Promax Prodig 5B (TV Explorer US)

The Promax Prodig 5B (TV Explorer US) has been designed for the installation, maintenance and surveillance of terrestrial, satellite and cable TV systems. This is perhaps the easiest to use spectrum analyzer on the market today.

Overview

The Promax Prodig 5B (TV Explorer US) automatically searches for channels available in any type of network and displays the quality of each signal. It does not require any preliminary information to scan & measure signals. When a signal is found, it will display all the available information about the available channels such as standard, modulation type, symbol rate, etc.

The Promax Explorer's compact and rugged construction makes it ideal for field use. A 5" color LCD screen shows all measurement results and can also display the picture of analogue and digital channels found by the Explorer.

The Prodig 5B includes a high resolution spectrum analyzer function where the user controls how the signal is displayed on the screen. This makes the TV Explorer ideal for analogue and digital use on the field. It is compatible with PAL / SECAM / NTSC analogue signals.

The Prodig 5B can analyze 8VSB (US off-air HD), QAM (US Digital Cable), DVB-S (Mpeg-2) and DSS (DirecTV) digital signals!

Want to read an article with background information and how to install a dish using the explorer? Click here. You can also download the TV Explorer PDF brochure for more information.

Tele-Satellite International also published two very informative articles on the TV Explorer. You can get the July 2006 and November 2006 articles in PDF format.

Watch Promax videos on YouTube here!

New: All our Promax spectrum analyzers sold in the North American market come pre-loaded with the latest North American Ku-Band transponder maps of FSS and DBS satellites from 129°W, all the way to 61.5°W.

the Prodig 5B online.


Built for the North American market!

The Prodig 5B was built for the North American market. This model features off-air HD digital (8VSB), cable digital (US QAM), DVB-S and DirecTV (DSS) digital measurement capability!

 

Easy to use

The Promax TV Explorer is easy to use. Most functions can be accessed within the touch of a single key and these functions can then be controlled via the push dial and the arrow-keys. There are no complicated sub menus to navigate to get where you want...

Example: Hit the S/T button to switch between Satellite and Terrestrial or the D/A button to switch between Digital and Analog.

First of its kind, the TV Explorer also includes an Auto-Identification and an Explore key to search for information about a particular channel/frequency or to scan all bands to search for signals.

Auto Identification

The TV Explorer is designed for use in terrestrial, satellite and cable-tv environments in both digital and analogue.

By hitting the Explore key, the instrument will search for any type of signal available and display its parameters such as Standard (Pal / Secam / NTSC), modulation type (QAM / QPSK / COFDM), transponder parameters (Symbol Rate, FEC) and channel parameters (PIDs).

Once transponders and channels are identified, the Explorer creates a registry of all the available channels for easy navigation of the entire network by the installer. Sessions can be stored and recalled at any time, to save time and organize your work.

You can also search for specific signals by manually entering the channel parameters.

Signal Measurement

All measures about a particular channel / transponder can be seen in one screen. The display adapts itself to the type of signal being measured:

Analogue measurement:
  • Level
  • V/A
  • C/N
QPSK & COFDM measurement:
  • Power
  • C/N
  • MER
  • CBER
  • VBER
QAM measurement:
  • Power
  • C/N
  • MER
  • BER

Spectrum Display

To give the installer absolute control over his work, the Promax TV Explorer is also a powerful spectrum analyzer. This function is easy to use and allows the installer to control key parameters such as resolution, sensitivity and sweep time.

The Promax TV Explorer comes with several user-selectable color models or "skins". There are a number of possible combinations between colors and lines. Skins can help to improve the display in different light conditions and can make the user feel more comfortable with the instrument.


The 'UP-DOWN' arrows set the reference level.
Hit the 'UP' arrow and the reference level is increased by 10 dB.
Hit the "DOWN" arrow and the reference level is reduced by 10 dB.

Signal Demodulation

If you are locked on a digital satellite, cable or terrestrial signal, the Promax TV Explorer will display the channel (provided it is not scrambled) and the following information when the Demodulate key is pressed:

Channel Information:

  • Channel number and channel plan
  • MPEG-2 detection flag
  • Service
  • Network Identification
  • Video PID
  • Audio PID
  • Picture format
  • SID
  • ID
  • Free or Encrypted
  • Type of signal (DVB-T / C / S)

Portability

The Promax TV Explorer is small and rugged. It weights less than 2Kg (5Lb) including the battery, which makes it ideal for installers that must climb ladders and carry lots of equipment on the job.

The Promax TV Explorer comes complete with a carrying bag which allows you to strap it around your waist or shoulder and protects it from shocks and the elements.

Antenna Installation

The Promax TV Explorer has an "Easy antenna alignment" function which give a very fast spectrum display, ideal to locate hard to find satellite signals. Once the signal is found, you may peak your antenna using the same spectrum display or you can concentrate on the signal bar located on the right side of the screen.

