Oyster Vision 1 (1 Viewer)

gibbo57

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Hi, I am new to this forum. I am experienced in Motorhoming in Ireland and all around Europe.
My background is in Electronics Hardware and Software design. As many of you are no doubt aware the Oyster Vision 1 Satellite System is no longer supported by ten Haaft GmbH.
I have been contacted by several Motorhome owners who were looking for a solution to the problem that did not involve forking out £500-700 for a new Oyster Satellite controller. I now have a working solution to the problem which necessitates an add on box that fits beside the old wedge shaped control panel. The new box has a Keypad and LCD Display the enables the user to input and save new Transponder settings.
This solution will work for automatic searching for Astra 2 or any other satellite that can be received in Ireland/UK/Europe.
See attached photo of working unit.
John
 

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funflair

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We have a fairly simple modification to our Oyster vision 1 it consists of a second LNB a change over switch and a bit of jiggery pokery in the software box and it searches for Astra 1 and locks on, switch the switch and it is on Astra 2.

Martin
 

Geo

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I take it your box of tricks is FREE to all as you make no mention of being trader and have made no attempt to observe trader advertising rules

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gibbo57

gibbo57

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I take it your box of tricks is FREE to all as you make no mention of being trader and have made no attempt to observe trader advertising rules
Some Oyster Vision 1 systems will not lock on to Astra 1 in Ireland/UK. The transponder frequencies/settings are no longer in use.
 

Wanderlust 7

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Hello Could you give me more information on this box as our Oyster 1 is useless now and we are going to be selling our Motorhome next year so do not want to spend fortunes.
 
Aug 6, 2013
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Hi, I am new to this forum. I am experienced in Motorhoming in Ireland and all around Europe.
My background is in Electronics Hardware and Software design. As many of you are no doubt aware the Oyster Vision 1 Satellite System is no longer supported by ten Haaft GmbH.
I have been contacted by several Motorhome owners who were looking for a solution to the problem that did not involve forking out £500-700 for a new Oyster Satellite controller. I now have a working solution to the problem which necessitates an add on box that fits beside the old wedge shaped control panel. The new box has a Keypad and LCD Display the enables the user to input and save new Transponder settings.
This solution will work for automatic searching for Astra 2 or any other satellite that can be received in Ireland/UK/Europe.
See attached photo of working unit.
John
I'm very interested. Can you post more details please?

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funflair

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Thank you Martin, how much did Robert Jackson charge for it?
Sue

Ah couple of years ago or three and I honestly can't remember, a few hundred pounds ish.

I guess its worth asking if they still do it and how much.

Martin
 

eddie

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There is no need to spend a penny on upgrades.

If you have an old MK1 Oyster system which cannot be updated and you don’t want to spend anything upgrading the hardware then there is a final option which is manual aligning.

1. Switch on your receiver (digi box) and switch to the signal test menu page. Press Settings -> Option 4-> Option 6 on Sky Viewing boxes or usually under satellite setup on FTA Boxes.

2. Switch on your Oyster system and choose the relevant zone for your current location i.e. Uk = Top / France = Middle & Spain = Bottom. The Oyster system will search but not lock on and eventually stops with an error message of “No Satellite Found”. You need to stop the satellite search before it reaches this error stage. Wait for your Oyster system to start a box search i.e. Dish moves right, then dish moves down, then dish moves left and finally dish moves up and as it goes down and then goes left press the Menu button.

3. Using the right arrow on the control box scroll across to “Manual Search” and press the ok button.

4. Once in this mode you have full manual control over the Oyster and with the up, down, left and right arrows you can manually move the system, however the right arrow and left arrow controls are inverted and do the opposite of what they show. Move the system towards the southwards i.e. to the right from its current location by pressing the arrow one click at a time leaving a few seconds between clicks. Keep doing this until you start to see a signal show on the signal test page. Once the signal is present then peak the signal by using the arrows left, right etc until you have a strong reliable signal then press the ok button on the controller to store the location.
 
