Has my Fortec Box expired?

[diapason]

Has anyone experience of this? Whilst watching on my Fortec Lifetime Classic, the picture suddenly turned red, flickered a few times then disappeared. Naturally I checked all leads as SCARTS are a bit heavy, but, no, all was well there and I could receive any number of channels in sound only, AND the box was still switching the TV to it when I used it. Then I thought to use another TV, a small black & white portable, and another SCART lead - same result - I can select any channel but I only get sound. The clue was the picture turning red and then disappearing.

At the moment I have switched off and disconnected the power and will try again, but it looks as if the Fortec box is on the way out - or does anyone have any ideas - is there any kind of reset button on these boxes?

Any answers gratefully received

[satsid]

Hi m8 you could try a factory reset if nothing happens when you put back on.Iv had other receiver that have done this before,sometimes a up grade of firmware might help if your lucky.
sid

[nanochickin]

Its knackered mate i've seen it happen before with the Lifetime Classic, Something to with a diode or something like that packing up

It happened to a mates receiver sometime last year if i remember right. In the end it worked out cheaper to get a new one, rather than fixing it

Time to start looking for a new one i'm afraid

Treat yourself to a new Technomate 1000D mate

You'll be amazed at how much more stuff there is out there to watch



Nano

[diapason]

Thanks, guys. Just switched it on again - little Fortec tune coming through on sound and all channels still selecting, but in sound only, no picture. I'll leave it for a few days - don't suppose anyone knows where to find the offending diode, as I'm a dab hand with a soldering iron - but in the end I'll investigate a Technomate. The little Fortec did a good job while it lasted and until today had over 1500 channels stored in it, and only 6 months aftre the guarantee expired!!

I have two dishes with three LNBs on the front of my house which are the envy of the neighbours, so it should not be too much of a problem to connect a Technomate to the incoming lead - or does anyone know of any other problems which I should address?

[satsid]

Hi diapason if you have 2 get a new receiver,have a look @ the vantage as well as the tms.If it was me i would go into a shop & try both out first
sid

[BGonaSTICK]

It might be possible to use the Fortec PC software (if there is such a thing) to copy all the channel information off to your computer.

Which would obviously mean buying another cheap Fortec to load it all back on... :?

Just a thought, if you'd spent an age getting it just how you liked it.

:'( It's always sad when a receiver bites the dust I think... worth popping the lid and having a sniff round inside?

Nothing to lose after all.

[diapason]

The Fortec is consigned to the great hereafter - I've gone for the Technomate TM 1000D Super but it's still in the box as I'm out tonight to an Organ Recital by Dame Gillian Weir at Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow where I'm a regular performer - be nice to hear someone else play the magnificent Lewis Pipe Organ but that's another story. SWMBO is going out shopping tomorrow so I'll set the Technomate up and report success or otherwise - maybe even get reading the instructions uninterrupted as well!!

[bigtee]

diapason

When you report on progress re the TMS 1000D installation, hope you don't mind throwing in a brief review of the performance of Dame Gillian and which pieces she played,

[diapason]

Happy to oblige. The Technomate has been installed and is working well - I'm receiving channels from 28.2E, 19.2E and 13E. I did spend a lot of time keying in the up to date transponders as the box came with pre-embedded information. It seems to be quite user-friendly but I still have to work out how to organise channel lists. On my old Fortec box, I had everything from 28.2 in alphabetical order and the 19.2 and 13E in transponder order. Still, the picture and sound quality seem to be excellent.

As for Dame Gillian on the Kelvingrove Lewis Pipe Organ dating from 1901 and restored by Manders about 13 years ago, she played very well and the audience numbered about 450! Her programme was:

Toccata in F - Bach, Voluntary in D minor - Stanley,a Maggot - Arne, Voluntary in Di minor - Purcell, Variations on "Barint" - Mathias (a strange piece), Adagio in E - Bridge, Choral Prelude on Croft's 136th - Parry, Variations on a theme of Fresobaldi - Langlais, Choral 3 - Franck and Mosto Ostinato - Petr Eben.

Thr following link will give some detail about the organ and the building :

http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/venue/...id=4&itemid=20

The Technomate is working well - hope I have not digressed too much, but any suggestions in sorting channels would be appreciated. I also noticed that in entering a transponder with the same number but different polarisation, the box came up with the message "existing TP" as I tried to change the polarisation from "V" to "H". Should I delete the transponder information completely and start again?

The old Fortec box goes to the Council dump tomorrow.

I shall resist patching for the time being!!!

[bigtee]

Thabks a lot for the review - both; would love to see Dame Gillian play maybe some day at the RFH where I have seen Oliver Latry among others in the past.

Back to the TM:

My approach to organisisng channels is to use favourites --- which is under "Edit Channels" in the Menu List. it will give you up to seven headings (which you can rename) to organise your channels.