Fortec Software New release

[Yalickit]

new software released today in the usual place. ucascity.com

I've tried the 5100 which is now V2.39 and it's a lot better. Yet to test V2.43 for the lifetime ultra which has also been released.

[simmo]

well come on....waiting waiting.. ;)

[Yalickit]

Waiting for what? rules don't allow me to post the file cause of the hidden goodies.:)

[simmo]

hehe nah, for you to test it on the plus ultra!! :p

[Yalickit]

Yeh, you have bad eyes. I've tested the 5100 plus+ultra. It works great.

I have also since tested the lifetime ultra everythings good except I seem to get pixelation using ucas

[tumbi]

Yeh, you have bad eyes. I've tested the 5100 plus+ultra. It works great.OK, I am gunna give this a try, but I am a frightened newbie who has not yet tried a firmware upgrade after reading of all the gloomy stories about Knight Riders and Jtags etc. Please could I get a word of confirmation from those who have done it successfully, that I am on the right track before I actually jump in the deep end and attempt to upgrade my 5100 Plus+ Ultra.

I am still running the 5100 as delivered, with the following System Information:
Al7bar CI+ Ultra
Al7bar - 2.26
Boot ver: 5
03.16.2004
and I have the file "Al7bar CI (plus) Ultra 239.zip". The zip file includes the 239 bin file and what looks like a 6.1 Boot file, as well as an AL7BAR Downloading Tool.

I have the right cable connected so this is what I think I have to do:
1. Load the AL7BAR Downloading Tool v1.31.exe file and enter Al7bar CI+ Ultra in the Model field.
2. Select the boot_Al7bar CI+ Ultra_ver61_040708.bin file and click on the Boot option before clicking Send.
3. Select the Al7bar CI+ Ultra_040808_239_api.bin file and click on the Appz option before clicking Send.

Is that it? Have I got it in the right sequence?

Oh, the zip file also includes a file: Boot STB mode name.txt which gives a 3 character STB model name to use, depending on the particular model. It includes FSCI-5100 Plus+ and FSCI-5100 Ultra, but not my model which is FSCI-5100 Plus+ Ultra! It looks like the 3 character name would be "LCI" anyway, but where is that 3 character name used?

And finally, in anticipation, I want to thank the contributors to this Forum, especially those who are more experienced in this field, for their friendly and helpful attitude to those like me who are trying to follow in their footsteps. A long way behind, perhaps, but following...

[Yalickit]

Tumbi, you have it wrong. STOP.

It's very simple follow this and you'll be right. Ensure your cable is female-female straight through i.e Pin-Pin alike. Not null modem.

OK, open/unzip zip file. V2.39 everything in this file is all you need. New download tool is in here.

Open al7bar downloading tool

When window opens, select your model from the drop down box which will be Al7bar CI + Ultra

Leave default setting checked on "Appz"

Now select "Browse"

Open file from Main software No 2. file called AL7bar CI+Ultra _040808_2.39_api and make sure it has been selected into the browse field.

Connect PC to your receiver, turn on the receiver at the back.

Then click SEND

Your should now be downloading, you will see the screen on the fortec count to 100. Do not disconnect until the receiver reboots itself even after the PC says download complete, do not disconnect or turn off until the receiver resets itself.

This should work, I've done it here and all was fine. :)

You don't need to touch the bootfile.

[tumbi]

You don't need to touch the bootfile.Oooooo... thanks Yalickit. I'm glad I asked now. OK, I'll keep the boot version 5 that is already in there and just load the 239 update.

Thanks again. I really appreciate your advice.

[Yalickit]

Don't forget to let us know how you go.

[licklick]

with clear instructions like that you cant go wrong !i tried it ,so easy i might have to have a drink and celebrate :D :D :D

[tumbi]

Don't forget to let us know how you go. :) Well, :) can :) you :) see :) me :) smiling :) ?

It worked like a charm, and I am now running 2.39 firmware in the 5100 Plus+ Ultra. I must admit, after a quick test, I can't see much difference at this stage although there are some additional options in the Code Menu screen. The biggest thing is the Quality Bar is now showing around 50% on stations that were previously showing something like 30% (yes I need a bigger dish).

