Best receivers for weak transponders

[william-1]

HD Tuner Sensitivity test
Gibertini 100cm dish used in this trial fitted with a 0.2 Inverto Black Ultra

I have picked the weakest satellite transponder at my location for this test
ABS 3A @ 3 west

11460 V 2992 HD 1920 x 1080 ½ DVB-S2 QPSK MPEG-2 = ABS Test card

1=Amiko A4K combo=======66% signal level 44% Signal Quality
2=Octagon SX88==========77%=========22%====================
3=Technomate TM5502HD===91%=========21%====================
4==========TM6902HD=====87%=========38%====================

All four tuners worked OK with this weak transponder no picture break up observed,

The signal reading is just a guide 2 & 3 are probably more accurate in scale than 1 & 4,

Overall tuner sensitivity is much the same over all four receivers,

Slightly less sensitive but still capable of weak signals are this group:-
SpiderboxHD9000 & HD9900
Technomate TM5302HD
AZBox Premium+
Technomate TM5402HD M1 & M2
TM6900HD Combo Super+

The following are not as good but can still produce some good results
AZBox Elite
Technomate TM1500CI Super+ SD
Eaglebox HD800
Technomate TM5402 M3
========F3/5

Receivers that I no longer have in my collection:
Satellite receivers retired due to software / hardware outdated

Humax IRCI-5400 (Probably the best tuner of this bunch)
TM5500DAPCi
TM5000D my 1st digital SD
Echostar 808
Echolink 700
Azbox premium+ 4:2:2 HD but not MPEG-4 compatible
Azbox hd elite 4:2:2 HD but not MPEG-4 compatible
Quali-tv QS1080iR 4:2:2 SD
Manhattan Plaza XT-F
Strong Analogue Digital (forget the model No)
Blade7000S
Dr HD D15
NewWave with Blind Scan on one frequency only
Spiderbox 6000HD
Fotecstar Ultimate
Fortecstar Lifetime Diamond
Technomate 4100D
Technomate 5200D USB
Technomate 5300D USB
Technomate 1000D Blind Scan
TM5500D
Vantage X221S

 

[Analoguesat]

Are the retired ones "in store" or "disposed of" ?

 

[william-1]

Are the retired ones "in store" or "disposed of" ?

Most of them were given away for FreeSat viewing to relations & friends the others were binned as I do not have the space for them.

 

[MCelliotG]

Four receivers, each showing different non-sensical percentages! % of what? The important thing is that they all perform the same on the same weak transponder, comparing values that no one has any idea how they are calculated seems pointless.
BTW that's an impressive lineup of hardware, I'm jealous!!!

 

[satesco]

Although it is a ranking of sensitive receivers,for me the best tuner for a dxer is tbs6983/6903 cards.And with Crazyscan,EBS,IQmonitor, these cards are currently the best performing tools to detect and lock a difficult/weak signal,and with the possibilities that has a computer,cannot be surpassed by any receiver to any chapter.
Although I have many receivers,I have not used them since I discovered tbs cards.These offer exactly what the receivers could not do.And why not admit that the merit principal has @CrazyCat,which has made possible the exploitation of these cards exactly for those interested in the signal but less for tv programs.
Of course,you don't have to agree with me.

 

[MCelliotG]

I believe receivers can have great potential as an all-in-one solution and there's only one key to that which is called convenience. The topic has been discussed before, I believe the perfect DXer's receiver can be built but the thing is that no manufacturer cares for that, since DXers are the minority of the buyers unfortunately. If a TBS card can operate in a linux PC, then there's no question why a tuner of the same capabilities can perform as it should on a linux based STB. The problem will always be the hardware and drivers. Once someone caters to provide all that, then the capabilities will be limitless. And yes, the last couple of years big steps have been made (multistreams, T2-MI, DVB-S2x) which shows that there is some interest in the market, too bad every effort has to be commercialized and this means it's unlikely a perfect DX receiver will be made any time soon. But we can only hope...

 

[margusten]

I have DR HD F15 quite sensitive and shows some signal streght below LU.
I have TBS5925 smooth and accurate levels.
Now bought TBS5520SE - non smooth RF scan but more sensitive than TBS5925.
For example at 28E lowest UK beam transponders it can LU even at 4.5dB! At 5.3dB starts picture.
At same time 5925 can LU at 5.7dB and some picture too.
So I can watch these wery weak transponders better than before using 3M antenna in Estonia.

