Installation Question

[Porthos]

First I guess I should explain my current setup.....I have an eliptical dish with 3 LNBs and four cables coming out of it. 2 cables are going to a tivo and the other 2 cables are going to 2 separate regular receivers...

I ordered the free refurb Tivo unit and scheduled my install to replace one of the receivers...

The installer showed up and wanted to install the multi-switch but I guess the multiswitch uses power and has a huge electrical plug that goes to the inside of the house. Well he wanted to install the switch outside where the satellite is at and the run the cable the power cable to the closest power outlet which is in the main hallway of my house. I told him I didnt want it there and he advised that any extra cabling would require an extra charge...so I sent him on his way and asked him to let me keep the multiswitch.

Now I have a switch in my hands but dunno exactly how to install it. Do they sell longer power cords??? If I could get that I could just run the power from behind the TV to the outside just under the satellite dish which is about a 25 foot run.

My second problem is that currently there are 4 cable coming out of the sat dish and going in to their respective receivers. How would I run those to the switch? Should I just cut them just under the dish and put connectors on em, then plug them into the switch? Or is there something internal to the dish that I have to change?

Thanks for your help and sorry for the long post!

[dbish]

I'm not a fan of installing a multiswitch outside but some have done it. I have 5 cables (4 sat, 1-OTA) going from the roof to the basement and that is where the multiswitch is located. I have 8 runs out of the multiswitch to the receivers which includes sat and ota.

On a side note, if the switch states it is ok for outdoor use, you could put the transformer inside and run coax to the multiswitch at the dish. All switches I have used use coax for the power. Then you would have to run any new lines from the switch on the roof instead of in the basement.

Good luck whatever you choose.

[Porthos]

I can just use regular coax to transfer the power from the transformer to the switch?

[scalo]

You may have the a switch similar to mine which I forget the brand name of right now, I have a seperate power brick for my switch and can attach a coax cable to the power brick to extend the power cable. I would not recommend installing that switch outside, unless you have a box similar to a cable company box that you can install on the side of your house. Your best bet is to install that switch in your attic or basement and run the cables to the switch.

[tigersfanjj]

Yeah, sounds like you did the right thing by sending him on his way.