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Any advice on how to connect all this would be greatly appreciated!
I just self installed a Slimline 3 dish on top of my detached garage and as predicted I am running into some issues. Recognizing I am a rookie I figured I should just throw out how I set it up and hope that someone can help me make a few changes/improvements.
Dish : Slimline 3 -Installed on top of the detached garage roof near the peak of 21 feet. Very very clear shot at satellite, it gets 95 to 99% signal.
Cabling : There is a single 15ft RG6 cable (w/ground wire integrated) line that comes directly out of the dish, this runs to the edge of the underside corner of the back of the garage where it connects to a male-to-male connector/wire ground bracket. This joins with another 15ft of RG6 cable that runs down the side of the house connects to the main orange cable that is piped underground to the house. This underground section is long, it runs about 90ft from the garage where it then comes out of a ground pipe at the BACK corner of the house. So assuming the buried orange cable is RG6 too (Commscope Inc. printed on it) basically there is a about a 120 foot single line from the dish on the garage to the BACK corner of my house (15ft. + 15ft + 90ft using 3 M2M connectors). From this back corner I put on a M2M connector and ran a 35ft. single cable (all is RG6) to the front side corner of the house where a junction box has feeds thru walls to the 4 rooms in the house.
Ideally I would like to connect receivers to each room in the house and now have a request to put the 5th receiver in the loft of the garage. I have all the components from my DirectTV installation at another house (was installed less than a year ago. Here are the components I have listed out.
(a) PI-21 Power Inserter- part # PI21R-03
(b) PI-21 Power Inserter- part # PI21R-03
(c) Direct TV 4 way SMW splitter (part # MSPLIT4R1-03)
(d) Receiver # 1 for Living Room: HD DVR HR24-500
- about 35ft of cable that runs from junction box to downstairs/basement room then up thru floor to living room.
- this is the best and main TV for the house, lots of use.
(e) Receiver # 2 for Master Bedroom: HD DVR HR24-500
- about 10ft of cable from wall to junction box since its right outside of the window. Currently has power inserter (a) plugged into wall and was used in trial run. Can be moved.
(f) Receiver # 3 Kids Room: HD H24-700
- about 20ft of cable from wall to junction box
(g) Receiver # 4 Downstairs Room: Direct TV D12-300
- about 30ft of cable from wall to junction box, is one of two cables run next to each other into house. The other one is for the living room (receiver #1) because it is directly above this downstairs/basement room.
(h) Receiver # 5 Garage Loft: Direct TV D12-300 (I haven't installed cable yet but it is right below the dish on the garage so very easy)
***if it matters, 4 out of 5 TV's are HD with HDMI connectors
This is the point where I need help, not sure how and where to hook what. With my trial run I have house receivers 1, 2 and 3 connected, getting all channels with strong signal but receiver #1 has a long delay and some static when I change channels.
So I am going to step back and just see if someone can offer up a basic/best practice design because the Boise State football game is Saturday and I am told I will lose a limb if I don't have it all figured out. Thanks in advanced for any help you can offer me.
A few questions that I am thinking might short cut any advice are...
1. The main junction box on the front corner has lines running to each room. How do I connect the main dish line coming into the junction box and all room connection using the 4 port switch/splitter? The masterbed is on this corner so it is the closest/shortest to the 4 port switch.
2. After I run cable for the garage loft how do I connect it?
It will run from upstairs of the garage and about 20ft through to the outside wall. It will be right at the place where currently a M2M connector connects the orange underground main line to line that goes up onto the roof directly to the dish.
3. Do I use 1 of the 2 power inserters in the loft mentioned above before it hits the orange main?
3a. If so how is what connects to the 3 different connections involved (loft receiver, line from dish and orange main).
3b. This would mean I would use two power inserters, one very close to the dish in the loft and the second in one of the rooms in the house. Is that ok?
4. Are there any limitations using the older receivers when compared to newer ones. It's an older tv so picture quality (HD) is a non-issue but would those receivers be able to access the DVR recordings and other features?
I am sure Ieft a bunch of stuff out, just let me know if there are any questions, I could also take a phone call if someone would prefer and be willing to talk.
cabletech
Guru
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533 Messages
13 years ago
If the dish only has one cable, it is a swm system and you only need one power inserter.
Each of your HDVR has two tuners and the H24 and the D12 have one tuner, this gives you a total of seven tuners.
The cable you describe is a copper coated steel and VERY likly this is a problem, as at the lenght you say, it is dropping power to feed
the LNB (the knob at the end of the arm). From the sounds of what you say, this master feed is orange (?) I would bet that it is a 1/2 in. tube with cable in it.
At the garage, you say the cable is 15 ft to a m2m with ground bracket. Does it look simlier to the attached photo? Is there a #10 to house ground from it?
If I am reading your post correctly, all cables in the house go to a common connection box outside? The way you descripe the wiring, I would put an 8 way at the connection box, put the power inserter on the power port, then connect the other cables to the other ports and
all should be good. If you can not get an 8 way, then the next best thing would be two twoways, one off of two differant ports and feed
the four shortest runs off of the two ways. Make sure all unused ports have a ternmater cap on them
Also, if it were me, I would change the master cable in the orange tube, to RG 6 solid copper center at the minum. with that lenght, if you could get RG11 you would be better off.