 

[satesco]

..., the last couple of years big steps have been made (multistreams, T2-MI, DVB-S2x) which shows that there is some interest in the market, too bad every effort has to be commercialized and this means it's unlikely a perfect DX receiver will be made any time soon. But we can only hope...

I agree with this way of putting the problem.Introducing the latest technology in receivers is a must for manufacturers if they want to stay on the market.But,unfortunately,they're only interested in the commercial part of their products.And for this reason the focus is put on the side of the media than for the reception,as it was when appeared the first digital receivers.Now such a receiver must provide the buyer everything found in a tv or devices,ie:,access to any media content(youtube,RSS,all kind of streams,etc).And let's not forget a very important thing,the focus is on the streams once the offer of tv programs increases with the spread of IPTV.
So the focus is now on this content and not on the ability of the receivers to detect weak signals and to lock them up. And for this reason, I ask more rhetorical,what manufacturer will produce receivers for a minority of people(dxers) only interested by the signal?And there is a another reason why they do not make receivers for dxers,that is,they must always provide them with software support! From this point of view many commercial receivers are morally worn out even if they are functional.They have a short life,a couple of years as long as the support is secured,then you can throw them.Do you remember Lyngbox in 2006,especially made for dexrs?Who else is interested in such a receiver these days?
Here are some reasons why I agree with you that it will not be a special receiver for dxers.
That's why a dvbs card adapts more easily to technological changes in this area.If it is endowed with the main hardwares components,then the rest makes the computer in which it is installed.
I hope I'm not right about the future of satellite receivers.

 

[SatSearcher]

Have to say my current receiver, the Octagon SF4008, has by far the most sensitive tuner i've ever used, at least in regular DVB-S (not so much with DVB-S2 though). For example, most of the transponders on Eutelsat 7 West A are DVB-S FEC 5/6, which I believe generally needs a signal of around 6dB for a stable picture, the octagon gives a perfectly stable picture on these with just 5.2dB, and can achieve a lock with as little as 4.5dB. For comparison, my TBS5925 won't lock a DVB-S 5/6 signal with less than 5.5dB, and even at this level it's a heavily pixellated picture. Using the octagon i've managed to lock a TP on Arabsat 5A 30.5E using DVB-S 3/4 with just 3.0dB! Unfortunatley the DVB-S2 side of things is reversed, with my TBS5925 seemingly more sensitive. For comparison, the TBS5925 can lock an 8PSK 3/4 signal at around 7.5-7.6 dB, whereas the octagon needs a minimum of 8dB.

 

[Channel Hopper]

I was working with two manufacturers of DVB receivers in the mid 90's, both expressed some interest in developing an enthusiast's set top box, and I gained some experience of swopping out filters within the tuners, improving the noise floor with additional shielding, and use of analogue PSUs to clean up the supply lines from the switched mode harmonics.

The problem has always been the bigger market is always contractually tied with broadcasters, often fiancing to a degree the build of a particular model. They are the ones that use localised satellites for broadcasts, decent symbol rates for the transponders and subscriber benefits such as EPGs which has evolved into the OTT content, an alternative piece of equipment from the same supplier, able to receive transmissions from elsewhere could introduce regional competition.

Additionally there was always a source code kept back by the original tuner engineers that made development of the demodulator processing to cope with the 'weak' signal (by weak I also mean low symbol rate, non-standard transport stream or other deficiency of the incoming signal ) near impossible to work together as one.

 

[dmaavrigdo]

Just ordered a new TV and was surprised to see in the specs that it has a built in DVB-S tuner. Apparently it is almost standard these days. I wonder how well it will work here on the edge.
While shopping I found out that a Turkish company called Vestel makes a large proportion of the TV's sold in Europe. he name on the front means little. Vestel - Wikipedia

 

[hexah]

Just ordered a new TV and was surprised to see in the specs that it has a built in DVB-S tuner. Apparently it is almost standard these days. I wonder how well it will work here on the edge.

I have a tv with a DVB-S2 tuner and Diseq 1.0. Performance is the same as a generic set top DVB-S2 box. It is an incredibly useful thing to have. Most countries around the world have problems with hills, mountains, forests, jungles and interference from distant transmitters. DTT is great in cities e.g. in Italy the old forests of Band II, III and IV/V antenna on long masts have been replaced by unobtrusive single log periodics on short thin masts. Outside the cites the all in one T2/S2 TV gets the most transmissions using one remote contol. Sadly in the UK the sh*theads in charge think it is ok to have lots of transmitters with 3 muxes 'Freeview light', if they advertised all in one T2/S2 Freeview/Freesat TVs it would make millions of peoples live easier.

