Multiswitch odyssey

[jimhumphries]

I have a three-satellite legacy system (110/119 and 148 with a SW21 and a 2700 receiver) that works just fine for me but I want to add two more receivers. Now please don't go off on me here - I know this is really old stuff but it works fine with the RG 59 cable I have running all over the house (yes, it's a total disaster by modern standards but really, it works and I want to keep it). I just bought a 311 on ebay and finally got it to recognize my dish/switch configuration. Man! Now I feel like I've at least made it into the 20th century. Moving along - well now I have two receivers so I went shopping at my local surplus store and bought a Channel Master 6328IFD multiswitch ($19.00) a 6228IFD ($5.00 - I couldn't resist at $5.00) and some Holland DPD2s thinking that one of those switches and the Hollands would replace my SW21 and allow me to diplex in my DTV roof-top antenna. Apparently, I was wrong about that. All I can get through either of the Channel Masters is 148 (odd and even) and 119 (even). Now I feel all dressed up with nowhere to go. Is there a multiswitch out there that will replace my SW21 in this three-satellite configuration, allow me to diplex in the roof-top antenna and feed two or more receivers?

 

[BobaBird]

to SatelliteGuys.US!

Dish is steadily removing channels from 148°. I don't know if any will remain. What channel do you have it for? If it's an international you will need to upgrade to a Dish 500+ making the rest of this answer moot.

I'm guessing your Dish 500 has a Twin - it will have to be replaced. The easiest way may be with a Quad. You can still cascade through the SW21 for the 2700 (and add another SW21 the same way for a 2nd receiver) until 148° goes away. To get all 3 sats to all 3 receivers, get either the Quad or 2 Duals and run them through an SW64.

See EKB: Switch Selection for more options.

 

[jimhumphries]

BobaBird:

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like I'll at least get two receivers working that way for my three-satellite configuration. I'm not sure I care about any of the 148 channels but I'd like to have the option of watching them.

I went on ebay and bought another SW21 and looked at "quads". They look like what I already have on the 110/119 dish - I have a BS1D1UP201M. Do I need to buy something else?

Jim

 

[BobaBird]

I had to make an assumption you currently have a Twin. The Quad looks the same except that it has 4 outputs instead of 2, and the logo is a different color.

 

[jimhumphries]

You are right - it is a twin. If I understand what you're recommending I only need the quad if I want to connect three or four receivers and then I would give up 148. If I settle for two receivers can I use the twin with two SW21s and the dual on the 148 dish?

 

[BobaBird]

I only need the quad if I want to connect three or four receivers and then I would give up 148.

Right on the first part. For 148 you can run 2 SW21 switches off that Dual. Outputs 3 and 4 would not get 148 that way unless you put an SW64 in place of the SW21(s).

If I settle for two receivers can I use the twin with two SW21s and the dual on the 148 dish?

As long as they are single-tuner receivers such as the 2700 and 311 you mentioned.

 

[jimhumphries]

Bobabird:

I found your excellent writeup on multi switches. Thanks for doing that.

I've made some progress on the expansion effort (the multi switch odyssey) - I've acquired a quad LNB, a SW64 and I now have four DP311 receivers, all with current cards and "activated" on my DN account ($5 each/mo).

Since the SW64 hasn't arrived yet I am still using the twin (110 and 119) and the dual (148) using two SW21s. Two of the 311s recognize the SW21s just fine but the other two do not (this is using the same cables, swapping SW21s, etc).

I've "cleared" them several times by running the check-switch without any input and I've hooked them up directly to the twin (which they recognize as "500 Twin") and they see 110 and 119 odd and even transponders. Pretty normal.

When I connect them though the SW21s, though, they don't recognize the SW21 (they return SWAJ) and only see 148 odd and even. If I "clear" them again then reconnect the SW21 and go immediately to setup - point dish (skipping the 5 step test) and select satellite 119 the receivers see 119 and lock on but, they don't see 110.

Any suggestions?

Jim

 

[BobaBird]

Don't know what's going on there? Anyone else?

 

[boba]

Are they all on the same version of software?

 

[jimhumphries]

I will check the software versions.

In the mean time here is what I found out - as Alice said "this is curiouser and curiouser":

Just mucking around I re-cleared one of the receivers that didn't recognize the SW21 and swapped the inputs to the SW21 (put the dual where the twin was connected and vice-versa). Then I connected the output of the SW21 to the receiver and ran the check-switch. It got it! Recognized the SW21 and all three satellites, odd and even. So I tried it with the other receiver that hadn't recognize the SW21 and viola, two down.

So I'm thinking what-the ... So I reconnected the SW21 to one of the two receivers that had previously recognized the SW21 and three sats and got "switch error" messages after the five tests. Holly cow.

Then I reconnected the second receiver that had previously recognized the SW21 and three sats and also got "switch error" messages after the five tests. Holly cow, Holly cow!

So I cleared those two receivers (by running check-switch with the switch disconnected) then re-connected the switch to each (without swapping the inputs) and re-ran check-switch. Holly cow, Holly cow, Holly cow!! Everything worked fine!

So two of the receivers recognized the SW21 with the sats connected either way and the other two would only recognize the SW21 when the sats were connected in a particular way. The odyssey continues.

 

[jimhumphries]

boba:

Software is P438 on all four receivers.

Jim

 

[jimhumphries]

I think I'm at the end of my odyssey. I installed the SW64, diplexers and DP311 receivers and everything seems to work just fine. All of the receivers see all three satellites and the signal quality is good - even with some pretty long runs of RG59.

Many thanks for the guidance!