Enigma2 Blindscan Plugin Updated by Huevos

[el bandido]

Huevos started updating the blindscan plugin a few days ago. He was nice enough to take some input and give us some things we really need in the blindscan plugin for North America. I will review what has changed and what is updated or added in this thread.

Older receivers had trouble with blindscan and the drivers for the tuners that control blindscan were poorly written. Any receiver after about 2014 usually had improved drivers except for Vu+ and maybe a few others. The Vu+ Duo2 needs some filtering of the blindscan data or you will get garbage, such as transponders with the same frequency and polarization but with different symbol rates.

A filter has been in the blindscan for a long time. This filter looks at the transponders in satellites.xml and makes corrections to the transponders found in blindscan. North America does not have a good satellites.xml as compared to most of Europe for many reasons. So the blindscan transponder filter has never worked as good in North America as it does in Europe.

We also use a Standard lnb with a 10750 l.o. while most of Europe would use the Universal lnb. When the blindscan plugin was originally built, it only worked for one type of lnb which was universal. Huevos added the C band lnb to the blindscan, and now has correctly added the 10750 lnb, Huevos also added Ka lnbs and other features to the blindscan plugin.

Please remember when you use these features who made them possible, and Thank Huevos for them. Correctly installing the 10750 lnb and adding other features took a considerable amount of time, and a lot of it was done for North America.

[el bandido]

Disable sync with known transponders
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This feature will disable the blindscan filters and allow what the receiver actually finds to be scanned, including any errors. The OS Nino Pro seems to work fine with this filter disabled. The Vu+ Duo2 will return some garbage when this filter is disabled.
(Default = OFF)

[el bandido]

User Defined LNB Settings
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Many different User Defined lnb settings may now be used. The math is automatic, and should work for most lnbs that have l.o.'s above 9750. Shown in the above screen grab is the universal lnb set for the 10600 l.o. This was done so I do not have a 4 step blindscan when only two steps is really needed.

10750 L.o. lnbs should also now use the User Defined setting instead of the old Circular setting.

Ka L.o.'s were also added to User Defined. I do not think we have any Ka satellites active at this time, but Europe does.

Error messages and other safeguards have been added in order to help keep the receiver working correctly.

Attached is a test plugin that works for the OpenVix (OE Alliance) Image. Feel free to test and report what you find. Be sure to ask questions on anything you are not sure about. For those that cannot install this plugin, a version of this plugin will be in OpenVix images soon.

[rayydio]

Hey EB where are plugin stored?

[el bandido]

Path to blindscan plugin is: /usr/lib/enigma2/python/Plugins/SystemPlugins/Blindscan

Backup the whole Image before installing anything like this. A Backup is not mandatory, but it is a good idea.

The OE Alliance blindscan plugin will not work in OpenPLi images. I am running this blindscan plugin in SatDreamGr which is part OpenPLi, but I had to make a few changes to get working.

[Megatron817]

Got the blind scan folder and box branding for the OEA core after adding the new plugin.py and reflashed Openpli 7.0rc, transfered files. Got it working on openpli. Thanks EB!

[Megatron817]

The 150mhz Off stop Freq. issue is fixed too. Fantastic Job Huevos! Thank you!

[el bandido]

Set "Disable sync with known transponders" to Yes. See if you scan more transponders like that. I do not think the Zero 4K needs that filter.

[Megatron817]

Didn't see no difference on 91w picked up the same amount of channels. I'll keep testing. Thanks

[Megatron817]

Setting "Disable sync with known transponders" to yes caused it to scan a differnt frequency and I got duplicate channels. Say my known transponder was 11842 and the blind scan found 11843 you get the same channel on both frequencies so I think it is probably best to leave it set"no".

[el bandido]

I am running it set to Yes on the Nino Pro without any issues. Thanks for testing it though.