But, on the downside, I have lost all the **** that were in there. Now there are no **** at all! Not that I was using them anyway, with my fixed dish still pointing at B3! There are a few radio stations on B3 that used to work but don't work now and there was one set of **** I found useful while I was playing around with C1, but this is not the place to talk about these things.

Yalickit, your advice was spot on, thank you. Especially the bit about waiting for the receiver to reset itself after the download. The computer said it was finished and the receiver stopped counting on the front panel, and the display changed (I forget what it changed to now). But just to be sure after reading your advice, I waited a bit longer. And sure enough, after several seconds, the receiver did switch the display again to show a 1, presumably channel 1? Then, and only then did I shutdown the downloader program and pull the plug. I have seen lots of advice on this forum and on other forums that the user must wait till the download is complete, but I wonder how many people who have problems don't wait quite long enough? That point needs to be emphasised more I reckon.

Anyway, thanks guys, especially to Yalickit and to Simmo for the helpful assistance. Yes, the detailed advice was certainly very useful, but the peace of mind that comes from knowing there is willing help available makes a BIG difference!

[licklick]

tumbi in the *** section hit set default hey presto. i too noticed the signal quality was way up on what it was before and as i type it is blowing a gale here in anakie (vic)

[Yalickit]

Glad to see you both had a go and it was sucessful. :)

Just a note, if you wish you can do your bootloader the same now. From my understanding you do the software first like you have done then the bootloader.

The bootloader is the same procedure but you make sure you tick the "boot" check box instead of "Appz"

I've done it here and now have 6.1 bootloader running, all is good but I haven't noticed any difference.

My question I ask myself is how do I go back to boot 5 if I want......Now this is where I'll take the risk, prepared to Jtag it if required. I'd advise if you want to upgrade the bootloader then do so only cause you have to. Otherwise it's all still the same.


Thanks for praise Tumbi & licklick most appreciated.

[scrappydoo]

I still can't receive measat 2 KU stuff with the new firmware, even entering the freq/sr in manually it won't get a lock on it and it won't find anything by power (blind) scan either. Does anyone else have fortec receiving the ASkynet stuff?

[simmo]

Yeah mate, it works here. All encrypted bar one. I'm still testing the new version, (2.39) but it still loads it. I have noticed however, it didnt poad Kabelvision on Pal 2. Manually, it works fine. I'm going to reload 2.38, and see if there's a differance.

[bassett]

I could not get any Fortec's to load Measat 2. But I,m not allowed to change the software after distroying a Fortec.
Frankly I can,t see the point of changeing software, without a distint advantage in performance. and in this part of the world with our very limited programming, it's pointless, as most of these software updates are for unobtainable encripted Ku services.
bassett crawls under the table, waiting for the ear bashing that will no doubt take place..

[scrappydoo]

I could not get any Fortec's to load Measat 2. But I,m not allowed to change the software after distroying a Fortec.
Frankly I can,t see the point of changeing software, without a distint advantage in performance. and in this part of the world with our very limited programming, it's pointless, as most of these software updates are for unobtainable encripted Ku services.
bassett crawls under the table, waiting for the ear bashing that will no doubt take place..

in this case I think I have to agree with you. 243 keeps locking up on my lifetime ultra when changing channel. It's locked up about 5 times today, requiring a reboot - at least the on/off on the remote work. So I have gone back to 240 which has been working well enough for me since july.

as for changing firmware, if there was a decent set of release notes, it wouldn't require us guineapigs :-)

[Yalickit]

Basset, I'd love to bash you not just around the ears. LOL Only joking :) Kiss kiss!

Simmo has confirmed that 2.39 is working on Measat2 on 5100. My destructions for upgrade worked for others and myself maybe ya need to listen and learn guru...LOL:)

Scrappy, do you get any pixelation on B3 FTA with 2.40?

[scrappydoo]

Basset, I'd love to bash you not just around the ears. LOL Only joking :) Kiss kiss!

