I'll try to keep this short and sweet, but include enough detail to hopefully get some helpful feedback.
I've been a D* subscriber for about 14 months. When I bought my original system (1 HD receiver, 1 SD Tivo, 2 'standard' receivers), I was told that I would need to upgrade to a 4x8 multi-switch if I ever added a second HD receiver. I can't say I paid much attention to how all the cables were run with the 3x4 multiswitch, but an installer that came out for a service call did make a comment about how the original installer was "lazy". Outside of that service call about a week after my original install, I have had zero problems. (I have the 3 LNB dish, btw)
So a few weeks ago, I got in on the "free" HR10-250 offer. I mentioned when I placed my order that I had been told if I ever got a second HD receiver, I would need to upgrade to a 4x8 multiswitch, which they included on the work order. However, the installer never changed the multiswitch. He used the same cabling that had been used for the SD Tivo, just swapping the receivers. (never had any issues with the original receiver in 1+ years)
Within an hour after the installer left, I started getting a "searching for satellite" message for one of the tuners. The other tuner worked fine. If I switched the lines into the receiver, the error message did not change (did not change to the other tuner number). Sometimes within minutes, other times within hours, the error would go away. Even when getting the error, the satellite signal showed 90%+. Re-starting the receiver virtually always resolved the issue for the time being.
So I called D*, and they stepped me throught some trouble-shooting, and scheduled a service call. The same installer came back, and left unable to figure out what was wrong. He checked every cable and LNB, and said he replaced every cable end. He tested all cables, and always found a strong signal. However I kept getting the error intermittently. I mentioned upgrading the multi-switch again, but he wasn't buying it. He left with the system in worse shape than when he arrived. I'm ready to call D*, because they haven't called me back for a return visit.
So my question is, would the use of the 3x4 multiswitch be the source of the problem? I tried following some of the wires the other night. I can tell for sure that two of the lines go from the satellite directly to 2 of the bedrooms. I believe one of the other lines goes straight to my HD receiver, and one other line to the multiswitch, which then splits to the 2 lines that go to my "problem" receiver.
I found a post on another site when Googling that seemed to indicate that all four lines needed to run through the multiswitch before being split to the H10-250. Is that the case? I'm no satellite expert - ANY feedback I can get before I get an installer back out here again is greatly appreciated!
I've been a D* subscriber for about 14 months. When I bought my original system (1 HD receiver, 1 SD Tivo, 2 'standard' receivers), I was told that I would need to upgrade to a 4x8 multi-switch if I ever added a second HD receiver. I can't say I paid much attention to how all the cables were run with the 3x4 multiswitch, but an installer that came out for a service call did make a comment about how the original installer was "lazy". Outside of that service call about a week after my original install, I have had zero problems. (I have the 3 LNB dish, btw)
So a few weeks ago, I got in on the "free" HR10-250 offer. I mentioned when I placed my order that I had been told if I ever got a second HD receiver, I would need to upgrade to a 4x8 multiswitch, which they included on the work order. However, the installer never changed the multiswitch. He used the same cabling that had been used for the SD Tivo, just swapping the receivers. (never had any issues with the original receiver in 1+ years)
Within an hour after the installer left, I started getting a "searching for satellite" message for one of the tuners. The other tuner worked fine. If I switched the lines into the receiver, the error message did not change (did not change to the other tuner number). Sometimes within minutes, other times within hours, the error would go away. Even when getting the error, the satellite signal showed 90%+. Re-starting the receiver virtually always resolved the issue for the time being.
So I called D*, and they stepped me throught some trouble-shooting, and scheduled a service call. The same installer came back, and left unable to figure out what was wrong. He checked every cable and LNB, and said he replaced every cable end. He tested all cables, and always found a strong signal. However I kept getting the error intermittently. I mentioned upgrading the multi-switch again, but he wasn't buying it. He left with the system in worse shape than when he arrived. I'm ready to call D*, because they haven't called me back for a return visit.
So my question is, would the use of the 3x4 multiswitch be the source of the problem? I tried following some of the wires the other night. I can tell for sure that two of the lines go from the satellite directly to 2 of the bedrooms. I believe one of the other lines goes straight to my HD receiver, and one other line to the multiswitch, which then splits to the 2 lines that go to my "problem" receiver.
I found a post on another site when Googling that seemed to indicate that all four lines needed to run through the multiswitch before being split to the H10-250. Is that the case? I'm no satellite expert - ANY feedback I can get before I get an installer back out here again is greatly appreciated!
