Humax HDR Fox T2 Power Up Issues

L

LorraineCF

New Member
Hi, during the past week my trusty & much used Humax HDR Fox T2 has become very temperamental when switching on. Looking at other threads (and sites) this seems to be a major issue & seems to indicate that it is reaching its end of life.
Once it does switch itself on, it works perfectly.
Today I had planned to try & copy everything from the Humax to an external hard drive, however, sod's law, today was the day that it failed to turn on at all. I appreciate that this has been covered in previous threads but I am not at all techie & didn't understand many of the responses. Therefore, can I just please ask a few questions.
When trying to turn the Humax on via the remote or the push button nothing happens. The stand by light was on this morning but when it failed to power up, I turned it off & then on at the socket and now no lights are showing at all.
The aerial cable goes into the Humax, which then goes to the TV. If the Humax is switched off at the socket, I cannot view the TV. However, when the Humax is switched on at the socket I can watch the telly ..... therefore I think power must be getting through to the Humax.
I don't think the front panel is faulty because when switching to the Humax channel on the TV & pressing 'Menu' on the Humax handset nothing is visible on the TV.
I am currently trying to buy a 2nd hand Fox T2 (if you know of a new one anywhere please do let me know) but I really need to get my stored recordings off of the failed box.
Therefore, and I'm clutching at straws, do you think any of these suggestions would work .......
Suggestion 1 - Could I remove the HDD, place it into a hard drive enclosure & then view it on my replacement Humax via a USB cable?
Suggestion 2 - Could I remove the HDD & transfer it into a different Fox T2 box
Suggestion 3 - Is it possible that the fan (if it has one) has blown? If so, would this stop the box from working? If this is the case how difficult would it be to source & fit a new fan?
Suggestion 4 - Is it possible that something has gone on the motherboard (does it even have a motherboard!!) and, if so, how difficult would it be to source & fit a new one?

I'd be grateful for any advice you can give to try & resurrect my Fox T2 or at the very least be able to lift my recordings from the HDD.
Many thanks, Lorraine
 
1. Yes, and yes, but you'd need to decrypt the recordings first.
2. See 1.
3. Yes, but doubtful. No, it just gets a bit warm, which doesn't do things any good long-term. Don't know about getting a new fan, but probably easy to do for someone skilled in such stuff, which probably isn't you, going by what you've said.
4. Yes, but probably unlikely (and yes it does have a motherboard). Impossible and impossible for the other two. Getting a new (used) unit is easier.

Make sure you have a record of the serial number and MAC address from your old unit if you want to stand any chance of decrypting the old recordings.

Of course the cure depends on what is wrong with which bit, which is a bit tricky to tell without seeing it.
 
prpr said:
1. Yes, and yes, but you'd need to decrypt the recordings first.
2. See 1.
3. Yes, but doubtful. No, it just gets a bit warm, which doesn't do things any good long-term. Don't know about getting a new fan, but probably easy to do for someone skilled in such stuff, which probably isn't you, going by what you've said.
4. Yes, but probably unlikely (and yes it does have a motherboard). Impossible and impossible for the other two. Getting a new (used) unit is easier.

Make sure you have a record of the serial number and MAC address from your old unit if you want to stand any chance of decrypting the old recordings.

Of course the cure depends on what is wrong with which bit, which is a bit tricky to tell without seeing it.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for such a speedy response, that's really useful & much appreciated.
You know what my next question is going to be ...... how do I decrypt the recording? ha,ha. #TechNovice
PS. All recordings are in SD, not HD, if that makes any difference.
 
LorraineCF said:
Looking at other threads (and sites)
Click to expand...
It is unlikely any other sites are more authoritative on the subject of HDR-FOX than this one.

LorraineCF said:
if you know of a new one anywhere please do let me know
Click to expand...
You have to be joking.

LorraineCF said:
Is it possible that the fan (if it has one) has blown?
Click to expand...
It is possible, and you might also have loads of dust inside not helping, but heat problems manifest after a period of being turned on (not after a period of being turned off). Testing the fan is easy enough, even for a non-techie. From HDR-FOX Commissioning, Disassembly, Repair (click):
Black Hole said:
Cut a piece of thin paper 5cm x 6cm, and fold the end 1cm over to a right-angle (I find the inner pages of a weekend newspaper colour supplement ideal). Hang the paper over the fan exhaust (suspended by the folded strip) to block the exhaust opening. If the paper blows off at any point, you will know the fan has worked without having to watch it all the time (it is thermostatic).
Click to expand...

