From: ries@amiga.enet.dec.com (Frank W. Ries Jr.)
Newsgroups: rec.video.satellite
Subject: Anyone out there with new SuperGuide (SG-10) and Monterey 50/90?
Date: 5 Jan 93 23:02:12 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation


I recently received my SuperGuide upgrade to the new version (SG-10).

I have a Monterey 50 receiver, which is about 6 months old. I have
found that the SuperGuide has intermittent problems sending the
Infrared Codes to the Monterey, or so it would appear. The Monterey
works fine with its own remote, as well as a programable remote which
I use. The SuperGuide works fine controlling my Sony VCR, and a friends
Sierra III receiver. However, on my Monterey 50, it sometimes fails to
do anything, or misses a key when sending satellite names or channel
numbers. In fact, its not even consistant turning the power on/off or
muting the audio. It just seems like there is some sort of a timing
problem with sending the codes to the Monterey.

I called technical assistance at SuperGuide and they were of little
help, but gave me the name and phone number of the General Manager. So, I
called him. This was an experience. He was extremely rude, and I gave
him no reason whatsoever to be that way. I was not upset (initially
anyway), I just wanted to find out if this was perhaps some known
problem, and what I could do about it. He really jumped down my
throat, and said that there were MANY satisfied SG-10 owners with
Monterey series receivers and that the problem must lie with my
Receiver. He also said that Chaparral had told him that the SG-10
worked fine with all their receivers, old and new, so there!

Now this may all be true, but that doesn't solve my problem.
Unfortunatly, I know noone else locally with a Monterey 50 which
I could try my SuperGuide with to see if it is the SuperGuide or
the receiver. Calling Chaparral isn't going to do me any good
either since the receiver works fine with the normal remote. I'm
sure they will tell me to call SuperGuide.

I also raised the issue with this guy about the fact that the
Monterey series has no "D" key for naming satellites, and therefore
since SuperGuide calls Anik E1 and E2, D2 and D1 it cannot
select those satellites. I got another ear full, a rather flaming
one! I mean this guy was just plain and simply, RUDE! I was not
flaming to him, but stating a simple fact, and was interested
in knowing what might be done about it. Being a software engineer,
I would have put in some sort of mapping function to map SuperGuide
satellite designators to those of a selected receivers. Then, if
I chose a program to "watch" which was on D1, the SuperGuide
could send A1 (or whatever) to the receiver. Simple. He did indicate
that some "fix" like this was in the works but offered no timeframe
or any other info about it, or if I would be able to get it.

What makes me angry is that the Monterey 50 was listed as a supported
receiver in the upgrade notice I got last August. What interested me
most about the upgrade was the fact that it could control the receiver.
SuperGuide has always listed the Anik series satellites as D#, and
they knew that the Monterey series receivers have no "D" key, so in
fact its not 100% compatable. Plus, it may turn out that it plain
don't work if I find others out there with Monterey's that don't
work with the SG-10.

By the way, he did mention that there was an intermittent problem
with a "previous" model SuperGuide (SS mumble 1000) and the
Monterey receiver, but that this had been fixed in the software
in the SG-10. :-).

He offered to refund my money, but what good is that. I invested
$350 in the original SuperGuide, and spent another $200+ on the
upgrade. Since SuperGuide no longer supports the old unit (they
are/have terminated the old data stream) I would be left with
a boat anchor. $350 down the drain! Of course I believe that
their decision to drop the old data stream (cause as they said,
MOST subscribers elected to take the upgrade) outta be illegal.
The old units are now useless (anyone wanna buy one :-) ). I can't
believe everyone decided to upgrade. They offered to refund any
unused subscription to anyone who did not upgrade, but big deal!
What about the original hardware investment!

I used to think that SuperGuide was great (and still do, really),
but I am now totally turned off by the company. There is no
excuse for how I was treated by their General Manager. And if
you think about it, what they did with their upgrade policy
is outrageous. You had to send them $50 months ago  (in my case,
last September) to "reserve" a unit that would be shipped in earlier
November, that did not ship until the end of December! If you
decided not to upgrade, well then, just write off your initial $300+
investment. I mean, at least GI's VCII+ upgrade was free to legal
subscribers!

Oh well, enough flames. If anyone out there has a Monterey receiver
and a SuperGuide SG-10, please send me mail or post a reply and let
me know if it works for you or not.

Thanks!
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