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paulinboise
Tutor
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5 Messages
13 years ago
Thanks a bunch cabletech, I appreciate all the help.
Here are some comments and responses I have
-Definitely one cable coming out of dish so yes it must be an SWM system
-Makes sense on the tuner count.
>>>>>>>>>At the garage, you say the cable is 15 ft to a m2m with ground bracket. Does it look simlier to the attached photo? Is there a #10 to house ground from it?
-Not sure if its copper coated, it is orange, I attached a pic if that helps, seems like the standard buried orange cable tv that I see with most new construction tho. I will try to attach a pic of the line from the roof/satellite cable (total of 30ft. to the m2m connector) and orange cable.
- regarding the #10 ground, I didn't see an attached pictures but there is an integrated ground wire on the 1st 15ft (of 30ft total) section of the cable come from the dish to the M2M/orange line. Update, just went and looked apparently I didn't ground finish attaching the ground to something. Not sure if this would effect the system an anyway tonight or is mainly for lightning or something like that, regardless I will ground it tomorrow on something solid.
- All the 4 rooms in the house do go to a box on the front/side corner of the house, I removed the old style cable splitters and now have the 4 port SWM splitter and since those rooms are priority and I don't have an 8 port switch right now I think I will just get the house handled (4 recievers) and figure out how to add the loft in the garage later. For this I would rather not have to run a cable back to the garage loft so I was wondering if I could utilize that 2nd power inserter?
I appreciate the help so thanks again.
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paulinboise
Tutor
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5 Messages
13 years ago
I should also mention that another reason I was thinking about using the 2nd power inserter in the garage loft was that I thought it would give me a connection (the one on the inserter) but also provide extra power to help with the long cable run underground from the dish/garage to the far edge of the house. I am not sure how all that works, I am new at all this but thought it might be an idea.
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paulinboise
Tutor
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5 Messages
13 years ago
New at all this and I still don't have it figured out so after re-reading my follow up above I wanted to be a little more clear. So all 4 receivers in the house run off the 4 port SWM switch so I am out of ports and unable to add a 5th receiver in the garage loft. Based on the length of cable from the LNB (above loft on garage roof) to the 4 port switch and power inserter on the front corner of the house this may be creating some power loss. My question is how can I use my 2nd power inserter to help with the power loss issue but also would it maybe offer up a connection for my receiver connection (5th) back at the garage via the SWM signal port on this 2nd power inserter?
So a more logical view would be
1. LNB to power inserter below in loft right, max 30ft RGand alsoconnect the 1st of 5 receivesr in loft from the SWM signal connector on this power inserter (PI).
2. Run a cable from the power port of the loft PI back through the wall to the m2m connector that is on the main underground cable mentioned earlier at the garage. 20ft max
3. The long run of orange underground cable to house and remaining 4 out of 5 dishes don't change from how I mentioned it originally.
Once again, I appreciate any and all of everyone advice and suggestions.
Thanks!
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litzdog911
ACE - Sage
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46.4K Messages
13 years ago
No, you cannot use two Power Inserters on one SWM setup.
And there's no such thing as a "4 port SWM switch". What model markings are on that device? I'm guessing it's actually a four output SWM splitter?
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paulinboise
Tutor
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5 Messages
13 years ago
Thanks, good to know that I cannot use the 2nd power inserter to deal with the power loss from the long underground cable. Not sure what to do at this point, I would think there would be a solution that isn't to complicated. I am happy to buy another splitter to use right off the dish for the loft but I still would need to understand how to connect and configure the 4 receivers in the house.
Thanks again for the help, I really appreciate everyone's help.
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tech_1438
Scholar
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123 Messages
13 years ago
Thanks, good to know that I cannot use the 2nd power inserter to deal with the power loss from the long underground cable. Not sure what to do at this point, I would think there would be a solution that isn't to complicated. I am happy to buy another splitter to use right off the dish for the loft but I still would need to understand how to connect and configure the 4 receivers in the house.
Thanks again for the help, I really appreciate everyone's help.
SWiM 2-Way splitter:
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=02&p=SPLIT2MRV&d=DIRECTV-SWS2-Satellite-2Way-Wide-Band-MRV-Compatible-Splitter-(2-2150-MHz)&c=Satellite Splitters&sku=874409002404
Relocate the 21V PI to the Garage Loft, simply because it will be the shortest distance to the SWiM LNB. Cable from the Dish to the IN on the 2-Way. Cable from the Loft/PI to the RED out port on the splitter. Orange cable from the orange out port on the SWiM 2-way to the IN port on the SWiM 4-way located at the house. Connect the four individual room cables directy to the 4-way SWiM splitter; positioning on the 4-way is irrelevant, just be sure the cable runs are direct with no additional harware between the 4-way and each room.
Good Luck!!
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goldw1800
ACE - Professor
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2K Messages
13 years ago
Since there is only one receiver in the "loft" make it a HDDVR and forget about the whole home option(in that location) since most of the other receivers are in the house.
If you need VOD in the "LOFT" you can connect a Wired or wireless Connection kit to your receiver and it won't bother the whole connected home in the house.
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