[Rhughes]

I would like to replace my 10 year-old dual LNB round dish with a newer one. Haven't decided yet if I want to go with the 3 LNB 18" or the 22.5-inch Ka/Ku dish for future upgrade to HD. I currently use a multiswitch from the two coax lines to feed two DirecTivos. From what I have read, both of these oval dishes have internal multiswitches which output four identical signals. Is it possible to use my existing 2-wire coax with one of these new dishes by hooking only 2 of the 4 outputs to my existing multiswitch? Or do I still have to use all 4 of the outputs? The dish instructions are not clear on this point.

 

[JimSpence]

Short answer, YES. However, for future proofing your system, run all four lines from the new dish. You don't need to use all four if you don't want to.

 

[Rhughes]

Short answer, YES. However, for future proofing your system, run all four lines from the new dish. You don't need to use all four if you don't want to.

Thanks. I know you are correct, but running more lines is a major undertaking for which I would have to hire professionals. Just trying a avoid that for now.

 

[JimSpence]

Who's replacing the current dish? Aren't they going to have to be at the dish location? So have four lines connected then. Drape them wherever for future accessability.

 

[Rainy Dave]

Will an oval dish give you better reception (higher signal strength) for non-hdtv than a round dish?

 

[rbtravis]

Your signal strength will be about the same but you will pick up the Spanish and other language channels.

 

[Rhughes]

Who's replacing the current dish? Aren't they going to have to be at the dish location? So have four lines connected then. Drape them wherever for future accessability.

The dish would be replaced by me! It takes two people to get the cables under the house and up through the wall. I watched two electricians do the first two. More work than I am willing to do right now. If I can get by with just two cables for now that's what I want to do. What is causing me to question this is the statement in the installation instructions for the Ka/Ku dish that states you must run all 4 cables if you are going to use a multiswitch with n number of receivers. My thinking is that, with only 2 DirecTV receivers (both with two tuners) that I can get by for now with the same two cables, but thought I better ask before I buy the dish.

 

[HiDefGator]

Will an oval dish give you better reception (higher signal strength) for non-hdtv than a round dish?

I believe it does. But it may just be because they aim the new dish so much more precisely.

 

[John T Smith]

with only 2 DirecTV receivers (both with two tuners) that I can get by for now with the same two cables, but thought I better ask before I buy the dish.

If all you want is 1 tuner active on each box, that should work

If you want both tuners active on each box, you need all 4 lines... I don't think an old "2 input" multiswitch will work with the new 4 line oval dish (but, I could be wrong)

 

[JimSpence]

The dish would be replaced by me! It takes two people to get the cables under the house and up through the wall. I watched two electricians do the first two. More work than I am willing to do right now. If I can get by with just two cables for now that's what I want to do. What is causing me to question this is the statement in the installation instructions for the Ka/Ku dish that states you must run all 4 cables if you are going to use a multiswitch with n number of receivers. My thinking is that, with only 2 DirecTV receivers (both with two tuners) that I can get by for now with the same two cables, but thought I better ask before I buy the dish.

Even if you can't get the other two cables run into the house right now, I'd still run the four lines from the dish, even if you have to coil up two of them right now. With two DirecTV DVRs you HAVE to HAVE four lines.

 

[Rhughes]

Even if you can't get the other two cables run into the house right now, I'd still run the four lines from the dish, even if you have to coil up two of them right now. With two DirecTV DVRs you HAVE to HAVE four lines.

Yes, but do they all have to come from the dish? I thought I could run two from the dish to the multiswitch, then four to the two DirecTivos.

 

[JimSpence]

In order to receive all satellites, the multiswitch needs four lines connected to it. If all you need right know are the core channels from 101 then two lines will work just fine. I'm just saying that as long as you're going to be on the roof, now is the time to run all four lines so you don't have to go up there again.

 

[Rhughes]

In order to receive all satellites, the multiswitch needs four lines connected to it. If all you need right know are the core channels from 101 then two lines will work just fine. I'm just saying that as long as you're going to be on the roof, now is the time to run all four lines so you don't have to go up there again.

OK. I see what you are saying. That's not a problem in my installation. The dish is mounted on the edge of the roof which can be accessed by standing on a step ladder. It's getting it into the house that is the problem.

So as I understand what you have told me, I can use the two lines as long as I don't want to use signals from the other satellites right now. That's the part that confuses me as the literature on the dishes state that all four outputs are identical. I would interpret the "all are identical" to mean that all LNB's are being fed to all four outputs.

 

[JimSpence]

That's correct. All outputs from the dish can receive any channel from any satellite. The receiver sends switching voltages/signals to the LNB assembly to determine which sat should be used. When a 4x multiswitch is added, it locks in the four lines from the dish to one of four possible combinations, thus the receivers can tune any sat. When a 2x switch is used you can only get the odd/even set from the 101 sat.