OK, I'm beginning to get to grips with my new Humax FreeSat HDR, but am confused by a problem that arose yesterday evening.

I have only a single LNB and am using it into LNB1, with no connecting link between LNB1 Out and LNB2 In (haven't got round to it yet!).

I had scheduled 3 consecutive programmes on BBC4 to start later ('Nurse Jackie', as we'd missed a couple of the episodes from BBC2 earlier in the week) and started watching 'Hostage' on Channel 4, expecting a warning message to come up if there was a transponder clash and the BBC4 wouldn't record. In fact, as the BBC4 started to record, the little REC symbol came up top left, so I thought all was well and carried on watching Ch4.

SWMBO was panicking about the BBC4 recording 'Nurse Jackie' properly, so at a commercial break in 'Hostage', I flipped over to BBC4 to show her that it was OK. However, I then couldn't get back to Ch4: I got the channel unobtainable dialogue, familiar to me from when the transponders are not the same. Since we'd already seen the first episode of 'Nurse Jackie', I stopped the recording, went into file manager and deleted the recording of that episode.

I then was able to return to Ch4 and watch the rest of the film, secure in the knowledge that the Humax HDR would record the 2 subsequent epsides of 'Nurse Jackie'. Sure enough, the REC symbol came up each at each start time, so all was well, or so I thought. I did notice a dialogue box flashed up very quickly at two points, presumably the end times of each episode, but didn't want to come off Ch4 in case we couldn't get back to it again.

Later, when 'Hostage' had finished, I discovered the 'Nurse Jackie' episodes had NOT been recorded, and that the dialogue box had said something like, "Recording less than 30 seconds, probably will not be stored".

I've checked the transponder spreadsheet (at least as far as I am able to understand it!) and Ch4 and BBC4 are both on the same transponder colour, so presumably I should be able to watch/record them both?

Why did the first epsiode of 'Nurse Jackie' seem to record, whilst we watched 'Hostage', yet the subsequent 2 did not? Any explanations? (A further point: I'd scheduled the 'Nurse Jackie' to 'Record Series', could my deleting the first episode in File Manager have had an effect, although I did see the circular REC symbol come up top left at each subsequent start time?)

The answer is simple. The firmware on the hdr assumes that the link cable is available so will accept recording reservations that are impossible because you have only 1 tuner connected. Channel4 is on transponder 10714 H with

125 More4 +1
300 Film4
301 Film4 +1

BBC4 on 10773 H shares a transponder with

102 BBC Two
105 Channel 5
106 BBC Three
600 CBBC
601 CBeebies
950 BBC 1 London
957 BBC 1 NI
968 BBC 2 England

Put in the link and you won't be able to set impossible recording/viewing combinations

If you are referring to my spreadsheet or webpage they aren't in the same colour blocks. CH4 is is mucky beige and BBC4 a pale blue.

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Thanks, Graham!

If yours is the FoxSat Static Mk2_11 spreadsheet, then yes.

I was going on the colour in the 4th column: I thought this meant they were the same transponder?

How come the HDR had apparently recorded the first episode, which I then stopped recording and deleted via the file manager?

The fourth column indicates what two channels are available for recording/viewing using one cable and two tuners (with the link). The first tuner can pass on channels sharing the same frequency band (high/low) and polarity to the second hence HBH - High Band Horizontal. HBV - High Band Vertical, LBH - Low band horizontal and LBV - Low band Vertical. The transponder is the 5 digit number in column B (it's the carrier frequency in Mhz). With only 1 tuner and no link you will be able to record two from the same transponder but not from the same column D block.

You can knock up a link cable in minutes using a short piece of coax (ordinary low loss should be OK for such a short piece_ and a pair of f connectors which are easy to fit. B&Q should have both (ignore the grease)

http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/fconn.htm

If you have excel and a PC get the automated version it does all the hard work for you

Ah, I see, thanks for making that clear Graham, but I still don't understand how come the HDR had apparently recorded the first episode of 'Nurse Jackie' on BBC4 whilst I was watching 'Hostage' on Channel 4, a recording which I then stopped and deleted via the file manager?

I have a PC and MS Excel: how do I get it to wire up the F connector?

Seriously, what does your last remark mean?

You can watch a previously recorded programme at any time, this does not need a tuner so viewing recordings is possible at all times. If you mean you were watching CH4 live while recording BBC4 I don't undestand that either. (Perhaps the fairies put in the tuner link ).

The spreadsheet I referred to has macros that can tell you what combinations you can record and watch for both dual and single cable applications. It can also suggest alternative regions to record to make a particular 3rd programme viewable. It needs a slight mod for your local channels at 101 102 and 103 (simple instructions on the help button)
Anything you don't understand after having a play just post a question)

http://www.4shared.com/file/11660217...dCheck011.html

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Thanks for the link, Graham (and the hard work compiling the spreadsheet!): now I've got to work out how to get the macros to work, as I get an error message about the security level when I open the file, so they are blocked...

