A 'simple' OTA HD antenna solution?

[jdsabin1]

Simple question and I even searched antenna manufacturer web sites and couldn't find a clear answer.

Using my current Dish Network setup, is there a way to mount an antenna outside but still use the rg-6 somehow that runs from my dish to the HD receivers in the house to connect the OTA HD antenna as well? The reason I ask is I will have multiple HD receivers in the house on different levels (upstairs, main floor, and basement) so running new cables throughout the house for the OTA antenna installation is all but out as the house is complete and I would have to fish through walls, etc.

As a sidenote, my locals are all in the yellow zone and are approx 15-20 miles away so not sure if an indoor antenna would work. If that's the only way, I guess I will have to go that route.

TIA!

-Jeff

 

[korsjs]

since you are so close to your stations, you might want to start cheap with an indoor antenna. the success i had with 7.00 rabbit ears was excellent. i was able to pull in all channels no problem. the 100 dollar terk could not do the job.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Depending on various technical factors, devices called diplexers can be used to share a cable between satellite and OTA.

It can get REAL futzy to install depending on your setup.

 

[jdsabin1]

Is there any e-tailer that can help me with the right equipment if I call them? Anyone that would come highly recommended and would know what I would need?

Thanks...

 

[bbrukx]

I bought diplexers at Home Depot, about $15 a piece (you will need two, one on both ends). Radio Shack has them also, but for closer to $25. My set up works great, make sure you get diplexers (they will say sat on one out and tv/cable on the other one) not just regular splitters.

 

[jdsabin1]

I'm in way over my head here. I have read about diplexers, splitters, pre-amps, and who knows what else.

Here is what I do know:

I currently have a Dish 500 system with four receivers in the house (one of them a single tuner DVR, the other three just standard 301 receivers).

If I stay with Dish, I will get the following:

3 811 receivers (I assume I can lease three from Dish anyway)
1 921/942 dual tuner DVR

I would also add an OTA outdoor HD antenna (probably a winegard). I do not want to run separate lines into the house for the antenna. I had the Dish installed when we were not done with the house yet and had all the lines ran and then hid, etc. Now the house is completely finished so running cables would not be an easy task anyway (probably darn near impossible actually).

With that said;

a) I assume I will *have* to get another line ran from the Dish for the dual tuner 921/942. Is this a valid assumption? Would more hardware be needed at the dish itself then if this is true?

b) What kind of diplexer/splitter are we talking about here? With an HD antenna and four/five lines coming from the Dish itself, do they make Diplexers that work for this? I see a lot of dual diplexers but I didn't see what I would need specifically.

c) I do understand the diplexer inside which seems basic - the main line running in to the receiver gets the diplexer connected, then two lines out on the other end of the diplexer - one goes to the satellite input, one goes to the antenna input. This is for each receiver. Am I correct?

d) The current coax run from the Dish to the house is quite a distance. Backside of garage roof on one end all the way to the other end of the house coming into the basement. With that said, all the antenna sites say if the cable run is more than 150 feet, I need a pre-amp. If I am using diplexers, is this still valid then?

c) I planned on getting an antenna mount that mounts/connects on the dish so I don't have to drill more holes through the roof. Anyone have any experience with this approach?

So you see, I truly am unsure of what exactly I need to make all this work, especially coming from the roof with the dish and the OTA HD antenna. When I order/lease from Dish maybe I should bite the bullet, spend the $500 for the 921 (along with the 811's) and see if they can send someone out that knows what the heck they are doing to install all of this?

Sorry for the long post. I probably should make this a separate post so others can see what I am asking. My head is spinning at this point.

Thanks.

 

[bpasker]

ok, here's the deal. Since you need a seperate line for each receiver from your sat, you'll need a seperate diplexor for each receiver you want to run an ota antenna into and you'll put that diplexor inside your house at the end of each RG6 cable, then run two cables from it (one into your sat input and one into your antenna input). That's how the diplexor works indoors.

Now I'm not sure if you can take your ota antenna from the roof and put the one RG6 coming off your anteanna into a splitter that goes out 4 different ways (3 811's and 1 921). But if they have one out there that has one input and four outputs that is what you will want. You'll then take one of those four outputs and run an RG6 from that four output splitter into another diplexor that you will place outside by your actual dish and put the RG6 from the dish into the diplexor as well. To do this I unhooked the current line that was in my walls and ran a new line from my dish to my diplexor, then used the current line as my combined line (dish and antenna in one). You'll then need to do this for each line going into your home.

Now after all of that I think you can get even more complicated if you watned to and mess with switches, I have no switch knowledge so no help. But another peice of advice is to be patient and order diplexors off ebay. $10 for a pair shipped, just make sure they are over 2000 mghz for your sat.

also, if any of this doesn't make sense let me know. I just rambled it on here so I'm sure something isn't the clearest I could have made it.

 

[bpasker]

Here is my feable attempt at a quick diagram......


Sat
|
|
R
G
6
|
|
DIPLEXER-----------CURRENT RG6 INTO HOME------
|
|
R
G
6
|
|
ANTRG6

811 ANT IN
|
|
DIPLEXER----RG6 FROM WALL-------
|
|
811 SAT IN

 

[jdsabin1]

Thanks very much for your reply. WAY helpful!