Help needed - Adding 110/119 to 61.5 (legacy setup)

[JNL]

Hi all,
I new to this forum. Here is my setup:
- 1 receiver (381)
- 1 dish w/ dual LNB's (legacy/dish 500 - one LNB says 110, the other 119) pointed at 61.5 for int'l channels.

I want to add a dish for 110 and 119. What do I need?
I have a spare dish with a single LNB (legacy). Could I use that for 61.5 and use the dual LNB setup for 110/119? What switches will be required.

Any input will be greatly appreciated.

JNL

 

[Miner]

JNL,

When you say dual LNBs on your existing dish, do you mean 2 physically separate LNBs? A single LNB has 1 coax connector, a dual LNB has 2 coax connectors. A twin is double-wide (often with 2 eyes, some with 1 oval eye) and had typically 2 coax connectors. If you do have duals, a switch to mate 3 LNBs is needed. Dish made a SW64, with 2 coax wires running from each connection on the 3 LNBs, then a single coax to the tuner (2 coax to a dual tuner DVR). If you happen to acutally have a Twin LNB, 1 large double-wide LNB with a built in switch, all you need is 1 more dual LNB and an SW21 to join the signal from the Twin pointed at 110/119 and the dual pointed at 61.5. You can also use a combination of an SW44 and SW21, much the same way as a twin / SW21. I'm not sure of the cost or availabilities of a SW44 or SW64 wether new or used. DishPro equipment is more prevalent, you'd need a DPPTwin and a DP Dual, may end up cheaper than legacy switches.

Miner

 

[JNL]

Miner,
Thanks this is great info. The dish pointed to 61.5 is a twin. I tried to swap the twin for the single, pointing at 61.5 but it did not work. Is it because the twin has a switch and not the single?

Anyhow, as I understand it, I need to point the single to 61.5 and the twin to 110/119 and then join the 2 signals with a SW21 switch. The output from the switch then goes to my receiver. Right?...

Thanks again,
JNL

 

[vegassatellite]

The dish that is pointed at 61.5 will work with just about any LNB since you have a 381. You might have to put that single in one slot, try it and if it don't work, put it in the other slot and try again.

Once you have that squared away, get a legacy twin and put it on the new dish pointed to 119/110. Use part number SW21 to combine a wire from each dish onto a single line to your 381. A correct switch result should show Twin/SW21 Cascade.

 

[TheKrell]

The dish pointed to 61.5 is a twin. I tried to swap the twin for the single, pointing at 61.5 but it did not work. Is it because the twin has a switch and not the single?

No. Either your single is deceased, or you put it on the wrong side of the yoke as vegas said. It is most definitely legit and even recommended to cable up your receiver directly to an LNB, e.g. when pointing the dish for the first time. So what you tried should have worked.

Anyhow, as I understand it, I need to point the single to 61.5 and the twin to 110/119 and then join the 2 signals with a SW21 switch. The output from the switch then goes to my receiver. Right?

Precisely so.

 

[JNL]

Actually, to clarify, I swapped the entire dish and twin LNB setup with a dish+single LNB setup, using the same mast and angle and approximately pointing in the same direction (61.5). I may need to refine the position of the dish... How far off can you be and still receive a signal? (BTW I know the LNB works as I had previously switched it with the connected LNB in the twin setup and it worked).

One more question: should each of the Twin LNB's be connected? Does that mean 2 cables? Right now only one is connected...

I apologize for all the newbie questions butt you gotta start somewhere...

Thanks again,

JNL

 

[TheKrell]

You have to be within a couple of degrees of the right look angle or else you get nothing. I've succeeded in getting my wing dish aligned on 4 separate occasions just using a compass. But one time, I wasted about a day and finally gave up and hired a professional. I think the problem was that I was trying to find 61.5 using a standard def receiver, and the first 7 transponders are all HD and show zero signal strength!

Bottom line: it is very easy to swap components and get zero signal strength. I've swapped out legacy LNBs for DP LNBs without a problem. But I've also swapped out the y-shaped yoke meant for a twin (with a dual LNB in one position) for a single yoke, and it took me 3 hrs to find 61.5 again.