Page 22 - TELE-audiovision - The World’s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine

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22 TELE-audiovision International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine — 01-02/2013 —TELE-audiovision.com
Firmware Update
of the KWS VAROS 109
1. SETTINGS must be selected in the
main menu.
2. Next, go to the SOFTWARE menu item.
3. Here you can either call up the current
firmware version or update the firmware.
4. The KWS VAROS 109 we received
for our test came with firmware V01.02f
installed by default. During our test a
new version was released by the manuf-
acturer.
5. The new firmware file needs to be
copied to the supplied USB memory
stick using a PC. The USB memory
stick is then plugged in the USB port of
the meter and update function must be
selected.
6. The KWS VAROS 109 recognises the
firmware file on the USB memory and
displays the file name for confirmation.
7. The firmware file is then written into
meter’s internal memory.
8. After restarting the KWS VAROS 109
the current firmware is now V01.03a.
that differentiate the VAROS 109 from
the VAROS 306: The new meter is de-
signed for satellite signals only (that is
to say, the DVB-S and DVB-S2 modula-
tions) and it comes as a small handheld
device. Other than that, all functions
and features are available with the small
meter as well, and they can be used just
like with the VAROS 306. For aligning a
satellite antenna the spectrum analyser
function is the best starting point. Long
before a usable signal brings up video or
audio the spectrum will indicate whether
or not you’re on the right track. Once
you get the knack of it you’ll be able
to identify a particular satellite simply
based on its characteristic spectrum
pattern. But even if you don’t, there’s
no need to worry since the KWS VAROS
109 naturally comes with an NIT func-
tion that will quickly and reliably recog-
nise the active satellite you’re currently
pointing to.
The spectrum analyser implemented
in the KWS VAROS 109 was able to win
us over right away. Even though it is a
fully digital analyser it still provides a
real-time presentation of the current
spectrum. The refresh rate for the en-
tire frequency space is approximately
one second, which means the spectrum
display will keep pace even with faster
antenna movements.
One of the benefits of a digital ana-
lyser is that it is possible to move a red
marker using the Left/Right buttons
with the effect that the corresponding
frequency will be given out together
with the signal level. Whenever you’re in
one of the enlarged spans the marker
frequency can be used as the starting
point for a signal scan without having to
key in additional parameters. A touch of
the ENTER button is all it takes.
This turned out to work absolutely
flawlessly and for installers it is thus
possible to select and analyse a tran-
sponder without additional preparation.
While this is a single feature among
many, it alone should make the KWS VA-
ROS 109 the meter of choice for many
professionals. After all, time is money,
and the less hassle with a meter, the
more business on any given day. What’s
more, DXers will also be delighted by
that feature since it allows detection of
feed frequencies in the spectrum, which
in turn can be scanned and evaluated
without mincing matters.
According to the manufacturer, the
KWS VAROS 109 will happily process
symbol rates from 2 to 45 MSym/s, and
our test lent proof to that assertion. The
meter is therefore perfectly suitable
to deal with more exotic transponders
and their frequently low symbol rates as
well.
Professional installers will truly appre-
ciate that the KWS VAROS 109 comes
with a list of five pre-defined symbol
rates that can be freely edited. These
can be used to speed up an automatic
search, even though it has to be men-
tioned that the meter can also deter-
mine the actual symbol rate all by itself.
Just be prepared that the search then
takes a little bit longer.
As the KWS VAROS 109 sports an al-
most complete transponder list for all
satellite positions worldwide, manual
detection should not be required all too
frequently anyway. Instead, you can
simply pick your desired transponder