Which version of Excel have you got ?

2007 details here

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/ex...969191033.aspx

I'm running Excel 2003, and have enabled the macros, but nothing has changed on the spreadsheet, so don't know how to use it. Presumably instructions are available on the Hummy website, and I've followed what I thought were your instructions (click on the channel) but nothing happens!

Sorry to be so thick about this!

Try this site.

If a channel is in the same section then you should be able to view it while recording another channel in that section.

http://en.kingofsat.net/sat-astra2d.php

On the channels worksheet there are three command buttons. Help, Dual Cable and One Cable. Clicking on any of the the buttons should run the code. Help simply tells you how to find the transponder frequency that needs to be entered in cells B2, C2, B3, C3, B5 and C5. Clicking on one cable should bring up a new window with a list of all the freesat channels. Clicking on one populates the list of what you can watch. Clicking on the second channel you want to record populates the list of what you can also watch.
Picture
http://www.4shared.com/file/10021432.../OneCable.html
This sheet has two buttons

Suggest. This brings up a new window with a list of all the regional variations (if any). Click on any recording one to populate the chanels viewable list. Once clicked you can use the up/down arrows to view the other channels viewable
picture
http://www.4shared.com/file/10021434...leSuggest.html

Can I watch. This brings up a list of channels that you may want to watch while recording two. Clicking on one will check if it's possible to view that channel by changing one of the recording pair to a different region
picture
http://www.4shared.com/file/10021437...ableWatch.html

Bump stuck post

Graham, I feel like I'm going mad here!

You wrote: 'On the channels worksheet there are three command buttons. Help, Dual Cable and One Cable.' I'm looking at the Channels worksheet and I can see nothing but a list of channels (have a look here).

How wierd it must be the permissions you have not loading the command buttons. It is a PC and not a Mac I presume. The mac does not support active x components.

Get the entries for 101 102 103 by tuning to them on the hdr and pressing opt+ make a note of the frequency and polarisation and transfer to the data. Try running single cable by Tools/Macro/Macros. click on showonecableform and then run.

Aaah, that's the baby (Try running single cable by Tools/Macro/Macros. click on showonecableform and then run.)!

Don't know why I have to do it manually with the spreadsheet, but at least now I can see something like your screenshot: very neat, well done! (PC not Mac, BTW.)

And I presume the result applies when I've made up the LNB1 Out to LNB2 In link cable (F connectors ordered yesterday)?

Correct you need the link cable. You can add your own command button and link it to the code if you want.

OK, I've made a copy of the Excel file (in case I bodge it!) and have amended the transponder settings for my region (although only the ITV1 actually needed changing).

Running the macro 'showonecableform' still works: how would I go about adding the command button? (If this is too tedious for you to type out, don't bother, it works OK as it is: I'm just curious!)

View toolbars/control toolbox. Choose the command button (4th down left)

Drag out a button

Right click and choose properties

Change caption to One Cable or whatever you want it to say

Double click it to open a module - type showonecableform and close the window and also the Vb window.

Click top left button in command toolbox and close the window

Button should now run the code

You might like to try using postcode EX2 2JN to get a superb ITV 1 picture from ITV 1 West Country (as on the default sheet)

Sorry, Graham, I've wasted a couple of hours trying to follow your instructions, but don't know what I'm doing. I managed (sometimes) to drag out the Command button, but it (sometimes) disappears, also managed to get to Properties (sometimes) and inserted the code 'showonecableform' in the VB window, but then the Command box in the worksheet disappears (sometimes!).

I hate being defeated but my use of Excel is just about limited to using the Sigma button to add up a column of numbers, so I'm really lost with all this!

Thanks anyway...

Hang on: just discovered it IS there (the 'One Cable' command button) but it is invisible unless I happen to hover the cursor over the right spot, when it changes to an arrow! Clicking then makes the 'One Cable' command button appear, but it disappears again if I move the cursor away! (And it does work if I click on it!) How can I make it permanently visible?

With the controls toolbar active right click the button and choose properties make sure that the visible property is true. Other than that baffled. Don't worry I will add an extra menu item to the menu bar which should always work.

Buggered it up completely now: all I get when I click is the 8 little circles denoting the Command box placement, clicking just opens up the VB window...

Grrrrrr.........

Try adding a new button from scratch and when you do the properties bit make sure visible is enabled. I will try and sort out a menu equipped version later today.

Tried this: it's already visible! Even managed to get the background blue and even a picture displayed, but it still disappears when the Excel spreadsheet is re-opened!

I can make the command button visible by watching the mouse icon closely then clicking when it changes to an arrow (rather than the normal + icon): the proper form then comes up and if I close the form, the button command is there!