5 Lnb Dish Question

[TivoRaider]

I'm getting a 5 LNB dish installed next week. Does that dish have 5 coax lines coming out of it? Just wanting to know so I can add more drops into my new room.

thanks,

[tomo_kun]

It still has a 4 out multi switch if I recall corectly from the installing video.
Right now they are making a special 4X8 Multiswitch that can handle the frequency range of the new Ka band. Honestly, I'd just let the installer take care of it so they can include the multi switch, and go through the *MUCH* more complicated install.

There are some installation videos at www.solidsignal.com.

[ebonovic]

It has 4 drops...

However, you can no longer DIPLEX an OTA signal into the line.

[JimSpence]

And the additional multiswitch being used is another version of the 6x8 to allow for Ka frequencies. It has the flex ports for the 72.5 and 95 sats if needed.

[JaserLet]

So is the new dish / new multiswitch like an oval phase III dish + 72.5 + 95?

If not, what is it that makes the new dish and multiswitch different from phase III ?

[greywolf]

The 5LNB dish adds 2 LNBs to pick up the 99 and 103 satellite positions in the Ka band. It also needs to be larger to handle Ka band signals effectively. It stacks those signals below and above the old frequency range. The WB68 multiswitch is equipped to handle that increased range. The ranges may be seen on a prototype WB68 at http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=44310

[litzdog911]

And check out the installation training videos here ....

http://www.solidsignal.com/satellite/at9_install_videos.asp

It's not really a do-it-yourself installation anymore.

[racer_81]

It has 4 drops...

However, you can no longer DIPLEX an OTA signal into the line.

Uh.....that's bad.

Any idea why this is the case?

I have OTA's diplexed in to two other receivers in the house and they need that signal.

[greywolf]

The Ka band signal from the 99 position occupies the 250-750MHz band. That overlaps practically the entire UHF band.

[racer_81]

The Ka band signal from the 99 position occupies the 250-750MHz band. That overlaps practically the entire UHF band.

Okay.

For the non-HD runs (2 in the house), I should be able to diplex them to get the OTA
since I don't care about the Ka band signal with respect to those receivers, right?

Oh. Wait a second.

Are you saying that the Ka band signal will stomp over the OTA signal when diplexed?

[JimSpence]

Are you saying that the Ka band signal will stomp over the OTA signal when diplexed?Yes.

[racer_81]

oh man.....the wife ain't gonna like that.....

[racer_81]

stupid question time (as if it weren't already).

when does sat 99 go active?

what's targeted to be on sat 99?

Ok - so that's two questions....

[SecureTalk]

Once a 5 LNB is required for service, for example to get my HD locals.

DirecTV said they will send out a installer.

If it is determined a 5 LNB will not get line of site to all the satellites

Is there a charge even though the dish could not be installed?

Will current contract still be enforced even through they can not provide full service?

[ebonovic]

stupid question time (as if it weren't already).

when does sat 99 go active?

what's targeted to be on sat 99?

Ok - so that's two questions....

Not sure when it actually is planned to go active...
Anything... but primarily HD content (they can use any of their "slots" for any content they want, but I believe it is just HD)

[glen4cindy]

And the additional multiswitch being used is another version of the 6x8 to allow for Ka frequencies. It has the flex ports for the 72.5 and 95 sats if needed.

So, I assume a 2nd dish would be needed to receive these two slots?

[litzdog911]

So, I assume a 2nd dish would be needed to receive these two slots?

Correct. The Zinwell WB68 multiswitch has two extra inputs, one for the 72.5-deg satellite dish/LNB and one for the 95-deg satellite dish/LNB.

[kturcotte]

So what actually would/does happen if you diplex an OTA signal into the mix? would it completely kill both signals, or you'd only get one?

[JimSpence]

You have to be sure you diplex the OTA onto a line that doesn't have the Ka sat signals as they will interfere with each other. It would be best to just run a separate line for OTA.

[neospektra]

I had the 5 LNB installed a few weeks ago & after arguing with the installer that you could not diplex the OTA antenna he did & none of my OTA channels had a signal, DTV had to send out another installer to fix there mistake & voula all my OTA channels worked... btw this was for a H20 I'm not sure if it would be affected on a SD receiver.

[kturcotte]

I wouldn't imagine it would effect an SD receiver at all, considering they can't see the other 2 birds or a KA signal.

[texasbrit]

I believe that there are currently no satellite signals overlapping the OTA band. The 99 sat is apparently only Ka-hi not Ka-lo; we will not see Ka-lo until the new DirecTV 10 and 11 satellites are launched. So the current diplexing scheme will work OK, but not for very long.