Simmo has confirmed that 2.39 is working on Measat2 on 5100. My destructions for upgrade worked for others and myself maybe ya need to listen and learn guru...LOL:)

Scrappy, do you get any pixelation on B3 FTA with 2.40?

no B3 is fine with 2.40. Do you have a lifetime ultra or 5100?

I still can't get measat2 to load on the Lifetime ultra. works just fine on an xtreme. move the coax from xtreme to lifetime, no signal indicated on fortec. strength is way up there, but no quality. Also blind scan finds nothing. this is on 239, 240 and 243.

240 wasn't detecting the B1 Geelong AFL feed in blind scan mode either, but if you manually entered it, no problems, pictures come up.

I was having some suspicions that blind scan in 240 was problematic since for the past few weeks it was finding nothing new on b1. So I factory reset the unit and tried each version. 239 found the geelong afl feed, 240 didn't.

So i think I will stay with 239 here for a while. I am going to give the factory fortec version of 239 a go this morning and see how that goes, I don't have a use for the features "we can't talk about" anyhow.

[bassett]

Let me tell you, I,m the bloke with the jinx. If you loaded 50 receivers with new software, Mine would be half-way through, when the power cut hit.
If you sold 150 raffle tickets, and gave 149 prizes, I would have the other ticket.
While your instructions where excelent, I can tell you, I would have trouble, If anythings going to happen, It happens to me.. I,m a Public service agent, for things going wrong.
And while you may have Measat 2 playing on a 5100, your not going to get it to play on a lifetime, and did it play before the new software was added.

[Yalickit]

Scrappy, what bootloader have you got?

[scrappydoo]

Scrappy, what bootloader have you got?

bootloader 5.1,

I'm now back on 2.37, this seems to be the best one for picking up traffic.

[simmo]

And again courtesy Qeda Ucas city.
This is for plus + ultra
and is confirmed OK, and good!! real good!!!! so far!! ;)

[tumbi]

This is for plus + ultra and is confirmed OK, and good!! real good!!!! so far!! ;)I have had just one good experience with downloading new firmware to my 5100 but I'm still a bit wary of doing it just for the fun of it. However if there are benefits to using the new release, then maybe it is worth the risk?

Simmo, can you please let's know how/where this one is better? Is it worth updating the 2.39 now loaded? I notice my 5100 no longer detects anything below SR of about 20000. On the old original firmware there were a couple of stations on B3 with SR below 7000 but they are not there any more. Either they are really not there any more or my new firmware is not picking them up? Maybe the new release will fix that?

[simmo]

This version fixed a ucas problem. The low symbol rate problem still exsists.
My 5100 plus + ultra never picked up anything under 2000 SR. No matter what version.
As for scanning below 7000, I do that all the time with B1, as I am not interested in the stuff above 7000.
Check Lyngsat for the B3 stuff you are missing? Re-enter it by hand, or go into TP scan, highlight the TP and scan it seperately?

[hvac28328]

how do I get locals for 119 and 110. Anyone know where to go?

[scrappydoo]

I've tried the 2.45 lifetime ultra version and it seems to fix the blind scan problems that 2.43 had. It's detected MIX on B1 still as well which other versions on the lifetime were doing, so it seems the <2000 SR only seems a problem on the 5100.

As of yet I can't really see any problems with this new version, it's pouring outside in Sydney with thunder+lightning, so KU on Measat2 can wait a while. I've been totally unable to get anything from measat on the lifetime ultra in the past. In fact this is worst rain I can remember for ages, both C1 and B1 went offline for me during the worst of the rain even on the 1.2m dish.

[felex]

thank you very much simmo and to every body, I download the update program and I try it to my reciever and quet alwrite.but sometmes it freezing up channel? my be i probably try to get uses to it.
not play arround so much.very sensitve reciever.
and other thing is any body know's where to get the v-box I look at ucastcity was addv. this reciever can recieve scramble channel no problem.

[simmo]

Felex, ask at ucas city, not here, this is an FTA forum!! remember!!!

