[SandiMacD]

Last week, all the front lights began flashing on my Roamio OTA and it went into a circular "start mode" never starting up. Nothing had been adjusted in the previous 8 months- same smart Samsung TV and HDMI/Ethernet/Antenna connection and plugged into a Belkin power surge strip.

I unpluged it overnight. When I plugged it in the next morning, the same thing happened. I then switched it out with the Tivo on our older "dumb" TV plugging it directly into the wall. To my surprise it powered on just fine. So I left it connected to the other TV for 4 days. I have 2 other TIVOs and they could find the Roamio OTA and play it's recorded shows and transfer them off just fine.

So on day 5, I moved the Roamio OTA back to the original smart TV to be able to record the Olymics off the antenna. I connected it to the surge protector strip and tested out transferring and playing existing recordings and it worked just fine. A few hours later, I recalled that I forgot to connect the antenna. So I did that. Immediately the lights on the front lights started flashing, and the "smart TV" could no longer "find it" because it didn't start back up.
(The antenna is on its own power supply which is plugged into a different outlet with a different surge protector than the Belkin strip used for the Tivo.)

I then tried plugging it directly into the outlet that the Belkin power strip uses. Same result of flashing lights. Next I detached the antenna, restarted it and once again, it started and is now able to play recordings and transfer.

Right now my 2013 Premier XL is plugged into that same Belkin power strip and it's working just fine. The premiere doesn't have an antenna option so it's not able to act as a replacement for the OTA Roamio. The antenna is connected into the smart TV so I can watch live but of course I cannot record.

Any ideas why connecting the antenna is causing problems?

 

[ThAbtO]

The Power brick is getting old and can't provide enough power, hence the all lights flash. The OEM 2amp power brick just barely supplies enough power.
You would need at least the 3amp.

See my post here for link.
Is this the end for my Roamio, or are there hardware fixes?

 

[SandiMacD]

I am curious why connection to the antenna causes the power adaptor to crash. (It's not brick like the premier, it's an adaptor).

 

[ThAbtO]

Adding things would pull more power, even if just .1 watt. We refer the power adapter as the power brick as it looks like a brick.

Your Premiere is not a power adapter, it has a power supply.
If your Premiere is a 2 tuner model, it can accept antenna, just have to re-run Guided Setup. The 4 tuner model is cable only.

 

[SandiMacD]

Any best sources for a power adaptor? Amazon sells a TiVo 3amp for $25. My other Roamio has the 3amp. This Roamio has a 2amp. Weaknees sells the 2amp for $49. I can't seem to find one to order from TiVo directly. I put in a support ticket with them.

 

[ThAbtO]

See my post above with the link to my other post, then click on the picture. Its $13, plus a 5%coupon and 1day prime shipping.

Don't have Amazon prime? Sign up for free 7 day trial. Then order it, and cancel prime after, if you want. No charge for prime on cancel.

 

[SandiMacD]

Adding things would pull more power, even if just .1 watt. We refer the power adapter as the power brick as it looks like a brick.

Your Premiere is not a power adapter, it has a power supply.
If your Premiere is a 2 tuner model, it can accept antenna, just have to re-run Guided Setup. The 4 tuner model is cable only.

No, in my original post I explained that the premiere is not able to connect to the antenna. (It only connects via an M card to cable.) It's a pain, but the right now the premier is being used to view/transfer shows being recorded on the other Roamio OTA (the one that came with 3amp power adapter) in another room, connected to the attic antenna. So moving that is not an option.

Thanks, yes, the premier supply is what I was referring to when I said "brick".

Thanks for explaining that adding the antenna would likely be throwing it over the limit is of pulling power.

I am tempted to send it to Weaknees. I would hate to order an new power adaptor for $49 only to discover it needs a new power supply (internal board) instead.

 

[SandiMacD]

See my post above with the link to my other post, then click on the picture. Its $13, plus a 5%coupon and 1day prime shipping.

Thanks again. I actually had that in my cart as an option already. I was hesitant about using a non Tivo brand adaptor. Will give it a go. Knowing other TiVo uses are recommending it, I went ahead and ordered.

 

[ThAbtO]

I explained that the premiere is not able to connect to the antenna.

You have to rerun Guided Setup with the antenna connected to recognize the antenna. The 2 tuner Premiere can use antenna and cable at the same time, rerun Guided setup to change to that also. After that, it can record from either cable or antenna.

 

[ThAbtO]

Knowing other TiVo uses are recommending it,

I recently replaced mine with it and mine is the Roamio Basic model which can do antenna or cable. the OTA is the same model with software differences.

 

[ThAbtO]

Forget Tivo support, they can't help on this matter.
Forget Weaknees, It would cost, at least, about $89 for diagnosis. It would also take weeks to get it back.

 

[SandiMacD]

You have to rerun Guided Setup with the antenna connected to recognize the antenna. The 2 tuner Premiere can use antenna and cable at the same time, rerun Guided setup to change to that also. After that, it can record from either cable or antenna.

Believe me I have tried. It records up to 4 channels. On the back of this premier is one co-ax terminal labeled cable/satellite. The model I have ONLY works with an Mcard. If I remove the card, it says it cannot complete the guided setup and to contact my cable company for a card or reinsert it. If I leave the MCard in and run guided setup, I am presented with a menu of carriers based on the zip code I originally entered. I have connected the antenna and left it in with and without the MCard.

BTW, I have owned a premier in the past that had 2 coax connections with one labeled Antenna and it worked fine with my antenna. But it died years ago. I've owned a variety of premieres and am down to just this one that still works. I use it to watch programs recorded on the roamios and hold extra transferred recordings. We are going into a rental during our upcoming renovation and if we have cable there I figure it will come in handy.

 

[SandiMacD]

Forget Tivo support, they can't help on this matter.
Forget Weaknees, It would cost, at least, about $89 for diagnosis. It would also take weeks to get it back.

Their diagnosis is $49.

 

[SandiMacD]

I recently replaced mine with it and mine is the Roamio Basic model which can do antenna or cable. the OTA is the same model with software differences.

Thanks for this! It arrived and I powered it up this morning with the antenna connected. Still working just fine. Nice to have my 2 roamios back, each with their own antenna facing slightly different directions so I can always get a strong signal no matter what the weather. I think this is the Roamio basic as it has a slot for an MCard. My other Roamio is strictly OTA.

 

[ThAbtO]

It records up to 4 channels.

Your Premiere with 4 channels/tuners is cable only. Its the 2 channel/tuner model that will do OTA or cable.

 

[SandiMacD]

... The premiere doesn't have an antenna option so it's not able to act as a replacement for the OTA Roamio...

You have to rerun Guided Setup with the antenna connected to recognize the antenna...

..No, in my original post I explained that the premiere is not able to connect to the antenna. (It only connects via an M card to cable.)...

Your Premiere with 4 channels/tuners is cable only. Its the 2 channel/tuner model that will do OTA or cable.

You are corret. I've had both 2 channel Tivos and 4 channels.
Thanks for acknowledging my posts that my (4 channel) premier XL model is unable to make use of the antenna. And again, thanks for the explanation of the antenna connection pulling just enough extra current to make the Roamio "go crazy" when trying to use the Tivo included power adapter. The higher amp generic one you suggested I get from Amazon does the trick!

We're a happy household again during summer Olympics. Much prefer the advantages of recording via season passes over watching live.

 

[ThAbtO]

The cost for you is under $20, compared to Weaknees and Tivo. Also, the time it took is much shorter.

 

[SandiMacD]

The cost for you is under $20, compared to Weaknees and Tivo. Also, the time it took is much shorter.

Both very good reasons for choosing the options I did.