OpenBox/SkyBox S12 in stock
by admin on Jan.24, 2012, under FridgeFTA Forums News, FridgeFTA Store News, Uncategorized
We now have a limited number of OpenBox S12 / SkyBox S12 back in stock. The latest shipment is branded OpenBox. Other than the name and giftbox, OpenBox S12 & SkyBox S12 are identical.
Latest version improvements:
- LCD Display
- Tuner lock/standby lights
Available now at http://store.fridgefta.info/?page_id=1505
DRO v PLL LNB/LNBF FAQ
by admin on Jan.20, 2012, under FridgeFTA Forums News, FridgeFTA Store News, Uncategorized
Q. What part of a LNB/LNBF does DRO or PLL refer to?
A. Every LNB/LNBF needs to generate a frequency known as the L.O. (Local Oscillator) frequency. This is used to mix with the satellite signal and to output a lower frequency that your satellite receiver can tune to. This is commonly called the “LNB frequency” in your STB settings. Examples are 10600, 10750 and 11250. DRO and PLL are two different L.O. types and methods used to generate the LNB frequency.
Q. What is the difference between DRO and PLL oscillators?
A. DRO (Dielectric Resonator Oscillator) is a simple device usually consisting of a ceramic disc that resonates at a desired frequency. DRO’s are usually inexpensive, fluctuate greatly with temperature changes, and are typically not very stable. High stability DRO’s do exist and are very expensive. DRO’s used in cheap LNB/LNBFs are of the inexpensive, less stable design, with a typical stability of +/- 1MHz to 3MHz.
PLL (Phase Locked Loop) oscillators, simply put, use a more accurate reference clock and a circuit that repeatedly feeds back the output signal and adjusts its output to be accurate and stable. PLLs are typically more expensive, especially for higher frequencies and are used in devices where a high degree of accuracy is required. PLLs do not suffer nearly as much from temperature/frequency variations. PLL’s in commercial grade expensive LNB/LNBFs have stabilities from +/- 500kHz all the way down to 25kHz or better.
Q. Who uses DRO LNB/LNBFs?
A. DRO’s are typically used in cheaper LNB/LNBFs by end users that do not require a high degree of accuracy for signal conversion and reception. They work sufficiently to lock large bandwidth or “fat” signals such as most DVB-S MPEG-2 carriers that do not require sophisticated equipment or accuracy to receive. Manufacturers use DRO’s for end user products because of ease of manufacture and super low cost. A good example of where a DRO performs “adequately” would be most of the religious and ethnic programming on 97W/Galaxy 19. These powerful and out of date DVB-S MPEG-2 signals do not require stability and accuracy for decent reception. Almost any brand low quality LNB/LNBF will work for these type of signals.
Q. Who uses PLL LNB/LNBFs?
A. Until recently PLLs have been used almost exclusively by commercial customers that require a high degree of accuracy, stability, and the ability to lock low bandwidth and/or weak satellite signals. Some well off hardcore hobbyists run similar equipment to commercial setups, typically costing $300 – $1000+ for the individual feed and LNBs.
Q. Will a PLL LNB/LNBF outperform a typical DRO?
A. Normally yes, but not always. It depends on the type of signal. The before mentioned “fat” and powerful DVB-S MPEG-2 signals on 97W/Galaxy 19 already come in super strong and perform well on outdated equipment. A PLL is not needed nor will it help much under these conditions. In fact, if you have a fixed, dedicated dish and a middle of the road LNBF optimized for that dish you might be able to achieve slightly better levels than a PLL on the same setup. If you happen to be one of the very few people that only receives religious or ethnic programming for 97W with a dedicated MPEG-2 only system a DRO will work just fine. For the remaining 99.999% of the market a PLL will almost always outperform any of the cheap DRO’s on the market.
I do see some gain on 97W with a PLL, but nothing dramatic and nothing compared to PLL performance on more difficult signals.
-A PLL will almost always significantly outperform DRO on weak signals.
-A PLL will almost always significantly outperform DRO on DVB-S2 signals.
-A PLL will almost always significantly outperform DRO on high FEC signals.
-A PLL will lock and bring in signals that even a good DRO cannot.