It also helps to avoid the awful news analysis which is now the norm in the UK. Today there is a problem in a country beside the Middle East and the UK channels are babbling a fountain of utter crap about 'merica and its agreements and 'merica is a watchin' blah blah blah. It doesn't help that some of this crap comes from a BBC propaganda channel that we pay for with our taxes. The politicans all watch that rubbish, you can see why they thought a second war in an ajacent country would be quick and easy, if we took this flow of garbage seriously we would have believed that idiocy as well. On other channels you get proper analyis like the agreement was brokered by the EU (obviously if you think about it), long standing economic problems, long standing enemies on their borders, etc etc.

Once you get used to it you will miss the convenience when you use a different TV. Especially when you are forced to watch the things you avoid because you know they are second rate.

Enjoy

 

[hexah]

HD Tuner Sensitivity test
Gibertini 100cm dish used in this trial fitted with a 0.2 Inverto Black Ultra

1=Amiko A4K combo=======66% signal level 44% Signal Quality
2=Octagon SX88==========77%=========22%====================
3=Technomate TM5502HD===91%=========21%====================
4==========TM6902HD=====87%=========38%====================

Impressive results. Don't forget the Invacom low gain and very low noise LNB. It can sometimes do magic with weak signals.

Still, thats no reason to stop you from getting a new 1.8m

 

[Lexzie]

Even with the largest dish there will allways be a weaker signal...
I am curious about same tests with Enigma2 tuners.

 

[newstar1974]

Even with the largest dish there will allways be a weaker signal...
I am curious about same tests with Enigma2 tuners.

I wonder if above tuner ( receivers ) still best receivers for weak transponders ?

 

[william-1]

My latest tests with the Lnb 0.2 Inverto Black Ultra is still the best I have tried 3 others & they fall short.
1=TM5302 HD 1st edition, (This is twice as big as the more recent receivers)
2=Octagon SX88+ HD Optima
3=Octagon SX88 SE 4K UHD

I mainly use the TM5302HD as it is highly sensitive for weak feeds with the 0.2 Inverto Black Ultra I do not reccomend this set up for general viewing as the strong transponders overload the tuner = no signal on some.

The Blind Scan on the 2 Octagons is very good but as I cannot seperate some strong transponders on 10E/9E as it needs a lot of editing due to the inflexibility of the Blind Scan (You cannot choose the scan frequencies) this is only possible with the TM5302HD.

All Tests are with the OP Gibertini 100 XP.

 

[william-1]

Lnb's tested recently (Universal Single LNB's)
1/Inverto Black Ultra 0.2
2/Inverto IDLT412-Ultra OPN
3/Inverto IDLP-410-Premium OPN
4/Golden Media 201 +

In order of best performance for weak signals.

 

[newstar1974]

My latest tests with the Lnb 0.2 Inverto Black Ultra is still the best I have tried 3 others & they fall short.
1=TM5302 HD 1st edition, (This is twice as big as the more recent receivers)
2=Octagon SX88+ HD Optima
3=Octagon SX88 SE 4K UHD

I mainly use the TM5302HD as it is highly sensitive for weak feeds with the 0.2 Inverto Black Ultra I do not reccomend this set up for general viewing as the strong transponders overload the tuner = no signal on some.

The Blind Scan on the 2 Octagons is very good but as I cannot seperate some strong transponders on 10E/9E as it needs a lot of editing due to the inflexibility of the Blind Scan (You cannot choose the scan frequencies) this is only possible with the TM5302HD.

All Tests are with the OP Gibertini 100 XP.

Thank you very much for fast and useful reply. I really appreciate it

 

[Manikm909]

Even with the largest dish there will allways be a weaker signal...
I am curious about same tests with Enigma2 tuners.

some info here...

Best blind scan receiver....

I think the GTMedia GTCombo 4:2:2 receiver has to be up there, in terms of speed, accuracy and tuner sensitivity. agree? i have used many receivers and this STB tends to top it (as a secondary receiver) - i woudlnt use it for daily use.

www.satellites.co.uk

 

[newstar1974]

Thank you very much for fast and useful reply. I really appreciate it

I have found TM5302 HD at web store. How do i know it is 1st edition ?