How to start with new X2 Receiver?

[wen]

Thanks for letting me be a member of such an excellent and well managed FTA website! Nice to see lots of old friends on here, too.

I am new to X2 receiver, but not FTA.

My receiver is:
HW Ver:30270303,3
SW Ver: r2293-28265007 -xs0
Date: May 20 2013, 14:24:42
Description: IX2476_S2
Model: HD premium

Computer is iMac running Windows XP and have inconvenient access to Windows 7 on laptop.

What do I need (and which file) to install a current satellite/transponder list from approx 34W to 139W (assume install from USB stick or network). What software can I edit the satellite list on Win XP? I have used the site satellite-xml to download current satellite and transponder data in xml format for my AZBox.

What is latest recommended Firmware Version? What do I need to install it from USB stick or network? Will a new firmware also install a satellite/transponder list?

Will the X2 EZ-Manage Tool Editor and X2 Premium Editor be helpful and install on my Windows XP computer?

TIA

[cpr43]

Welcome to legitfta. Yes, your best option will be to do an update by network. Make sure the box is connected to internet either by Wifi or Ethernet. Once you do the network update you will have a USA sat list from 45w to 139w

[el bandido]

Will the X2 EZ-Manage Tool Editor and X2 Premium Editor be helpful and install on my Windows XP computer?

Thanks for the kind words and Welcome to Legit!
It depends on how much editing you want to do. The built-in channel editor works pretty good. I would suggest trying it first.

[Costactc]

Welcome to Legitfta wen, I would suggest the latest update which comes well equipped with a sat list from 45-139w-you can add what's missong:


[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[wen]

Welcome to Legitfta wen, I would suggest the latest update which comes well equipped with a sat list from 45-139w-you can add what's missong:


[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Thanks so much for the info.

OK, got it done and that seems to have worked ok to upgrade via USB. The sat list had 80 sats and they were all in order. I have a diseqc switch that selects C or Ku band LNB. I will scan in some of the satellites tomorrow.

[dr.zin]

too late
I was going to say play with the original firmware 1st

[wen]

too late
I was going to say play with the original firmware 1st

Thanks dr.zin. I had already played with it for several months and had discovered the sat/xponder list was not up to date. I hoped someone could shed a little light on my last question:

Will the X2 EZ-Manage Tool Editor and X2 Premium Editor be helpful and install on my Windows XP computer?

[wen]

too late
I was going to say play with the original firmware 1st

Thanks dr.zin. I had already played with it for several months and had discovered the sat/xponder list was not up to date. I hoped someone could shed a little light on my last question:

Will the X2 EZ-Manage Tool Editor and X2 Premium Editor be helpful and install on my Windows XP computer?

[cpr43]

Give it a try , i have mine installed in my XP working fine

[dr.zin]

I had all 3 versions installed in xp

[wen]

I had all 3 versions installed in xp


Give it a try , i have mine installed in my XP working fine

Thanks for the reply. I am still a little puzzled. I installed the X2 EZ-Manage Tool Editor and it seems to be hunting for a database named res something. When I installed the X2 Premium Editor, it seemed to be using the X2-EZ Manage installer and kept looking for the res... database. I was hoping that one or both of these editors would download the x2 info via the ethernet network connection, but this program seems to want to use a serial port, which my computer does not have built in.

What I want to try is to install one or both of these programs, download the user data from the X2, edit it to add diseqc and motor positions and a couple of extra satellites and transponders, then upload it back to the X2 box. Seems simple, but I haven't figured it all out yet. Any assistance sincerely appreciated.

[cpr43]

can you tell the EZM editor version you have installed???

[dr.zin]

there are 3 programs, v1.04 v1.07 and v2.03
if you are using the latest firmware you have to use v2.03 of ezm,the other two are obsolete except when you play with old firmwares.

[wen]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]
X2 Premium Editor.exe 10.362KB 8/11/2013 The Installer says EZM Tool 2.0.3.1.0.

I think the problem is my version of Windows XP is corrupted as the installer keeps referencing a different program that used the windows sql database and says it can't locate the installation files for it.

[dr.zin]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]
X2 Premium Editor.exe 10.362KB 8/11/2013 The Installer says EZM Tool 2.0.3.1.0.

I think the problem is my version of Windows XP is corrupted as the installer keeps referencing a different program that used the windows sql database and says it can't locate the installation files for it.
ignore and continue.
the various installers have been burping since day 1

[wen]

ok, if I get it running, do I have to use the serial cable to download and upload to the s2 box. It shows network connection, but it is not the standard IP network. Has anyone used this program to edit sats and how have you downloaded and uploaded to the S2 box?

[dr.zin]

save as a database.ssu file and load to/from usb stick.
you can't talk to the box over ethernet even tho that is an option in ezm if you look deep enough.

[wen]

Thanks, dr.zin. I did get it running on another computer and got the usb antenna list loaded. Unless I am missing something, the list of satellites is no where updated to the September date shown on the update. It seems very difficult to scan each of the satellites in when the Longitude is incorrect as are many of the transponders. Has this been a problem to anyone else? Spent the last couple of nights scanning sats, and there just seems to be a lot of inconsistencies in the X2 data base. Any suggestions appreciated!