[Megatron817]

The duplicates didn't appear in the service scan from the blind scan. You find the duplicates in your Satellite services with the zero 4k. Set to yes would be alright if you are just setting up the receiver and didn't have any channels saved in satellite services with the default known transponder. Just don't make a new blind scan and use no with disable sync with known transponders or you could get duplicates in the satellite services. 97w ku is the satellite I found the duplicates. A wok around would be to update the satellite .xml with the found frequencies from using yes during the blind scan,

[Megatron817]

Tell you the truth circular lnb setting is working. I forgot to set user defined 10750. when I scroll over to user defined from circular it was set 9750lofl,10600lofh so it was definitely using the circular lnb setting. found the same amount of channels using both settings. But I will leave it set to user defined 10750.

[el bandido]

Are you clearing All Services before each blindscan?

[Megatron817]

No, not clearing. I am trying that now with (yes) desync known transponders. ok clearing messed up my favorites. Get a lot of <n/a> in my favorites list.
A rescan with clearing and NO fixed the favorites list.

[el bandido]

That is because the transponders are being found on a slightly different frequency than the transponder that the favorites were made with.

[Megatron817]

Yes that's the issue. I like the desync feature but I think the satellite .xml will need to reflect the same frequency as the bindscan finds. I know how to edit the Satellite .xml file to make it custom. Only thing everyone would have to use thier own custom .xml file if they don't want to have the issue of selecting yes desync known transponders.

[Megatron817]

EB, you know what the (Yes) disable sync feature will work fine for me on 91W and 105W. I just wont use it on 103w or 97w where most favorites are. Then I shouldn't have any issues.

[el bandido]

Save your settings before you scan, then reload settings when finished. That takes 2-3 minutes to restore everything the way it was, and cleans up any messes that were made.

[Megatron817]

I re done my fav's with the new frequencies and reflected them in my custom satellite .xml file so I should be good on 97w and 103w. Just can't use clear before scan on 103w because it will delete the Radio channels. Should not make much of a mess now.

[el bandido]

Attached is SatDreamGr blindscan plugin. This version can also run in OpenPLi with some modifications. This is a nice one for my Vu+ Duo2.

[Megatron817]

Thanks EB, I like the satdreamgr blindscan better. Can open xml file with yellow button and look at found transponders.I don't know how to modify for openpli.

[rayydio]

Got the blind scan folder and box branding for the OEA core after adding the new plugin.py and reflashed Openpli 7.0rc, transfered files. Got it working on openpli. Thanks EB!

Hi Megatron,

What exactly did you do to modify to get it to work on OpenPLI?

[Megatron817]

I saved the blind scan plugin folder and box branding file from the OE-alliance then reflashed openpli and transfered files into openpli.

[el bandido]

These Blindscan updates will be in OpenPli images within a few days at the most unless something major happens.

[eastof111]

Attached is SatDreamGr blindscan plugin. This version can also run in OpenPLi with some modifications. This is a nice one for my Vu+ Duo2.

Great! Looking forward to trying it out.

[Megatron817]

Did VU+ raise the supported symbol Rate? I can now enter 60 where before 45 was the limit. A blindscan using 1-60 worked with no issues actually worked better than ever on 91w be it not many wild feeds on there now.

[el bandido]

Vu+ Never updated the blindscan much after it was released. Some tuners can got up to 60 so support is being added for those tuners.

[eastof111]

Using the SDG:

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I am getting the following:

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and
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and after hitting the exit button button I get a green screen which reboots the receiver.

Is this sdg py only for v. 6 or will it work for v. 5?

[el bandido]

Error in the coding it seems. Let me see what can be done about that.

[el bandido]

Try this one ( Attached).
Note: File removed due to bad coding by me.

[el bandido]

The Vu+ blindscan issue should be fixed in the next SatDreamGr online update. Please let me know if it is not fixed after next update. Until then, you may use the plugin in the post above. Thanks.

