Blind scan Questions?

[skewed]

What is a TRUE BLIND scan?

The reason I am asking is that ever since I got my box and sat I have been trying to get white springs,pbs and other channels to come up but I could not. I would get half of the stuf on 123 not the other. Well last night I figured out how to manually add all the info needed into the viewsat. And bam like magic white springs appeared, and many more soon followed. When I was first going to get into this I picked up a pansat 2300 from ebay for $20. Then after I got it I was told to trash it because it could not do a blind scan and I NEEDED the best blind scan reciver on the market for FTA. Hence bought the viewsat.

Now it is my opinion that a viewsat DOES NOT do a true blind scan, because if you do not have the TP and the S/R and FEC needed it will NOT pick up that channel. I have verified this. So once you have the correct sat info file that has been fixed you can then do a blind scan and find your channels. This is nothing more than my 20 dollar pansat will do. Last night I made a copy of the sat file and loaded it on to the pansat and did a channel scan and what do you know, it worked!!!!

I have been under the impression that you did not need to know the tp's and such with a true blind scan box, all I can say is with a viewsat you do, it nothing better than a $20 pansat. By the way I am running the newest firmware(v0107) and the newest sat file.

Can someone explain this? This one little thing has stumped me and I am sure that there are alot of others out there who are having the same problems that I did.

 

[Anole]

There are multiple Viewsat models, just as there are multiple Pansat models.
It's not fair to criticize one without naming the actual model.
I'm not sure all the Viewsats have blind scan.

As for Viewsat being top of the heap, yes in the hacker market, it's been a top name (apparently).
But, you won't find many bragging about their Viewsats here on this FTA forum.
I think it was just last year they fixed some long-standing motor problems (which hackers wouldn't notice)

Now, even with a decent blind scan receiver, some low data rate channels, may slip through the cracks.
Channels like White Springs.
Some receivers find 'em, some don't do so well, even though they'll locate the higher rate channels just fine.
Search that name (White Springs) here in the FTA department for more comments.

 

[Lak7]

Not all Viewsats have Blind Scan, the Lite or Platinum do not.

Edit: Anole beat me to it.

 

[dwingel]

In my experience Coolsat and Visionsat do thorough blind scans.

Cheers,
Dale

 

[skewed]

I have an ultra and without a good sat file it is worthless, but it just so happens that this is the same thing said about a $20 pansat 2300 and either one of them can fuinction without a good sat file. Well at least I don't have to buy another high priced box to put on a second tv.

 

[Anole]

old post

Things I didn't know about the Ultra . . .

Tried the new factory firmware 1.32 just now, can't see that it changed anything. Lost sound on all but 1 of the AC-3 channels on AMC3 PBS, blind-scanning still seems mostly blind to anything with a SR under 3800 + -
, and I still can't see the 4.2.2 channels on AMC1 ( just for grins I checked)
This upgrade may have fixed some problem with the newer, Version 2 models of Viewsat Ultra, mine is the older model.

 

[Mr Tony]

honestly a fair amount of recievers will miss some low symbol rate transponders because they either scan too fast or just can't get low symbol rates

My Coolsat 5000 will miss KTFL on AMC6 and KUIL on AMC4 every other time(both low symbol rate). The Pansat 1500 (slow as hell but accurate) finds it 99% of the time

Coolsat is one of the best I've had work on blind scan.

 

[turbosat]

Try the latest firmware for ultra

I think its 1.43 (mine's resting right now, using the traxis) . It's on the viewsatusa website and it does fix some of the AC-3 problems with PBS, I think I"m getting all but one or two of them now. The version 1 ultra claims true hardware blind-scan, and I believe it works on mine, I can erase all the transponders out of a satellite's entry, and blind scan, and it will find whatever is transmitting. AS long as it's within the box's limits. Mine doesn't seem to see anything lower than 3978 symbol rate on a blindscan, but will display some channels down to around 2100 SR IF you have a good signal and enter the channel's info manually. It just isn't that sensitive to low SR feeds. Don't know if the version 2 ultra does any better, think it used the same processor.
I still like mine overall, but it isn't nearly as sensitive (or as fast) at blind-scanning as some models. This traxis 3500 is the best I've seen for finding EVERYTHING on a blind scan, and very fast at it too.

 

[skewed]

I cain't delete a sats info and scan, it will not find anything. I may look into a traxis, as my biggest beef is how am I ever going to find anything unique if the box caint do a true blind scan. I did find one channel that has since eluded me ever since I deleted the list it was on. I wish there was a place to talk about those things because I'm sure if there is one channel like that there is more out there.

 

[Diamond Jim]

The Satworks were relieable, but slower than molassas on a cold morning. I am very satisifed with the Traxis 3500. Fast and accurate scans. When I get a 4:2:2 or an HD feed on the 3500 and transfer the numbers to the QualiTV, nine times out of ten, no adjustments are need.

 

[Mr Tony]

Jim
Coolsat 5000 is the same way with transfering to the Q. Fortecs dont like 30000 or 29270 s/r..they log them off by as much as 30 (29970 & 29250)...The Q dont like that

 

[Lak7]

By the way I am running the newest firmware(v0107) and the newest sat file.

v107 is for the Ultra "Lite" - No Blind Scan
v143 is for regular Ultra - Blind Scan

 

[turbosat]

Lak 7 that explains that one. I haven't looked at the specs for that new VS model but if that's the software he's running, it's not a reg Ultra. I knew that Version # wasn't working for me lol.
Hope he didn't put the wrong firmware in a reg Ultra.

 

[SatPhreak]

I used to have an Ultra (not an Ultra Lite) and it would blind scan, missing some of the low SR channels but would get every thing else. This worked on an Viewsat Extreme that a friend owns also. There was no need to enter any transponders, just move the dish to the correct spot with USALS and blind scan. It worked on both boxes even on new sats that were not even in the menu, add the new name, location, lnb and switch info then scan with no transponders entered and the channels showed up. I've never tried any other VS models so I don't know if they all work like this.

 

[Diamond Jim]

Fortecs dont like 30000 or 29270 s/r..they log them off by as much as 30 (29970 & 29250)...The Q dont like that

That's the way the Satworks were. Enter their numbers into the Q and it was a crap shoot. Once in awhile I would get lucky and nail it the first time, but that was a rare occurance.