Need to connect 2 receivers to 1 satellite

[classicsat]

That is the service neutral. Although it is boded to ground, do not connect to that.

The must be a grounding electrode system for your home which you can connect to.

 

[lordmoosh]

I do not see a grounding rod or any other connection for a ground besides the "service neutral" connection. Any thoughts on how I can identify the true ground?

 

[Ironsides]

Might have missed something

I might have missed something but it would be safest to go to the hardware store and purchase a ground rod and drive it into the ground and connect to that. Also it would be better for your equipment not to pick up line nosie often found on house hold grounds. Your satellite dish is located outside, perhaps you can ground at it's location.

 

[lordmoosh]

Good call. I will install its own grounding rod.

I received my LNB from sadoun. They sent me the universal LNB instead of the linear LNB I ordered. Do you think the difference in signal quality is large enough to warrant a return?

 

[Tron]

I'd never found my universal (when I had one) to be that bad, signal quality-wise. The main reason I stopped using a universal LNBF was because they limit your switching options. Since they use a built-in 22k switch, which is always '22k on' when you're watching the vast majority of North American satellites, they remove the option of using an external 22k switch to expand the number of dishes/LNBs you can connect to your system.

 

[Phottoman]

I have a question about the discussion above on grounding. I have put this off way too long, and started thinking about grounding my system after a couple of recent rain squalls here locally.

I have several dishes that are stationary KU, plus one motorized KU, one motorized 10' C Band and one stationary C Band dish spread out all over the place on my property. Add to this an OTA antennae on a twelve foot pole at the side of the house.

Should each dish be grounded separately? If that is the case, I guess 8' grounding rods, not just something a couple or three feet into the ground?

And after all the switching is done, there will be three coaxes coming into the house. Should I be using a grounding block to ground all three?

I live in a park type trailer, 12 foot by 60 foot, and I am NOT all that sure the trailer itself is grounded, since we will occasionally get shocked reaching for a door nob, so my first grounding rod will be connected to the trailer hitch at the front of the house, but do I then continue grounding each dish separately with the rods I can get at the hardware store?

Sorry if THIS is as noobie as I can get, but as I said, I just started thinking about all this after the last storm ... gotta' do something.

Photto

 

[Ironsides]

Grounding

I have a C-Band dish and It has 4 ground rods 8 feet long driven into the ground around the main dish pole support. People will argue that the main pole acts as a ground. Maybe so if it isn't cemented into the ground. Most C-Band dishes are cemented into the ground and cement acts as an insulator. What about that LNB? LNB's are often in a plastic housing and sticking a mounting screw into it IS not going to ground the electronics inside!

My home has 2 8 foot ground rods at the electrical box located outside where the mains come in.

Every dish I own has it's own grounding rod and every Ham Radio antenna has it's own ground rod.

Reason for all this grounding is One I live in an area that loves to Eat C-Band dishes with lightening static. My Dish has been up 20 years while every dish around it has been fried due to static. Knock on wood because lightening static or direct hits can happen to anyone. Hope though I can curb that static problem with my grounds...

Grounding each dish on it's own is because of line noise and also with Ham Radio you learn that electrical noise can travel a ground line. This helps with being able to receive and transmissions.

Computers often make line noise, wall power units AC/DC adaptors, Telephones and other things often are so nasty they will cause receivers to drop a signal entirely or weaken it til you can't even hear it.

That's a fact, recently I was working with a AOR hand held receiver on batteries alone and was hearing this terrible noise on certain frequencies and that is all I could hear. I went through the entire house unplugging things and until I found it! It was an AC/DC adaptor for a lamp! The dang thing was buzzing so loud it would knock off my neighbor signal, couldn't even hear the guy! Piss poor ground on that Adaptor and piss poor Chinese electronics and filters being left out to cheapen the thing up! Receivers often will produce noise on the line and cause problems, ever notice the power plugs> some have a large side and small side? That's to make sure when you plug it in one side hits the power line and the other the neutral side. Most modern plugs are made in this manner. Often though you don't have a plug made like this, so you assume it doesn't matter in some cases it might not but in others you can flip that plug over and make a huge difference in the amount of noise it receives or puts back on the power line.


I feel very strongly and firm about proper grounding. It could save your life, it could save you thousands of dollars in property damage. It could save your Home! If you don't understand grounding Check out the ARRL website and read about the importance of grounding equipment.

If you notice most good LNBs have a grounding post or suggest how to ground them. If you notice dishes often have a ground lug or suggest proper grounding.