Q. Why does a PLL perform better on difficult signals?
A. A simple analogy would be threading a needle. Someone with shaky hands (a less stable DRO) will probably be able to thread a big needle (fat, strong signal) successfully. A steady handed person (high stability PLL) can thread the same needle with the same results. Now take a fine needle with a very small head (narrow bandwidth DVB-S2 signal). The shaky hands (less stable DRO) either cannot do it at all or will be very slow and poor performing at the task. The non-shaking hands (PLL with stable signal) is able to thread the small needle without much difficulty.
Q. If a PLL is so much better and more expensive, how does DMS suddenly have them at a low price?
A. A manufacturer recently developed a whole PLL oscillator on a single IC for Ku band applications. The IC is manufactured in great quantities (30,000pc minimum order) allowing prices to come down compared to other PLL LNBs. The technology advancement along with the manufacturing quantity has dropped the cost to build a PLL LNB/LNBF significantly.
Q. Why doesn’t anyone else have an inexpensive PLL yet?
A. They will eventually. None of the American distributors have the money or influence to buy the 30,000pc minimum of the new IC. They will have to wait for a company in China to do it, and then buy smaller quantities of an “off the shelf” with a private label on it. DMS is partnered with the Taiwan company that manufactures the new Ku PLL.
Strangely enough, one of the other USA satellite distributors that is highly critical of PLLs attempted to buy the PLL from the Taiwan company and became critical of the PLL and company only after being turned down!
Q. Who are the main critics of the new Ku PLL, and PLL’s in general?
Q. Do I really need to buy a PLL?
A. Depends.
If all you receive is “fat” DVB-S MPEG-2 like 97W/Galaxy 19 and you don’t have signal issues or missing channels, what you have will work just fine.
If you are a typical FTA hobbyist, you will benefit from a PLL. You will get higher signal strengths (quality) on most signals, higher rain fade resistance, higher stability. You will almost certainly be able to bring in more channels and stabilize weaker and borderline feeds. PLL will help stabilize troublesome DVB-S2 signals. If you have problems with Montana PBS, NBC S2, FSTV or LPBS the PLL will likely help. If you feedhunt you should lock more wildfeeds and bring in many of the weaker ones.
Q. Will a PLL solve every issue?
A. No. There are always limits such as your other equipment, installation, or signals that are just out of reach. This will always be the case in the FTA hobby at any level. PLL will almost certainly significantly improve and stabilize your current hobby system and allow you to get the maximum out of your dish size and DVB-S2 STB.
FridgeFTA is back…..did you miss us?
by admin on Jan.19, 2012, under FridgeFTA Forums News, FridgeFTA Store News, Uncategorized
If you attempted to visit FridgeFTA Forums on January 18 you probably received the message below.
Please read this entire article to learn why FridgeFTA True FTA Forums joined in this protest and how SOPA/PIPA could affect YOU.
![[Image: sopafridge.jpg]](http://www.fridgefta.info/pics/sopafridge.jpg)
If you visited other popular websites such as Wikipedia and Craigslist you likely saw similar screens. FridgeFTA joined thousands of websites in protest of the SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) which are quickly making their way thru the USA House and Senate.
![[Image: sopawiki.jpg]](http://www.fridgefta.info/pics/sopawiki.jpg)
I have been unusually silent on SOPA and PIPA, mainly due to FridgeFTA being one of the few real True FTA sites out there. I didn’t want any misunderstanding or confusion with FridgeFTA standing against SOPA/PIPA and possibly being viewed as “pro-pirate”.
I also was not fully briefed on SOPA/PIPA. Contrary to what “they” want you to believe, SOPA/PIPA does not just affect foreign piracy sites. It can and will be used to attack legitimate USA and Canadian websites and businesses.
Tuesday evening I was convinced that FridgeFTA needed to stand against this legislation. The main site page was blacked out just after midnight Wednesday without warning, similar to what will happen under SOPA/PIPA. Hopefully this got your attention and will raise your awareness of what is happening.
I am going to illustrate 3 examples of how this legislation could be used against FridgeFTA. You can use similar examples to show how private companies, WITH NO JUDICIAL OVERSIGHT, could take down almost any USA site they don’t like.
Basically, any private company could claim a trademark, copyright or intellectual property infringement. They could go right to our host with a notice and have our sites shut down without notice to us. They could go to PayPal and have our accounts frozen, effectively shutting down the business end and our ability to pay for hosting, domain names and legal defense. They can even request and require that ISP’s and search engines block us. ALL THIS WITH NO WARRANT, SUBPOENA, COURT ORDER OR EVEN LAW ENFORCEMENT OVERSIGHT. Next they could sue. Lawsuits are normally not about right or wrong or the truth, they are about who has the bigger bankroll and higher buck attorneys.
