Octagon SF8008 4K UHD – Missing Transponders on Certain Satellites (e.g. 103W)

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WilburSmith

Hi everyone,

I recently purchased an Octagon SF8008 Supreme UHD 4K satellite set-top box, currently running OpenATV 7.3 with Enigma2 version 7.3. I'm reaching out to see if anyone in the community has experienced a similar issue and might have a solution.

📡 Receiver Details:
Model: Octagon SF8008 4K UHD (Twin Tuner)
Build Brand: Octagon
CPU: Quad-Core ARM, 1.6 GHz, with hard FPU
Driver Version: April 1, 2024
Kernel Version: 4.4.35
Tuners: AVL 62x1 DVB-S2, supports DVB-S, DVB-S2, Multi-Stream
Frequency Range: 950 MHz – 2150 MHz
Symbol Rate: 100 kS – 80 MS
DVB API Version: 5.10
FEC Modes: 1/2 to 8/9, Auto
Multi-Transcoding: Yes
IÂ’ve set up the Octagon the same way I did with my Edision Mio 4K Plus, as the menu structures are very similar. My wireless internet connection is working, and I havenÂ’t installed any bloatware or plugins yet.

🚨 The Problem:
When scanning satellites like 103W, some transponders are detected just fine, while others seem completely invisible.

For example, 3940 V 28000 on 103W comes in strong, but it's encrypted — expected.
However, 4040 H 30000, which is a known, active, FTA transponder, shows no signal at all.
I know the dish is aligned properly. To confirm this, I swapped out the Octagon with three other receivers (Edision, GTMedia, and Koquit), and all of them receive that transponder just fine — including both video and signal strength.

This pattern repeats across multiple satellites: some transponders are fine, others are missing, even though they should be available and are not encrypted.

❓ What IÂ’ve Considered:
I havenÂ’t updated the satellite.xml file yet, though I do know how to.
IÂ’m wondering if this is a known issue with the SF8008 or perhaps with OpenATV 7.3 on this box?
Could it be something with the tuner sensitivity, LOF settings, or symbol rate limits?
Are there plugins or system tools I should install to better manage tuner behavior?
I’d really appreciate any insight from other Octagon SF8008 users or FTA hobbyists. I’m happy to share any further info if needed — I just want to get the most out of this great receiver and keep enjoying this amazing hobby.

Thanks so much for your time and any help you can offer!

Happy Weekend to everyone,

Wilbur
 
I recently purchased the same receiver. I had the same result with the transponder on 103W you mentioned. But a manual scan found it with no problem. I'm not fond of the OpenATV image and loaded TNAP5.1 on mine.
 
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ATV blind scan is relatively mediocre..... just use Tnap to blind scan and later transfer settings to ATV if you desire to continue using that image. Less headaches....
 
Fearless said:
I recently purchased the same receiver. I had the same result with the transponder on 103W you mentioned. But a manual scan found it with no problem. I'm not fond of the OpenATV image and loaded TNAP5.1 on mine.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the hint. I tried a manual scan but it didn't work for me. Thanks for offering a suggestion though!
 
eastof111 said:
ATV blind scan is relatively mediocre..... just use Tnap to blind scan and later transfer settings to ATV if you desire to continue using that image. Less headaches....
Click to expand...

I use ATV on my edison mio and have no complaints. If I learn of a free wild feed I'm always able to get it. No issue. There is only one transponder that I cannot get and hold steady. It just keeps coming in and out. On the cheap $20 STB it holds no problem. Can't figure out why.

I hear people talk alot about TNAP and its called the North American Project. What are the things you can and cannot do with this o/s? What are its limitations and strengths?
 
WilburSmith said:
I've been searching in https://www.legitfta.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?5-FTA-Set-Top-Files-Utilities&tabid=31 then --> The North America Project E2 Image for TNAP and it seems the lastest versions date back to 2023 an I reading this correctly? What is the latest TNAP version release date?
Click to expand...

If you install the image from 2023 you can check in the flash image menu for newer versions or just use the 2023 version and run software update and it should bring it up to 2024 anyway and still perform great. Tnap6 is in test right now but working stable from reports from other members. I don't have sf8008 so can't comment on that model.
 
Hey guys and thanks to everyone adding a helping hand. Much appreciated!

I now made a discovery! I realized that as I hoped from one satellite to another only vertically polarized transponders were being received. I took a piece of coax cable and my multimeter and measured the output for V at 13VDC and H at 18VDC. So the output is fine from the STB. Increasing voltage from the STB does nothing.

Is there a possibility that a file could be causing this?

I'm gonna hold off on any further upgrades as this could be a pivotal moment in events. Maybe a file needs updating? Or I got a bad box?

FYI, I did update my satellite.xml file to no avail. and I also upgraded to ATC 7.5.1. again to no avail.
 
13 Volts for vertical and 18 volts for horizontal is fine. The receiver is probably OK. Check the Horizontal side of the lnb.
 
Update: Good News — SF8008 Now Working, But a Curious Discovery

I wanted to share some findings and also thank the forum for the support so far.

I have good news: my Octagon SF8008 is now working correctly. I moved it from the original room (my office) to the living room, which is the closest room to my C-band satellite dish. In this configuration, everything functions properly — I’m receiving both vertical and horizontal transponders without issue.

Here’s how the connection is set up in the working scenario:

SF8008 → Priority Switch → DiSEqC Switch → LNBF (on the C-band dish)

However, when I move the SF8008 back to the original room, the issue returns — it will only receive vertically polarized transponders, not horizontal ones.

