New firmware for Lacuna Sat Meter

digiguy

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2004
Messages
81
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
50
My Satellite Setup
Channel Master 1.2 1224 H2H. Traix TD88. Sky+
Echostar 3600.
P4 2k. Broadband 2
My Location
Buckingamshire UK
Hi all

I want to update my lacuna sat meter with uptodate sat files, but alas the firmware in the meter is to old to accept the new files V. 4.05 meter dated 2002

Does anyone know how to update the firmware or where to find it? The lacuna site doesnt have the relevant files.

Hope someone can help

Thanks
 

dundeebloke

Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2005
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
49
My Satellite Setup
pass
My Location
UK
Hi, i recently purchased a Wolsey satellite meter, and am have difficulty updating the sat files to it. I have the download lead and sat files and using satloader, and when trying to download datasets to it i get a Send new line (0) failed error come up on screen. Has anyone else had this problem and found a means to do it successfully. Many thanks. P.S. Firmware of meter is 5.1.3 Uk Multi V4.U15
 

rolfw

Believe it when I see it Admin.
Staff member
Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
38,292
Reaction score
1,615
Points
113
My Satellite Setup
Technomate 5402 HD M2 Ci, DM7000s, Transparent 80cm Dish, Moteck SG2100 DiseqC motor, lots of legacy gear. Meters: Satlook Digital NIT, Promax HD Ranger+ spectrum analyser.
My Location
Berkshire
No idea I'm afraid, not many members have these, have you tried the help address on the Wolsey site?
 

remlap

Specialist Contributor
Joined
Aug 21, 2004
Messages
2,332
Reaction score
898
Points
113
Age
37
My Satellite Setup
Gibertini 104cm motorised dish with a Technomate 5402 HD CI+ and TBS 6925 + Gibertini 90cm with 9E 13E 19.2E and 28.2/5E with a Hauppauge WinTV NOVA-HD-S2 Media Centre PC and Pure EVOKE Flow Radio + 100cm Channel Master with 2 LNBs at 24.5W and 30W
My Location
Wales

remlap

Specialist Contributor
Joined
Aug 21, 2004
Messages
2,332
Reaction score
898
Points
113
Age
37
My Satellite Setup
Gibertini 104cm motorised dish with a Technomate 5402 HD CI+ and TBS 6925 + Gibertini 90cm with 9E 13E 19.2E and 28.2/5E with a Hauppauge WinTV NOVA-HD-S2 Media Centre PC and Pure EVOKE Flow Radio + 100cm Channel Master with 2 LNBs at 24.5W and 30W
My Location
Wales

remlap

Specialist Contributor
Joined
Aug 21, 2004
Messages
2,332
Reaction score
898
Points
113
Age
37
My Satellite Setup
Gibertini 104cm motorised dish with a Technomate 5402 HD CI+ and TBS 6925 + Gibertini 90cm with 9E 13E 19.2E and 28.2/5E with a Hauppauge WinTV NOVA-HD-S2 Media Centre PC and Pure EVOKE Flow Radio + 100cm Channel Master with 2 LNBs at 24.5W and 30W
My Location
Wales
Just a thought have you set up the right coms port?
click below

 

Mac_UK

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
56
My Satellite Setup
Echostar DSB-2200
80cm motorised dish
& standard Sky+ setup
with Pace receiver
My Location
Essex UK
dundeebloke said:
Hi, i recently purchased a Wolsey satellite meter, and am have difficulty updating the sat files to it. I have the download lead and sat files and using satloader, and when trying to download datasets to it i get a Send new line (0) failed error come up on screen. Has anyone else had this problem and found a means to do it successfully. Many thanks. P.S. Firmware of meter is 5.1.3 Uk Multi V4.U15

If this info is still required......
This may have happened if the meter was not powered on when you attempted the update , turn on the meter, run the update with Satloader, when complete disconnect from the pc & reboot the meter.