A certain satellite provider does not like us or our criticism of them.
Said provider can go to our host and claim we are a piracy site. They can site a few examples of real satellite pirate sites and have us shut down and our accounts frozen. A web host won’t have a clue about FTA, True FTA or piracy, but the one sided demand from the satellite provider would certainly only brief them on the piracy side of FTA. Under SOPA/PIPA our host & PayPal would have to comply with the shutdown demand, just like as if it was a court order.
Let’s say we did a news story about said provider and used their logo or a picture of their dish in the story. This is perfectly legal under “fair use” as it is part of reporting on said provider. However, that provider could just claim an infringement and have us shut down. Under SOPA/PIPA it is shut down first, investigate (maybe) later, if you have the know-how and money to counter the claim.
A feed provider decides they don’t like us reporting on them or discussing their feeds
They could use the same or similar methods to the first example to have us shut down.
A member posts an article, hotlinks a picture from another site, or puts up a link (live or dead) to a “piracy” site or anywhere else that a company does not approve of.
FridgeFTA staff would be fully responsible, even if we were not aware of it, even if we don’t host the materials. A company could have us shut down for having the link, image, reference or whatever. Again, it doesn’t have to be proven that the suspect material is illegal or infringing, it only needs to look that way on the surface. Under SOPA/PIPA we basically would have to censor all offsite links, images, media and everything else. If we miss ONE, we can be sued!
—————————————————-
Under USA and international law there is already a system in place to deal with this sort of thing. I have personally used it against USA and EU sites that have stolen our materials and used them in store ads and/or for commercial gain. Under the DMCA and international copyright I send a notice to the infringer of the infringement, establish our right/ownership of the materials, and demand that it is removed. Normally this is enough and works well. If not, I send the same notice to the site host and they will either remove the material or shutdown the site. If the material is on a 3rd party site like Wordpress, ebay or craigslist the process is similar. The infringing site is informed right away and can remove the material without shutdown and can file a simple counterclaim if they believe they are entitled to the materials. It would then need to go to a court for shutdown/removal. Legal oversight is required.
Under SOPA/PIPA there is no notice to the site, and no judicial/legal oversight in the takedown process. If you are wrongly accused it is an instant legal battle you must instigate to get your site/materials back online…if you can.
If the infringing material is on ebay or craigslist, they can be sued and shutdown even though they did not post it or have notice to remove it.
As you can see by the above examples, SOPA/PIPA can easily be abused and used against legitimate websites. It is not benign legislation that will only affect foreign (or domestic) pirate sites.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
1. Go to http://americancensorship.org/
a. If you are in the USA, fill out the first form with name, address, email and submit. This will send the letter to the right to your local congress people and senators urging them to oppose SOPA/PIPA. Don’t worry, the address is used for the system to locate your representative, not to send you junk mail. THIS TAKES 30 SECONDS OF YOUR DAY.
b. If you are outside the USA you can still help. Scroll down that page, sign the petition for the state department.
c. If you use twitter, facebook or other social media, express your opposition to SOPA/PIPA. Post links to this article or to other sites with information on SOPA/PIPA.
d. If you run a website or blog, post about your opposition. Link to this article or to other sites/articles with information on SOPA/PIPA.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for taking action to oppose SOPA/PIPA.
Joe
FridgeFTA administrator/owner
Update, 14:54pm Eastern.
-3 co-sponsors of SOPA & PIPA have withdrawn their support for the bills due to the online protests! http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technolo…gress.html
-Called to speak to my senator, Al Franken (D-MN). Received a voicemail. The voicemail was full. As of this time Franken is a supporter of PIPA in the senate according to http://projects.propublica.org/sopa/
-Called to speak with my representative, John Kline (R-MN, USMC retired). Got to speak with someone right away, expressed my concerns. Was told that Mr. Kline released a statement a short while ago against SOPA due to the infringement upon Freedom of Speech. At the end of the call they requested my address, I assume to send me something. Felt like Mr. Kline’s office genuinely cared. Mr. Kline statement: http://kline.house.gov/index.cfm?section…temid=1979
“I am not a co-sponsor of this bill, and do not support the legislation because it fails to maintain the freedom of expression provided by the Constitution and infringes on our liberties.”
