Brand New Zgemma Star Box Showing No Signal

Switchead

Hi guys,

Im a tech noob, but here are the basics.

I had a VU solo box that worked perfect for 2 months, then it stopped working. The vendor insisted the box was fine but when I had my signal checked independently, the signal was perfect. After weeks of hassle, I finally got a brand new Zgemma box. Unpackaged it last night and it is showing no signal going to the box.

Again, the signal is fine (New LNB, new cable etc), it has all been checked, but the box is not picking up a signal.

Has anyone encountered this before? Can anyone help please?

Apogee

How did you check the signal independently?

Gerry Wicklow

Can you borrow a known working box from a friend/neighbour to check your setup?

Thurston?

Switchead wrote: »

Im a tech noob, but here are the basics.

I had a VU solo box that worked perfect for 2 months, then it stopped working. The vendor insisted the box was fine but when I had my signal checked independently, the signal was perfect. After weeks of hassle, I finally got a brand new Zgemma box. Unpackaged it last night and it is showing no signal going to the box.

Can we assume you're competent enough to follow the installation process as far as having the box search for signal from the satellite(s) your dish can actually receive?

Switchead

Apogee I had a guy call down with a yoke that he can plug in the cable from the dish, it tells him signal strength etc and you can even see the channels on the screen of it.

Gerry Im taking this box down to my uncle tomorrow to see if it works in his, if it does I'll be borrowing his box to try on my cable

Switchead

Thurston I don't really know what you mean?

dav32cs

Switchead wrote: »

Thurston I don't really know what you mean?

He means have you the box set up for 28.2 Astra for Sky UK Irl?? If it's not configured it won't get any signal. I presume when you've had someone out he also checked this though.

Did you try and reflash the Solo or anything?? Seems a bit premature to ditch a Solo for a zgemma without trying to fix the issue.

Switchead

Oh its all set up right yeh

Thurston?

dav32cs wrote: »

If it's not configured it won't get any signal. I presume when you've had someone out he also checked this though.

I take it the 'someone out' was before the new box arrived.

Switchead wrote: »

Oh its all set up right yeh

I suppose we should eliminate silly things: does your cable (or cables) have connectors that just twist on, rather than compression or crimp fittings?

I've noticed these before being undone from the end of the cable, while doing them up on the receiver, though I always notice, retighten on the cable & start again.

Switchead

I actually had 2 different fellas out when the original box stopped working (It was perfect for 2 months like) as the vendor insisted it was my signal was the problem. Both independent fellas confirmed the signal was strong and said it had to be a hardware problem, something broken with the box.

Checking my box at my uncles house later as I say, I'll update soon, cheers Thurston

The cable is 100% 😕

Switchead

Quick update. I can only assume the box itself is buggered or something. Ive just come from my uncles house and the box won't work there, his own box is working fine.

The vendor is trying to tell me now that my dish must have killed the box, whatever that means. Is this even possible?

ScottStorm

Switchead wrote: »

Quick update. I can only assume the box itself is buggered or something. Ive just come from my uncles house and the box won't work there, his own box is working fine.

The vendor is trying to tell me now that my dish must have killed the box, whatever that means. Is this even possible?

Is this a legit box or a box that you got from a guy who sells a subscription service that has to be connected to the internet?

Zardoz

Switchead wrote: »

The vendor is trying to tell me now that my dish must have killed the box, whatever that means. Is this even possible?

You can fry the tuner if you connect a live box to the satellite cable.
Its rare but it does happen.
Always power a receiver off before connecting the satellite cable.
Did you have the power off before you connected the cable ?

Switchead

No I always have it turned off whenever Im doing anything, always did it just incase, but never realised you could actually fry it.

If I connect it all then turn it on though I couldn't fry it could I?

nava

Strange that the VU box and now the new box also have a No Signal issue, bring your uncle's box over to your house and connect it.

It might help if you include some pictures of what you are trying to do and others might be able to guide, specially the satellite configuration part, try selecting a free to air transponder like 10714 for Channel 4, Film 4,etc


Do you have a channel list? Check if free to air channels Channel4, ITV, etc work

List of channels with the Frequencies assuming you are trying to watch channels in Astra 28.2e http://www.lyngsat.com/Astra-2E.html

dav32cs

Switchead wrote: »

No I always have it turned off whenever Im doing anything, always did it just incase, but never realised you could actually fry it.

If I connect it all then turn it on though I couldn't fry it could I?

So the Solo and zgemma are now both not working??

You can buy tuners to replace the ones if you've fried them (probably 40-50 each)but maybe you should reconnect up an old Sky box if you have it around to see if that will even pick anything up

Switchead

So I tried the zgemma at my uncles and it didn't work either. You get the channel list etc and the settings are correct but it shows no signal (N/A is whats you see where the signal strength should be).

So I took an old box he had lying around and it works ok in my house, its old though and doesn't have the features or proper channel list so I still need to get a box but im thinking the bottom line here is the zgemma is broken.

STB.

Switchead wrote: »

So I tried the zgemma at my uncles and it didn't work either. You get the channel list etc and the settings are correct but it shows no signal (N/A is whats you see where the signal strength should be).

So I took an old box he had lying around and it works ok in my house, its old though and doesn't have the features or proper channel list so I still need to get a box but im thinking the bottom line here is the zgemma is broken.