[Megatron817]

Satdreamgr-6 has the updated blindscan in the feeds but satdreamgr-5 no. Says no more updates for experimental 5 on thier web site.
I tried the updated plugin py with satdream-5 no go it crashed here too. The good news is for satdream-5 the old version works just as good if not better than satdream-6 and the updated plugin. Just my opinion but I found more with the old.

[eastof111]

Try this one ( Attached).

Thanks...

SDG v. 5 missing the blind scan in searching menu after installing the py file.

Updated to SDG v. 6 10-28-18 and installed the py and missing blind scan in search menu.

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Will go back to v. 5 even though there haven't been updates for a while now. Hopefully, they will correct the Duo2 version in the next few updates.

[el bandido]

Missing a colon in Line#46. Try this one.

Note: Removed file due to coding issue.

[eastof111]

Missing a colon in Line#46. Try this one.

SDG 5, green screen.
SDG 6, scanned 87 ku new xpdrs only and everything went well. Then 97 ku, all xpdrs and it crashed. Line 1395 on green screen. Couldn't read the complete error fast enough.

Looks like v. 6 has a problem displaying the Pd1loi-HD-night skin correctly, so I guess the author should be notified.

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The PLi-HD-FullNight which is probably the original displays fine.

I've backed up v. 6 with backup suite and will try again as updates are made. Will return to v. 5 as everything seems to work, plus I like the skin.

[el bandido]

The plugin in post#35 works on my Duo2. Hard to know what happened without the crash log or some other good clue. Telnet this: init 4 && enigma2 will output the crash in the terminal. Anyway, Might just be best for you to wait until the blindscan file is updated online, which will probably be tomorrow.

[el bandido]

t2mi Is not defined in some images yet. That definition has been disabled in the attached plugin.
The attached plugin should run in SatDreanGr 5,6 using Duo2, And in OpenPli images.

(SatDreamGr 6 is the only image out of the above that has t2mi defined.)

[eastof111]

I'll restore v. 6 tomorrow and give it a shot again. As long as v. 5 is working, I have no problem waiting for the bugs to be ironed out.

[Megatron817]

Done some more scanning with the updated plugin. The vix plugin I am using on openpli rc 7.0 finds channels on 91w ku as far as I can tell almost identical as the old plugin. The Satdreamgr-6 must have a different filter. I can find these transponders with openpli with the vix plugin 11823 v 3000 1 scrambled channel FAA-HD and another transponder at 11827 V 3000 with 2 Scambled channels ANG HD 48 and ANG-HD.They are right close together. Satdreamgr-6 finds 11827 but not 11823. I know it doesn't matter they are scrambled and you can't watch them anyway but for scanning testing purposes Just an observation in my Findings.

[Megatron817]

I don't Know it looks like that FAA channel comes and goes so maybe that's why I didn't find it this afternoon with satdreamgr-6 scans.
If that is the case I'm going to say as far as finding channels the old and the New updated blindscan works well and the updated one has new features and some issue fixes.

[eastof111]

t2mi Is not defined in some images yet. That definition has been disabled in the attached plugin.
The attached plugin should run in SatDreanGr 5,6 using Duo2, And in OpenPli images.

(SatDreamGr 6 is the only image out of the above that has t2mi defined.)

Restored v. 6 and scanned 87 ku using all and then new xpndrs. Green screen in both instances with a reference to line 1395.

Here are the logs for both.

[el bandido]

I like that.
Turn the filters off and it will run. I am not running the filters, and that is why mine does not crash.

Let's see about fixing that little issue.

[el bandido]

Added x = 0 to this one.

Tested and working for me. Let's see if it works for you.

[Megatron817]

The updated plugin was in the online update for openpli rc 7.0 so I checked 91w and both transponders 11823 and 11827 and they were both active. Ran the blindscan and only found 11827 just like satdreamgr-6. changed to the vix plugin and ran the blindscan and found both transponders. so there is a differnce in the plugins.

