New HD Set-UP

[Archangel2828]

I am having trouble getting the correct info. I have a channel master extra wide HD dish going to the three main satellites. I have five cables coming off the dish...going to a 5x8 Spaun powered multi-switch>

What do I need to upgrade to the new HD signals.

New sat receiver...I understand...
New Multi-switch...I understand....

Can I make the modifications without changing my dish? I realize I need to change the LNB to the one that goes to the five sats...

Is there a new five LNB that will fit on my dish?? If so where to get??

Do I need more than the five cables coming off the lnb ???

What about the multiswaitch?

Advice desparately needed.......

DirecTV wants me to go through them...but I think I have a better system than they will give. If I remember they give a rally cheap dish. I have a bigger one so that I keep a strong signal for long time.

[stevel]

You need a new dish with a wider angle. There will be only four cables coming off the dish, not five. You will also need the WB68 multiswitch which they should give you free.

The newer dishes give a better signal than the old 3LNB dishes, but maybe not enough for you depending on why you have the large one.

[rlj5242]

You only have 5 cables if you have an older dish with an external Sat-C combiner. Yes, there are 5x8 switches but the 5th input is used to diplex an antenna signal onto the satellite signal. You can't do that with the new dish.

Unless you got one of those extra large Channel Master dishes, you have the Phase III dish that we all use(d). There are no 3rd party dished like that. Buy it yourself and install it yourself or go through D*. It will be the same dish. And it will have 4 cables coming from it to feed the switch.

-Robert

[Archangel2828]

Here is the deal...I do have the extra big ChannelMaster dish...a bit of an overkill...I understand...but where I have it located it helps and I get virtually no rain fade.

Anyways...my issue is that the dish is outside the window of the third floor of my two family house in New York.

My fear is that the installer will refuse to install the dish there because he will be reaching out the window...can not get a ladder up that high and in that spot.

So I was trying to figure out the minimalist way to do this...if a new dish must be used...than I would like to find one that I can use on the already installed ChannelMaster arm.

Where can I find the dish? And the LNB?

Also is a Spaun powered WB multiswitch needed...or is that overkill also?

[Archangel2828]

Also...about the multi-switch...

Besides the Spaun powered versus Zinwell...

If as you say there are only four RG-6 cables off the arm (which is a good thing) because do not have to feed any new cables in...will use existing.

But if its only four....why does the 6x8 wideband multiswitch have 6 inputs?

[stevel]

The other inputs are for additional dishes aimed at 95 and 72.5 which you typically would leave unconnected. The dish has a built-in multiswitch with four outputs.