-Which is better v or g box

[mrel]

Hello
Like to hear from people who are using a v-box or g-box to move 10 foot dish.
Which is better v-box or a g-box?
My understanding a v-box and g-box can be hookup to a FTA receiver and the FTA receiver can tell the ( G or V box )to move the dish.
mrel

 

[Magic Static]

If the FTA receiever has DiSEqC 1.2 (motor control) ability, Yes. I have both V-Box and G-Box controlers. The G-Box is the more expensive and better of the two. But for a third of the cost the V-Box is just fine for most folks. I have had occasional glitches with the G-Box where it will just take off and run the dish to the limit switch when switching sats. I have not had that with the V-Box.

 

[Nosbod]

I don't know about the G Box but i am using a V box with DiseQc 1.2 and have had no problems. It must depend where you shop, but a couple of places I looked for these controllers I didn't find much of a difference in price. Somewhere around 40.00 bucks.

 

[Lak7]

I have used 3 different models of the V-Box with my 10 footer, all had problems. And it was not just me, 'cause I gave them away, and those people have had problems too.
To me, it's the GBox - hands down.

 

[bill42]

Can't say anything about the G-Box because I never had one. My first V box overheated and burned up. Literally, caught on fire after in use for over a year, I think the cause was a short in the power transformer. My second one has been in use for over a year and I have no problems. I'm using a AzBox thru the VBox thru 4x1 switch to the LNBs. My dish is 8 1/2

 

[Lone Gunman]

I have two Vbox X controllers on my systems. One is a 10ft Winegard and the other is a 7.5ft SAMI. Early on I had some problems with my AZBox Elite and a Vbox X but I've since been using an Openbox S9 receiver and I haven't had any problems with the Vbox X since. My Winegard dish has a "count modified" VonWeise mover that has worked flawlessly with a Vbox X and an AZBox Ultra. The SAMI has a standard SuperJack mover and it works flawlessly with my Vbox X and S9. The Vbox X does have it's issues with the AZBox Elite that is also connected to that SAMI Dish.

BOTH AZBoxes will reset the Vbox X East limit if I do a blind scan but from what I've read, the AZBoxes will do the same thing with a Gbox.

There was a time in the past that the Vbox X controller was 1/3 the cost of a Gbox. I went the Vbox X route because I needed two of them and I'm satisfied with both.

Oh, and NEVER PURCHASE ANYTHING FROM LEOMALL.COM as their support is non existent and they don't honor a warranty. Do a search here and you'll find more info on this.

 

[stogie5150]

GBOX FTW! I have two of them.

 

[pendragon]

I have eight GBOXes and one VBOX. Go figure.

 

[Anole]

glad you asked

Over the years, there have been a number of Vboxes.
Each had a number: 3, 4, 6, 10, etc.
I'm not sure all were even made by the same company, but some were better than others.
Some (was it the '6' ?) were just terrible.

There is only one Gbox (it's the 3000); see link in my signature.
I don't recall anyone selling it other than Sadoun.
If you'll look at the Hardware Review department here in FTA, there is a review of it by Linuxman.
The Gbox increments count on both the opening and the closing of your reed switch.
This potentially gives finer resolution to your dish movement, and better accuracy at pointing the dish.
Of course, the mechanism has to be able to take advantage of the capability, but most are.
So, some people (especiallly C-band only) may not gain a positioning advantage with the Gbox, some others will see improvement (especially on Ku).

You pays yer money, and you takes your chances. - :up

 

[Pixl]

I have one of each. The G has a few features on the remote over the V. It has a bail out button that will exit from any operation and stop. Has a name/position# button to toggle between the two. You can power down the G box with the remote when you want it to ignore commands from the receiver. The V cannot be shut off if there is an active receiver connected to it. It just stays on all the time the receiver is on. That said I do have trouble with the G positions drifting West over a few days use. I thought it could be my actuator, a Von Weiss with optical sensor. So I changed it out with an equally old Von Weiss with 8 magnets and a reed switch. Still does it. So now I don't know what to think. I must say I don't like the G box trying to create pulse count that aren't there. Might be what is behind my trouble. They should leave pulse count resolution up to the actuator manufacturer.

 

[NotTy]

I have one of each. The G has a few features on the remote over the V. It has a bail out button that will exit from any operation and stop. Has a name/position# button to toggle between the two. You can power down the G box with the remote when you want it to ignore commands from the receiver. The V cannot be shut off if there is an active receiver connected to it. It just stays on all the time the receiver is on. That said I do have trouble with the G positions drifting West over a few days use. I thought it could be my actuator, a Von Weiss with optical sensor. So I changed it out with an equally old Von Weiss with 8 magnets and a reed switch. Still does it. So now I don't know what to think. I must say I don't like the G box trying to create pulse count that aren't there. Might be what is behind my trouble. They should leave pulse count resolution up to the actuator manufacturer.

