DSR-4200c receiver

[wildbill47]

My DSR-4200c receivers.
I had to buy 2 of the commercial receivers to get one to work. Price is low because the buyers do not know what they have and are lacking a remote control. The Remote control is needed to program receiver that costs $47.
These receivers are only good for 1 set of services at a time. I have my receiver on Music Choice. See avatar.
Both receiver said in the firmware 4200v but the Symbol rates were different on both. 3.75, 4.88 and 19.51. The other was 1.85, 2.44, 3.25, 4.88, 7.32, 9.76, 14.63, and 29.27. I can only assume that Motorola can load new firmware after the receiver is in the field and activated. Again both are marked 4200c. The sellers can not tell so buying a receiver is a crap shoot.
I purchased an exact remote at 800remote the only place that I could find.
Next step I clipped 2 of the 3 leads on photo transistor behind panel of 4DTV 920 receiver and cut traces on remote control leds making the 920 a UHF only as some of the IR remote keys interact between receivers. System works perfect now.

Using your DSR-4200V remote, enter the following commands:

1 Press Options -this will place you in the Options menu.
2 Press 3 (Customize Program Viewing).
3 Press 4 (Change Password).
4 Enter 9 9 6 with the remote and press the Time button to enter the Installation menu.
5 Move the cursor to the bottom of the screen and highlight "Factory Default"
6 Press the Time button on your remote. The receiver will reset to factory settings.
7 After receiver has reset to channel 100, repeat steps 1 – 4 above.
[FONT=&quot]8 [/FONT]Press 2 (Setup ) - this will place you in the Setup Menu. Make the following entries by moving the cursor (yellow highlight) to the appropriate box and press


" Select":Verify the following: (selections designated by a red circle)Homing Disable = OFFVideo Format = NTSCLNB Selection = LNBPolarity = Does not matter unless you are using a polarity control device.Port = K/V or port receiving the vertical Ku signal or C band signal.

1 Press the Go Back button to return to the Installation menu.
2 Press 3 (Manual Tune) - this will place you in the Manual Tune menu.
[FONT=&quot]3 [/FONT]Make the following entries by moving the cursor (yellow highlight) to the appropriate box and use the number or arrow keys to make selection:


operating frequency - 5150 = IF frequency. Example: 3895- 5150 = 1255

 

[eurosport]

Both receiver said in the firmware 4200v but the Symbol rates were different on both. 3.75, 4.88 and 19.51. The other was 1.85, 2.44, 3.25, 4.88, 7.32, 9.76, 14.63, and 29.27.

The 4200V (the one I have) will do all the symbol rates, as shown in your second list I quoted.
Other models (4200, 4200C, etc) are limited in the rates they'll do.

 

[B.J.]

As Euro said, that 2nd set of SRs is what a "V" model should get. A "C" model SHOULD be getting what you observed in the first set of SRs. It's strange that your "C" model should get them. Are you sure that it can actually tune those? Ie not just display them?
As I posted elsewhere, my "B" model also ID'd as a "V" model, however the actual circuit board should tell you what model it actually is. My "B" model clearly says 4200B on the circuit board. Also, there is a "daughter board" on my "V" model, so the hardware isn't the same. I'm curious whether your "C" model actually says 4200C, and/or if it has the daughterboard, which is mounted about a half inch above the main board, about 3" behind the video output, to the right of the tuner. The tuner in my "V" also has a different number than the tuner on the "B" model, although that might be a serial number not a model number.

Anyway, I'm wondering if it really is possible for someone to have converted the "C" model into a "V", or if your box just had the circuit board switched? Other than the daughter board, I don't see any differences between the two, so maybe it was possible to add the daughter board, and the receiver would become a "V" model?
I have one question about whichever of the above two works, but I'll ask that in a PM.

 

[wildbill47]

I find the receivers strange back of receivers both say 4200c. The firmware says 4200v ? Both work different. I know on the 4dtv receivers they can change firmware and channel map remotely why not on the 4200. The good thing is both receivers are not receiving trips[hits] so nothing will change.
I am wondering if any services are supporting receiver now ? Now the the schools have switched to DVB ?

 

[B.J.]