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gibbo57

gibbo57

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Just back home from holidays today. The Vision 1 Programmer performed very well while away, no problem finding Astra 2 as far south as Alicante. I am now going to extend the functionality and test it over the next few days and will then be in a position to finalise the kit price.
By the way the Robert Jackson solution is dependant on the Oyster Vision 1 being able to find Astra 1 this may not be possible in the future if transponders are changed to accomodate more HD channels.
There is a lot of interest in this modification for Oyster Vision 1 and I am also looking at the possibility of modifying it to work on automatic satellite equipment from other manufacturers who no longer support upgrades for their equipment. If anybody has any specific requests I would be happy to look at it.
John

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Feb 22, 2011
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@eddievanbitz

Dish moves right, then dish moves down, then dish moves left and finally dish moves up and as it goes down and then goes left press the Menu button.

So are you saying at this stage the dish has found the correct height and just needs adjustment left and right ?

TIA
 
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gibbo57

gibbo57

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In reply to the post from eddievanbits.
Without a valid transponder setting the Vision 1 controller cannot possibly find the satellite azimuth or elevation. It is possible to find any satellite in view using manual controls but it could take some time and it would be helpful to use a compass and satellite signal meter.
 

Jaws

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As others have asked.. Price and availability please @gibbo57 ?

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gibbo57

gibbo57

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Sorry for the delay on pricing, I am making some minor changes and will post details on price and availability next week.
 

eddie

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In reply to the post from eddievanbits.
Without a valid transponder setting the Vision 1 controller cannot possibly find the satellite azimuth or elevation. It is possible to find any satellite in view using manual controls but it could take some time and it would be helpful to use a compass and satellite signal meter.
Its about six inches left and one inch down from Astra1 lol

With the digi box or Sky box displaying the signal strength meter it is pretty straightforward to find Astra2 once the system has found Astra1

The biggest problem that we has as a company suggesting that people spend money on electronic upgrades is the fact that the Vision1's are coming to the end of their natural lives, seals going, gearing wearing out and cables breaking etc.

As a Company we bear the brunt of the complaint when someone spends money on an upgrade of one part and another fails "I've just spent £ xxxxxxxx"

So the crux is how much will your update cost?
 
Feb 22, 2011
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Ah, ok then. I have the Jackson upgrade as post 2 but sometimes it struggles to find astra 1 for some reason it's a bit hit and miss.
Don't know how these things work but I wondered if transmission power had been reduced to whatever it is Oyster locks on to ?

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gibbo57

gibbo57

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The cost for the Oyster Vision 1 update will be €200.00
I will not offer a kit for the moment therefore the Control Unit will have to be shipped to me for modification. The cost for modification and return of the controller is included in the price.
For clients that are concerned that their system may be reaching the "end of their natural life" I will be offering a full reconditiong service in the near future. This will include a full system check and replacement of wornout parts, motors, gears, bearings and seals.
John
 
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gibbo57

gibbo57

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The cost for the Oyster Vision 1 update will be €200.00
I will not offer a kit for the moment therefore the Control Unit will have to be shipped to me for modification. The cost for modification and return of the controller is included in the price.
For clients that are concerned that their system may be reaching the "end of their natural life" I will be offering a full reconditiong service in the near future. This will include a full system check and replacement of wornout parts, motors, gears, bearings and seals.
John
 

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Dec 9, 2016
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Hi We are very interested to get our Oyster Vision 1 updated. We are travelling to Galway the end of December could we bring it to you if you are near or otherwise please could you inform us of how to get it to you?

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two

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I thought you could switch Oyster1 to search for Astra2 instead then, when found, manually adjust (something like 2 steps down and 3 across) to get Astra1 (?)
 
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gibbo57

gibbo57

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Hi Brian,
I am located in Athlone.
Will you be travelling to Galway in your Motorhome?
My mobile number is +353879117043

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Gorse Hill

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Hi Brian,
I am located in Athlone.
Will you be travelling to Galway in your Motorhome?
My mobile number is +353879117043
Better to PM than give your mobile number to the whole of world, unless you want to of course :xThumb:
 
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gibbo57

gibbo57

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Oyster Vision 1 Programmer Setup and Operating Instructions

Background

Oyster Vision 1 Satellite Controller had been made obsolete because the Manufacturer stopped supporting their product. Prior to this the only way to update the Transponder Settings was to remove it from your Motorhome/Caravan and ship it to an authorised dealer who would reprogram new Transponder settings and charge a fee for the update plus shipping costs. Over the last number of years the ASTRA 2 fleet of Satellites has been replaced and numerous Transponder changes has taken place. The Manufacturer has ceased to support this unit and advised its customers to purchase a new controller supplied by them at a sigificant cost which enables the user to input Transponder settings.

