Hi, folks.. got it working.
As usual there was not a single issue. I bought and fitted a new LNB from screw-fit as per this list's advice. I then spent a good hour messing about on the roof trying to locate the satellite before discovering a probable bug in the HUMAX that was stopping us seeing when we were getting signal.
I was not initially impressed with the HUMAX foxsat-hdr. All the classic signs of really third rate software design,
Information on different screens contradicted each other: the signal strength/quality meters on "tuning" vis "diagnostics" screens total disagree with one another for no obvious reason.
Progress meters that hang: the "Searching for Satellite" message on the tuning screen only seems to mean what it says for the first minute or so.
The "Searching for Satellite" bug wasted a good hour before we discovered that you had to keep going back forward on the menu selections so the machine remembered what it was supposed to be doing. I reckon I would have got the older LNB working if I had know it was the HUMAX software that was duff. However once we had that trick mastered it took few minute or so to aim the dish, but I could not much better than 100% signal and 60% quality, possibly due the large trees at the end of next door's garden.
Next I just could not get past the postcode hurdle and reading the news groups somewhere I found somebody else with the same problem. In the end it was suggested he consult HUMAX about doing a factory reset. I tried that, using the 0000 password code. I then went through the wizard again, while doing so the HUMAX said it had found a software update. I applied that and the machine rebooted.
I had to go through the wizard again. But this time everything went perfectly. The signal strength/quality meters now agreed with one another. The post code check flew by and we got channels.
Everyth> > >