Foxsat HDR "Power ON" feature not working

[edgeon]

My trusty Foxsat-HDR (with the superb Custom Firmware 4.1.3 installed) has developed its first fault:

The "Power ON" feature has ceased to work for its morning startup.
When I turn the machine on it is evident that the "Power On Channel" has not been selected.

However if I then select startup times for say 10 minutes ahead, or one hour ahead, turn the machine off I find the system behaves as it should.

Any ideas as to why this fault may have occurred?
Is there anything I could try before doing a Factory Reset?

Thanks in advance

 

[Rodders53]

As, with CF installed, the recording schedule can be backed up/restored almost trivially, a factory reset would be one of the first things to try if something like a full mains reboot doesn't cure by clearing out some odd memory issue.

(Full mains reboot: In standby, operate rear mains rocker switch to off. Make cup of tea. Consume tea. Operate rear rocker switch to on again.)

 

[grahamlthompson]

My trusty Foxsat-HDR (with the superb Custom Firmware 4.1.3 installed) has developed its first fault:

The "Power ON" feature has ceased to work for its morning startup.
When I turn the machine on it is evident that the "Power On Channel" has not been selected.

However if I then select startup times for say 10 minutes ahead, or one hour ahead, turn the machine off I find the system behaves as it should.

Any ideas as to why this fault may have occurred?
Is there anything I could try before doing a Factory Reset?

Thanks in advance

What time is the power on option set for ? Does a manual watch reservation instead of the power on timer wake the box ?

 

[edgeon]

Thank you for the replies:-
I have now tried a full mains reboot - I will have to wait till tomorrow to see if it worked.
I will then try a Manual watch reservation to wake the box

Cheers!

 

[TJT1]

Questions 2. Answers 1. Questions win.

 

[edgeon]

A full mains reboot did not cure the problem.
(The restart time was set @0745)
But the Manual watch reservation function does work.

 

[grahamlthompson]

A full mains reboot did not cure the problem.
(The restart time was set @0745)
But the Manual watch reservation function does work.

Try changing the power on timer to 15 mins earlier and then 15 mins later. The G2 boxes came with a bug that stopped 0715 working as a power on time. The Foxsat-HDR may have a similar bug. 07:15 works fine on my Foxsat-HDR.

 

[edgeon]

Thank you for the suggestions. I will try them over the next two days

 

[edgeon]

Changing the start times did not recover the startup problem
I did a factory reset
Post boot custom firmware V4.1.3 was displayed, followed by menu,followed by wizard
user settings already has english as preferred language......
Freesat detection
searching for satellite signal..... it finds none
system was working with good signal strength prior to the reset.

Any ideas?

 

[Rodders53]

I'd:
1. Try another hard mains reboot.
if still no sat signal (home transponder issue?)
2. Check / re-make the F-plugs feeding the unit.
Repeat.

If a TV has a satellite tuner check the cables are giving good signal levels and quality... especially on the freeast home transponder... 11428 MHz, Horizontal, 27500, 2/3 FEC.

If you know someone nearby with a known working dish try the PVR on that to get it tuned in and working again?

I induced a similar 'no signal' issue on my bedroom, single cable foxsat by simply checking the cables at the back with a wiggle/tighten ... it was a dodgy F-cable with a bent 'centre pin' when I pulled it all apart. I'd been having problems with its' epg being out of date, despite overnight housekeeping boots being OK.

 

[edgeon]

Thank you for the prompt reply.
The signal strength was good 10 seconds before I did the reset. I did the signal check as I know that some people have reported lost signal after a Factory reset. I did not touch the cables during the reset.
I have tried a hard mains reboot with no success.
I have connected an old pace box and get 75% signal strength on network id 0002 transport stream 07d4- (sadly I cannot select frequencies as the "1" does not work on the remote )
On the Foxsat::
in manual tune menu page
(tuner Tuner 1 (fixed)) is greyed out
(satellite freesat 28.2E) is greyed out
I have set the transponder to 11428 H 27500 A from the drop down menu
If I press search no channels are found

 

[edgeon]

When I enter a valid postcode I am told the "invalid postcode. Please check your postcode"

 

[grahamlthompson]

When I enter a valid postcode I am told the "invalid postcode. Please check your postcode"

That's because you aren't able to get the Freesat home transponder. After a reset the box downloads the postcode database to allocate your regional lcn's and check for a valid postcode, Without this you can't get any further. If you can get into manual tune check the transponder Rodders53 posted. An old Sky-HD box Add channels is handy to do this check

Possible reasons

Water in the coax cables - check the cables carefully for water ingress or perhaps the dish has moved. The Freesat home transponder is now on UK spot so is strong in UK but if aren't in the UK it may no longer be usable without a dish upgrade.