I find the receivers strange back of receivers both say 4200c. The firmware says 4200v ? Both work different. I know on the 4dtv receivers they can change firmware and channel map remotely why not on the 4200. The good thing is both receivers are not receiving trips[hits] so nothing will change.
I am wondering if any services are supporting receiver now ? Now the the schools have switched to DVB ?

The firmware in the 4200 CAN be upgraded via the sat signal. I've posted about this before, but I had my original 4200V upgraded about 12 years ago. I think that most 4200s of all models had a 000030 firmware version. Back in the late 90s, KET (Kentucky Ed. TV) started uploading a nasty firmware version on their transponder that made boat anchors of the receiver, it would happen automatically if you happened to leave your receiver on that mux, but you could stop it from uploading if you switched the power off once it started loading. I think that this firmware had a number something like 000054. Several 4200 owners complained to GI, since they had purchased the expensive (I paid more than $1100 for mine) receiver due to it's ability to view free ZK and FP channels. GI agreed to create a good version of firmware with a number higher than the KET version, so that it would fix the receivers that were killed by the 5400 version , and prevent other receivers from accidently picking up the 5400 versions. The GI techs went to KET, and arranged with 4200 owners to tune in to KET over a weekend. I did this, and watched while my 4200 upgraded from 000030 to 00007C. I think it's the second row in the Diagnostics A screen which shows the firmware version. The first number should be 000030, which was the original firmware version originally installed on the receiver. The last of the firmware numbers is the version currently running. The middle firmware numbers have something to do with the upgrade process, ie I think one indicates that a new firmware download has been detected, another indicates that a download has been initiated, and another indicates the download is complete, and will be installed on next reboot....... or something like that. So if your receiver has anything other than 000030, it has been upgraded.

HOWEVER, the firmware upgrade should not change a B model or C model into a V model, even though it apparently does change the model number listed in the diagnostic screen. Ie my B model, which I bought used, had also been upgraded to the 00007C version, and it was still functioning as a B model, and I know of people with the C version who upgraded, but it didn't change their receiver into a V model. I am pretty confident that the differences in the models are hardware, not firmware, perhaps the daughter board I mentioned, or perhaps some component differences, such as tuner or chipset. THe motherboard itself looks the same, but there are some minor differences in components around the area of the daughterboard.

Anyway, I really suspect that either the motherboard on your one receiver was switched, or perhaps it was sent back to GI for servicing, and they made some hardware changes that upgraded it to a V version. That is assuming that it really can receive the additional modes. I'd suggest that you try tuning in the 3780 NET mux on G28. I think that one is a 29270 Q/I split mode that the 4200V tunes fine, but the 4200B or 4200C should not be able to tune. Ie I think that it is possible that somehow the firmware got corrupted, and the receiver somehow THINKS that it's a 4200V, but isn't really capable of receiving those other SR values. However, it occurred to me that you said that one of your receivers worked, and the other one didn't, so I'm not sure whether the one that gets the whole spectrum of 4200V SRs is the one that works or the one that doesn't work.

In any event, it's an interesting situation



Also, BTW.... I don't use it anymore, but I once programmed one of my JP1 programmable remotes to run the 4200. I basically just altered a device code set for a 4DTV. I think mainly just added that important "TIME" key. I'm sure I still have that JP1 device code around here somewhere if anyone needs a remote for a 4200 and has a programming adapter for JP1 remotes.

 

[wildbill47]

I do not know but will do more testing. That could be what happened the receivers were purchased from different parts of eastern USA. The one that works is a 4200v may have been factory rehab and the sticker on the back not changed. There are no 4200v receivers around for sale. so I purchased 2 4200c models.

 

[wildbill47]

UPDATE on dsr-4200c

attached is the zoom remote control mod working on 2400 cost $12.
The second receiver that I have that is a DSR-4200c that was never used before mapped ok on w5 amc15/18 HITS music channels and worked ok. I tried several different tp's and the result was the same. now for G5 satellite as mentioned before only worked on a few channels so to use the receiver will stay on HITS quantum. Contacted Motorola commercial support and were as expected no help. I can see now why customers are changing to DBS support and price.
If you have a 4200 that is a door stop try it on AMC 15 105*