There are four options for OTA.
1) Run an extra cable to each OTA location
2) Use diplexing for OTA to all locations with "old" receivers and an extra cable for all "new" (H20 and HR20) receivers. To diplex to the old receivers you have to remove the Ka-lo signals from the satellite output. It is believed you can do this by stacking one of the old 5x8 multiswitches underneath the Zinwell WB68 4x8 - connect four cables from the zinwell to the sat inputs of the 5x8, this will give you four remaining outputs from the WB68 to use for "new" receivers and eight outputs from the old 5x8 carrying "old" sat signals plus OTA. We won't know if this works until we see direcTV 10 and 11. If the old multiswitch does not provide enough isolation of the Ka-lo signals you may have to add additional diplexers between the WB68 and the old 5x8 to strip out the Ka-lo signals
3) It has been suggested (and in theory should work) that by putting the B-band converters (you get these with the H20 and R20) at the output from the WB68 instead of at the receiver you can continue to use diplexing. This is because the b-band converters take the Ka-lo signal and move it up to part of the Ka-hi band, thus moving the signals away from OTA. Again, no-one will know if this works until the direcTV 10/11 satellites are transmitting.
4) DirecTV will be introducing a single-cable solution sometime next year, which will allow all the satellites to be carried on a single cable. This will mean you can use a single cable with splitters to drive multiple receivers. I have seen speculation that this single cable will also carry OTA. Even if it does not carry OTA, it means that where you have two cables connected to a DVR, you will be able to use one of them for OTA.

[kpummill]

I wanted to pass on some hope on the diplexer concern. I just had the 5LNB dish, Zinwell 6x8 switch, and new HRDVR installed today on my existing cabling. I am using diplexers for OTA signal since I only had 2 cables in the wall. The installer said he was not sure if it would work but would try it. Everything worked just fine with no modifications. He installed the dish, the switch and the DVR, plugged in my existing cables using the diplexers and I am seeing all signals including the OTA. Nothing special needed to be done. The diplexers I am using are brand new Phillips brand and note they are specific for HD signals. Got them off the shelf at Circuit City. Now this may not last forever if the 5th satellite ends up stepping on the OTA signal, but until then all is well.

[MagicMtnDan]

I have the 3 LNB elliptical dish with the cables running to a Spaun Multiswitch (4 in 8 out if I recall correctly) which distributes standard and HD signals to the rooms in my house.

Questions:

I assume the new, DirecTV provided multiswitch will be needed and will go before my Spaun Multiswitch - is that correct?

Will their multiswitch cause any problems for my multiswitch which does a great job of distributing the HD signal throughout my house?

[stevel]

You will need to replace your existing multiswitch with the DirecTV-provided one. Your old one will not work with the 5-sat dish.

[mtcorey]

My setup is like MagicMtnDan, except I have the 5x8 Spaun. I have all 8 inputs used in my house and I really need 5-6 more. From what I read the one DTV provides only has 8 outs for the new 5 LNB dish. Is there a switch available for the number of outs I need? Or is there a way I can get the additional outs using thier multiswitch?

[stevel]

There is the WB616 with 16 outs. You may have to persuade DirecTV to give you that (if you have that many receivers, they should), or you can buy it. The W6B16 does require an external power supply.

[MagicMtnDan]

Yeah, my mistake. I'm sure my Spaun multiswitch is a 5x8 too.

There is a 16-way Spaun multiswitch available and more here:
http://www.twacomm.com/catalog/dept_id_771.htm?utm_source=GGL&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=spaun+multiswitch&utm_content=Spaun&utm_campaign=StrMedia

[direfan]

A few questions:
1. I currently have the oval dish, I guess the 2 or 3 lnb dish. However, I am upgrading to HD and DTV will be replacing the dish. Will that increase the number of cables coming from the dish?

2. When this change happens, will it affect my standard DVR's? Only one of my TV's will be HD.

3. For the new HD DVR, how many cables go into the DVR? Is it still 2?

Thanks, I appreciate any answers.

D

[stevel]

1. Both the three and five LNB dishes have a four-output multiswitch. Simply changing the dish does not require more cables.

2. No.

3. It's currently two, but sometime in the near (?) future. DirecTV will start offering a device called a Single Wire Multiswitch (SWM). This takes as input the four feeds from the dish and has outputs that can connect to supported DirecTV receivers (HR20, HR21, H20, H21) with just one cable and it will serve both tuners if the box is so equipped. You can even install a splitter on this one cable and feed multiple boxes. For boxes that are not SWM-capable, there are "legacy" outputs on the SWM module which would feed those separately.