If Foxsat can't find any satellites, it won't let you play existing recordings.

Dave W

Member
This is a warning to others. My tuner seems to have failed, even though a signal finder attached in line shows a peak when the dish is aligned. I was viewing old recordings, and wondered if a factory reset might cure the problem. I got a message saying existing recordings would not be deleted, so I went ahead with the reset. The trouble is that at the end of the reset, it starts scanning for channels, but when it doesn't find any, it won't let me access the recordings. When I try to exit the error message, it starts scanning again.

One thing I can do is to use Raydon's custom firmware which was in the machine, to copy the recordings to a PC. Unfortunately a 90min HD recording (5GB) takes 4 hours to transfer to a memory stick. Probably a better method would be to put the hard drive into a PC and copy the files directly.

I've looked for blown electrolytics but they all look OK.
 
Presumably you had nowster's patch installed, otherwise the HD recordings will be encrypted.
Is the dish aligned to the right satellite at 28.2E?
 
Yes, and yes. Now I find that the HDD is not recognised in the PC's BIOS or Disk Management. I read in some forum that HDD's from DVR's may well be locked so that they cannot be read in a PC, which I can well believe. So I'll just have to wait a very long time before I can view the files.
 
Yes, and yes. Now I find that the HDD is not recognised in the PC's BIOS or Disk Management. I read in some forum that HDD's from DVR's may well be locked so that they cannot be read in a PC, which I can well believe. So I'll just have to wait a very long time before I can view the files.
I don't think hard drives from Humax boxes are locked in any way. They do use a Linux file system that Windows will not recognise without installing additional software (EXT2Fsd is commonly used). However if the BIOS does not see the drive then that is worrying,
 
The trouble is that at the end of the reset, it starts scanning for channels, but when it doesn't find any, it won't let me access the recordings.
The same is true on HD-FOX and HDR-FOX. At least one service needs to be tuned before it will do anything.
 
I don't think hard drives from Humax boxes are locked in any way. They do use a Linux file system that Windows will not recognise without installing additional software (EXT2Fsd is commonly used). However if the BIOS does not see the drive then that is worrying,
I do have Ext2Fsd so I can see the files via the communications link, I also have a Linux partition so I can see them in that, but the Linux doesn't recognise the drive if I put it in the PC, presumably because the BIOS can't. Maybe the BIOS is too old to recognise it.
 
I do have Ext2Fsd so I can see the files via the communications link, I also have a Linux partition so I can see them in that,
So what device is that in? Have you tried manual tuning to 11428 H (27500 2/3); what signal strength and quality do you get? Are you confident that the LNB on the dish is OK?
 
I do have Ext2Fsd so I can see the files via the communications link, I also have a Linux partition so I can see them in that, but the Linux doesn't recognise the drive if I put it in the PC, presumably because the BIOS can't. Maybe the BIOS is too old to recognise it.

Ext2FSD should enable access with the drive connected directly to windows Windows File Explorer (It's a Linux FS addon for windows). If you use Samba or FTP you do not need any extra software, the source provides access to the FS. The Linux system driver is only required for drives directly connected to the host PC ( USB, Ext- Sata for instance). You should be able to see the files on the Foxsat by simply using FTP software like Filezilla. If you can't try turning off your virus checker firewall software. It may be blocking access to the Foxsat.

The Foxsat hard disk is not locked in any way. If you have the Samba server and/or a ftp client installed, it's likely your PC is blocking access.
 
So what device is that in? Have you tried manual tuning to 11428 H (27500 2/3); what signal strength and quality do you get? Are you confident that the LNB on the dish is OK?
Although 11428H is the first transponder in the Humax list, there is no reference to it in KingOfSat website. On every transponder in the list, signal strength shows zero, even though the sat-finder shows a peak at the dish position.

The history of the fault is that ITV HD started to show picture and sound break up, and was getting worse, although BBC HD channels were OK. Eventually the ITV became unwatchable, and the BBC started to break up, and eventually became unwatchable.

My dish is at the bottom of the garden, pointing over my terraced neighbour's roof. There is a window in the roof, and I wondered if there was some sort of interference emanating from there. I cut away nearby foliage without effect. I thought maybe my fence was obscuring part of the dish and reducing the signal, so I have now moved the dish a couple of metres but no joy. If It was pointed at the wrong satellite (and I can only find one by using the finder), would the Humax show zero signal strength? I have tried another known-good LNB but still nothing.

