The latest MotoSat software is 2.0.0.21 and it seems to be very stable although we do not know what changes were made between .17 and .21. I see no compailing reason to change or not to change.
The latest Hughes software was 4.0.3.9 with Service Pack C until a few days ago. The new Hughes software is 4.2.1.10. If you have 4.0.3.9 make sure you have Service Pack C installed (BE system information will say 4.0.3.9_P14). If so you may want to stay with that for the next few weeks. Several of us are using the 4.2.1.10 software now and will post any problems we encounter. So far it is looking good. The primary difference is the ability to do a satellite based commission (eliminates having to use a phone-line) after you have the dish properly aimed before you do the websetup.
-------------------- Michael Day F1|D3|7000 5.8.0.72|Currently no Hughes|1 Laptop: XP Home|1 Desktop:Vista, 1 Win7|Cradlepoint 1400|Verizon MiFi 4GLTE| Newell Coach, PT Cruiser Turbo Find Me Here (Map) Donations Help Support This Site Posts: 2815 | From: Everywhere (home is Austin, TX) | Registered: May 2003
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"Now, listen, you don't go any one special place. That's cornball style. You just go." -- Johnny in the movie The Wild One Posts: 1120 | From: not Hereford, AZ | Registered: Aug 2003
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The service pak will show up in the BE if you right click on the BE then About then System Information. There will be an item just under Site ID that says service pak. If nothing is there you at least need to install Service Pak "C". If you want to take an early plunge at the 4.2.1.1 software that is available that www.Groundcontrol.com. Follow the Download link.
-------------------- Bill Adams Winegard Company Posts: 15703 | From: Traveling the Western US | Registered: May 2003
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Last night my dish WOULD NOT lock on to the satellite. I tried for over two hours and finally phoned Ground Control. The tech tried to help me, but said they have been frustrated recently with issues with the Hughes Automatic Cross Pol server. Finally, it did lock on. The tech said I should download v 2.0.0.21, so I did.
I read through all these posts on how to best install the software and this morning I installed the upgrade. Even though I forgot to turn off my anti-virus, the installation went flawlessly! My firmware was updated and all was well.
I stopped my DSServer, and my dish was up and lock on when I did the upgrade.
I don't know if this is a comment or a question - is everyone having trouble locking-on or is it just me?
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I am experiencing no problems with the config shown below, and I will stay at that level until I am forced to update, or these problem bulletins cease. Then I will read the history to see what to do. Guess I am just a parasite here.
I appreciate all you trailblazers for trying out the new stuff, and have even greater appreciation for your sharing with us the progress being made!
This forum is priceless. For example, I was unaware of the proxy until I read about it here. My DS performance has improved markedly after I got that update running.
"Now, listen, you don't go any one special place. That's cornball style. You just go." -- Johnny in the movie The Wild One Posts: 1120 | From: not Hereford, AZ | Registered: Aug 2003
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The new ..21 Datastorm software works very well and has been working well for weeks now. I have seen no problems with it at all. EXCEPT (and it is not really a problem in the Datastorm software, per se) for the ACP issues we are seeing lately from Hughes. This "Can't Start Test (0)" thing is throwing a lot of people for a loop. (multiple satellites, multiple transponders) IMHO, Hughes needs to fix this problem soon, otherwise it might not be a bad idea if MotoSAT released a version ...22 that could better deal with this newly introduced bug from Hughes.
What you see happening is that after finding sat, it goes to predicted skew value. Where it would normally pass in that spot, or very close to that spot, it gets this new error from Hughes. It then begins to adjust the skew everywhere under the sun trying to pass ACP. Sometimes it is faster to intervene and drive the dish manually back to the predicted skew and trying passing ACP again - either using Datastorm Find Sat, or by running Antenna Pting.
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I had my trouble with the Hughes "can not start test" issue BEFORE upgrading to .21, and I have not had to set up since upgrading. Goodness, is the trouble going to get worse now? The tech told me they have been having trouble with the ACP every evening all last week.
It took 4 hours for my dish to lock on. Thought the motor was going to burn-up in the process!
When all of this is going on, what is your system doing? Is it NOT getting passed Manual pointing?
Manual pointing is the problem that I've been having.
Also the skew thing that Dustyfoot mentioned too. I had to manually bring the skew back to where Satellite Infomation said it should be! Wow!
Bye for now, George
-------------------- George Lehrer The Adventures of Tioga and George F1 DataStorm | D2 | HN7000S | SatMex6 113W/1039MHz V/H Posts: 455 | From: Western United States and Mexico | Registered: May 2003
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The issue of Can't Start Test (0) has nothing to do with what version of Datastorm software you are running. All the Datastorm software is doing is reporting the message from the Hughes Cross Pol server. The only thing that Datastorm version could (in the future) make a difference is if MotoSAT releases an update to take into account this newly introduced (or at least recently prominent) Hughes bug.
Here is what I have experienced time and time again, regardless of whose system I am using, whether it is a 4000 or 4020, or whether it is G4R or SM5 . . .:
1 System finds sat 2 Peaks signal 3 Attemtps automatic test 4 Receives "Can't Start Test (0)" 5 Begins to run manual tests 6 Manual tests show 0.xx as the xx counts up, the first digit remains a zero 7 Skew adjusts and repeats step 6 (repeat steps 6 and 7 as skew gets further and further from predicted) 8 If left alone, eventually comes back to predicted skew and eventually will pass ACP
What I have been doing, if not doing a customer demo or customer training (like if I am pointing my own dish and don't want to wait around) is if the skew gets too far out of whack from predicted, I will stop Datastorm. Then I will drive the skew back manually to predicted coordinates. Then I will either hit Find Sat again and let it repeak and start ACP tests again, or I will run Antenna Pointing and do an automatic test until I pass.
I don't, however, start making manual skew movements other than to drive it back to predicted. It almost always will pass at, or very near, predicted skew values. If it won't pass, I let Datastorm have another crack at it by hitting Find Sat rather than tweaking skew manually. Sometimes I will run manual tests in Antenna Pointing too, just to know if it is even in the ball park. If it is getting scores in the high 70s (SM5) it will usually eventually pass an automatic.
BTW, manually intervening, and doing tests with Antenna Pointing does not solve the "Can't Start Test (0)" error. All it does is circumvent Datastorm from attempting skew settings that are way off from predicted.
The bottom line is that Hughes needs to fix this bug and/or we need an update from MotoSAT Datastorm software that takes into account this error message and is just patient with re-testing instead of moving skew all over hell and back.
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