HELP !!

[dougm1970]

er....HELP!!...please...

ok...got a skybox M3...had it around a week...no issues.

updated to AJ's channel list...all ok.

next day (yesterday) noticed sky sports news hd was scrambled......so i did a blind scan so i could add sky sports news sd..or maybe find another HD listed.
scan got around 85% of way through finding channels fine as it was going......then the box suddenly went off.

took the power off...let it sit for a minute...power back in....red light and activity lights from the network cable...and nothing else...won't respond to the remote..won't turn on at all.

batteries swapped in remote just to rule out something freakish.

what to do ??


crappy video to show you whats happening...or not happening...


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um66UpQxqi8]sb - YouTube[/ame]

[DOUGALMCD]

http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f184/recover-dead-skybox-openbox-flash-using-serial-rs232-null-modem-cable-233298/index8.html

[dougm1970]

****...my 'who' friend....was afraid it would be that.....no null modem cable and i live out in the sticks.
thanks pal

[dougm1970]

the firmware linked in the above link ^^ says its for openbox s9 or s10....is this usable of me skybox M3 ??...or which firmware should i hunt for ?

[dougm1970]

and could a blind scan on a search cause this ??...is this common ??

[dougm1970]

so...i rang an independent computer shop in town (15 miles away) and explained exactly what i needed...NULL modem cable...RS232...made sure he knew what i wanted...he went off to seach..."you're in luck mate...got one here.."....."great" i said..."how much??"...."ah, 7 euros"....."right...give me a half hour and i'll be in"
long story short...i went in and they handed me a piece of phone cable...a short piece...."that'll fit any modem mate"
absolute ****in clowns...and i was fuming i went in...and had to drag a 2 year old with me too.....absolutely raging i was.......and pc world didnt even know what such a cable was...never heard of one before.
unreal.

[nibblitz]

Have you tried a different power adaptor in it yet? Im using an old adaptor from a netgear router on my M3 because the psu it came with went duff....

[dougm1970]

Have you tried a different power adaptor in it yet? Im using an old adaptor from a netgear router on my M3 because the psu it came with went duff....

yes...just there...i tried a 12v from an old linksys access point.

same

[HibbyDave]

My openbox x3 which is only a week old done the exact same thing yesterday mate, put it on blind scan left the room for a minute came back and it was dead, tried the power etc zilch, tried the deadbox fix still nothing, luckily the guy I bought from is taking it back, their a load of shite , I know I should have stuck to a linux box .

[dougm1970]

whats the deadbox fix ??....flashing it ??
it was an acceptable enough box for our bedroom when it was working i thought.
got an s11 in oldest lads bedroom and a dreambox 800hd in living room.

[HibbyDave]

whats the deadbox fix ??....flashing it ??
it was an acceptable enough box for our bedroom when it was working i thought.
got an s11 in oldest lads bedroom and a dreambox 800hd in living room.

This one http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums...98/index8.html

the only reason I bought it was it's a cheap hd box, but their cheap for a reason, their no reliable .

[dougm1970]

shi-te

and i just put phone down from a mate who has got a null modem cable and is dropping it up later......no harm to try anyway i suppose...but i havent much hope now after your post.

the guy i got it from is the guy i get my main line from and he's very reliable and never seen me wrong, so i have no hard feelings towards him about this....it happens i suppose

[marttinsk]

agree with dougm1970

[dougm1970]

ok...got the null modem cable and when plugged into our old windows xp pc (only thing here with a serial port) it doesnt reconise that anything is plugged in.

will i need to get a usb to rs232 cable ?

[dougm1970]

ok...think the serial port is seeing the skybox....as when i get to the part where i have to turn the box on and off it says "done"

i am using this guide...

http://www.digital-kaos.co.uk/forums/f184/recover-dead-skybox-openbox-flash-using-serial-rs232-null-modem-cable-233298/

first i get - "synchronising STBs ... please reset target!"
then after its back on - "Set stb memory error"
click back to try again.

i have tried 3 different firmwares......i dont know what firmware was originally on it.

woe is me.