DP34 installation location

[ZandarKoad]

Has anyone else been told that you are not allowed to install a DP34 switch outside? My supervisor at my retailing office just informed me that D* will now fail QC checks if they find a DP34 switch outside. In my humble opinion, that is outrageous. It requires more/bigger holes, more unsightly cable, more time and effort, and (in the case of an install with no basement) a hulking DP34 switch lying on the floor. And in the DP34 MANUAL, it explicitly states that the darn thing is DESIGNED for outside installation!

 

[Mr Tony]

I don't see why a DP34 cant be outside....if it needed power, well then maybe

But I have had a SW21 outside for 4 years now with no isses (and its bolted to the mast and has survived the MN winters)

 

[desiguy2447]

Dish installed my DP34 switch outside and has it sitting in a box to protect it from rain.

 

[Dish Dude]

you mean E* and no they won't fail you if they are MOUNTED correctly outside after the ground block depending on the situation. I prefer in newer construction to put it in the utility room where all the distribution is. In your case with no basement is the distribution inside or outside? If done correctly you won't have any problems, just don't mount it to the mast or lay it flat on the roof. Big no, no lots of water damage mostly from snow, and how do you secure a 34 to either a 500 or SD without it swinging in the wind. DO NOT TEC SCREW IT TO THE REFLECTOR this will cause damage to the integrity of the dish and will warp the reflector

 

[Mark_AR]

Mine is mounted underneath the soffit about 2 feet away from the dish mast. Technically, its outside, but protected for the most part. No problem here 15+ months & counting....

 

[Stargazer]

They can still be mounted outside if done properly, no different than before. Maybe someone is making up their own rules due to more DP-34 failures.

 

[ZandarKoad]

Thanks for all the replies. Now I don't feel so bad about apartment pole mount I did yesterday with a 322. I was forced to install the DP34 outside, or make the customer deal with 4 flat cables comming in through the patio door. I choose outside. I mount my DP34 switches behind/below the SD skew assembly using 10 gauge wire (waaay stronger than zip ties).

And believe it or not, I actually used a grounding rod, as there was no other ground available. My supervisor started providing ground rods in the case that there is no grounding options whatsoever.

 

[Mr Tony]

below the SD skew assembly using 10 gauge wire (waaay stronger than zip ties).

thanks for the tip
Ive always used zip ties when I install switches on my setup

 

[Mike500]

Mine is mounted underneath the soffit about 2 feet away from the dish mast. Technically, its outside, but protected for the most part. No problem here 15+ months & counting....

Under the ceiling of a eave next to the freize board is one of the best locations. The cables are naturally horizontal and water shedding. In the case of a ground pole, it is best to mount under a floor joist in the basement or crawl space. In both cases, the switch is weather protected and cooling is optimum.

I never mount outside on the back of a dish or on a wall exposing the switch to the rain. In that case, sooner or later rain will get into the switch and corrode the connections.

 

[dishrich]

I never mount outside on the back of a dish or on a wall exposing the switch to the rain. In that case, sooner or later rain will get into the switch and corrode the connections.

I agree - I would never mount any kind of switch (E* or D*) in the open elements, if it can be avoided. BUT, I will tell you a reason why many retailers DO mount these switches at the dish - because since most of these are DHA, if the customer bails out, the retailer can at least get the dish AND the switch back, even if he doesn't get the receivers back.

 

[Mike500]

Unfortunately, all the DHA switch has to do is to survive for a limited amount of time; somewhere around one year.

 

[larrystotler]

Thanks for all the replies. Now I don't feel so bad about apartment pole mount I did yesterday with a 322. I was forced to install the DP34 outside, or make the customer deal with 4 flat cables comming in through the patio door. I choose outside. I mount my DP34 switches behind/below the SD skew assembly using 10 gauge wire (waaay stronger than zip ties).

Generally, it is better to mount the DP34 at the structure than at the dish, especially if you have a long bury to do. You will only piss off a sub if the next guy has to dig a new trench to run more wires. I realize that with a 1 or 2 receiver install, you may use less wire doing that way, but I always mount them next to the ground block or inside the house.

And believe it or not, I actually used a grounding rod, as there was no other ground available. My supervisor started providing ground rods in the case that there is no grounding options whatsoever.

Be careful here. In VA, you HAVE to be a LICENSED Electrician to install a ground rod, OR the homeowner. On top of that, the National Electrical Code states that all outside WIRING MUST BE GROUNDED WITHIN 2 FEET OF THE ENTRY POINT OF THE STRUCTURE to the MAIN HOUSE GROUND(however, this is a sticky issue. Look at how some houses are only 15-20 feet apart, and their ground face each other.......talk about arching....). It does NOT require grounding the dish or the pole, however, it is HIGHLY recommended that the dish be grounded with a leader wire attached to the coax wiring using the appropriate ground block with a seperate terminal for the 10 guage wire to house ground and a terminal for the leader wire. C-Band installer used to install ground rods at the dish, but what happens when the wire is struck by lightning between the dish and the house? That is why it is grounded at the structure and not the pole.