I recently setup a R5E50 system with two (2) air2pc cards. The signal strength is showing up MUCH lower than I had running the same PC under W2K . Because I'm very new to Linux, I used Windows to test my new HTPC for three (3) weeks and make sure all the hardware was working.

The install for R5E50 went very smoothly with only a small problem setting up the audio output.

I searched thru the forum and found some info about loading new firmware (dvb-fe-bcm3510-01.fw). I copied this to /lib/firmware and rebooted. Knoppmyth stopped working (no live TV) after I added it. I removed the new firmware and deleted both cards from KM and readded them. This got me working again.

I'm able to receive the same channels I saw with Windows but the signal strength is much lower. For Windows I was using a very new BDA driver that was provided by the vendor with the card. That is why I was wondering about getting a newer version of the firmware.


I'm really enjoying Knoppmyth and look forward to replacing my DirecTivo's soon.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm struggling with Linux a bit but I'm determined to make this work for me.

You don't need any additional modules/drivers. They are in the kernal, so you are all set.

I also have two air2pc cards and after a reboot it will take them 5 minutes to come online. So I think that is all that happend to you and the extra time it took to add them back allowed them to come back online.

alot of my channels are 100% but I have some that arn't. Never tried the cards in windows so not sure how it would compare.

I'm using two Air-2-PC 0.2 cards in my setup.
While I can't address Windoze, I used them in both a R5D1 and two R5E50 setups, and they show 100% signal strength on most channels. (I boost my signal from the antenna with amplifiers)

I routinely put the 'firmware' file (used in the D1 setup) in my first E50... Everything worked, I didn't know it was in the kernal of E50 at the time, but my second E50 worked without that file- so it's not needed for E50 on.

datobin1 wrote:


I also experience this with these tuners. & while given time they will eventually tune in, I have found that can be accelerated by playing an existing recording first, befoe going to 'live' TV. Works like priming a pump, I don't know exactly why... Only happens first use after a reboot...

I'm also using 2 Air2PC Rev 0.2 cards but with R5D1 and I get low signal strength, but as long as the signal to noise ratio is high, you should be fine. I can only receive certain HD channels over the air (antennaweb says I should get more, but my antenna is small) and sometimes I get dropouts part way through the recording. All in all, they work pretty well though.

I have the same issue too, must be the nature of the beast! I found that by setting up a quick 1 minute manual recording will get the tuner working with LiveTV again. Bizarre, but just a minor setback for the multitudes of benefits!

Yes, same for me. So much lower that I was not able to get some channels. These same channels would come in maxed out on a Voom DSR-550 box. The Air2PC was definitely attenuating the signal.



Cool that it is back up again for you. As datobin1 said, you don't have to do this now. The post you saw was dealing with an older release which did not have the firmware "built-in".

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Have any of you tried capturing QAM256 with the rev 0.2 card?