Advice Needed My Alsat Gbox has caught fire, Any better replacements?

M

mapperuo

Specialist Contributor
My Satellite Setup
2x 1.8m Raven (7e Fixed, 30w-45e)
2x 1.5m Gibby (23.5e / 13e)
2x 1.2m Gibby (10e / 30w - 45e)
3x 1.1m Generics (15w / 0.8w / 28.2e)
My Location
Fife, Scotland
Only 2 years old as well! My Raven 1.8m is now stuck at 16e, Was attempting to move it and I heard the relays clicking rapidly before a large pop and that ominous electrical smell before I had to unplug it and the smoking beast outside.

The place I bought it from only sells Primesat VBoxes now, Any thoughts on whats an ideal replacement?


Also! As it's stuck at 16e, how do I go about installing the new one - it wont remember where the dish is will it? Even though the receiver does.


Thanks guys, Always helpful when I need it!
 
I would wright them a letter with a lawyers card inside,(just pick one up somewhere) telling them that the box almost burnt down your house and your thinking of suing them.

See how long it takes for them to send you a new box, but this time put it in a fire proof box.
 
Terryl said:
I would wright them a letter with a lawyers card inside,(just pick one up somewhere) telling them that the box almost burnt down your house and your thinking of suing them.

See how long it takes for them to send you a new box, but this time put it in a fire proof box.
Click to expand...

Wonder if they'd supply the fire proof box.
 
mapperuo said:
Only 2 years old as well! My Raven 1.8m is now stuck at 16e, Was attempting to move it and I heard the relays clicking rapidly before a large pop and that ominous electrical smell before I had to unplug it and the smoking beast outside.
Click to expand...
Really, as Terry says, you should make the original supplier sweat a bit.
Consumer appliances should not catch fire (althoug I do believe V boxes are known to do so).
There should be some major compensation, apart from supplying a replacement box.
Even if out-of-warranty.
mapperuo said:
The place I bought it from only sells Primesat VBoxes now, Any thoughts on whats an ideal replacement?
Click to expand...
TBH any of the VBOXes will be little better than what you have.
Build quality seem to vary, and they're probably made more or less the same place anyway.

Except, of course, for the Titanium box (ASC1), which is engineered to a different level. I'm sure Brian would be horrified if one of his devices caught fire!
It also has a different price-tag, though. But perhaps worth it for sleeping well?
mapperuo said:
Also! As it's stuck at 16e, how do I go about installing the new one - it wont remember where the dish is will it? Even though the receiver does.
Click to expand...
Assuming you used DiSEqC (and not USALS), I would assume you need to re-do the set-up...
But hey, that's the fun bit, isn't it?
Opportunity to fine-tune dish, perhaps??
:)
 
Terryl said:
I would wright them a letter with a lawyers card inside,(just pick one up somewhere) telling them that the box almost burnt down your house and your thinking of suing them.

See how long it takes for them to send you a new box, but this time put it in a fire proof box.
Click to expand...
Doubt that :D he's used to dealing with Lawyers :D
 
Ive been trying to google a contact for Alsat which is proving trickier then it looks!
 
Think Mr Alsat is doing bird!
 
If it is two years old then you are unlikely to get very far with a replacement, even if the house had burnt down.

Trading standards might be interested though, moreso if you do have house and contents cover and your insurers provide a letter of refusal.

By the way Vuciterni stayed at Wormwood for a short while in 2015, around five months, so he may well be back on the streets of Wembley unless he's been a naughty boy again.
 
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mapperuo said:
...The place I bought it from only sells Primesat VBoxes now, Any thoughts on whats an ideal replacement?
Click to expand...

If you wish to go for a v-box unit, have a look on eBay for a 2nd hand Moteck v-box or Technomate v-box, they seems to be OK, I personally have never had any problems with them. There used to be a German seller of new moteck v-boxes who ships to the UK.

As pointed out by "st1", the Titanium ASC1 unit is good but several times the cost of a v-box. Finally, as mentioned by "blademedia", the RC2000 series are top class and were recently available very cheap as second hand items, however, the RC2000 series do not offer diseqc/USALS functionality.


Rgds
 
Depending which part of the V- Box has shrugged off its mortal coil, it migh be possible to find a suitable replacement part online. Go on, take it apart and post the images.
 
The Titanium ASC1 looks fairly robust! Think thats the ideal option here, the RC2000 seems overkill as it's dual axis which I won't need... Though maybe a 2nd wee actuator on the Ravens screw thread for elevation would be nice. :D Ill think about it.


Your all absolutely right about considering suing them, The V Box was sat at the bottom of our incredibly messy work's rack so had that all went up we'd be in serious cack. This is a perfect chance to tidy it up a bit.

32981179701_c4d2d41c6f_b.jpg
 
The Titanium ASC1 used to suffer from counting problems unless a mod was done. I would have thought they would addressed this by now though.
 
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