-Called to speak with my other senator, Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Was able to speak with someone and leave a rushed comment in opposition to PIPA. Asked Ms. Klobuchar’s position, was told she was a co-sponsor but has not announced how she would vote.
Update 17:26 Eastern
-I looked over the other major True FTA sites & suppliers and even some of the little ones…sad to say that other than FridgeFTA only Scott at Satelliteguys stood up and did anything to oppose SOPA/PIPA with his site today.
FridgeFTA True FTA Forums Blacked out Jan 18 in protest of SOPA
by admin on Jan.18, 2012, under FridgeFTA Forums News, FridgeFTA Store News, Uncategorized
See our Forum front page, www.FridgeFTA.info/forums/index.php
EXPECTING TO REACH FRIDGEGTA?
FRIDGEFTA HAS JOINED GOOGLE, WIKIPEDIA, MOZILLA AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER WEBSITES
IN THE JANUARY 18 2012 PROTEST OF SOPA, THE STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT.
SHOULD SOPA PASS AND BECOME LAW YOU MAY FIND MANY LEGITIMATE WEBSITES SUDDENLY
GONE, BLOCKED, HARASSED, CENSORED OR SUBJECT TO OTHER ACTIONS BY GREEDY CORPORATIONS
AND LEGAL AUTHORITIES ON QUESTIONABLE GROUNDS.
FRIDGEFTA STANDS AGAINST CENSORSHIP OF THE WEB OF ANY KIND.
New FridgeFTA Store International shipping terms
by admin on Jan.13, 2012, under FridgeFTA Forums News, FridgeFTA Store News
Lately there have been some issues with international ordering and shipping, so we have to strictly enforce the following new terms which will be added to the International terms & conditions soon:
a. We will NOT accept international credit card payments or PayPal payments and ship to a USA or Canadian address unless the address is PayPal verified and is listed as the shipping address in PayPal and the order. Adding a different address to “notes/instructions” is unacceptable. Any such order will be voided. As we are charged higher fees for international payments, there will be a fee from us to you.
b. The website and the ordering dropdown for each product specifically lists the countries you can order from online, which are USA/PR/GUAM and CANADA. If you place an order from Mexico, Brasil, EU or elsewhere on the store site it will be automatically voided. You must CONTACT US for special order outside USA and CANADA.
c. If you wish to use a forwarder, the forwarder’s address must be PayPal verified and listed as the shipping address. Payment must be made with a USA PayPal account or credit card. This normally means you will need the forwarder to make the purchase for you.
d. We assume absolutely no liability for shipments outside the USA and CANADA. Duties, import fees, VAT, ect are the customer’s responsibility.
e. WE DO NOT WARRANTY ANY PRODUCTS FOR USE OUTSIDE OF THE USA/PR/GUAM and CANADA. If the manufacturer offers a warranty any issue must be handled thru them.
f. The following products are not exported outside of the USA/PR/GUAM and CANADA: OpenBox S10, SkyBox S12, AZbox, SatHero. They are specifically configured for our market only. We may make exceptions on a case by case basis for established customers.
g. WE DO NOT SHIP OR DO BUSINESS WITH THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES: IRAN, IRAQ, NORTH KOREA, CUBA, SYRIA, ISRAEL, PALESTINE, PAKISTAN, YEMEN, SAUDI ARABIA, LEBANON. We do not ship to Africa except for the following countries: Egypt, South Africa. Exceptions are only made for US State Department or Armed Forces orders.
h. All international orders are subject to a 5 business day or longer hold.
i. We reserve the right to make exceptions for established international customers.
Latest version OpenBox S10 w/component video back in stock
by admin on Dec.28, 2011, under FridgeFTA Forums News, FridgeFTA Store News
We *finally* have sufficient units in stock and available now.
All of our S10’s are the latest model with component video and many other improvements covered here: http://www.openboxs10.info/?p=513
Each unit is individually tested and then flashed with our private North American private True FTA Firmware before shipping. Private 1-on-1 support and posting access in our OpenBox Forums is also included.
