Foxsat Box becomes uncontrolable after a period

Ford.p

New Member
I hope I can have a helpful solution to my problem.
Have a Foxsat-HDR. For various reasons the unit is not left powered all the time. Recently the unit has started to not respond to commands from the remote control or the front panel buttons. It will attempt to change channel switching away from the watched channel but does not tune the new channel; that occurs when selecting a new channle by any means (EPG, Ch No., or Ch Up/Dn or remote or front panel). After a period of about 30 minutes it will not change channel or powerdown. Up to then it will respond to the remote or front panel.

Is this a software issue? tried reloading from screen commands.
 
With all due respect, why should this be a software issue? Has there been a change to the software coincident with the fault symptoms?

Something has changed to induce this change in behaviour, but the "something" needs to be whatever can change spontaneously - such as hardware failure.
 
A Foxsat-HDR requires being left in sby overnight to keep the channels database up to date. By now it's probably way out of date. Firstly check you have channel 999 on the epg (if no do not attempt the reset - ask for more info). There hasn't been a software update for years. Post what software and loader version you have from diagnostics.

Could be worth flashing the custom firmware which auto updates to the latest version.

Then do a factory reset to rebuild the channel database.
 
Checked the box for details, Software is HPRSFCI 1.00.21
Loader is V7.53
Update date is 27/07/12

The channel list is regularly updated both manually and automatically. the box is left powered when the house is occupied so I think that can be discounted.

What I've discovered over the weekend is disconnecting the HardDrive seams to solve the problem. Whilst it hasn't 'froze' during the hours we have been using the box since then.

More toughts, please.
 
If it works without the HDD, there's a problem with the file system or with the HDD itself.

If you are willing to lose recordings you could try a format operation from the menus. Alternatively the custom firmware might offer file system repair tools to avoid reformatting (and losing recordings) - the HDR-FOX custom firmware does, but I'm not familiar with FOXSAT custom firmware.

If neither of those fix it, you could try replacing the HDD... but there's also the possibilities that it is the HDD interface on the motherboard, or the PSU, at fault.
 
Last edited:
If it works without the HDD, there's a problem with the file system or with the HDD itself.

If you are willing to lose recordings you could try a format operation from the menus. Alternatively the custom firmware might offer file system repair tools to avoid reformatting (and losing recordings) - the HDR-FOX custom firmware does, but I'm not familiar with FOXSAT custom firmware.

If neither of those fix it, you could try replacing the HDD... but there's also the possibilities that it is the HDD interface on the motherboard, or the PSU, at fault.


The Foxsat-HDR CF has the same capability, No doubt thanks to members like AF123 and Raydon co-operating in the best traditions of the OS linux OS.
 
Mine has been odd. With all the wind (and Freeview up to mischief wrecking signal strength for the last 3 weeks / mega 5g mast installed within 100m making that unusable), I was trying to watch stuff on Freesat and that was dropping out nearly as much as Freeview. I went looking for signal strength and only had a signal show up on one LNB, then the box locked up. Killed on the switch rebooted and magically two signal strength meters came to life.

Next day the same thing, but this time I went through channels and the box appeared to come out of a powersave mode and turn back on both LNBs. I doubt anyone designed it like that. So it either dying or interesting software ?
 
I was at a friend's house when a thunder clap knocked out Sky reception. The box said there was no signal. I rebooted through the menus, but that made no difference. Only a power cycle restored it, so I don't know what that was all about.
 
For a man who likes precision and accuracy, I find that your description above rather imprecise. I am fairly certain that it would not have been the thunder clap that upset the Sky box. The box would be far more likely to be affected by the electrostatic field produced (and possibly the subsequent ground voltage gradient if the strike was close by) by the lightening strike.
 
Sorry, I should have said "coincident with". I did not observe a lightning discharge, only infer that there was one.
 
Back
Top