vu+ duo newb help please!

[Fresher]

Hi, ive been with sly for years and im fed up paying ?90 a month to them, i have taken the leap and im currently waiting on 2 vu+ duo clones to be delivered, i will hopefully get them installed, along with a new satellite, this weekend. one of the main reasons for leaving sly as well is to get all the saturday afternoon kick offs on the football. (hopefully i can get that sorted too).

the receivers will be enigma 2 ready and it will come installed with blackhole. i decided not to get the extra hard drives installed as i thought i could do that myself, it would be cheaper and i know what im doing with computers etc, my question is, do i need to install blackhole onto the new hard drives or can i just plug the hdd's in and it will work along side my current blackhole image? ie what all do i need to do to get the hard drives up and running.

also is there a guide on how to flash the vu+duo with blackhole? i heard these clones can be bricked if its not done right, i just want to be extra careful.

is it worth buying a couple of spare usb pen drives to keep flash images on them?

sorry if these are newb questions, this is all new to me, i feel im in way over my head but im willing to have a go at all this!

thanks for all the help! :proud:

[lagerland]

No m8 the hard drive is plug and play format to fat 32 there must be a guide hear...................

Check this link if not right it be there somewhere m8 just have a read or ask...................

[potrobber]

hi freasher

your duo clone,s will come with blackhole 1.72 on them so you do not need to flash them just leave them as is
you can change skins boot up logos to suit your needs

i do not see the need for all this image changing

i think most that keep changing images just get bored
and this is where problems start people start trying to do things that there not sure how to do

at the end of the day there just to watch tv on and use the plugins and the image your box comes with will do this with no problems

so please do not start of by flashing it, the image on there is fine

if you can get the harddrives out of sky + boxs these fit ok and you just go to menu/setup/harddrive and initialize them

the first thing to do with your clone box is check all the connections are fully pushed home on all circuit boards

as there has been a few people with psu faults i have had more than 30 clones so far and have not had one psu go yet

but i did at the start have a couple of none starters and this was down to the cable connection between
psu and main board not being fully pushed home


and as for your usb sticks you can store the image files on your computer and load to usb as you need them but as i said i would leave image flashing to way down the line learn about your box first

set your boxs up as is and enjoy

[Fresher]

Thanks. can i format the hdd's within the receiver or does it need to be done via the pc first?

how do i install a decent channel list? ive seen people talk about using a sly channel list as such, its just i need a clear basic one for the parents which is easy to understand. they've been using sly for years so anything that is close to that would be brilliant. can this be done via the receiver as well?

ps. the receivers just came thro the door! :cool:

Thanks again for the help, i really appreciate it!

[potrobber]

the best way i find for uk sat lists is sgt flipflops lists
which are here on site

and use dreamboxedit to install the lists on your duo,s after arranging the channels the way you need them

and yes i just fit hard drives out sky+ boxs and let the duo format them im not sure about new hard drive tho as i like the sky ones best

[lagerland]

Dont no with that one m8 im sure your be put right................

[Fresher]

thanks.

do i need to know anything about these CCcams? can the CCcam be downloaded via the duo box? sorry again for soundling like a newb.

Thanks

[potrobber]

download tspanal its a ipk file then ftp it into tmp folder

then go to duo and hit green button then yellow button then manual install ipk files

install it then restart your box and in menu you will see tspanal update it to latest if not on it using yellow button

then go to addons i use linuxsat_support_addons and you will find all the cams configs and much everything else you need for your duo to download onto box

[IAmATeaf]

When I got my clone it had BH 1.7.0 installed and CCCam was already installed, so it was a case of adding an line, adding your bouquet and away you go.

In terms of flashing, I agree with what's been said above, while you're learning keep the image that the box came with, after you've worked your way around the box then you can think of flashing a diff image.

For me personally, I've had other sat boxes, I ended up flashing to ViX the very next day but when I got my first dm800hd clone I kept the Gemini image that it came with for a good week or 2 whilst I did lots of reading.

In terms of HDD, I'd personally recommend getting a 2.5" laptop drive to install as I've read too many reports of boxes not booting after a 3.5" HDD has been installed in a clone. I think the PSU in a clone is a weak point.

Another thing, you'll never be able to get the box to look like or work like a sly box so there will be a learning curve, my still asks me what button do I press even after a year+ of using an enigma2 box :)

[Fresher]

thanks guys.

is it possible to maybe change the psu? tho on the website i bought these off it stated "NEW VERSION UPGRADED PSU", maybe it will be fine?

[DOUGALMCD]

So wouldn't you already have the same psu?

[Fresher]

hopefully its not one of these "dodgy" types, is there a way to tell?

thanks

[IAmATeaf]

thanks guys.

is it possible to maybe change the psu? tho on the website i bought these off it stated "NEW VERSION UPGRADED PSU", maybe it will be fine?


Not heard that one, I've not had info about upgrade/updated PSUs in the clones, I'm sure it would have been mentioned as any new feature and they normally send out emails.

[IAmATeaf]

hopefully its not one of these "dodgy" types, is there a way to tell?

thanks

Open it up and post up some pics of it, I'd be very interested :)

[Fresher]

wish i hadnt of opened them up now! looks like shoddy work in there, will post pics in a minute once i upload them.

[Fresher]

http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv87/rootatoot/image3.jpg

http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv87/rootatoot/image2.jpg

http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv87/rootatoot/image1.jpg

http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv87/rootatoot/image4.jpg

if you look at the last pic (little blurry), the top heat sink, the wire legs on the right have rust residue. is this normal in a clone box? clone = refurb? should i be worried at all?

thanks.

[IAmATeaf]

In the last pic towards the right on the PCB what model / rev does it say?