[Megatron817]

I was wrong the vix plugin finds 11823 where the openpli rc7.0 and satdreamgr-6 plugin finds 11827. I saw the channels in my satellite services thinking they were scanned together at the same time. must be because they are so close together the blindscan only saves one transponder.

[el bandido]

The Blindscan plugin is working.

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[Megatron817]

Well it appears it is working much better for you and The edision OSpro
Vu zero 4k did not find no where near what you found.
Signal finder showed 12160H 30002 was there at 98% snr scanned in Att primary sat15363

[eastof111]

Added x = 0 to this one.

Tested and working for me. Let's see if it works for you.

Scanned 87 ku - settings 11700-12300 sr 2-45

1 - All xpndrs - default filter settings - ok no errors
2 - ditto - filter only free scan - ok no errors
3 - ditto - filter only scan unknown xpndrs - ok no errors
4 - ditto - filter only scan unknown xpndrs - filter only free scan - ok no errors
5 - ditto - filter disable remove dups - ok no errors

Recordings coming up on the timer, will see if I can get some for scans tomorrow.

[el bandido]

There is a FEEDS channel around 11804H, 1250 Symbol rate. You might want to try the lowest symbol rate range in the blindscan and see if it grabs that transponder.

[el bandido]

Well it appears it is working much better for you and The edision OSpro
Vu zero 4k did not find no where near what you found.
Signal finder showed 12160H 30002 was there at 98% snr scanned in Att primary sat

I am using a 1.2 meter dish with a C120 feed and Inverto lnb. And the Nino Pro does better than the Zero 4K in a blindscan most of the time.

So it may be a combination of things. Plus blindscan is sort of a crapshoot to begin with.

[el bandido]

It looks like the new blindscan plugin is working OK for everyone. All the files that were posted by me were only test files. It is a good idea to wait a few days, and then do an online update, which should update the blindscan plugin correctly. I say wait a few days, so all the little bugs can be worked out.

Huevos of OE Alliance and the folks at OpenPLi/SatDreamGr have worked together on the blindscan plugin which explains why there may be some loose ends in the code right now. Also Huevos has suggested that we do not use Circular any longer for the 10750 L.O. because someone else has been writing code for that setting (Russians?). Circular works right now, but there were some lines of code in the blindscan that did not make any sense. The Circular 10750 addition to the blindscan plugin was started on this forum a few years ago, but someone else has decided to use it.

Now is the time to find any issues with the Blindscan plugin because of all the recent changes, it is still being looked at. We may not find support for this plugin later, so we need to make sure it is as good as it can be now. Please look for and report any errors or issues. Thanks!

[el bandido]

I will explain the two new settings in OpenPLi blindscan.

(1) Disable Sync with know transponders
There is a definition in the blindscan plugin named Sync with known transponders or syncWithKnownTransponders. This definition allows the transponders found in blindscan to be compared with the transponders in the ssatellite list which is the satellites.xml file.This comparison assumes that what is in satellites.xml is correct, and if things like FEC in the transponders that were found in blindscan do not match what is in satellites. xml, then what was found in blindscan is changed to what is in satellites.xml. This works great when the satellites.xml file is updated, but it is not so great when the satellites.xml is full of errors like ours is.

So in a nutshell, when you disable sync with known transponders, you disable the ability for the receiver to compare the transponders in satellites.xml to what was found in blindscan. There are other filters that run when sync with known transponders is enabled, and these other filters do not run when sync with known transponders is disabled.

(2) Disable Remove duplicates
There is a definition in the blindscan plugin that checks the transponders that are found and removes the ones it thinks are duplicates. When Disable Remove duplicates is set to yes, the blindscan plugin Does Not check for duplicate transponders.

Question: Do I need to use these two settings?
I guess that answer depends on several things. I think Huevos wrote those filters, and they were definitely needed for the older receivers. My Duo2 will return some trash or incorrect transponders with those filters disabled, but my Os Nino Pro normally does not. The newer receivers I think have filters built into the drivers, so the filters in the blindscan plugin do not matter as much.

