new vu+ solo2 1tb installed

[fishytail]

Hi all,

currently got 1m dish and spiderbox 9000hd, however being brave this weekend changing box gulp!!!! to vu+ solo2 any advice info would be great I have seen dummy guide but do have couple of questions ;-)

what sat should I leave the dish on?
what is the best image?
What EPG?
Are plugins part of the image?
do I need to set up line on pc
is it easy to access box remotely and can you move sat remotely ?


that's just a couple, oh and is the box good? bit late already purchased ;-p


look forward to posts and discussions

[echelon]

moved from the DUO help forum to the SOLO2 help forum (as you have stated its a new solo2, not any of the duo`s)


Hi all,

currently got 1m dish and spiderbox 9000hd, however being brave this weekend changing box gulp!!!! to vu+ solo2 any advice info would be great I have seen dummy guide but do have couple of questions ;-)

what sat should I leave the dish on?
what is the best image?
What EPG?
Are plugins part of the image?
do I need to set up line on pc
is it easy to access box remotely and can you move sat remotely ?


that's just a couple, oh and is the box good? bit late already purchased ;-p


look forward to posts and discussions

probably best to leave the dish on 0.8w if you are in the uk, although it doesnt really matter as once your solo2 is setup the same as the spiderbox it should do the same as the spider as far as picking up satellites is concerned (the motor isnt changing at all)

images are varied and you will find 10 people will tell you 10 different images are best
either go with BH or VIX to start with, thats my advice, others may tell you different

crossepg with the cooltv plugin addon is probably best, and you may find one or both of those plugins may be already in the image you install

some plugins are normally included in the image, some can be downloaded from the image makers website (from the addons menus) and some plugins are installed by yourself , either by ftp or by installing as ipk or tgz from your tmp folder (var/tmp), or using VuCC tool may assist you in this matter (so it varies, and the methods of installation also vary)

normally you would ftp into var/etc and edit the cfg files in there, but it can be done on a pc using notepad plus and then ftp,d over if you prefer to do that (I edit it directly on my duo using the ftp program flash fxp, but you may use vucc or dcc or filezilla or any other ftp program)

check our android forum for details on the free android vu app available for free on the play store, for remote viewing and remote access

you can also use your browser to access features in your images by putting the ip address etc into your browser (web control interface)

its an excellent box, only surpassed by the DUO 2

ps:- i would have one temporary usb stick of say 2 or 4 or even 8 gig for installing stuff from the front usb slot like images, even an older smaller sized one of say 1 gig or 512mb or similar, mainly for image installation

but in the back I would buy and use a 16 or 32 gig usb stick, left in there permanently for picons and epg downloads etc, I use one of the mini-sized usb sticks for this in the back of mine, so its not the standard size but maybe a third or a quarter of the bigger ones you normally buy

[fishytail]

excellent advice ty very much I have a 1tb external hd in addition to the 1 tb within the vu+solo2 I don't have a stick to hand but the external hd should be ok shouldn't it?? how long will the set up take and will I need to do the standard install first before flashing an image?

ty ;-)

[echelon]

the point about using a usb stick is that its instant memory, no external power required , not a hdd and no spin-up time involved, otherwise you could use the internal hdd for the picons and epg downloads, but then you will get delays as it has to spin-up from sleep mode to operating mode, and its not as fast at storage and retrieval compared to the instant read/write capabilities of a usb stick

I was trying to help you by recommending stuff you possibly hadnt thought about, which I thought was one of the requests in your post ? I have no interest in what you havent got, because you will have to get them (or buy them), you will have to have at least one to flash the box from the front usb port anyway, because that is the standard method of flashing the box as listed in the tutorials, same as it was for your spiderbox

surely the point here is that you look at the recommendations being offered and do them on the grounds that there must be reasons for those recommendations ? (ie:- the users of these boxes have methods for doing things with good reasons behind them, even if you are not aware what they are)

so if you are told that its a good idea to obtain and use usb sticks, then surely that is what you do ? not offer up a usb hdd as an alternative to the recommendation being offered

its your box so do as you wish, my recommendations were based on using a vu duo and having relevant info about your solo2 purchase so I recommend using a permanent usb stick in the back and one for flashing images from the front usb port, making 2 usb sticks used in all - period (if you havent got them , then buy them - simples)

as for setting one up, it takes as long as it takes and as you are not familiar with the vu boxes, possibly not even dreamboxes, it will take you a lot longer than an experienced owner or user before it is up to speed, but it would be pointless for a learner driver to ask an experienced and licensed driver how long they will take to learn to drive , its not a question that can actually be answered by anybody, as it depends on your ability to learn, ability to process the information and put it into practice, ability to learn and process all the theory , ability to obtain and use the tools required - so many parameters to consider

the box will come with a factory image, then its your job to decide which image you are going to install, and to install it, after that its about customising it, adding plugins and extras, channel settings lists, the works, so its not going to be a 10 minute job like the spiderbox, it will depend on your abilities in learning a whole new process and tools and plugins and methodology in getting it working, so I predict you will be at it for hours and days, much head scratching will ensue, you may at some point which you had not started, but thats true when learning to drive too ;)

do a lot of reading, then take the plunge, good luck

[fishytail]

I was totally agreeing with you mate just only got the external drive to transfer tonight and was thinking about setting up later. your advice was invaluable and I will plug a usb in the back tomorrow etc.just being impatient ;-) I guess it was a little bit of a retoricle question as I am keen to start and I an ameature and I always listern to the voice of experience ty once again!!

[echelon]

thanks, but you still have to accept that those of us using the boxes are going to tell you to do things you do not understand, so dont try to bypass what you are told with something similar, as there are fundamental reasons why we tell you to do something or to use something so just "do it" anyway and find out the reasons why later would be the better course of action, impatience or no impatience

a usb hdd was never mentioned, I have never used one on any linux box and have no intention of doing so as its pointless

you use an internal hdd (which you appear to have ordered inside your new solo2) , one external usb stick (not hdd) for flashing the box and installing any addons or plugins as required using the front usb port as and when directed , and a different usb stick (not hdd) permanently in the back for instant storage that works in real time, but is mainly used for picons, epg download storage, time shifting , and backups

otherwise you will experience many delays in trying to use the box as it keeps waking up your hdd drive or drives before it can do the task you have set it, which for picons means doing it every time you change channel, and can mean the same for the epg display too , hence the reason for my usb stick recommendations, think of them as mandatory requirements (as was using one usb stick with your spiderbox). anybody who can afford to buy a solo2 (or duo like me, or duo2) with internal sata hdd fitted can also afford a few pounds for suitable usb sticks for flashing it and for storing files that the box needs instant access too and frequent and instant read/write actions as opposed to an internal hdd used for recording onto, or for storing mp3 files, for storing mkv and divx files , or storing pictures etc

a lot of this info is buried in the various guides, I was putting it into context so you would have all the required tools and equipment when starting out, especially because you asked for help and relevant info, then as you learn more about the box you will download and use more pc tools, more plugins, tutorials and do***ents , channel lists and all kinds of sundries to go with your box

the vu box is a superb box, but its not simple like your spiderbox , your spiderbox is like you learning to ride a pushbike, and having mastered it you are now trying to master riding a fireblade or harley, with all that goes with it, including the servicing and running details, learning to ride it, learning to fix it, to alter it, to customise it, to refuel it , to become "expert" at it !

so any newbie reading your post may feel that you had a valid reason for not using a usb stick due to you already owning a usb hdd, this is not the case and I am making sure it is discouraged right from the start. the usb sticks are ESSENTIAL !