GEOSATpro Micro HD Won't Record By Timer?

[Lone Gunman]

Well, this problem was initially mentioned in the other thread I started, but, it's worse now with the Micro HD than before, hence the new thread for the Micro HD.

As I mentioned in the other thread, the Micro HD in question here in my shop initially had problems with multiple recordings but did work fine on a single. Then yesterday it started not working at all with the timer so this morning I copied the files off the working one in the house and loaded ALL of them into this one here in the shop and it's still horked up?? I can make it record via the record button on the remote but it WILL NOT start the recording via the timer at all.

So after that I found the latest firmware I have and loaded that then went in and setup ONE satellite (97w) to try the record timer before I installed any others and the timer record FAILED that way also, and yes, I did the factory reset after the firmware install BEFORE I did anything to install 97W to test with. After it failed to start recording I went in and looked at the timer setting menu and there was nothing there, meaning that it had tried to initiate the record function but didn't record.

I might mention here that I've been having "some" problems with this Micro HD moving the dish reliably for some time, ie, over the last year or so about half the time I've been having to move the dish via the Vbox remote instead? Going into the TP menu and moving up and down that list seemed to make it work OK but not when I just went from one sat to another in normal TV watching mode.

So now I'm looking for suggestions on fixing this problem?


Forgot To Add: Yes, I did switch Vbox Controllers testing the dish move problem and it does the same thing with BOTH of them.

 

[Larry1]

If you want to try a test, I will post my load with only 103Ku for testing, only COZI-TV channel. Please note, one of the channels does not work, view the channels first to verify that they work for you. I will also post what version of firmware I have at the moment. Sorry, but at the moment it is recording and I'm off to work in about 20minutes. The evening shift really takes it out of me, so I'm asleep most of the time. It might be a day or two, but I will post it for you. (recording just ended, the zip file is attached, multiple channels of the same channel for you can overlap your recordings)
I have also found that when setting up timers, it is best to set them up at least a day before if not more. Setting a timer for the same day sometimes causes issues with the timer not being able to be set and gives an error message. However, if the timer sets, it seems to work fine.

 

[primestar31]

I have had that happen, due to some sort of odd issue that suddenly occurred with the external drive I was using. I hooked the drive to my laptop, and sucked off all the programs I had recorded. I then RE-formated the drive on the laptop, and then again using the MicroHD itself via that menu option. I then RE-loaded all the recordings, and it's been fine ever since.

 

[Lone Gunman]

Thanks Larry, but I've already tried a known working "load" from my other Micro HD in the house that did no better than what was in it before. I'm thinking my only option is to try to JTAG it, BUT................

I have had that happen, due to some sort of odd issue that suddenly occurred with the external drive I was using. I hooked the drive to my laptop, and sucked off all the programs I had recorded. I then RE-formated the drive on the laptop, and then again using the MicroHD itself via that menu option. I then RE-loaded all the recordings, and it's been fine ever since.

Yup, reformat and different storage drives was one of the first things I tried with this one, but nadda? I've tried a Sandisk 8GB flash drive formatted in both NTFS and FAT by the MicroHD and it didn't work. Also tried a 32GB Sandisk flash drive in both FAT and NTFS by the Micro HD and that one didn't work either. I also have a 320GB Western Digital SATA drive in a USB external enclosure that I use on the other Micro HD in both FAT and NTFS and it didn't work either??? So I pretty much eliminated the drive/s as the problem.

Thanks guys!

And back to the JTAG, has anyone else noticed that searching for stuff here is an exercise in futility? Damn near every "link" I clicked on to try to find out how to JTAG this receiver comes back 404...page not found??? Thanks for that BTW.

So having said that, does anyone have instructions for doing the JTAG on a Micro HD, since that seems to be about the only thing I haven't tried. I already have the cable I bought years ago and thought I'd never need it but..............................

 

[Larry1]

Try loading ALL THE FILES as one of the other files may be affecting your unit even though it does not seem to be related. Backup all the different files from your working unit and restore them on the bad unit.
Also, try adjusting the transponder settings, even if it works in the other unit. Some setting may be marginal and works intermittently, but only on the one box. e.g. change the transponder frequency up or down by one as well as the symbol rate. One box may be more forgiving than the other... just like the clock drifts differently on each box.
One more thing to try, try exchanging the power adapter with the one from the working box.

 

[primestar31]

Thanks Larry, but I've already tried a known working "load" from my other Micro HD in the house that did no better than what was in it before. I'm thinking my only option is to try to JTAG it, BUT................



Yup, reformat and different storage drives was one of the first things I tried with this one, but nadda? I've tried a Sandisk 8GB flash drive formatted in both NTFS and FAT by the MicroHD and it didn't work. Also tried a 32GB Sandisk flash drive in both FAT and NTFS by the Micro HD and that one didn't work either. I also have a 320GB Western Digital SATA drive in a USB external enclosure that I use on the other Micro HD in both FAT and NTFS and it didn't work either??? So I pretty much eliminated the drive/s as the problem.

