Hi all,
Just a warning, this will be along one...sorry?
Background:
I'm currently running a Sony SAT-T60, and thinking hard about the switch to HDTV (Sony KDS-60XBR1 / HR10-250).
My dish was upgraded when I upgraded to local channels last year. I believe it is a triple-LNB, but I'm not positive. When looking it it from the ground, I see 3 LNBs on the end of the arm. Is that enough to identify it as what I need to receive the HD channels from D*?
The dish was mounted at the peak of my roof, to clear the trees on the preserve directly south of my house. The current cables run down the roof and into the wall next to where the TV is, and are grounded to the faucet outside. the disk was mount about 2 ft. from one of the attic airvents in the roof.
2
Since the installation, I've rewired the phone/data/video in the house and installed a custom wiring closet. In the closet I installed a Panamax towerMax surge suppressor, with AllPath modules for CATV, 4 SAT modules, and a CO4/110 phone module. I also bought, but haven't hooked up, an Eagle Aspen S-4180-GX+. Currently I only have the 1 receiver, but bought the multiswitch for expected expansion.
Questions:
It looks like I need an OTA antennae for local HD programs. I've seen posts implying that the ones supplied by D* are not the best. Is there a make/model that is generally liked here?
Will the multiswitch I have work for receiving the D* HD channels, assuming that the dish does not need to be upgraded again?
Is there any advantage to not connecting the OTA cable to the multiswitch, but instead running it directly to the DVR? I have 4 RG6 cables run to the TV location.
Are there any tricks to installing the OTA antenna, other than securing it to the roof? Does it need to point in specific directions to pick up different channels, or are they omni-directional? Does it need to be on a mast as opposed to being directly on the roof?
Several questions on grounding:
Do I need grounding blocks for the SAT/ANT cables, or is it sufficient to just connect them to the surge suppressor? I've seen posts around that imply the grounding blocks ground the shielding, where the surge suppressors protect the signal wire. Is this true?
If I need the grounding blocks, can I run the cables through the attic vent to the wiring closet, install grounding blocks there, connect the grounding blocks together (daisy-chain), and have an electrician connect the blocks to the circuit breaker panel? If not, how would be the best way to run the wires, preferably without running them all the way down the roof and drilling through the walls? The house has gutters ALL the way around, and aluminum soffits, which I would prefer not to drill through. I was hoping to run the SAT/OTA/dish ground wires to the wiring closet and ground them all there (about 20-30 ft. as the cable flys). If I shouldn't mount the grounding blocks that far in, could I mount them near the air vent, then run a ground wire to the circuit breaker box?
Also, the docs for the CO4/110 phoneline suppresser shows grounding a KSU/PBX to the unit. Could I just connect the grounding blocks to the that (and save a trip from the electrician)?
Will the CATV Allpath module pass the HD OTA signals, or should I find another SAT module? Is there a certain frequency range that the OTA signals come in over that I can use to verify what module would work?
Lastly, is there any advantage to calling D* to get the wiring done? If I buy the DVR elsewhere, would D* setup installation for it (and the OTA antenna), or do I need to buy it through them? It seems like their price on the unit is pretty heavy. Is there another vendor I could call that we like here? I don't have any problems running the cables (once the grounding questions are answered), it's just the OTA setup that I'm a little worried about.
Thanks in advance for all your help!!!!
Trace wilson
Just a warning, this will be along one...sorry?
Background:
I'm currently running a Sony SAT-T60, and thinking hard about the switch to HDTV (Sony KDS-60XBR1 / HR10-250).
My dish was upgraded when I upgraded to local channels last year. I believe it is a triple-LNB, but I'm not positive. When looking it it from the ground, I see 3 LNBs on the end of the arm. Is that enough to identify it as what I need to receive the HD channels from D*?
The dish was mounted at the peak of my roof, to clear the trees on the preserve directly south of my house. The current cables run down the roof and into the wall next to where the TV is, and are grounded to the faucet outside. the disk was mount about 2 ft. from one of the attic airvents in the roof.
2
Since the installation, I've rewired the phone/data/video in the house and installed a custom wiring closet. In the closet I installed a Panamax towerMax surge suppressor, with AllPath modules for CATV, 4 SAT modules, and a CO4/110 phone module. I also bought, but haven't hooked up, an Eagle Aspen S-4180-GX+. Currently I only have the 1 receiver, but bought the multiswitch for expected expansion.
Questions:
It looks like I need an OTA antennae for local HD programs. I've seen posts implying that the ones supplied by D* are not the best. Is there a make/model that is generally liked here?
Will the multiswitch I have work for receiving the D* HD channels, assuming that the dish does not need to be upgraded again?
Is there any advantage to not connecting the OTA cable to the multiswitch, but instead running it directly to the DVR? I have 4 RG6 cables run to the TV location.
Are there any tricks to installing the OTA antenna, other than securing it to the roof? Does it need to point in specific directions to pick up different channels, or are they omni-directional? Does it need to be on a mast as opposed to being directly on the roof?
Several questions on grounding:
Do I need grounding blocks for the SAT/ANT cables, or is it sufficient to just connect them to the surge suppressor? I've seen posts around that imply the grounding blocks ground the shielding, where the surge suppressors protect the signal wire. Is this true?
If I need the grounding blocks, can I run the cables through the attic vent to the wiring closet, install grounding blocks there, connect the grounding blocks together (daisy-chain), and have an electrician connect the blocks to the circuit breaker panel? If not, how would be the best way to run the wires, preferably without running them all the way down the roof and drilling through the walls? The house has gutters ALL the way around, and aluminum soffits, which I would prefer not to drill through. I was hoping to run the SAT/OTA/dish ground wires to the wiring closet and ground them all there (about 20-30 ft. as the cable flys). If I shouldn't mount the grounding blocks that far in, could I mount them near the air vent, then run a ground wire to the circuit breaker box?
Also, the docs for the CO4/110 phoneline suppresser shows grounding a KSU/PBX to the unit. Could I just connect the grounding blocks to the that (and save a trip from the electrician)?
Will the CATV Allpath module pass the HD OTA signals, or should I find another SAT module? Is there a certain frequency range that the OTA signals come in over that I can use to verify what module would work?
Lastly, is there any advantage to calling D* to get the wiring done? If I buy the DVR elsewhere, would D* setup installation for it (and the OTA antenna), or do I need to buy it through them? It seems like their price on the unit is pretty heavy. Is there another vendor I could call that we like here? I don't have any problems running the cables (once the grounding questions are answered), it's just the OTA setup that I'm a little worried about.
Thanks in advance for all your help!!!!
Trace wilson