[felex]

okey simmo, thank you for your advise.

[Uncle_George]

I own A fortec star ultra and have updated to the latest al7bar but the pictures on b3 break up badly,
so I have gone back to al7bar FTA ultra 04030 231 api avg.update and the pictures are steady once again,
So What is the use of all these updates when the older versions "seem to work ok".

Am I doing something wrong?

[adp81]

is it on a universal lnb?

[lazer]

this happens to me also so i just stick with version 2.31 otherwise i cant get no picture and im not using a universal lnb

[adp81]

im using 2.43 boot 5.1 same prob on a universal lnb but im changing back to standard lnb on the weekend is it only on b3 or c1 as well.

[lazer]

if the signal is stroung like tvsn on C1 about 95% Q it works fine but when on B3 and watching something like ERT at about 60% Q it just cant hold the signal and the picture is unwatchable and breaking up constantly i have 2.31 and boot version 5.1 when i tried 2.43 wouldt work and was giving those results wasent able to use it cause of constant picture breakup

[adp81]

im definatley putting a dish on the ground on the weekend so i can go straight out and check on these problems instead of waiting for the weekend, starting to shit me to tears(b)

[lazer]

yeh i nearly killed the box at one stage was showing those dreaded knight rider lights on the front screen for a while after stuffing around with it for a few hours got it working with version 2.31 after that i wouldt dare to change the software again just in case its stuffs up good next time :)

[Uncle_George]

I am using a universal lnb
But what difference does it make?

[bassett]

VK2SWI wrote,
So What is the use of all these updates when the older versions "seem to work ok

You will find that 99% of new software is for European services to work better on the receiver, or it allows differant encrypted services to be enabled, Software writers, don,t bother with software for this part of the world, simply because we don't have a market big enough to warrent specific software re-writes.
If we could sell 50.000 specific receivers a month, they might make them with an Australian plug, but we don't and we can't.
One exception was the new software for the eMetabox 111, but the fact that it enabled something, was luck more then judgement, and it also disable
some fuctions

[Yalickit]

New software out usual place

[kenny]

S/w 2.31 Boot version 6.00 4/3/2004 gets me 701(universal),B3,B1,+C1 no probs. However this box doesn't like universals much and lots playing around to get it right.

[Yalickit]

New software out again

[bassett]

Quote,,,However this box doesn't like universals much and lots playing around to get it right .

I dunno how you work that out, Most European providers, services, set-up's only use a Universial LNB. and thats the market the receivers are intended for,
I,m running Fortec's with universial LNB's without any trouble. I think your problem is that the software your using, was never ever intended for the stuff that we can get in OZ.

personnal i think that if the software works to your satisfaction, leave it alone, unless someone can guarantee that it is benificial to change it , to access more channels perhaps, or allow something special, like 3D vision.
But the trouble is people find any old software out there on Half baked sites , that don't test anything, and anounce that "new Software" has arrived, regardless of what it might do or more importantly what it might cancel, simply because the software is new, be it good bad or plain ugly, has no benifit what-so-ever for us.
And frankly if you want software, it's far better to go to the scorce,
http://www,al7bar.tk/forums/ then risk something that has been downloaded from there and reposted somewhere else.

[Yalickit]

Basset "your source" is too slow to find or even post the software.

[theslydog]

Yesterday I had a play with a Fortec with 2.43 version firmware out of the box (8 aug I think) and it hated the universal LNBF and wouldnt lock properly. It continually bounced from 0% to 100% quality (or there abouts).

Well I loaded 2.29 and the problem went away and locked NSS6 Ant with a universal no probs 95% quality.

tsd

[adp81]

thanks tsd im going back to 2.29 because i have the same problems with my unversal lnb

[Yalickit]

tsd, got a name of brand of lnbf? I got an invacom working OK here on all version's. Maybe LNB don't like life and fortec :)

[theslydog]

Maybe the make of LNBF makes a ddifference, I have several different brands of Universal I will give them a try.
The one I was using was the one that the French LBF supply cant remember the brand. Will look tomorrow.

tsd

[bassett]

Yalickit wrote,,
Basset "your source" is too slow to find or even post the software

And as i remember it Yalickit, your the bloke i had to talk through the U**S
system for accessing A****A.
How quickly people forget.