The alternative to this is to purchase a much lower cost Programmer which interfaces with the Control Unit. This unit is Designed, Manufactured and Installed by Zeniatech Limited based in Athlone, |Ireland

This Programmer when configured with correct Transponder settings can once again enable the system to automatically find any Satellite, if within the Satellite coverage footprint and as a result greatly extend the life of the product.

The unit is very simple to program and anybody that can program a number in to a mobile phone can operate this unit. Astra 2 Transponder settings can and do change on a regular basis, this should not be a problem with this update.



Programmer Specification

- Tuning Range 11.7GHz to 12.7GHz Vertical or Horizontal (DVB-S)

- 16 Button Keypad

- 16 Digits by 2 Rows Blue/Green LCD Display with Backlight

- RJ45 Connector for Power and Data connection to Satellite Controller

- 15mA power consumption with LCD Backlight off

- Permanent EEPROM Memory storage for Vertical and Horizontal Transponder Settings

- Symbol Rates Supported 22000 and 27500

- Automatic FEC (Forward Error Correction) Mode

- Bypass Mode (Programmer effectively not in circuit)

- Clear or White Moulded Plastic Case (130mm x 100,mm x 30mm)

- Powered by Oyster Vision 1 Control Unit







Unit Programming:

The Programmer can be programmed at any time while the Dish is not in Motion.

Transponder Frequency Input

Press Button (A) to enter Settings Menu. (You can press button (A) at any time to restart the programming procedure.)

Press button (B) to exit programming mode at any time without upsetting preprogrammed memory settings. (Button (B) shows existing Transponder Memory settings.)

Enter a valid 5 digit Transponder Frequency from the Keypad and enter the hash (#) symbol to terminate the frequency input. If the Frequency is within the correct search range the Programmer will go on to the next menu. (If an Error Message is display enter a new valid frequency.)



Polarisation Setting Menu

Select (1) for Vertical Transponder

Select (2) for Horizontal Transponder



Symbol Rate Setting Menu

Select (1) for 22000 Setting

Select (2) for 27500 Setting



The Transponder Settings will be displayed on the LCD Display and if all is correct you can save the settings or press button (A) to go back to the start.

Press the Star symbol (*) to save the Transponder Settings to Memory.



Input both Vertical and Horizontal Transponder settings from the list provided for ASTRA 2 for trouble free operation. The units will be installed preprogrammed with the recommended settings.



Press the ON/OFF button to switch on the Oyster Satellite Controller and use the MENU and Arrow buttons to navigate to the Satellite Selection menu and select (ASTRA 1) press OK to select.

Press the OK button to manually initiate an automatic search .

Your Satellite Receiver should be Switched on and tuned to any Vertical or Horizontal Channel for an Automatic Search to start. The Programmer LCD Display Backlight flashes to indicate Transponder Settings data transfer has been initiated.



ASTRA 2 28.2 Degrees East

Polarisation Frequency Symbol Rate

Horizontal 12110 27500

Vertical 12207 27500



ASTRA 1 19.1 Degrees East

Polarisation Frequency Symbol Rate

Horizontal 12422 27500

Vertical 12480 27500



Note.

You must select (ASTRA 1) on the Oyster Satellite Controller to search for programmed Transponder settings even on (ASTRA 2). The reason for this is one of the old updates carried out by the Manufacturer was to solve an issue where a satellite was placed at 26 Degrees East (BADR) next to the ASTRA 2 Satellite at 28.2 Degrees East. Unfortunately the same Transponder Frequencies were being used on both Satellites and the manufacturer came up with a solution that involved finding the Satellite at 26 Degrees East first and then moving the Dish slightly to find ASTRA 2 at 28 Degrees East.

**Remove the 12 Volt Supply Fuse before disconnecting the Programmer form the Control Unit.**
 
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gibbo57

gibbo57

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Theoretically my solution will work with any satellite system that uses a digital Satellite Tuner. It was primarily designed to help in situations where it is not possible to get Satellite Control units updated in the event of Transponder changes. It could be installed on any satellite system as a long term solution to reduce the cost of regular updates. I am not familiar with the Oyster Samy control unit but I guess it would work I would need some information on the control unit such as the Microprocessor and Satellite Tuner make and model number.
John
 

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