But remember, even the Os Nino Pro can return trash for transponders when the filters are disabled. The Nino Pro will do this when a small Ku dish is used that allows cross scanning from other nearby satellites. So it will be trial and error. On some occasions, you may get more transponders and channels with the filters disabled, but my guess is this will not be the normal thing for most antenna systems. Try it both ways and see what works best for your system: Blindscan with filters On, then turn around and blindscan with them Off. Then compare the outputs.

It is nice to have these features added. But whether they will actually help us or do nothing but cause confusion remains to be seen. At any rate, it is nice to have these folks trying to make the blindscan plugin work better! I appreciate their hard work!

[Megatron817]

I am using a 1.2 meter dish with a C120 feed and Inverto lnb. And the Nino Pro does better than the Zero 4K in a blindscan most of the time.

So it may be a combination of things. Plus blindscan is sort of a crapshoot to begin with.

I am going to aim the slimline back at 91w and see what happens. I Know ever since I put up the old primestar I noticed not finding as many Horizontal as I use too. EB give me the model number for your feed and lnb, I have a channel master 1.2 meter but that is what I got to get to make it work and I want it to match the dish. Thank you

[el bandido]

The feed that came with the Channel Master originally will probably work best.
Thread showing my 1.2 meter dish is Here: [Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Megatron817]

91w ku is just a different beast for the VU+ zero 4k, maybe it's my location. All three smaller sat. dishes I use every satellite I point at I'm finding every channel I know of. It's not low signal that causes the issue and I don't believe it is the dish or lnb's. The low signal transponders are found on other satellites along with the vertical and horizontals. I'm not going to worry about it, very happy with the vu+ zero 4k and the blindscan plugin. I'v had trouble with 91w all along at first thought it was DiSEqC issues but I have ruled that out also.Thanks EB for sharing the updated plugin so I could test it.

[el bandido]

It is all about noise and signal interference. Look at what is around and on 91 West Ku. You will see there is some activity om adjacent satellites that could cause noise. Add that to the noise already on 91 and it can become a challenge for any blindscan receiver.
Some receivers may do better at picking signals out of the noise than others, but the total antenna system noise that the fta receiver is connected to is also a factor. In general, Bigger dish = less noise from other satellites. A matched feed for the lnb means the dish is properly illuminated. Larger coaxes usually have a tad bit less noise. It all adds up, or subtracts from the noise floor.

You may also try blindscanning without any switches or anything at all installed between the receiver and lnb. Run a good cable straight from the back of the receiver to the lnb and test. Do several tests over a period of time so you will get a decent sampling.

[Megatron817]

EB, could the noise be causing not finding just the horizontal on 91w? I seem to find all vertical. I have a trick I use to find horizontal it is to blindscan using different symbol rates, 6-18 usually finds the horizontals in that range. I miss most horizontals in the higher symbol rate range. I sometimes find them using 18-30 but not always. Thanks

[el bandido]

Could be.
Try changing the lnb if that is possible.

[el bandido]

Here are two screen grabs showing scan times for 89w Ku and 91w Ku. The scan of 91 took a lot less time to complete than the scan of 89. I would guess the noise on 89 is what makes the scan take longer.

To be serious about getting what is available on 91, you need at least a 1 meter dish that is designed for 1 lnb (measured on the short axis), a lnb that works well on the dish, a decent feed line from the receiver to the dish, and a decent switch (if any).

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[rayydio]

Hey EB I noticed that on your blindscan screen shots there is a timer. This timer is not on my blindscan plugin. Is the timer a separate plugin?

[el bandido]

Please post a screen grab of what you have. The timer for the transponder scan should be included in yours. The Total Scan Timer at the end as seen below Is Not included as it is a customized job by me.

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