I'll say it again , there's nothing wrong with 2.29 , 2nd edition software.

[Yalickit]

Yes you did basset you taught me everything you I know.:)

[scrappydoo]

2.48 (and 2.47 for that matter) on lifetime ultra seemed to have finally fixed the blind scan problems that versions later than about 2.34 had (ie. not scanning very much on B1).

I was using 2.47 for a few weeks with good results. It actually found a TVNZ feed for some breakfast TV program here in Australia which was most interesting (not) which was the first NZ feed I had seen here. 2.48 also seems to be working fine here.

I've got the fortec fixed on B1 so I am not sure about any other features in the firmware which we shouldn't probably mention anyhow.

I wish they would give some release notes though for each firmware version.

And they still haven't fixed No Transponders Founded message which has been there intermittently ever since I got the device, but at least these versions don't cack themselves on HD with 2.29 does, requiring a hard reboot.

[satboy]

Hi all, i have got myself the fortec lifetime ultra and it came with 2.61 loaded which is the current file as i type this msg but the problem i am having is on B3 and some channles on C1 i get pixelation and breaking up of picture but all the other satellites on my moteck work fine, so i have tried loading various software versions and to date the best for me is 2.31 which plays all C1 channels and about 98% of B3 perfectly but it then has given me the same problem on NSS6 were all those channels are pixelated. My question is this, am i doing something wrong as i would have thought the newer the software the less bugs but in my case it appears to be the opposite the newer the software the more bugs in it.
It definately appears to be in the software as all i do is change software and it creates different problems.

Update:
new software released for Al7bar FTA Ultra_050217_262_api(PAL)(PolSat and Nagravision Auto Update) and this still does not fix the problems im haqving with C1 and B3 pixelation.

[simmo]

have you another box to compare? (jus' tryin' to work out if dish is aligned/ big enough)
I run 2.40 here still, and it seems fine for me?!

[satboy]

Hi Simmo,
I Have a humax ir-ace and it works fine on that box, no matter what satellite i tune into with the humax the pictures are perfect, its only when i change over to the fortec ultra that i get these problems and as i said it appears to be in the software.

[simmo]

Hmmm, dunno....
Can you try and 'downgrade'???
5100+plus is fine here...

[satboy]

well i have downgraded all the way down to 2.31 from 2.62 and 2.31 is the one that works reasonbaly good, except on nss6 which then gives me the pixelation problem on that then, not that theres much on nss6 that i would watch its more i want the latest software with its whistles and bells than using older software.

[theslydog]

This is a std problem for the lifetime ultra - there is info on this problem in various threads. Best to stick to 2.31 or 2.29 as these 2 firmwares will do just about all that can be picked up here..

tsd

[satboy]

thanks theslydog, i just cant beleive that with all the software updates for this product that to date we still have problems.
by the way new software released again today Al7bar FTA Ultra_050221_263_api(PAL), will have to try it when i get home from work tonight but i dont hold my breath on it fixing my issues.

[tumbi]

This is a std problem for the lifetime ultra - there is info on this problem in various threads. Best to stick to 2.31 or 2.29 as these 2 firmwares will do just about all that can be picked up here..
tsdSo, what then is the consensus on the best, most stable release for the 5100 + Ultra?

Does the boot version make any difference? (I'm still on Boot 5).

tumbi

[bassett]

Have to agree with you TSG, 2.29 does everything that we need..

While there is a coniderably number of software downloads available, NONE of them are designed for us in Australia. Reason being , we have a very small [ change to non-existant] market, and I would really doubt that there would be more then 5000,
[probably argueable, by the party fathfull] Fortec models working in this part of the world. So writing specific software, is not about to happen any time soon.

[viewer]

Mine has factory 2.41 and I have found no issues at all.

[lazer]

2.31 works best for me ;)