Regards Mac
 

zac2613

Member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
63
My Satellite Setup
none
My Location
uk
dundeebloke said:
Hi, i recently purchased a Wolsey satellite meter, and am have difficulty updating the sat files to it. I have the download lead and sat files and using satloader, and when trying to download datasets to it i get a Send new line (0) failed error come up on screen. Has anyone else had this problem and found a means to do it successfully. Many thanks. P.S. Firmware of meter is 5.1.3 Uk Multi V4.U15

TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN
Wolsey and Lacuna are the same meters
I had the same problem (Send new line 0) and fixed it myself (not complicated to do) JUST A RESISTOR
If you have the tool to take the back off the meter and know how to use a soldering iron.
Contact me
IF I THINK YOUR UP TO IT ILL EXPLAIN HOW TO DO IT (AT YOUR OWN RISK)
 

Topper

Amo Amas Amant Admin
Staff member
Joined
Nov 18, 2004
Messages
23,991
Reaction score
4,014
Points
113
Age
69
My Satellite Setup
Has gone to a good home elsewhere
My Location
Blackburn, Lancashire
If you want people to contact you fill out your Vcard details. Do not post your Email address on the forum it is against the rules.
 

LarryGB

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2008
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
72
My Satellite Setup
Viewsat Extreme w/1.6mtr Square
My Location
Canada
zac2613 said:
TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN
Wolsey and Lacuna are the same meters
I had the same problem (Send new line 0) and fixed it myself (not complicated to do) JUST A RESISTOR
If you have the tool to take the back off the meter and know how to use a soldering iron.
Contact me
IF I THINK YOUR UP TO IT ILL EXPLAIN HOW TO DO IT (AT YOUR OWN RISK)

Yes, please. Have had the issue with my meter for the last year, and now the Canadian support site seems to have disappeared. Any help would be appreciated. PM me please with your email address. Thanks...
 

zac2613

Member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
63
My Satellite Setup
none
My Location
uk
Hi LarryGB
It didn't work in the end. but i did find a way, have you made the lead yourself, can you take the D serial plug apart, if so let me know and i'll explaine Here what i did to get the dataset into the meter.

zac2613
 

LarryGB

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2008
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
72
My Satellite Setup
Viewsat Extreme w/1.6mtr Square
My Location
Canada
zac2613 said:
Hi LarryGB
It didn't work in the end. but i did find a way, have you made the lead yourself, can you take the D serial plug apart, if so let me know and i'll explaine Here what i did to get the dataset into the meter.

zac2613

When we purchased our Lacuna, it came with a factory made cable, one end serial, other mini din. Here is a picture of the cable pinout as provided by the manufactuer's website. I'm prepared to rebuild this cable if necessary, or make the mod right on the board's din socket connections if that's possible. [BTW I spent 27 years in radio/tv service so I'm not afraid to work on this unit.]

View attachment 18777

Thanks....
 

Attachments

  • Download_pinout.gif
    Download_pinout.gif
    13.8 KB · Views: 181

zac2613

Member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
63
My Satellite Setup
none
My Location
uk
Hi LarryGB
If you look at your meter's din connector, not the din plug, rotate the meter till it looks like the diagram below, it should look like this.


bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb *--*-----------------Flying lead
bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb * ----*
bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb *---*----------------Flying lead

Where I've drawn 2 lines you need to locate those pin connections on the circuit board, and solder 2 flying leads that can come out of the gap to the side of the power connector/or somewhere, they don't need to be long, i used alarm/telephone type cable for this, and put the meter back together.

Get the latest dataset from lacuna, and start the loader program,make sure you've set the com port correctly, turn on meter, strip back a little insulation off the end of the flying leads, and without directly shorting the wires, squeeze them between your finger and thumb, and try to send the data to the meter, if you see the loading bar loading to the meter, don't let go of the wires, or you will break the download, if it still comes up with (Send new line 0) then you will have to keep trying till you get it.

To those of you reading this you may well think I've lost the plot, but in fact i haven't.

By squeezing the wires together, your putting a resistance across the flying leads, and HarryGB, I've found that when my hands are sweaty, worked best for me, but wetting my fingers, then drying them did not have the same effect.

