motorised dish setup advice / help (2 Viewers)

Neild7744

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Hi,

Yesterday I fitted a motorised satellite dish and just need some advice setting up tv server...

1) when I get my dish aligned to a satellite and I store the settings within mediaportal tv server under the diseqc tab, how can I edit or delete stored info? Is there a local config file somewhere?

2) after storing 2 satellites then doing a channel scan sometimes I'm getting 'no channel detected'. Im getting this error because there isn't enough time for the dish to align and tune, so it brings up an error. How can I increase the tuning time to give my dish motor time to align and tune to the transponder I need?

3) when I have setup my satellites, if I do an 'update transponder list' and then attempt a re-scan TV server keeps telling me that my satellites aren't stored and hence tuning fails. If I go into diseqc setting and try the 'goto' option I keep getting an error saying that nothing is stored. I have to then setup everything from scratch?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks.
 

mm1352000

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    1) when I get my dish aligned to a satellite and I store the settings within mediaportal tv server under the diseqc tab, how can I edit or delete stored info?
    Edit in what way?
    I'm asking you to be more specific because the positions themselves are stored in the motor's memory. Accessing TV Server's configuration won't get you access to those details.

    Delete...?
    Well, you could delete all the positions stored in the motor by clicking the "reset" button on the DiSEqC tab. I can't imagine why you'd want to do that though.

    Is there a local config file somewhere?
    No, there's no local config file.
    Almost all TV Server configuration data is stored in TV Server's database. This database is either a MySQL or SQL Server (depending on the options you chose during installation) database. It is possible to access and modify the contents of the database if you're familiar with or confident enough to learn how to use database management/editor tools. However I'd recommend avoiding this unless you're technically confident with computers and TV Server, and/or there is no other way to achieve whatever you're trying to achieve.

    2) after storing 2 satellites then doing a channel scan sometimes I'm getting 'no channel detected'. Im getting this error because there isn't enough time for the dish to align and tune, so it brings up an error. How can I increase the tuning time to give my dish motor time to align and tune to the transponder I need?
    You can increase the "tune" time-out setting in TV Server Configuration -> general section -> scan tab:
    http://wiki.team-mediaportal.com/1_...n/TV-Server_Configuration/06_General#Scan_Tab

    Modifying those time-out settings should be avoided unless you're 100% certain that it's necessary.

    3) when I have setup my satellites, if I do an 'update transponder list' and then attempt a re-scan TV server keeps telling me that my satellites aren't stored and hence tuning fails. If I go into diseqc setting and try the 'goto' option I keep getting an error saying that nothing is stored. I have to then setup everything from scratch?
    No, not if you can remember the former satellite names. The old names can be found in the TV Server database "Satellite" table. Alternatively, -->this<-- may help you.
    1. Close TV Server Configuration.
    2. Open Windows Explorer.
    3. Navigate to c:\ProgramData\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal TV Server\TuningParameters\dvbs.
    4. Open satellites.xml in any text editor (notepad, wordpad etc.).
    5. Change the names of the satellites back to what they were previously.
    6. Save and close.
    If your modifications were correct, the goto function should work again.
     

    Neild7744

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    Ok thanks.

    So ive setup my motorised dish to 2 satellites, hotbird 13e and astra 19.2 and saved them to #1 & #2. I can click the 'goto' button and everything works ok and i get full channel lists with no problem.

    If i restart my PC then load up TV server configurator, go straight to tuning options and try a scan using my motorised dish it fails. I have to click on the 'go to start' button under diseqc settings, then try a scan and everything works. Im assuming after resetting my PC put this dish motor into an 'unknown' position, hence when i try to drive the motor to 'position 1' (hotbird 13e) nothing happens as the dish has no start reference / position so cannot drive to any saved positions?

    Hopefully that makes sense. I guess what im asking is that whenever i reset my PC or TV server is restarted do i need to click the 'go to home' button under diseqc settings for my motorised dish to work correctly?

    Thanks for your help.
     

    mm1352000

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    ...and saved them to #1 & #2.
    TV Server Configuration doesn't enable you to specify the position numbers associated with each satellite. Therefore when I read this I'm immediately suspicious that you didn't use TV Server to do it... and that's not going to work. You must store positions using TV Server Configuration, otherwise TV Server won't be able to control the motor properly. If you find it easier to align the dish/motor using an "external agent" (STB, other software etc.) that's fine. Use the external agent to drive the dish to a given position, then open TV Server Config and immediately store the position (ie. go to the DiSEqC motor tab, select the satellite, then click "store"... and nothing else). Repeat for each position.

    If i restart my PC then load up TV server configurator, go straight to tuning options and try a scan using my motorised dish it fails. I have to click on the 'go to start' button under diseqc settings, then try a scan and everything works.
    To me this implies you either:
    • didn't store the positions using TV Server Configuration, AND/OR...
    • haven't selected the corresponding satellite in the "scanning" tab satellite row before you scan, AND/OR...
    • the "DiSEqC motor enabled" setting on the "DiSEqC motor" tab is not ticked
    If you think you've done all of these things correctly and you'd like further assistance, I'm going to need full details (log files, screenshots, step by step description of how you do your setup).

    Im assuming after resetting my PC put this dish motor into an 'unknown' position, hence when i try to drive the motor to 'position 1' (hotbird 13e) nothing happens as the dish has no start reference / position so cannot drive to any saved positions?
    No, that explanation doesn't seem plausible to me.

    Yes, TV Server would consider the motor to be in an unknown/undefined position on startup. However this is no problem. It'd simply cause TV Server to instruct the motor to move to the target position before scanning the first transponder.