This is a good thread for those who are thinking of replacing their 920's or 922's in the event they fail. My 922 is failing I think and was wondering myself which box is better. It's too bad they can't come up with something as reliable as a c-band receiver, like a 920 or 922. I still have my first analog Uniden receiver from 1992. I wonder if it'll work with today's modern satellites?

Back to gluing my cell phone back together.

 

[Dishman Dan]

Over the years, there have been a number of Vboxes.
Each had a number: 3, 4, 6, 10, etc.
I'm not sure all were even made by the same company, but some were better than others.
Some (was it the '6' ?) were just terrible.

I have a VBox V in my basement that I never tried.

Is the VBox V the lemon you are thinking of??

 

[jaray]

I've said it before, my v-box X goes where I tell it to go every time, all the time. I really don't require it to do anything else and I'm not really sure what else people are expecting these things to do.
I've never needed it to be any more accurate either. Gaining a point or so from a more "accurate" mover doesn't get you anything more.
The only thing is the cheap spring loaded connections for the wiring are kind of mickey moused, but that's not something you'd expect to constantly be disconnecting and re-connecting.

Edit: Gee that sounded crabby looking back hehe. Better go to bed...

 

[ynnedibanez]

had the v-box-6 for @ 2 years now, no complaints, it just does what its supposed to, and always has.

 

[omardjcu]

I have one v-box x and it is working fine just that the tranformer that come whit it is very ship it have one termic fuse inside and it burn out because the transformer get realy hot , so i did some change and integrete whit my servo control and I put it on my dish , like this I just have to send 36 vcd to the dish and the rest it is don up there , for the 36 vcd I use the transformer from a old analog reciver taht it is on my balcon, here are son pic of this project

 

[ZetaMale]

This is a good thread for those who are thinking of replacing their 920's or 922's in the event they fail. My 922 is failing I think and was wondering myself which box is better. It's too bad they can't come up with something as reliable as a c-band receiver, like a 920 or 922. I still have my first analog Uniden receiver from 1992. I wonder if it'll work with today's modern satellites.

I've been considering using my Gbox to move the dish instead of the 4DTV. Of course, if you want to use the various sats on your 4DTV you'd have to set all the 4DTV positions the same so that the 4DTV doesn't try to move the dish (which would fail if using the Gbox to move the dish). Then the FTA receiver would be sending Disceq commands to the Gbox to move the dish instead of moving the dish with the 4DTV. I haven't tried this yet but I think it'll work. It would make operating the equipment much easier for my wife and it would make blind scanning sats a lot easier. But, it makes using the 4DTV more complicated though since you'll have to change polarization with the FTA receiver. This is assuming that you're using a LNBF instead of an LNB with servo. As for your analog Uniden receiver, it should work as a dish mover.

 

[ZetaMale]

I have one v-box x and it is working fine just that the tranformer that come whit it is very ship it have one termic fuse inside and it burn out because the transformer get realy hot , so i did some change and integrete whit my servo control and I put it on my dish , like this I just have to send 36 vcd to the dish and the rest it is don up there , for the 36 vcd I use the transformer from a old analog reciver taht it is on my balcon, here are son pic of this projectView attachment 70415View attachment 70416View attachment 70417View attachment 70418View attachment 70419

I ought to try this with my Vbox-X. But, my problem with the Vbox is pointing accuracy. My problem with the Gbox is getting one. The last one I bought took about 3 months to get it.

 

[NotTy]

I've been considering using my Gbox to move the dish instead of the 4DTV. Of course, if you want to use the various sats on your 4DTV you'd have to set all the 4DTV positions the same so that the 4DTV doesn't try to move the dish (which would fail if using the Gbox to move the dish). Then the FTA receiver would be sending Disceq commands to the Gbox to move the dish instead of moving the dish with the 4DTV. I haven't tried this yet but I think it'll work. It would make operating the equipment much easier for my wife and it would make blind scanning sats a lot easier. But, it makes using the 4DTV more complicated though since you'll have to change polarization with the FTA receiver. This is assuming that you're using a LNBF instead of an LNB with servo. As for your analog Uniden receiver, it should work as a dish mover.

My 922 is acting funny and if it dies, I'll be pretty much done with the VCII side of the big dish & just stick with my S9 or maybe upgrade to the Manhattan.
My wife has a heck of a time trying to cross reference & adjust the skew with all this equipment. I've made it as simple as I can for her by taping a sheet of paper to the TV stand with the time, location & channels her favorite shows are on. Sometimes she'll call me at work on her day off because Dr Phil won't come in & I tell her to put the 922 on channel 1 & presto. Then I hear her in the background " I want my D TV" ( Direct TV ).

 

[Anole]

It may be a bit gauche to quote oneself, but since good advice never goes out of style . . .

Three step process:
- dig hole
- drop in pole
- pour cement.

- :up

And in this case, plop a 6, 7, or 8 foot BUD on top.
Fixed-aim it at your bird.
Use a GeoSat C2 C-band only LNBF.
No more servo to diddle.
No switches to wire.
No actuator motor to align.
No controller to program.

The ease-of-use problem is solved.
...and hopefully, no more Dr Phil.