This sounds very like you haven't configured these boxes correctly.

Have you used a linux box before ?

If you care to post a picture of the satellite config menu from either box, I might be able to help.

stanley1

Agreed, sat config not set up correctly, Tuner A should be set to advanced, 28.2 etc and tuner B set to equal tuner A.

gunner7

i think your problem is one of 2 things ,i am nearly sure your signal is ok,put one cable in tuner A dont put the other in tuner B its only a loop out instead put it in lnb in which is above tuner b the set up your configs for 28.2 and scan,if that doesn't work then the problem is likely the openatv image on the box which have been giving trouble lately with signal,you can reflash the box with a different image or go to menu/tuner config/autobouqetmaker/set it up for a scheduled scan and select sky UK or sky ROI and then select scan,after it scans exit out of all and push up or down arrow and blue button for favorites ,you should see a list of channels see if that works.

tippguy2

Got one of these awhile back, and reflashed with ATV 5.1, could not scan more than 580 channels, went back to 4.2 and scanned 910 approx

tippguy2

Do a factory reset and a new scan and set to clear the preset list of channels

stanley1

Is this receiver 2 x dvb/s2.

Thurston?

gunner7 wrote: »

... dont put the other in tuner B its only a loop out instead put it in lnb in which is above tuner b

The tuner B label is for both of those connections, it's not a mislabeling.

Switchead

This is the offending unit

ScottStorm

Switchead wrote: »

This is the offending unit

Is that melted plastic on the lnb / tuner a connection?

STB.

Switchead wrote: »

This is the offending unit

OK its a Zgemma Star S, a single tuner satellite box.

First off, take the plastic wrap off the box, its like a thin shrink wrapped film. I cannot see anything melted but I do see a mark on the tuner module that looks like the F connector was jammed in, so make sure the f-connector is straight.

Lets start from scratch.

Download an image (there are many types for your model box, but all have the same theme). Lets use OpenVix.
(if you want to try a different one further down the road, look here, but for the moment, lets just use Vix, as its easier)

When that downloads it will be in a ZIP file. You open that with Winzip/7Zip. Extract the zgemma folder to the root of a USB stick/USB device.

Insert USB device in the USB slot of the box - you already have one inserted so use that stick.

Turn off and turn on box. Follow these instructions.

When the Box reboots, you can take out the USB (I suggest you put it back in your laptop and remove the Zgemma directory if you want to use to in the box, otherwise it will keep thinking you want to reflash everytime you reboot the box).

Now follow the basic guide. I am assuming that you are not using a diseqc switch from your dish and that it is just a cable coming in from the dish. If so pick simple and check 28.2E as your single LNB1 for satellite.

Do you have the internet connected to it with an ethernet cable/wifi dongle ?

Having it connected to the internet will allow you to download channel lists, picons, other stuff.

How you answer this, dictates what to do next. So if no wifi or ethernet cable to your router, then bypass all the questions about DHCP.

Then it will ask you whether you want to scan for channels. Again if you have the internet cable connected you can skip this part and download a channel list. If not you will have to scan for the channels which will take about 20 minutes.

stanley1

Just saw this on digitalworldz, fix for tuner on 28.2 zgemma box.

https://www.digitalworldz.co.uk/downloads.php?do=file&id=3748

STB.

stanley1 wrote: »

Just saw this on digitalworldz, fix for tuner on 28.2 zgemma box.

https://www.digitalworldz.co.uk/downloads.php?do=file&id=3748

Even better! A known driver problem. Try this first Switchhead. If it fixes it, then dont bother with my post. I'll leave the post there in case you want to flash another image to it, down the road.

Did you see the date on that Stanley (an event that hasnt happened yet!!)

Zardoz

STB. wrote: »

Even better! A known driver problem. Try this first Switchhead.

The irony of Switcheads problem is that it could be a switching command driver error.
Very apt username.

STB.

stanley1 wrote: »

Just saw this on digitalworldz, fix for tuner on 28.2 zgemma box.

https://www.digitalworldz.co.uk/downloads.php?do=file&id=3748

Hang on, that is a tuner fix for the twin tuner version. Its only when I see Zardoz said it was a switching error that I copped it. This chap has a single tuner box which could not be affected as there is nothing to switch. If the problem is that a driver for a different tuner module was released to image groups it might make sense!

Zardoz

STB. wrote: »

Hang on, that is a tuner fix for the twin tuner version. Its only when I see Zardoz said it was a switching error that I copped it. This chap has a single tuner box which could not be affected as there is nothing to switch. If the problem is that a driver for a different tuner module was released to image groups it might make sense!

Yes it would seem its only on the twin sat tuner .

The Tuner Driver issue is mainly for the Zgemma 2S which is a Twin satellite tuner and only that model is affected .
The H1 and H2 are only single tuner models with a DVB-C on the H1 and a DVB-C/T/T2 on the H2.
Those models and the single tuner S model are unaffected

Switchead

Lads I got some time to sit down and really try and figure out the problem with this yoke and all of a sudden I got it working. Not even 100% sure what I did but not going to question it, I have TV again and thats all that matters lol.

Thanks for all your help, boards.ie awesome as always!

eddhorse

Ah you cant do that, whats different?