It worked for me , so should work for you, let me know how you got on Mate, it may work first time, but if not keep trying, keep trying, till you get it, once done tape the wires to the side of the meter, and write down what you did, and keep it in a safe place, for the next dreaded time.

zac2613

Ps Ill be monitoring the thread today, so if you got any questions then please ask. And just for you HarryGB if you attach a glass diode to one of the flying leads, you may even pick up a radio signal. LoL
 

zac2613

Member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
63
My Satellite Setup
none
My Location
uk
Sorry Harry, but i tried editing the diagram, but it wont stay were i put it, look at the meter so the power socket is to the right of the data connection, when looking at the meter, also look at the diagram as if its a circle, you should get my drift.

zac2613
 

LarryGB

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2008
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
72
My Satellite Setup
Viewsat Extreme w/1.6mtr Square
My Location
Canada
zac2613 said:
Sorry Harry, but i tried editing the diagram, but it wont stay were i put it, look at the meter so the power socket is to the right of the data connection, when looking at the meter, also look at the diagram as if its a circle, you should get my drift.

zac2613

Hey, Thanks....

I will try this later today, and I will see if I can get some digital shots to upload here, and do some editing and experimenting. I'll try and trace back the connection functions from the D connector, so we can see what is actually going on. Possibly a capacitor or open resistor is causing this affect. Of course I cringe at SMT's and poor eyesite...

Later....

Larry
 

zac2613

Member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
63
My Satellite Setup
none
My Location
uk
Hi HarryGB
If your meter probes won't fit into the holes, just use a needle.

Ive tried to locate the problem but cant/won't touch the Smt's, with a normal iron, so having to read components in situ, and is not the best way.

If you look at your diagram, the fly leads are connected to pin 1 & 5 of the din plug, which is the same as looking at the meter.
zac2613
 

zac2613

Member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
63
My Satellite Setup
none
My Location
uk
Ha Ha Ha
I can see what you mean about bad eyesite, HarryGB ??????
Sorry LarryGB.....What a Plonker LOL
 

LarryGB

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2008
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
72
My Satellite Setup
Viewsat Extreme w/1.6mtr Square
My Location
Canada
zac2613 said:
Ha Ha Ha
I can see what you mean about bad eyesite, HarryGB ??????
Sorry LarryGB.....What a Plonker LOL

Actually, I was referring to my bad eyesite :), but I have to "share that wealth" with you.

So, I've traced the 9Pin D Sub back to the PC board throught the Mini-Din Male and Female. The pin's in question according to the RS232 functions are Pin 1 [upper in your diagram] on Mini-Din is the RX lead, Pin 5 [lower in your diagram] is the Xmit lead. Of course the function on the meter will be reverse of that, i.e. RX to TX and TX to RX.
It may have something to do with the bias voltage on those pins, and how your skin resistance is pulling up or down the terminal voltages there.
I'm going to take a few voltage readings, and then play around with the scope and see if I can see anything unusual. Time to get out the resistance substitution box and experiment. Taking pictures as we go, so will post them when I have time....
 

LarryGB

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2008
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
72
My Satellite Setup
Viewsat Extreme w/1.6mtr Square
My Location
Canada
Well,
I've tried various ways of simulating the load/coupling/injection etc of the programming input, and still no downloading of dataset. I've scoped the serial data from the PC through the immediate input circuit on the meter, including two Toshiba P181GB SMT SOP4 photo-couplers, right up to the main PIC 16F877 micro-processor chip, and everything seems normal. There does not seem to be any output from the PIC, ie as a response to the serial port request, and possibly there is a PIC chip fault, or support circuitry. [Although other functions of the chip seem normal, power-on, data selection, LCD drive, RF/channel/Freq selections].
I've looked at the RST line, and seems to be functioning, so we may not have a low part-count-repair, short of system replacement.
Already wasted too much time on this, unless we have someone else's insight on this, this one's going back on the shelf.

Guys???

Thanks for help anyway, Zac....
 

zac2613

Member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Age
63
My Satellite Setup
none
My Location
uk
Hi LarryGB

I hoped that it would work for you.

Ill say one thing recently i tried downloading an altered dataset in to the meter, and it would not go, it didn't mater what, so i left it, then one day i tried it again and it worked, more than once ?????? the only thing i could think of that was different than before, was that my fingers were slightly sweaty due to the central heating being on,

The only thing i can think of, is i equaled the Resistance needed to switch a transistor in some way shape or form.

But sadly not in this case. but do try again one day you never know...

This is not a wind up, if someone does have this problem do try the above and if it work's for you, please post a reply so others may follow

Ps, LarryGB i know you'll be the first to post if anything comes to light.

Good Luck
zac2613
 
Top