Thanks guys!

And back to the JTAG, has anyone else noticed that searching for stuff here is an exercise in futility? Damn near every "link" I clicked on to try to find out how to JTAG this receiver comes back 404...page not found??? Thanks for that BTW.

So having said that, does anyone have instructions for doing the JTAG on a Micro HD, since that seems to be about the only thing I haven't tried. I already have the cable I bought years ago and thought I'd never need it but..............................

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/thr...-via-internal-ttl-header.291053/#post-2953499

Oh, and you have to do this with a pc that has either WinXP or Win7 on it. You canNOT do it with a Win10 pc!

 

[Lone Gunman]

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/thr...-via-internal-ttl-header.291053/#post-2953499

Oh, and you have to do this with a pc that has either WinXP or Win7 on it. You can NOT do it with a Win10 pc!

Time for an update on this I guess and BTW, thanks for the links to the instructions. Everything I needed was there. Odd that I couldn't find that via search?? But that seems to be a problem for me since they went to this new forum software.

I've got 7 multiboot desktops here in the house/shop and all of those have Windows XP on'em so I was good to go there.

I did use the TTL cable to upload the 2013-6-26 firmware and once it was finished I did a full power off and I connected it up to the TV then booted it up. Then a did a Factory Reset then another full power off reboot. Once it rebooted I install only ONE satellite (97w) (poweroff reboot) then did a blind scan and all was good at that point.

I then setup the timer to recorder a single program for 10 minutes! The screen prompt stating that the recording was starting happened but the red record light DID NOT come on on the receiver. I waited the 10 minutes and did see the end of recording notification popup on the TV screen and when I checked there was nothing on the hard drive. Checked the timer setup menu and there was nothing there so all the software part worked fine but the hardware part to make it actually record didn't.

After that I also setup another satellite and tried to get the dish to move between the two and it was "hit or miss" ie, sometimes it worked and others it didn't, which it's been doing for some time now.

I can record with it MANUALLY for a specific length of time and it will cut it off like it's suppose to so it's not completely worthless at this point.

So I'm done with it until I get pissed off and decide to use it for target practice with my LR308!

 

[Titanium]

Try swapping the power supply. The micro functions get unreliable and flaky with low voltage or inadequate amperage. To trouble shoot the motor control, if you have a scope verify the 22KHz/DiSEqC tone is properly formed and the amplitude is approx. 650 mV (±250 mV) peak-peak.

 

[primestar31]

To add to Brian's info above: are you using a POWERED external harddrive, or one that sucks off the receivers power supply? If so, that might be enough to cause the Micro's supply to brown-out, and cause a issue.

Definitely try another supply for the Micro (2amp, 12 volt) AND use a separately powered harddrive.

 

[toucan-man]

I got fed up trying to use a powered external drive with the MicroHD. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't work.

I've had zero problems using this,

www.amazon.com/Transcend-microSDHC-Reader-TS-RDF5K-Black/dp/B009D79VH4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489104388

coupled with this,

www.amazon.com/Transcend-128GB-Class-Memory-TS128GSDXC10U1/dp/B00EH5US4W/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1489104480&sr=1-1

So glad I went this route. High bit rate feeds have never been a problem either.

 

[Lone Gunman]

Humm, yup, one of the FIRST things I tried was the power supply off the other M HD in the bedroom, along with the backed up files off it. I also have another power supply that's 12v but 3.0 amps and I tried that one also. I'm a "gear head" so the electronic testing stuff isn't here. I can build you a carburetor for your race car though.

My 3 systems are pretty much identical where sat locations for motor control, etc. is concerned. I can take any receiver I have and put it on any of my 3 systems and it will work.

The hard drives I've been using are a 120GB laptop IDE and a 640GB SATA drives and are powered by the receiver. The M HD in the bedroom uses a newer USB 3.0 to SATA adapter that works just like clockwork with that 640GB Hatachi drive I had the problem formatting a week or two back. I do have a couple of POWERED USB 2.0 enclosure types as well that I've tried on it along with a couple of different USB flash drives in various sizes and formats.

I do have one "similar" to what Toucan has but I don't have a 128GB SD card for it. I only have a 128MB card but I guess I could hook that one up to see if it would try to record to it?? Hummm................... or that 128MB may be too small to even test that? Won't cost anything to try it though, hey.

Ennywho, I'm just going to use it like it is and put up with the inconvenience of having to do manual records. That or use the other receiver for recording stuff and this horked up one for playback.

I do have options, one of which may be a Manhattan 1978 if I can get any decent feedback on them in my other thread??

Oh, and thanks everyone for the comments/suggestions.

 

[Larry1]

Even though you said you had it set to record, are you sure you did not have it just setup to change channels only? (I've done that before) Very easy to overlook when think the problem is elsewhere.