,but my man in UK says they have problems but he wasnt specific.
Is your pace v2 model number 3100?

 

[sos chris]

I'll open this one, but cannot speak from experience, as I live in the middle of the footprint.

Feel free to add your experiences, both positive and negative for your fringe location.

Please do not ask questions here (start a new thread), this thread is meant for reports and reference only.

the best afordable system for sky digital in portugal algarve is as follows
1.3 dish, o.3 sharp LNB, pace ds430n sky box, high quality cable, sky card
with this you will get all the channels, no problem with itv ch5 ch4 etc
good luck

 

[silvernet]

I have used a variety of Sky Digiboxes near Valencia in Spain, including Pan 30 and 31...Grundig 3000, Amstrad 100, and Pace 2600.

On my last trip I decided to take out a Thomson ( new slim model ) cannot remember the number !! It is far superior to any of those listed above.

The best of my previous bunch was a Pan 30 that had had a new tuner fitted at some time. Sadly the Pace 2600 wasn't what I expected, perhaps I was unlucky.

The newer Pace 2600 replacement model D340 ?? I tested was no better than my old Amstrad 100, so I sold it on E Bay for more than it was worth.

silvernet

 

[dxsat]

I just got my thomson 160 sky plus yesterday and have noticed an immediate difference in performance compared to my pace v2. It is bringing in some itv now on a 2.4 famaval near limassol. I think it is about the same as a 2600 but I will test them side by side soon and let you know.


Nick

Have you done the side by side test yet? Do you have a Pace DS430n to compare the Thomson to? Any software problems? (these boxes are supposed to have bugs recording Sky Movies with Dolby Digital soundtracks)

 

[bignick]

Hi

I've now tested it side by side against a 2600. I have not yet tried swapping around LNB ports or anything like that but I think its fair to say that it isn't quite as good as the Pace 2600. I would however add that I think its still a whole lot better than the DS430n. I could never get any BBC or ITV on my 2.4 Famaval with that receiver but I can with the Thompson! Hope that helps.

So far I haven't noticed any issues with the software etc (but I don't subscribe to movies)

Have you done the side by side test yet? Do you have a Pace DS430n to compare the Thomson to? Any software problems? (these boxes are supposed to have bugs recording Sky Movies with Dolby Digital soundtracks)

 

[dxsat]

Thanks for the info. There are very few reports of reception with this Thomson model- I suppose because it is so expensive compared to the Pace Sky+ boxes.

 

[Mike4t]

Anybody got any experience of the Pace 470N, with 80G HD,,,,, thinking of replacing my DS 430 with it ,,

as to 430N,, have compared directly to 2600 (In my lounge on SKY full package), and with a Pan 40, on a Free card,,, without a doubt the Pan appears more sensitive,, with reception of the fringe areas before the pace boxes, IE ITV Midlands comes in at about 1700, and BBC2 about 1830 to 1900,,, the pace boxes are still pixelating about for up to an hour later at times,,,, and the 2600 seems to be slightly better than the 430N, but must admit I do like the speed of the 430N,, and it forgives a lot better in no locks at all!!,. There is an oddity I noticed in that the 430N default transponder goes back to 11778(from 12120) for no apparent reason, sometimes within seconds,, any ideas???

 

[iceman]

There is an oddity I noticed in that the 430N default transponder goes back to 11778(from 12120) for no apparent reason, sometimes within seconds,, any ideas???

The reason your 430N reverts back to 11778V could be that it possibly detects that transponder...You cannot force skyboxes to use alternative transponders if default is present...Any Skybox will do the same if the tuner detects 11778V..

 

[makum101]

I have a Thomson 160 plus box here in Tenerife as well as a version 1 plus box (pace?)connected to a 3.1metre dish

The 160 box pulls in C4 (and BBC /ITV) most of the time, whereas my V1 plus box will not pull in C4 at all!

However i have found a problem with the Thomson box...

If the signal goes for a second or two, the picture pixilates, no problem there. However when recording it "cuts" the pixalated section out completely! This means that when i watch the recording back it jumps as it is now missing chunks of the program it cut out while the signal dropped out momentarally!

I've been offered a loan of a Pace 2600 receiver to see if its any better. If it is i might swap my Sky+ V1 box for one.

Question:- I have been told to try a Pace 2600 to see if its any better. Is this box a different box to the pace DS430N?

 

[bignick]

YES. VERY VERY Different

It may look the same but thats where it ends!

I'm not saying the DS430N is bad for fringe reception, but it just isn't as good as the 2600

Hope that helps

Cheers

Nick

I have a Thomson 160 plus box here in Tenerife as well as a version 1 plus box (pace?)connected to a 3.1metre dish

The 160 box pulls in C4 (and BBC /ITV) most of the time, whereas my V1 plus box will not pull in C4 at all!

However i have found a problem with the Thomson box...

If the signal goes for a second or two, the picture pixilates, no problem there. However when recording it "cuts" the pixalated section out completely! This means that when i watch the recording back it jumps as it is now missing chunks of the program it cut out while the signal dropped out momentarally!

I've been offered a loan of a Pace 2600 receiver to see if its any better. If it is i might swap my Sky+ V1 box for one.