The Promax TV Explorer allows you to control all types antennas and LNBs (13V/18V switching for polarity selection, 22Khz tone, DiSEqC control, etc.).

Battery

The Promax TV Explorer uses a high performance Lithium-ion battery. This batteries can provide a Max. operational time of over 4 hours. The battery can be charged in 2 to 3 hours and does not suffer from memory related problems common with Ni-Cad instruments.

A battery charge indicator () lets you know when it's time to plug the instrument in the A/C for extended use or re-charge the battery.

Light Sensor

The Promax TV Explorer would not be complete with another unique feature: a light sensor.

In addition to its extra-bright LCD display (320 candles / square cm), the Promax TV Explorer includes a light sensor that can automatically adjust the contrast and brightness of the screen.

This is not only useful to always get optimal visibility of the screen, but it can also extend the battery life of your instrument.

Specifications

See below for a full set of specifications for the Promax US TV Explorer II:

    US Explorer
     
Frequency Range   Terrestrial   45-865MHz
  Satellite   950-2150MHz
Resolution   Terrestrial   50 kHz
  Satelite   200 kHz
RF Input   Impedence   75Ω
  Connector   F, BNC, RCA
  Max Signal   130 dBµV
  Max Voltage   30 Vrms
     
Power Range   8-VSB   45 dBµV to 100 dBµV
  QAM Annex-B   45 dBµV to 110 dBµV
  QPSK   44 dBµV to 114 dBµV
  DSS   44 dBµV to 114 dBµV
     
Level Measurement   Terrestrial   10 dBµV to 120 dBMV (3.16 µV to 1 V)
  Satellite   30 dBµV to 120 dBMV (31.6 µV to 1 V)
     
Measurement Units     dBµV, dBmV, dBm
     
Measurement Bandwidth   Terrestrial   230 kHZ
  Satellite   4 MHz
    Max. band ripple 1 dB
     
Measurement Accuracy   Terrestrial   ± 1.5dB
  Satellite   ± 2.5dB
     
Analog Measures   Terrestrial   Level, Video/Audio, C/N
  Satellite   Level, C/N, Power (Digital)
     
Resolution Bandwidth   Terrestrial   230 kHz
  Satellite   4 MHz
     
Display span   Terrestrial   Full Band, 500, 200, 100, 50, 32, 16, 8 MHz
  Satellite   Full Band, 500, 200, 100, 50, 32, 16 MHz
     
Display Marker     Single, with Freq. and Level readout (power readout in digital)
     
Digital Measurements   8-VSB   Power, SER, VBER, MER, C/N, Noise Margin
  QAM Annex-B   Power, BER, MER, C/N, Noise Margin
  DVB-S (QPSK)   Power, CBER, VBER, MER, C/N, Noise Margin
  DVB-S2 (QPSK/8PSK)   n/a
  DSS (QPSK)   Power, CBER, VBER, MER, C/N, Noise Margin
     
Constellation Diagram   I-Q Graph   n/a
     
     
Digital Modes   8-VSB   10.762Mb/s, 2/3 FEC
  QAM Annex-B   5057-5361 kbauds, 64/256 QAM
  DVB-S (QPSK)   2-45Mbps, 1/2-7/8 FEC
  DVB-S2   n/a
  DSS (QPSK)   20Mbps, 1/2, 2/3, 6/7 FEC
     
Video Demodulation   Image & Sound   MP@ML for DVB & ATSC
  Information   Service List & PIDs
     
Datalogger Function   Analogue   Level Video/Audio, C/N
  Digital   Frequency Offset, Mpeg-2 Detection, power, C/N, MER, CBER, VBER, noise margin
     
Physical   Display   5" TFT Screen, 4:3 ratio
  System   NTSC
  Video In/Out   RCA, 1Vpp (75Ω) positive Video
  Audio In/Out   RCA
  Speaker   Built in
  Interface   RS-232 for updates & calibration
     
External device control   Voltage   5/13/15/18/24 V
(via RF Output)   22KHz   0.6V ± 0.2V, 22 KHz ± 4 kHz
  Maximum Power   5W
  DiSEqC   DiSEqC 1.2 Standard
     
Power supply   Internal Battery   7.2 V 11 Ah Li-Ion battery
    > 3.5 hrs in continuous mode
  Charging time   3 hours for >80% charge (device Off)
  External requirement   12 V
  Consumption   36 W
  Auto power off   Set by user
     
Environmental   Temperature   5° to 40° with auto-off in case of excess heat
  Humidity   Up to 80% @ 31°C, 50% @ 40°C
  Altitude   Up to 2000m
  Dimensions   230 (w) x 161 (h) x 76 (d)
  Weight   1.9 kg (without accessories)
     
Accessories   Included   10dB attenuator, F-BNC, F-DIN, F-F adapters, AC/DC Charger, Carrying bag (yellow), Belt (Black), Car charger.
  Optional   Hard top transport suitcase

(optional hard top suitcase)