With the HDD inside the Humax, I can see the files via ethernet cable to a wifi router, picked up on my laptop and displayed in Microsoft Windows Network. Probably Ext2Fsd is irrelevant here. With the HDD moved to the PC, it is not recognised by the BIOS. I have another HDD out of a Goodmans Freeview SD recorder, and when put into the PC it is recognised by the BIOS and I can see the files on that OK.

The following link has some interesting posts about DVR HDD blocking:
http://forums.afterdawn.com/threads/reformat-dvr-hard-drive-for-pc-use.732154/
 
If It was pointed at the wrong satellite (and I can only find one by using the finder), would the Humax show zero signal strength? I have tried another known-good LNB but still nothing.
GrahamThompson is the expert on such things and I will leave him to answer.

With the HDD inside the Humax, I can see the files via ethernet cable to a wifi router, picked up on my laptop and displayed in Microsoft Windows Network. Probably Ext2Fsd is irrelevant here.
Yes EXT2FSD is irrelevant; what you are actually using is the SMB network protocol.

With the HDD moved to the PC, it is not recognised by the BIOS. I have another HDD out of a Goodmans Freeview SD recorder, and when put into the PC it is recognised by the BIOS and I can see the files on that OK.
How old is the PC? Is the HDD out of the Goodmans also a SATA drive?
The following link has some interesting posts about DVR HDD blocking:
http://forums.afterdawn.com/threads/reformat-dvr-hard-drive-for-pc-use.732154/
I had a look at the first page and the level of technical discussion didn't seem very high. I have no idea if some PVR manufacturers lock the drives to a particular machine but as far as I am aware Humax do not do that on any of their boxes although some of them store recordings on encrypted partitions.
 
Although 11428H is the first transponder in the Humax list, there is no reference to it in KingOfSat website. On every transponder in the list, signal strength shows zero, even though the sat-finder shows a peak at the dish position.

The history of the fault is that ITV HD started to show picture and sound break up, and was getting worse, although BBC HD channels were OK. Eventually the ITV became unwatchable, and the BBC started to break up, and eventually became unwatchable.

My dish is at the bottom of the garden, pointing over my terraced neighbour's roof. There is a window in the roof, and I wondered if there was some sort of interference emanating from there. I cut away nearby foliage without effect. I thought maybe my fence was obscuring part of the dish and reducing the signal, so I have now moved the dish a couple of metres but no joy. If It was pointed at the wrong satellite (and I can only find one by using the finder), would the Humax show zero signal strength? I have tried another known-good LNB but still nothing.

With the HDD inside the Humax, I can see the files via ethernet cable to a wifi router, picked up on my laptop and displayed in Microsoft Windows Network. Probably Ext2Fsd is irrelevant here. With the HDD moved to the PC, it is not recognised by the BIOS. I have another HDD out of a Goodmans Freeview SD recorder, and when put into the PC it is recognised by the BIOS and I can see the files on that OK.

The following link has some interesting posts about DVR HDD blocking:
http://forums.afterdawn.com/threads/reformat-dvr-hard-drive-for-pc-use.732154/

The actual home transponder details are on KingOfSat

11425 H DVB-S QPSK 27500 2/3.

The Humax still shows 11428 H because that was the original Eurobird transponder, that frequency is not in the Astra 2 frequency plan. It's close enough for the tuners to lock on to anyway. Suspect you may be pointing at the wrong satellite. Have you tried a full blind fta scan using non-freesat mode to see what if anything is being picked up ? Can you try the box on a friends dish (A sky install will do fine). To find the exact direction to 28.2E go to www.dishpointer.com select 28.2E and enter your postcode. Zoom into the google earth map and drag the pointer to your dish location identify a visible location (my neighbours roof end is what I use). Note the elevation from the table and set that using your dish elevation scale. You can glue a cardboard tube to a piece of cardboard at the correct elevation angle point it in the correct direction. If you can see the sky looking through the tube your dish should work.

It's very easy to find 19.2E instead of 28.2E.


To read the Foxsat disk directly on a PC you need ext2FSD unless you create a linux boot disk or usb stick and boot the computer into linux. The recordings are in the third partition (SDA3) in the video folder.