Get the new version S10 at either of our sites:
http://store.fridgefta.info/?page_id=1102
http://www.OpenBoxS10.info
![[Image: NEWS10_555.jpg]](http://www.openboxs10.info/wp-content/upload/2011/11/NEWS10_555.jpg)
SkyBox S12 now in stock at FridgeFTA
by admin on Dec.27, 2011, under Uncategorized
These begin shipping to customers Wednesday, December 28. There is already a backlog of S10’s and S12’s going out so if you want a S12 ASAP get your order in quick.
Note: Initial shipment is black.
Store page: http://store.fridgefta.info/?page_id=1505
Review: http://www.fridgefta.info/forums/showthr…3#pid63453
![[Image: Image3.jpg]](http://store.fridgefta.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Image3.jpg)
Holiday/post holiday shipping delays
by admin on Dec.26, 2011, under FridgeFTA Store News
USA/PR
Many customer shipments from last week have yet to be delivered. Stuff that I have received delivery confirmation back on that normally takes 2-3 days has been took 4-7. To make it worse, USPS is closed Monday, Dec. 26. I expect them to also be slow this week, and to top it off next Monday Jan. 2, is another postal/Federal holiday!
Puerto Rico almost always takes longer than the 2-3 days for Priority. I’d expect further delays for PR as well.
This has also impacted delivery of bulk goods to FridgeFTA. We are still waiting on several shipments from last week. If we’re lucky they will get here sometime Tuesday, probably late due to several carriers not operating over the weekend or today. 2 shipments of S10’s and our initial S12 shipment are in the “waiting” category. Only good news I see is amazingly, US Customs appears to be moving smooth, everything from overseas has cleared and is just waiting for the carriers to get moving.
In short I would expect delays with shipping thru the end of the year. 
Canada
Hard to say with Canada Post. During normal times we can ship 2 packages the same day to the same person in Canada. CA Post delivers one in 5 days, the other in 14. Probably safe to assume that CA Post is also backlogged this time of year. CA Customs can be similarly unpredictable.
For those that chose the cheaper First Class Insured, this normally takes 6-14 business days not including possible customs delays or holiday slowdown. There is no real end user “tracking” so these always will show “notice received” or departed/arrived at a US sort facility until they show up in your mailbox. Don’t worry, even when they are slow CA Post has never lost one, knock on wood.
Again my apologies for the mess but with shippers and the holidays it is beyond our control. 
Outside NA & Forwarders
Speed and holiday delays vary greatly by country and customs department. If sent from here directly you at least have tracking. If you chose to use a forwarder it is completely beyond our control, some of them are notoriously slow in the best of circumstances which is why we do not contract with forwarders. You will need to contact your forwarder yourself, we can only confirm delivery to the forwarder and are not responsible beyond that.
SkyBox S12 / OpenBox S12 is now at FridgeFTA!
by admin on Dec.16, 2011, under FridgeFTA Forums News, FridgeFTA Store News, Uncategorized
SkyBox S12 HD PVR is now available from FridgeFTA Satellite Store. This is an ultra-low cost, economy DVB-S / DVB-S2 HD True FTA STB that operates similar to the OpenBox S10. Check it out now at http://store.fridgefta.info/?page_id=1505
DMS Avenger PLL321-S2 high stability, low noise Ku LNBF review/testing
by admin on Dec.10, 2011, under FridgeFTA Forums News, FridgeFTA Store News, products
EVERY KU LNBF YOU SPENT LESS THAN $200 ON IS OBSOLETE.
LNBFS FROM A CERTAIN OTHER COMPANY WITH DECEPTIVE NUMBERING AND SPECIFICATIONS MIGHT AS WELL BE FROM THE 80′S. THEY HAVE NOTHING REMOTELY CLOSE!
FridgeFTA did introductory pricing on the PLL321-S2 before testing to reward those with faith in DMS International and FridgeFTA. You made the right move and will NOT be disappointed.
![[Image: IMG_20111210_172929.jpg]](http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/joef1/IMG_20111210_172929.jpg)
Avenger PLL321-S2 surrounded by obsolete LNBFs.
![[Image: IMG_20111210_172953.jpg]](http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/joef1/IMG_20111210_172953.jpg)
Now that the other LNBFs are out of the way we can talk about the new Avenger PLL321-S2. Three things make the PLL321-S2 stand out.