[Costactc]

One of the things I enjoy most is creating my own satellite list. When I get a new receiver I delete all sats and send my dish to its eastern edge and start entering manually and scanning. I know its a bit tedious but the list is the way I want it and it keeps me updated as to any new channels or feeds.

[wen]

One of the things I enjoy most is creating my own satellite list. When I get a new receiver I delete all sats and send my dish to its eastern edge and start entering manually and scanning. I know its a bit tedious but the list is the way I want it and it keeps me updated as to any new channels or feeds.

Thanks Costactc. Yes, I have read your posts for several years, and you are really good at it!

I am really glad to have my old Paraclipse working again. The new BSC-621-2D dual band LNBF is not really adjusted and works good on C-band, but not always on Ku. Sure had better luck with my old Chaparral Bullseye Feed with both Ku & C Band LNB's and I may go back to that in the future when I can easily control the Polarator. There seems to be a device coming out next month that makes that feasible. Hope it is not vaporware.

I ordered a new X2 that will be here next week and hope it comes with a better sat list, but that really seems too good to be true.

My original list of satellites derived from the Satellites-xml.com site has 75 satellites after deleting the DBS sats. I thought I was ok as the X2 September update had 80 sats programmed. Unfortunately, there seems to be a limit of approx 60 satellites that you can CHECK and use at one time. I agree that many of these sats do not contain much material to watch, but I hoped to get the DMS V-Box programmed with all 75 sats (separate C-band and Ku band). Once I finally get the V-Box fully programmed, then sat finding should be much easier.

[eastof111]

"There seems to be a device coming out next month that makes that feasible. Hope it is not vaporware."

Not to hijack the thread, but Rick's has had this available for a while. Might be something you're looking for, before the Titanium comes out with their version.

[rrob311]

Wen, what are you using to control your polarotor now?

[wen]

"There seems to be a device coming out next month that makes that feasible. Hope it is not vaporware."

Not to hijack the thread, but Rick's has had this available for a while. Might be something you're looking for, before the Titanium comes out with their version.

Thanks for the information. I will certainly look into it and see if I can integrate it into my setup. Yes, Titanium was the one I had been waiting for since the polarity was automatically set with the input voltage range. Right now I am still struggling with my BSC621-2D LNBF. Tonight, it scanned 35 channels on G16Ku, then some of them just show no signal. I built my original LNA and down-converter back in 1981 and fortunately, it did not have some of these intermittent problems.

I am using it with a diseqc switch selecting c-band and ku-band labs.

This was my last lnb setup before I moved from California to Texas in 1994, so it is at least 20 years old.

631263136314

[wen]

Wen, what are you using to control your polarotor now?

Unfortunately, I could not find the remote control for my old analog receiver, so I temporarily gave up controlling the polarotor and bought the band-stacked version BSC621-2D LNBF. I am still hoping that my old Chaparral Co-rotor II will work better than the BSC621-2D does so far! Wish I could see down to 30W, but so far with a 24 inch actuator, about 50 degrees is as low as I can reach and still get to 139. I can physically see down to 34.5 if I can get the actuator geometry to reach that low and still reach the Western end of the arc.

[Costactc]

I've used wide band corotor several times but could never get it to scan in properly, especially polarity. Now that I have a dish dedicated to circular sats, I'm just sticking to lnbfs.

[wen]

I've used wide band corotor several times but could never get it to scan in properly, especially polarity. Now that I have a dish dedicated to circular sats, I'm just sticking to lnbfs.

Ha Ha....This is what you needed! This was my original home made 12 ft fiberglass dish with an Alliance AR-44 tv antenna rotator to turn the LNA. Only took 15 seconds to change from horizontal to vertical polarity, but the Chaparral Polarator was a big improvement in speed of operation. The only problem I ever had with the polarotor was that they eventually wear out as they are a mechanical device. Notice that this was before the Chaparral circular concentric feed horns were in use. Wish I knew someone who had used the old type corotor II and the current stacked in line lnbf systems. I also have a DMS BSC421 c-band only LNB, and it seems to work well. I always cut a piece of 1/8 inch teflon sheet to fit diagonally in the LNA/LNB throat for circular polarization.


6321

[eastof111]

That's quite an impressive setup for 1981, for that matter it would still be today! Did your dish ever make it in to Coop's Digest. It certainly should have!

[wen]

That's quite an impressive setup for 1981, for that matter it would still be today! Did your dish ever make it in to Coop's Digest. It certainly should have!

Thanks for the kind words. I believe I still have all the old Coop's digests in the barn.

The dish was laid up in 3 sections over a mold of chicken wire and plaster. The reflector was tin foil embedded in the gel coating. It worked as well as any commercial dishes.

I was invited by the local IEEE chapter in San Diego to give a presentation on my system as there were so few in operation at that time. The LNA, Down-converter, and Receiver were also home made. The dish was initially driven by a large ball screw actuator and a motor was then added to it allowing you to steer the antenna with a couple of pushbuttons in the house! Things have changed in this industry and now it is rare to even find anyone that knows much about c-band. In the early days mostly hams and technical guys were at the forefront of satellite technology.

[eastof111]

Definitely cutting edge technology for the time. Hope to see and read some more of your posts here...