Looks like a load of advertising bollocks to me as it looks the same as the PSU I have in my clone but I await being told something different :)

You can compare it to my un-updated/old version that I have in my clone here http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f193/vu-duo-clone-psu-pics-276232/ The last pic of mine shows the model / rev number of mine.

I think these PSU must double as small personal umbrellas back in China, when they start to rust they trade them in and they end up in the boxes we buy :)

[Fresher]

im so glad you said mentioned about the rust! i was bricking it there hehe, it must be common then. i would say its the standard psu then, if im allowed i can post a link to where i bought it from?

how long have you had your unit for? have you had any bother with it?

thanks

[IAmATeaf]

im so glad you said mentioned about the rust! i was bricking it there hehe, it must be common then. i would say its the standard psu then, if im allowed i can post a link to where i bought it from?

how long have you had your unit for? have you had any bother with it?

thanks

You're not allowed to post a link to the supplier but searching for the words NEW VERSION UPGRADED PSU pulls up only 1 site so I can sort of guess.

I've had mine now for only a couple of weeks and to date I've not had any problems, touch rusty components on my PSU :)

I have to admit I initially hated the box as I'd been so used to my dm800se which just worked, no questions, no dramas. Most of that was just an over-reaction to the fact that the box was different.

The fan in mine was uber-noisey so I've replaced that and now have it thermally controlled so it's whisper quiet.

I now also know my way around ViX and now really like the box. There are stil things that catch me out so for example the other day I found that in order to change channels from a bouquet I'd need to press the OK button twice else the channel would zap back to the previous when I exited the bouquet, again this was a setting to do with previewing the channel. I also had a problem with the order of the programs when viewing a channel program listing, again a setting change was all that was required.

[Fresher]

what size is the fan? i would like to change mine too.

well it sounds like the box is fine then, i didnt do much reading up on it prior to purchase, it looked like it done mostly everything! im yet to set mine up, need to get the motorised dish up first. is there anywhere i can find help on installing motorised dishes? ie which satellite to allign it to upon setup? me and my dad will be setting it up, hes on the understanding that we point it to the astra satellite?

[cactikid]

if they are the pictures of your box its only a matter of time.

[Fresher]

only a matter of time before what? do tell! :afraid:

[cactikid]

psu goes,multiple posts of non working vu duo clones with wet rusted boards that have given up working.buy cheap pay twice

[Fresher]

to be honest when i bought them and when i seen the price of the new ones i thought i should have maybe bought them instead, sorta regretting it now, going to start saving up for new ones, i know you cant call a time scale on these things but how long is the average life span of a clone?

thanks for the input

[cactikid]

one poor member had a box for days.
http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f193/duo-clone-broke-afternoon-help-271538/

[Fresher]

you arent breeding much confidence into me here :( is that just a rare case? are they THAT bad?

[IAmATeaf]

TBH there are lots of people with clones that are working fine but there have been a recent spate of people whose clones have died.

[cactikid]

think all the boards had stains because of stored conditions over in china,that is why i asked if that was your photos.

[potrobber]

how many people on here have had clone psu faults ?

im very interested as i have had a brave few clones and not one psu fault yet

i keep reading posts about all these people having psu faults how many people on this site have a box thats not working is it more than 5?

[cactikid]

no idea how many in total but photos like that i can see the figure rising,yet been the word.any sparks or techie will say all contacts need to be good and clean,not rusted,not fit for use i say=safety first.

[ezferret]

Just got a replacement clone from seller after the ist one packed in after 3 days with psu failure. (They 1st sent a replacement PSU which didnt work)
Now this one worked at first (2 days) but now it keeps rebooting

[IAmATeaf]

no idea how many in total but photos like that i can see the figure rising,yet been the word.any sparks or techie will say all contacts need to be good and clean,not rusted,not fit for use i say=safety first.

Providing the connections are sound and solid then the external/surface rust shouldn't really matter. I had a rusty PSU and being worried did pull it apart to confirm that the solder connections were good, which they were. To me it looks like the PSUs are start to oxidise after they have been assembled so probably during storage.

[potrobber]

the psu,s are a let down for the rest of the box to be honest its a shame as there good most other ways

the psu,s must be made for nothing as i got 5 spares for 10 dollars each from china

but i still have not had any failures in the 25 odd boxs
i have had from january

there must be a few new factory's starting to make these now as i think the v2 boxs seem to be worse than the v1,s

[DOUGALMCD]

Did you put another image on it after you received it ?

[IAmATeaf]

I asked about this "updated PSU" over on the ferrari forums and they too reckon it's marketing bull as nobody has heard of there being any updates, well 1 person has responded :)

[IAmATeaf]

the psu,s are a let down for the rest of the box to be honest its a shame as there good most other ways

the psu,s must be made for nothing as i got 5 spares for 10 dollars each from china

but i still have not had any failures in the 25 odd boxs
i have had from january

there must be a few new factory's starting to make these now as i think the v2 boxs seem to be worse than the v1,s

I had conformation that the PSUs aren't made in "the factory" and that they are simply sourced from the general market.

[IAmATeaf]

Fresher, another thing, don't know if you're aware but some people have had problems getting a clone to drive a motor. Seen reports ranging from it doesn't work to it works intermittently. Conclusion seems to be that the box doesn't have the power to reliably drive the motor.

Not a post to worry you, just a heads up, as you may not have any probs and as you have 2 of these boxes I'd try both in case 1 drives the motor better than the other.

[IAmATeaf]

Thought I'd update this thread, had another post on the Ferrari forums and supposedly there is a new revision, it's supposed to be better built, use better components and now has thermal paste between the components and heatsinks. I've asked for pics when the poster gets their revised model, maybe this will the end of clones going boom :)