Question:- I have been told to try a Pace 2600 to see if its any better. Is this box a different box to the pace DS430N?

 

[nopfusch]

Hi there,

I'm living down in the south. Very interesting your chat about good and not so good tuners. As we have here a very limited selection of receivers on the market, it would be very informative to give a bit more details, at least from the tuner of the receiver that impressed you most or to the contrary. This would enable some comparison to select may be another available product.
The sensitivity of the tuner (able to receive weak signals), is measured in -dBm.
Paging through of some specifications, I found that -65dBm is an ordinary tuner sensitivity. A -70dBm input sensitivity is a lot better and the highest input sensitivity I ever read was -78 dBm. And the lowest -60dBm.
Of course, to round-off the judgment of a tuner is stability and picture and sound quality, which is not so easy to define in numbers.
Basically what for me would be of great interest, what tuner input sensitivity have the as "good" judged receivers?

Has the iceman some data?

regards
nopfusch

 

[bignick]

Hi

For me tuner sensitivity is measured in results! Its very interesting that sensitivity is measured in any other way, which means that we should be able to see the best tuners just by the spec sheets. I will check next time.



You are right to ask iceman....I think he has far more knowledge in this area



Cheers



Nick

Hi there,

I'm living down in the south. Very interesting your chat about good and not so good tuners. As we have here a very limited selection of receivers on the market, it would be very informative to give a bit more details, at least from the tuner of the receiver that impressed you most or to the contrary. This would enable some comparison to select may be another available product.
The sensitivity of the tuner (able to receive weak signals), is measured in -dBm.
Paging through of some specifications, I found that -65dBm is an ordinary tuner sensitivity. A -70dBm input sensitivity is a lot better and the highest input sensitivity I ever read was -78 dBm. And the lowest -60dBm.
Of course, to round-off the judgment of a tuner is stability and picture and sound quality, which is not so easy to define in numbers.
Basically what for me would be of great interest, what tuner input sensitivity have the as "good" judged receivers?

Has the iceman some data?

regards
nopfusch

 

[iceman]

Hi

For me tuner sensitivity is measured in results!

I agree M8....good tuner is the one that delivers where others faill on the same setup..

@nopfusch
I am no expert on technical figures just an installer..Being an installer i get the chance to test different receivers on different setups...on this thread we simply discuss comparison between different Skyboxes performace from personal experiences..

 

[makum101]

Then maybe we should put some "technical figures" to the recievers we know to be good in fringe reception...

 

[Andrew Steel]

Hi there,

Paging through of some specifications, I found that -65dBm is an ordinary tuner sensitivity. A -70dBm input sensitivity is a lot better and the highest input sensitivity I ever read was -78 dBm. And the lowest -60dBm.
Of course, to round-off the judgment of a tuner is stability and picture and sound quality, which is not so easy to define in numbers.

Nopfusch,

Could you tell us which receivers have these specifications?

Perhaps then we could compare performance against Sky digiboxes and see if the difference in input sensitivity is significant or not.

Thanks.

Andrew

 

[nopfusch]

Hi to all interested,

unfortunately, not all manufacturers state the tuner specification in full either on their sales pamphlet or in the manual. In the latter you find the specification in question under Tuner. I attach three samples. But the support sections of various manufacturers should give an answer about that vital parameter of a receiver, if that spec’ is missing. I contacted in the UK a company to enquire about the input sensitivity of the tuner of a product and received promptly the answer.

The manufacturer state usually a range, e.g. -25dBm to -65dBm. Reason: if a receiver receives a very strong signal, you see nothing. If you in center of a strong footprint with a big dish, the tuner 'blacks-out', I have been told. I have seen it on TV sets (terrestrial reception) but not on satellite receivers. Therefore -25dBm. The other limit is of course for us of more interest. But we cannot verify if that receiver really handles a weak signal of -xxdBm. And that’s why it is important to talk to someone, who has in fact worked/experienced that receiver to confirm a good reception.

It would be interesting if the forum would allow list of receivers (with brand & model name), where everybody here can enter his receiver model and the tuner sensitivity, (if given in the spec's) plus experience with other relevant comments. e.g.



ABC receiver model EFG, tuner –25dBm to –65dBm

HIJ receiver model KLM , tuner –25dBm to –65dBm.

I stay at 21 south 3 west. Satellite XYZ eastern hemisphere beam is at my location with 34 EIRP. I can receive that signal with ABC receiver any time, with receiver HIJ only at night time 0:00 to 04:00 local time. Frequency, polarisation, SR, FEC.

Or similar.

The manufacturer can’t really just put a figure in the tuners sensitivity. They know, they could be challenged. Therefore I don’t need to buy a suppliers half stock, to select a sensitive receiver. I can do some pre-selection, just as I would only buy a receiver with mechanical (and magnetic) polarizer control only.



regards

nopfusch

 

[nopfusch]

I wanted to separate the two items (from my previous post):
anyone with exeprience with a Manhattan PLAZA ST 500 on weak / fringe reception? I need polarize control and a good tuner. But the tuner is only -25dBM to -65dBM.
nopfusch