1. High Stability PLL (Phase Locked Loop) Local Oscillator. Simply put, this is an expensive, higher tech way to generate the reference frequency for the LNB. The higher the stability, the easier you can lock weak, narrow and/or high FEC signals. Avenger PLL321-S2 has a stability of 300kHz, compared to other Ku LNBFs that are 1MHz if lucky to 3MHz or worse. PLLs are used in $200+ commercial grade LNBs and LNBFs.
2. Low noise figure. PLL321-S2 is a 0.1dB N.F. LNBF. Many commercial high stability LNB/LNBF generate more noise, partially offsetting the stability advantage. Not so with the PLL321-S2.
3. Price. The Avenger PLL321-S2 is priced at a hair fraction of commercial grade LNBs/LNBFs.
First Impressions
As usual, MrTim and DMSI introduce and deliver a product to me during a rainstorm, blizzard, tornado or other natural disaster. Today only started at 1F with constant high winds blowing across the field. A little less than ideal conditions to work outside in and test products.
First thing I did was to unbox a PLL and check it out. Smaller than Spitfire. Black. Then something fell out of the box: a black matching rubberized weatherboot. Cool!
Feed throat opening appears a bit bigger than other Ku LNBFs but not by much. The “neck” where the LNBF clamp attaches is also a bit longer than Spitfire, allowing more in/out adjustment to fine tune your focal point for maximum signal.
Testing
Testing was rather straightforward. An Avenger 322 has spend most of its time on the new version Hotdish90 out here. I picked out some of the low symbol rate, low data rate Ku DVB-S2 signals that I know are pesky, along with some others. I then used a SkyBox S12 to move to each, and read the SNR off the loopthru using a DC blocked SatHero with latest firmware/Nov standard update.
After doing so I went out in the freezing cold and quickly swapped in the PLL321-S2. I did not fine tune its position or tweek it on the meter, just slapped it in as fast as I could in the cold.
![[Image: IMG_20111210_130818.jpg]](http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/joef1/IMG_20111210_130818.jpg)
![[Image: IMG_20111210_130758.jpg]](http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/joef1/IMG_20111210_130758.jpg)
![[Image: IMG_20111210_130839.jpg]](http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb334/joef1/IMG_20111210_130839.jpg)
Next I flashed the universal november file to SH to match the PLL and switched the settings in S12 to match…..
First test transponder read almost +5dB SNR higher!!!!
Here are the test transponders and results.
72W AMC6
12048H (no channels) +4.65dB
83W AMC9
11735H (RTV/TUFF TV) +3.90dB
87W SES-2
11808H (LPBS) +1.95dB
12010H (KTEL) +0.30dB
12044V (FL CH) +3.6dB
105W AMC15
12136V (no channels) +0.45dB
121W EchoStar9
12089H (no channels) +0.0dB
123W G18
11772V (UWTV) +1.8dB
11838V (FSTV) +3.3dB
11965V (Peace TV) +0.0dB
125W AMC21
12106V (Montana PBS) +2.10dB
12114V (OKLA/OETA) +1.20dB
I had ASSumed before testing that a PLL LNBF wouldn’t do much good on “fat” DVB-S signals. The RTV results of +3.90dB SNR proved that conclusion dead wrong. I wish I had tested more DVB-S with the 322 before switching to the PLL.
I also didn’t think that there would be much difference on decent strength DVB-S2. Wrong again. Just about all the DVB-S2 I tested here was fairly strong. The weakest was 12048H on 72W which went from 7.35dB to 12.00dB, the highest gain observed in testing.
Average across all testing was +1.94dB SNR.
Aside from regular use and stabilizing pesky signals, I see a ton of applications for the PLL: Back of the 621 for C/Ku, multiple Ku LNBFs per dish and possibly excellent results with scalar sidecar come to mind.
Only disadvantages I observed is the well known DiseqC 1.2 fine tuning cutout on vertical transponders with ALi based STBs. Not the PLL’s fault at all, it is the way 22kHz reacts in the ALi boxes. Not much of a concern compared to the gains with the PLL321-S2.
The other thing was that SatHero was jumping around alot. This could be the increased sensitivity of the new firmware or the high winds that were buffeting my dish, or a combination of the two. I will investigate this further, but SH works fine with the PLL otherwise.
Conclusions
I started this article with them. Only other conclusion I have is the guys that got the introductory pricing got a heck of a steal. This is the “MUST HAVE” Ku LNBF. Get them now before FridgeFTA or DMS realizes we priced them too low!!!