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows
 
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The actual home transponder details are on KingOfSat

11425 H DVB-S QPSK 27500 2/3.

The Humax still shows 11428 H because that was the original Eurobird transponder, that frequency is not in the Astra 2 frequency plan. It's close enough for the tuners to lock on to anyway. Suspect you may be pointing at the wrong satellite. Have you tried a full blind fta scan using non-freesat mode to see what if anything is being picked up ? Can you try the box on a friends dish (A sky install will do fine). To find the exact direction to 28.2E go to www.dishpointer.com select 28.2E and enter your postcode. Zoom into the google earth map and drag the pointer to your dish location identify a visible location (my neighbours roof end is what I use). Note the elevation from the table and set that using your dish elevation scale. You can glue a cardboard tube to a piece of cardboard at the correct elevation angle point it in the correct direction. If you can see the sky looking through the tube your dish should work.

It's very easy to find 19.2E instead of 28.2E.

To read the Foxsat disk directly on a PC you need ext2FSD unless you create a linux boot disk or usb stick and boot the computer into linux. The recordings are in the third partition (SDA3) in the video folder.

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows
The nearest to 11428H in KingOfSat is 11426V.

I already did a manual scan, but the Humax only seemed to check Freesat transponders, and there was no option to try others except creating one by supplying all the details. I don't have any friends with a dish. I already discovered the splendid dishpointer.com which showed the line to the satellite in the expected position, and the height of the roof is higher than the 12m that would obscure the signal. I made a cardboard wedge of the elevation and put it on a horizontal spirit level, and when I look along it I see clear sky. However I will double-check the 19.2 deg possibility, which would be on the other side of my chimney stack. I will try 10743.75H 22000 5/6 as shown in KingOfSat for 19.2 degrees.

As I said before, the HDD is not recognised by the BIOS when put into the PC. I do have Ext2Fsd installed.
 
The nearest to 11428H in KingOfSat is 11426V.

I already did a manual scan, but the Humax only seemed to check Freesat transponders, and there was no option to try others except creating one by supplying all the details. I don't have any friends with a dish. I already discovered the splendid dishpointer.com which showed the line to the satellite in the expected position, and the height of the roof is higher than the 12m that would obscure the signal. I made a cardboard wedge of the elevation and put it on a horizontal spirit level, and when I look along it I see clear sky. However I will double-check the 19.2 deg possibility, which would be on the other side of my chimney stack. I will try 10743.75H 22000 5/6 as shown in KingOfSat for 19.2 degrees.

As I said before, the HDD is not recognised by the BIOS when put into the PC. I do have Ext2Fsd installed.

11426 V is not nearest to the home transponder. The V for vertical means that if the lnb is switched for horizontal it will not even find the transponder. The frequency you enter is not that critical which is why existing freesat boxes continue to work.

I cannot see that it is possible for your PC bios to not recognise a standard sata drive. Does the drive not appear in the Disk Management plug in in Windows as an unrecognised file system ? Why don't you simply boot your PC into Linux, it makes no changes to your existing Windows setup ?

Incidentally I believe EXT2FSD doesn't work using Windows 10.
 
I cannot see that it is possible for your PC bios to not recognise a standard sata drive.
It is puzzling but this is an old PC and if it somewhat older than the quoted 10 years then some of the early SATA implementations were a bit problematic. I remember having problems when I first used SATA but it is sufficiently long ago that I have forgotten the details. I would expect that the drive would be seen using a USB to SATA converter or a USB drive cradle.
 
It is puzzling but this is an old PC and if it somewhat older than the quoted 10 years then some of the early SATA implementations were a bit problematic. I remember having problems when I first used SATA but it is sufficiently long ago that I have forgotten the details. I would expect that the drive would be seen using a USB to SATA converter or a USB drive cradle.

Interesting thanks. However it seems very unlikely as it would restrict any drives to ide types and and modern portable USB drives are all sata drives. Trying to buy an ide drive these days would I imagine be quite hard. At a guess a USB portable drive formatted FAT or NTFS would work OK, perhaps the OP could try one.
 
Interesting thanks. However it seems very unlikely as it would restrict any drives to ide types and and modern portable USB drives are all sata drives.
Where did IDE come into the discussion? The OP has already told us the PC will recognise a Western Digital SATA drive. I was wondering if there was am incompatibility of some sort with SATA II drives for instance.
 
Where did IDE come into the discussion? The OP has already told us the PC will recognise a Western Digital SATA drive. I was wondering if there was am incompatibility of some sort with SATA II drives for instance.

Aren't the drives used in portable usb hard disks sata II ? The OP doesn't say how the drive is connected to the PC. Seems unlikely the PC has esata so probably a usb cradle anyway.
 
the HDD is not recognised by the BIOS when put into the PC
It seems to me that means actually installed internally. I agree, he might have better success fitted via a USB adapter (I have adapters which can do IDE or SATA).
 
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