Without the home transponder your channel line up will be out of date, these are updated during overnight housekeeping.

 

[edgeon]

Thank you for reply Graham. The signal strength is reasonable on the pace box (see 1225 post)
When the system boots up Custom FW v4.1.3 comes up on the display but remains- Is that because there is no current channel information to replaced it?

 

[grahamlthompson]

Thank you for reply Graham. The signal strength is reasonable on the pace box (see 1225 post)
When the system boots up Custom FW v4.1.3 comes up on the display but remains- Is that because there is no current channel information to replaced it?

Probably - Try switching the cables, the one connected to tuner 1 in might be a bad connection. Initially only tuner 1 in is used for setup.

 

[edgeon]

Thanks Graham
I have switched the cables and still no response.
Are there any freesat boxes that match the functionality provided by the Foxsat-hdr with the custom FW v4.1.3 ?

 

[REPASSAC]

There is a short answer, No.
You must have also lost other channels, I guess.
I suspect either water ingression as Grahams first thought or perhaps LNB failure of H frequencies, how old is your LNB?

 

[edgeon]

Thank you for the reply.

1)Sad- and a bit strange
2)On the Humax box there is no indication of any signal.
3)The signal strength and quality are reasonable on the Pace box -and yes - there is some evidence of water ingress.
4)The LNB is probably 6 years old-


But how would a factory reset lower the signal strength of a working LNB?

I will try to optimise the signal using the pace box tomorrow (weather permitting)
I will then try the humax again on a new, short, lead.

 

[TJT1]

If water has ingressed as far as the tuner. Bye Bye box, but it's difficult to see why a reset would produce a sudden gush of water.

 

[edgeon]

It could be that LNB 1 had demised and the machine was running using LNB2 - and as I seldom record and watch at the same time I would not know of any issue.
Post a factory reset the system looks only at LNB1 for set up and fails.
If that is the case I should have checked that LNB 1 was working before considering a Factory reset.
What do you think?

 

[TJT1]

Swap the cables and try again.

 

[grahamlthompson]

It could be that LNB 1 had demised and the machine was running using LNB2 - and as I seldom record and watch at the same time I would not know of any issue.
Post a factory reset the system looks only at LNB1 for set up and fails.
If that is the case I should have checked that LNB 1 was working before considering a Factory reset.
What do you think?

Normal advice is check you can see the Freesat info channel on 999 (this is on the Freesat Home Transponder. At the very least you need to renew the lnb and cabling. Use wF100 coax for the cabling and silicone grease the lnb end connections. Water in the cables loses progressively more and more transponders. As already said if water's got in the box it's likely to be scrap.

Older PF100 cable used an air space dialectric rather than foam. This makes an excellent microbore water pipe.

 

[Rodders53]

Replace the cables to LNB as a matter or urgency to avoid further water damage.

Webro WF100 type is best but WF65 shotgun will suffice. Ensure any cable selected is 100% copper core, copper braid and copper foil screening. {Don't be drawn to save a £1 or two and end up with copper clad steel or aluminium.}
New decent quality F-plugs to suit the cable chosen (they are different sizes for WF100 cf WF65 to suit the different cable diameter) should also be used.

Pics of the 'water ingress signs' might help us assess what damage has been caused? It's possible a new LNB is required if water has got in there?

It's no good, now, over-analysing what you should have done... it's done. Now is the time to fix things!

 

[edgeon]

Thank you for the advice.
I have swapped the cables to no avail.

As for accessing channel 999: - The box is stuck in the menu area. If I select Menu to leave I get a notice "no channels are currently available. press <ok> to search for channels". OK takes me back to "Setup" If I select Diagnostics Tuners 1&2 both show "0" strength and quality.


The water leakage evidence? I left the LNB cable hanging- and a droplet of water formed.
It is likely that water did get into the Box- however there is no evidence of a leak on the circuit board---but so much is concealed.

 

[grahamlthompson]

Thank you for the advice.
I have swapped the cables to no avail.

As for accessing channel 999: - The box is stuck in the menu area. If I select Menu to leave I get a notice "no channels are currently available. press <ok> to search for channels". OK takes me back to "Setup" If I select Diagnostics Tuners 1&2 both show "0" strength and quality.


The water leakage evidence? I left the LNB cable hanging- and a droplet of water formed.
It is likely that water did get into the Box- however there is no evidence of a leak on the circuit board---but so much is concealed.

The idea is check 999 before you do the reset. It's easier and quicker than manually tuning into the transponder to check strength and quality. This doesn't work on G2 boxes because there is no channel 999.