In that original room setup, the path looks like this:

SF8008 → Priority Switch → Priority Switch → DiSEqC Switch → LNBF

So in this scenario, the signal is going through two priority switches and one DiSEqC switch before reaching the LNBF.

This is puzzling because I have multiple other set-top boxes (including some low-cost ones like GTMedia and KOQIT) that work flawlessly in any room — even with the same switching setup. These receivers cost around $20 and never show this issue, regardless of how many switches are in the path.

At this point, I'm starting to suspect that one of the priority switches might not be fully compatible with the SF8008 — even though it works perfectly fine with my other receivers. Still, it's strange that such inexpensive boxes can handle the same configuration better than the SF8008.

I'll keep investigating and testing switch combinations, but wanted to share this in case anyone has seen something similar or has insight into why the SF8008 is more sensitive to multi-switch setups.

Thanks again to everyone here for your help and support!
 
Still using that screwy and unsupported priority switch mess. No wonder we don't speak the same language and your fixes are discovered by you.
Pretty sure the 'priority switch' mess could hit the dumpster. If I were to ponder. No 'priority switch' is supported in fta receivers. And if we all went back to your original diagram you posted some time ago.
There are better and more reliable, rock solid methods to eliminate that crap. And you're cascading them. Which only further makes less sense.
One voltage controlled lnbf per receiver at a time. With as direct path with coax as possible.
 
Really there are no perfect satellite fta systems. Some work better than others. Some require maintenance or adjustments on an almost daily basis. Others run for years and little to nothing is done to them. So each his own. There is usually a pattern to a problem. A blindscan would have returned duplicate channels which would in itself been a big clue to the problem.

Most likely, you are losing voltage as you go through the switch setup. If you lose a volt or two, then the lnb doesn't switch on many fta satellite systems. As mentioned before, check your voltage at various points and you will probably see why your Octagon is failing. The power supply that came with the Octagon may not be the best. Getting a bigger power supply that is healthy might help. Personally, I like 3-5 amp supplies for fta receivers, but again, to each his own.

Sometimes it is best to leave things alone and adopt the "If it aint broke, don't fix it" philosophy. If twenty dollar receivers were performing flawlessly then there was no reason to go buy one receiver that costs as much as a fleet of the twenty dollar receivers. Anyway, it is what it is and you resolved the problem.
 
Follow-Up: Issue Identified and Resolved – Problem Was the Third Priority Switch

I’m following up now that I’ve fully traced and resolved the issue with my Octagon SF8008 setup.

To recap, I had been using three proprietary priority switches in the signal chain. Initially, the SF8008 had problems receiving only vertically polarized transponders, and this issue appeared when the box was connected in the original room — where the signal passed through all three switches, including the third one furthest from the LNBF.

To troubleshoot, I first returned to the original room where the issue appeared and connected a different receiver, which worked without any problems. Then, I brought the SF8008 to a room even farther from the LNBF, and surprisingly, it worked perfectly there. This suggested that the problem wasn’t about cable length but rather something to do with the switching setup.

Since the SF8008 worked fine when connected through the first and second priority switches, but failed when going through the third one, I focused on that switch. These priority switches operate with master/slave logic, and something inside the third one wasn’t functioning properly. At one point, the switch appeared to stop “coming to life” altogether — I could only receive vertical polarization no matter what I did.

As a temporary solution, I removed the third priority switch and replaced it with a Perfect Vision splitter (model PV 23-402). This splitter allows:

One room to act as the master, controlling voltage and polarization to the LNBF.

The second room to receive whatever programming is available based on the master’s current polarization.

While this means limited functionality in the second room, it’s an acceptable workaround for now.

Thanks again to everyone in the forum for your input and support — your help made it easier to isolate the issue step by step.
 
I don't really apologize for my blurt-out. And if I were a smart guy, you're using all of those switches to get satellite channels on different receivers in different rooms. Siiiii?

Unless you have a multiswitch setup (thx EB for slapping some sense in me). You can only really use one receiver at time. Or use a few with limited functions. Possible data collision, voltages from receivers doing funky stuff. If so. I question why you haven't used your 8008 and mio in a server/client configuration.
For instance if the mio is assigned as the server. Wired and cabled the good old fashioned way. And the 8008 were set as a client.
Your mio could be used to watch any sat/channel as always. And the 8008 could be used to watch any channel that the mio was setting on in the transponder it was currently tuned on.
The magic happens when the mio is put in standby. The 8008 then would act exactly like the mio. Completely wireless except for an HDMI cable and Ethernet if used for networking.

The GUI looks exactly like any E2 receiver. It functions exactly like if it were hooked up in place of the mio. Picons, plugins. Exactly like if it was hooked to coax out to the dish.
And no ...go*da*ned... priority switch mess. Tell the dish to move. No pissin' and moaning. It just works.

I'm guessing that if as mentioned you have to or need to twiddle settings every day. Where just when things make sense. The pixies start screwing with you.
Problem is. And I was leary when diving into the land of Linux operating system where you could choose your flavor and try different images on the same receiver.
Chinabox cheapassed receivers provide that instant gratification for a few bucks. The gtmedia and koqui-caine boxes. Do they let you stream over network? I don't know.

I can say though. Once my setup was drafted on paper and materialized into a stable system that passed the test of a N.PA winter No actuator freezing down to -30. Enough heat from the always powered Norsats to keep snow from piling up around the ortho.. A late fall layer of paraffin wax with a hair dryer across the expanse of 12' of fiberglass and a much needed sweep with a broom in the ice and snow here and there.
Change a channel, change a satellite. C or ku. Ba-da-bing. Kinda' boring last winter.
Buy once, cry once.
 
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