EchoStar T-232 FTA Bedienungsanleitung PDF herunterladen

Traditional 36V/5A motorised satellite

systems have become even more of a

niche than ever, thanks to the success

of simple and easy-to-use DiSEqC 1.2 motors. For

the past few years we’ve only seen new models

from manufacturers like Echostar and

Manhattan, who want the prestige of a luxury

satellite receiver in their ranges, even if it’s not

very proﬁtable.

There are things a DiSEqC motor can’t do,

such as drive a large dish at a respectable speed,

and satellite newcomer Technomate is anxious

for some of the prestige attached to having a

motorised receiver in its range, especially when it

has unique features. But the enthusiasts who use

this kind of motorised receiver are a demanding

bunch, and even a marque like Echostar has had

problems keeping them happy with its most

recent receivers and upgrades.

Technomate is a relatively new brand, but it’s

hungry for the kind of recognition a good

motorised satellite receiver will draw. We’ve been

impressed by the entry-level TM-5500D, which

combines good performance and features with a

keen price. The TM-5500DAPCI is

intended to offer motorised satellite

enthusiasts all the features they expect

at a price neither Echostar nor

Manhattan can hope to beat.

As the letters suggest, the TM-

5500DAPCI is a combined digital and

analogue receiver, with a built-in 36V

positioner and a twin common interface.

It’s built on the basic chassis of the

entry-level model, so it’s also got DiSEqC

1.2 motor control with USALS auto-loca-

tion. However, there’s also

auto-positioning for traditional motors,

and a unique system to drive a special

Technomate inclined orbit mount.

This is a hefty dual-axis motor which

can follow the older satellites which wan-

der up and down in their orbits to save

fuel. They’re not used for ordinary broad-

cast TV, but for news feeds and other

programming links. Inclined orbit mounts

are a rarity that enthusiasts normally put

together as a DIY project, so this could ﬁnd a

small but eager market. Indeed, Technomate’s

mount is something so unusual we’ll be dedicat-

ing a special test to it next month.

The receiver itself is pleasantly bland with its

silver lifestyle ﬁnish, a central four-digit green

LED display and six buttons for basic channel,

volume and menu control below. A drop-down

ﬂap on the left-hand side conceals the twin com-

mon interface slots. There’s a blanked-off card

slot, and Technomate does supply units with an

integrated magic CAM for a £20 premium on the

£209 basic price.

The remote control is a slick design, easy to

hold, and it offers several useful extra function

buttons. You move around menus with a central

control pad (the silver version overleaf is easier to

use than the pre-production model shown here).

The back panel (detailed below) is crammed

with connections, although it’s surprising to see

what Technomate has had to leave out; there’s

no digital audio output and no S-video output.

The receiver’s already more than £100 cheaper

than its Echostar and Manhattan equivalents, so

it’s difﬁcult to see why these features have been

left out of a top-tier model.

SETTING UP

Technomate’s menu system is a simple mix of

text and icons, broken down into Main,

Installation and User sections, and there are

test report

A FULLY MOTORISED RECEIVER FOR JUST OVER £200 WITH AUTO-

POSITIONING AND AN ANALOGUE TUNER? IT CAN ONLY

TECHNOMATE’S LATEST SATELLITE BARGAIN

BACK TO BACK

LNB

loopthrough

output

VCR Scart

supports

composite video

Analogue decoder

Scart loopthrough,

PAL or Mac

baseband support

TV Scart supports

RGB and

composite video

Composite

video

output

Stereo

audio

outputs

UHF modulator

loopthrough, tunes

channels 21-69

Magnetic

polariser

controls

Digital

tuner

input,

rated to

400mA for

DiSEqC 1.2

motors

Analogue tuner

inputs, rated to

400mA for DiSEqC

1.2 motors

36V actuator controls,

for reed switch or

optical sensor

RS232 serial port

for PC link via null

modem cable

12V switch

output

Mechanical

polariser

controls

TECHNOMATE

TM-5500DAPCI

Set individual channels with

hex or decimal PIDs

Call up full details of the current

channel and transponder

Set up satellite, LNB and switch

details on one page

Signal strength and quality

meters aid manual positioning

Or save the effort with

auto-positioning

WHAT SATELLITE & DIGITAL TV January 2004

0104ws12 technomate S1*p 1/12/03 15:10 Page 34

1 2 3

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Seite 1 - TM-5500DAPCI

Traditional 36V/5A motorised satellitesystems have become even more of aniche than ever, thanks to the successof simple and easy-to-use DiSEqC 1.2 mot

Seite 2 - THE OPPOSITION

refreshingly few sub-menus. Instead, thecoloured function buttons on the remote areused to access different options, and the screenis efﬁciently divid

Seite 3 - PERFORMANCE

isn’t an absolute measurement of carrier-to-noise, but it feels like a sensitive tuner.ANALOGUE TUNINGAll the analogue channels you’re likely to wanta