Over the last couple of weeks I have posted a few things about redoing my 1.2 meter dish and not buying junk and avoiding knock-offs. The top of my list was to buy a new LNBF - particularly to try out the GeoSatPro SL1PLL LNBF. I ordered 2. I then posted here within a couple of technical posts that I really liked the new LNBF and thought it was doing a a good job with weak and unstable signals but one of the two units I ordered was DOA, but on such an inexpensive item I wasn't going to go the effort to return it for exchange. Fast forward to yesterday when I checked the mail and there were 2 brand new replacements from Brian at SatAV. What a class act! This is the kind of customer care and product backing that is extremely rare in a world of knock-offs and junk and zero support. Thanks Brian!
The other box that was waiting at the post office was my new GeoSatPro MicroHD receiver I ordered from Dr. Sat. A very small package told me how small the receiver was going to be.
I pulled my openbox S10 and in seconds the new MicroHD was in place. The interface was easily recoginzable from other ALI-based sat boxes but there was no lag and the interface made sense. Having the North American sats in place in both C and KU was a nice change from the usual Asia list in a new receiver. I assigned the sats I wanted, set my Lat/Long and blind scanned all the sats. I did the detailed blind scan, but forgot to set FTA only. Anyway, about 2 hours later all my channels were there on 18 satellites.
Observations:
I like the remote. It'll take some getting used to like any change in fingers that were programmed for a different remote, but I like it.
The format of the PVR is compatible with my openbox, so I don't have to convert or lose my existing recordings.
The sensitivity appears to be better than the openbox. I use certain channels like FSTV on 123w or Montana PBS / OKLA PBS as tests as they are weak and I like most people report instability with them. This morning FSTV is coming in during heavy fog. That has never happened before. Even with the big gains when I installed the GeoSatPro PLL LNBF, I still could not get signal in the morning fog on FSTV - until today. Montana and OKLA PBS are also coming decently strong. I will continue to monitor this over time. I give the reported higher tuner sensitivity the credit for this.
Being able to adjust the motor with fine tuning while using USALS, is a new one for me and a HUGE bonus. Excuse me if this is a feature of other boxes, but I didn't know of this feature of any previous satellite receiver I have owned. If the S10 did this, it is news to me. I love fine tuning the motor during fog using USALS and not having to use DiSEQC. I would have liked to see a digital audio port, but the openbox didn't have one either.
I am very pleased with the stability and can tell the MicroHD was well thought through and executed product. Thanks to SatAV for making good stuff and caring about its customers.
The other box that was waiting at the post office was my new GeoSatPro MicroHD receiver I ordered from Dr. Sat. A very small package told me how small the receiver was going to be.
I pulled my openbox S10 and in seconds the new MicroHD was in place. The interface was easily recoginzable from other ALI-based sat boxes but there was no lag and the interface made sense. Having the North American sats in place in both C and KU was a nice change from the usual Asia list in a new receiver. I assigned the sats I wanted, set my Lat/Long and blind scanned all the sats. I did the detailed blind scan, but forgot to set FTA only. Anyway, about 2 hours later all my channels were there on 18 satellites.
Observations:
I like the remote. It'll take some getting used to like any change in fingers that were programmed for a different remote, but I like it.
The format of the PVR is compatible with my openbox, so I don't have to convert or lose my existing recordings.
The sensitivity appears to be better than the openbox. I use certain channels like FSTV on 123w or Montana PBS / OKLA PBS as tests as they are weak and I like most people report instability with them. This morning FSTV is coming in during heavy fog. That has never happened before. Even with the big gains when I installed the GeoSatPro PLL LNBF, I still could not get signal in the morning fog on FSTV - until today. Montana and OKLA PBS are also coming decently strong. I will continue to monitor this over time. I give the reported higher tuner sensitivity the credit for this.
Being able to adjust the motor with fine tuning while using USALS, is a new one for me and a HUGE bonus. Excuse me if this is a feature of other boxes, but I didn't know of this feature of any previous satellite receiver I have owned. If the S10 did this, it is news to me. I love fine tuning the motor during fog using USALS and not having to use DiSEQC. I would have liked to see a digital audio port, but the openbox didn't have one either.
I am very pleased with the stability and can tell the MicroHD was well thought through and executed product. Thanks to SatAV for making good stuff and caring about its customers.