LorraineCF said:
Suggestion 4 - Is it possible that something has gone on the motherboard (does it even have a motherboard!!) and, if so, how difficult would it be to source & fit a new one?
Click to expand...
You really need to work through this: Steps for Resolving HDR-FOX Crash/Reboot Issues (click). Replacing the main board is tantamount to obtaining another HDR-FOX as a donor, and my advice is to test the replacement thoroughly and then just use it. The old one may be useful for parts. However, it's possible your problem is only the PSU (power supply unit).

LorraineCF said:
Suggestion 1 - Could I remove the HDD, place it into a hard drive enclosure & then view it on my replacement Humax via a USB cable?
Suggestion 2 - Could I remove the HDD & transfer it into a different Fox T2 box
Click to expand...
LorraineCF said:
how do I decrypt the recording? ha,ha. #TechNovice
PS. All recordings are in SD, not HD, if that makes any difference.
Click to expand...
Read this: HDR-FOX HDD Replacement (section heading "Recovering Recordings for Use Not on the Original HDR-FOX").

LorraineCF said:
or at the very least be able to lift my recordings from the HDD.
Click to expand...
Be advised: it's only telly. There's always more along tomorrow.

TBH, unless you are into the "hackability" of the HDR-FOX as opposed to other PVRs, and therefore value using customised firmware (see here: Quick Guide to Custom Firmware), IMO you would be better putting the money towards a modern PVR.
 
Last edited:
Black Hole said:
It is unlikely any other sites are more authoritative on the subject of HDR-FOX than this one.


You have to be joking.


It is possible, and you might also have loads of dust inside not helping, but heat problems manifest after a period of being turned on (not after a period of being turned off). Testing the fan is easy enough, even for a non-techie. From HDR-FOX Commissioning, Disassembly, Repair (click):



You really need to work through this: Steps for Resolving HDR-FOX Crash/Reboot Issues (click). Replacing the main board is tantamount to obtaining another HDR-FOX as a donor, and my advice is to test the replacement thoroughly and then just use it. The old one may be useful for parts. However, it's possible your problem is only the PSU (power supply unit).



Read this: HDR-FOX HDD Replacement (section heading "Access to the Existing Recordings on the Old Drive").


Be advised: it's only telly. There's always more along tomorrow.

TBH, unless you are into the "hackability" of the HDR-FOX as opposed to other PVRs, and therefore value using customised firmware (see here: Quick Guide to Custom Firmware), IMO you would be better putting the money towards a modern PVR.
Click to expand...
Gosh, thank you for such a detailed reply. That's certainly given me food for though and a lot to sink my teeth into.
Yes, you're right , it is only telly & I do watch too much of it.
My Humax (until this week) has been totally trouble free & so easy to use - I wonder if there is anything comparable on the market today? Any suggestions? :)
 
sine24 said:
I would definitely read a bit before committing to buying

Have a look https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/aura-uhd-android-tv-recorder-november-launch.9916/post-149608
Click to expand...
Thank you for the link - I'll definitely be doing some homework. It seems that the latest models are missing some of the useful functions that the Fox T2 had. It's quite apparent reading through various forums & comment, that the Fox T2 was a very popular box & many are sad that it's been discontinued. Ahh, that's progress I suppose sigh 🙂
 
LorraineCF said:
You know what my next question is going to be ...... how do I decrypt the recording? ha,ha. #TechNovice
Click to expand...
TBH, it's difficult or even impossible for anyone with limited technical knowledge to do it, especially so without a working HDR. You would need a PC running Linux to start with, and I suspect that's beyond your capabilities.
You would be better off sending the disk (or even the whole machine) to an expert to assess.
PS. All recordings are in SD, not HD, if that makes any difference.
Click to expand...
It doesn't.
 
prpr said:
TBH, it's difficult or even impossible for anyone with limited technical knowledge to do it, especially so without a working HDR. You would need a PC running Linux to start with, and I suspect that's beyond your capabilities.
You would be better off sending the disk (or even the whole machine) to an expert to assess.

It doesn't.
Click to expand...
Ahh, that's interesting, thank you. Luckily, I've found someone who is prepared to take a look at the box, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that at the very least he can make the disk readable for me. 🙂
 
everthewatcher said:
Don't forget EEPhil's Windows offline decryption utility in this thread: Click
Click to expand...
First you have to read the drive. The WIndows version of the decryption utility is handy if you already have the recordings off the drive, but in an encrypted state. Linux is the most reliable way of reading the drive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top