If you take the time to install a satellite dish or any outside antenna, then you have time to ground it properly. Or you could be like one of our local gurus who didn't think it was necessary and leave on vacation. Come home and find 10 grand worth of home and property damages. He was just lucky his house didn't burn to the ground no punn intended. None of his equipment was grounded! Sometimes even a ground will not stop lightening but at least it gives it a place to go other than your lazy boy!

HAPPEN TO NOTICE YOU SAID OFTEN WHEN YOU TOUCH THE DOOR KNOB YOU GET A LITTLE SHOCK. YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT CHECKED OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THAT COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH YOUR ELECTRICAL WIRING. Recently our power bill was very high and had been getting higher and higher for months and we couldn't figure out why. I was doing some spring cleaning and just happened on a wall socket and unplugged some items. I noticed the socket was hot and I suspected it was overloaded. After hours I went back to change how things had been plugged up, and discovered this socket was even hotter. I pulled the socket and found that the neutral wire was barely attached and wasn't even making a good connection. I went to Lowes and purchased replacements and new covers and went home and replaced that socket. That got me to thinking so I went through the entire house checking out sockets. I discovered 7 bad sockets which are all those type you just press the wire into the hole and not the old fashion kind you tighten a screw on. Guess what? After doing this I was surprised to find that none of the sockets was actually overloaded and when I got my power bill back it had dropped almost $60 dollars! You can bet I went through my entire home and replaced every single socket and switch!

 

[Phottoman]

I didn't say "often," I said "occasionally." BIG difference. But you are correct, and I will be and have been all along, looking for those stray electrons that cause the shocks. We have several dead sockets, no explanation for that, unless critters have been into our wiring. THAT had happened to a parked car, all the wiring harness had to be replaced, a rabbit was living under the hood and ate all the wining in the harness on my '91 Caddy. (Another story for another time)

Thanks Ironsides, I can see this week I'll be doing a LOT of pounding.

Photto

 

[lordmoosh]

I'd never found my universal (when I had one) to be that bad, signal quality-wise. The main reason I stopped using a universal LNBF was because they limit your switching options. Since they use a built-in 22k switch, which is always '22k on' when you're watching the vast majority of North American satellites, they remove the option of using an external 22k switch to expand the number of dishes/LNBs you can connect to your system.

I called sadoun and they said that I can use any switch with their Universal LNB. Are you sure all Universals limit you from using an external switch?

 

[Anole]

I called sadoun and they said that I can use any switch with their Universal LNB.
Are you sure all Universals limit you from using an external switch?

....they remove the option of using an external 22k switch to expand the number of dishes/LNBs you can connect to your system.

Tron is quite right. Your choices are very much limited.

For an example of using a special 22khz switch with a Universal to get only the High FSS band (we use in North America), see this post in the Switches Simplified Thread (in the FAQ Department).
So, while your flexibility is limited, for many users, it -might- be okay.
You certainly can not get a Universal to go to both High and Low bands if it's behind a 22khz switch.

 

[Tron]

There are some exceptions to the rule, as Anole pointed out, but for simplicity sake, universals are just too much trouble. Especially when good standards are available out there at similar pricing.

But then again, I'm implementing bandstacked LNBs more and more, which introduce a whole new set of risks/rewards ...

 

[lordmoosh]

I installed the universal lnb and only 1 of the 2 coax ports are working. I used the 9750/10600 setting and 22KHZ tone ON. On the same Samsung receiver, one of the connections works and one doesn't. Should both ports work with the same settings?

 

[Ironsides]

I have a uni

I have an Invacom Universal Inbf and honestly I have never had any problems with it on any receiver. Of course my receivers are older now but actually to be honest on the same dish I get a much better Q with the Invacom compaired to a Fortec lnbf I have. I guess I am just one of the lucky ones but I would certainly buy another Invacom Universal of the same model if I needed one. I am really not certain why the Universals get knocked as they seem to be the choice of many europeans, sometime I would like to learn about that. :up

 

[lordmoosh]

Okay for some reason my dad's receiver only liked the signal from one of the lnb outputs. The other receiver accepted the output that my dad's receiver did not accept. Both are working though!! Hopefully no one asks for a THIRD receiver to be setup. Then I'll have to deal with all that universal LNB switching non sense.... or buy another lnb Thanks guys! I will return to this thread when I am ready to drive a grounding rod into the earth.

 

[Mikhel]

Okay for some reason my dad's receiver only liked the signal from one of the lnb outputs. The other receiver accepted the output that my dad's receiver did not accept. Both are working though!! Hopefully no one asks for a THIRD receiver to be setup. Then I'll have to deal with all that universal LNB switching non sense.... or buy another lnb Thanks guys! I will return to this thread when I am ready to drive a grounding rod into the earth.

Well... you'd need a 2x4 switch, you know, 2 inputs and 4 outputs .

Cheers

Mike