    In general, if you've stored the satellite positions properly using TV Server Configuration, selected the corresponding satellite on the "scanning" tab when you scan/tune, and the "DiSEqC motor enabled" setting is ticked, TV Server should instruct the motor to move to the target position as required.

    I guess what im asking is that whenever i reset my PC or TV server is restarted do i need to click the 'go to home' button under diseqc settings for my motorised dish to work correctly?
    No, absolutely not.
     

    Neild7744

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    Ok,

    I have everything setup as per your advice above. My satellites are now stored correctly and all my channel scans complete successfully. Ive driven my dish to the required satellites via the TV Server Configurator and have hotbird 13e and astra 19.2 setup for scanning everything runs ok apart from 1 issue im having.

    When ive scanned hotbird and astra and i try to preview channels within TV server configurator, using prog finder (and going out to watch my motorised dish) the dish drives correctly to my stored positions, but I have to click the preview button twice, once to move the dish motor (and then i get a 'no signal available error'). I then click the same channel again to preview and then the signal locks and i can do a preview a channel with no issues. If i try to preview another channel from a different satelitte the same thing happens... i can see the satellite motor drive, but i get another 'no signal' error. When i click preview again everything works ok.

    Ive checked a few things:
    1) I have the latest TBS drivers for the 6981 DVBS2 card im using.
    2) I have double checked my dish alignment to both satellites
    3) Ive changed the LNB to rule that out.
    4) Ive played around with the tuning settings etc within TV server configurator.
    4) Ive tried re-scanning channels a number of times.

    Im tempted to try another DVBS2 PCI card to see if that makes any difference. Other than that im starting to run out of ideas.
     

    mm1352000

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    The only TV Server setting that may help with this is the previously discussed tune time-out setting. Try increasing it to 10 seconds or something like that. Make sure you restart the TV service after changing the value to ensure that the change takes effect.

    If that doesn't help, I'm sorry to say that nothing short of a code change - to add a dish movement delay - would resolve this.
     

    Kotik

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    Ok,


    When ive scanned hotbird and astra and i try to preview channels within TV server configurator, using prog finder (and going out to watch my motorised dish) the dish drives correctly to my stored positions, but I have to click the preview button twice, once to move the dish motor (and then i get a 'no signal available error'). I then click the same channel again to preview and then the signal locks and i can do a preview a channel with no issues. If i try to preview another channel from a different satelitte the same thing happens... i can see the satellite motor drive, but i get another 'no signal' error. When i click preview again everything works ok.

    Ive checked a few things:
    1) I have the latest TBS drivers for the 6981 DVBS2 card im using.
    2) I have double checked my dish alignment to both satellites
    3) Ive changed the LNB to rule that out.
    4) Ive played around with the tuning settings etc within TV server configurator.
    4) Ive tried re-scanning channels a number of times.

    Im tempted to try another DVBS2 PCI card to see if that makes any difference. Other than that im starting to run out of ideas.

    It is the same issue i was getting with a SkyStar HD2 card.
    There is no solution regarding this one, increasing the "Tune" time out wont change anything besides forcing you to wait more time before the No Signal message pops out.

    MediaPortal DiseqC code is poorly optimized for a motor support, at least for the 2 cards that i had the possibility to try out, SkyStar HD2 and TBS 6902.

    I am currently in contact with TBS to see if anything can be done from their side but i doubt it cause MediaPortal is always instructing a card to tune/lock into a signal directly after sending the gotoX command, like @mm1352000 says there are no delays implemented between the gotox and tune commands.
     

    mm1352000

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    It is the same issue i was getting with a SkyStar HD2 card.
    Yes, this is a strong possibility... but not confirmed until he checks with high tune time-out value.

    ...increasing the "Tune" time out wont change anything besides forcing you to wait more time before the No Signal message pops out.
    This is an assumption that must be tested.
    Some tuners re-tune/re-lock automatically. For those tuners, increasing the tune time-out gives the tuner a chance to re-tune/re-lock. Your tuners don't do that, and that's why you have the problem... but not all tuners work the same way yours do. ;)

    ...MediaPortal is always instructing a card to tune/lock into a signal directly after sending the gotoX command, like mm1352000 says there are no delays implemented between the gotox and tune commands.
    I didn't say that. :)
    What I said is that you'd have to modify the code if you want to add [more] delay.
    There's already a delay of at least 250 ms. It isn't long enough for your motor/tuner.
    Sorry if I wasn't clear.
     

    Neild7744

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    Thank so for the info.

    I've been playing around with this most of today to try and get things to work with no luck.

    Basically what you mention above is correct in that the tuner locks to quickly whilst the dish is moving, ending up with a 'no signal' message when trying to preview a channel. If I click the same channel preview again it works with no issue.

    I've increased tuning time to huge numbers with no change... as mentioned above it just delays longer before the 'no signal' message upon a channel preview.

    I've tried different lnb's, different dvbs cards, put a new bigger PSU in my htpc and it doesn't make any difference. I'm using TBS cards and now need to either 1) try and get some support from TBS 2) somewho get a patch or do a MP mod to implement a longer delay prior to tuning or 3) consider alternative software.

    Just a quick one tho... when I select my saltellites under the scanning tab should diseqc be set to 'none' when a dish motor is being used?

    Thanks
     

    Kotik

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    Thank so for the info.


    Just a quick one tho... when I select my saltellites under the scanning tab should diseqc be set to 'none' when a dish motor is being used?

    Thanks


    Yes DiseqC in the scanning tab should be set to None if u are using a motorized dish.
     

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