Question re: added receivers (installation)

[ChrisDuncan]

I'm getting 2 more receivers tomorrow. I've ran all the wiring and been using my current box at 2 different locations. Here's my install question.

My Voom dish is in my back yard on a pole. One RG6 cable goes from the dish to my guest house. No problem there. That's the way I originally had it installed and just watched HD movies in my guest house.

For the new receivers, I ran a second RG6 cable from the dish (from the other LNB output) to the outside of my house. I have an amplified antenna on my roof & I've hooked up the UHF cable and the Sat cable hooked into the multiswitch (12V) that Voom supplied. On the other side of the switch there is: REC 1 and REC 2. It splits the UHF signal to both my living room and bedroom no problem but it's not designed to split the sat signal (you're supposed to run 2 cables from your dish, one on each end of the switch). But how can I run a second RG6 cable from my dish since I'm already using the other one for my guest house.

I tried splitting the dish line before it goes to the multiswitch but when I split it the signal drops to nothing. Do I just need a different multiswich? If so, do you know which one? There is a Channelmaster dealer right down the road from me.

Thanks

 

[TYORK]

that sound like a combiner that you have no you will need a 3x4 multi-switch but the installer should have it when he come with the other 2 boxes


t

 

[TYORK]

one more thing it depend on if you need power back to you antenna to weather you need a powered or non-power,

i suggest you call you installer or installs inc and make sure they note that you will need a multi-switch.

t

 

[ChrisDuncan]

Thanks, TYORK. Yes, I'll need a powered one I think because I have an amplifier (CM 7777) on my UHF antenna. Yeah, I guess it's just a combiner. I just used the one that Voom put on my guest house, and ran a straight line from my dish and the supplied antenna for there.

So the 3x4 multiswitch will just take the place of the combiner I have now?

Will that switch have the potential for 4 receivers then? And it would let me combine my UHF and single sat cable?

Thanks. I'll try to get ahold of installs and let them know I need the switch. The installers haven't called yet, they didn't the last time either, they just showed up.

I have a Channelmaster catalog here and it looks like the model 6344IFD (Active VHF/UHF) might be the one I need. I'm just concerned that it passes power to my UHF amplifier like my current combiner does.

It has 3 inputs: LNB 13V, VHF/UHF, and LNB 18V

Would I just run the cable from my dish into the LNB 13V, antenna into the UHF input and then hook up my 2 receivers and it would split my sat signal then?

Thanks

 

[TYORK]

Thanks, TYORK. Yes, I'll need a powered one I think because I have an amplifier (CM 7777) on my UHF antenna. Yeah, I guess it's just a combiner. I just used the one that Voom put on my guest house, and ran a straight line from my dish and the supplied antenna for there.

So the 3x4 multiswitch will just take the place of the combiner I have now?

Will that switch have the potential for 4 receivers then? And it would let me combine my UHF and single sat cable?

Thanks. I'll try to get ahold of installs and let them know I need the switch. The installers haven't called yet, they didn't the last time either, they just showed up.

I have a Channelmaster catalog here and it looks like the model 6344IFD (Active VHF/UHF) might be the one I need. I'm just concerned that it passes power to my UHF amplifier like my current combiner does.

It has 3 inputs: LNB 13V, VHF/UHF, and LNB 18V

Would I just run the cable from my dish into the LNB 13V, antenna into the UHF input and then hook up my 2 receivers and it would split my sat signal then?

Thanks

it will replace the combiner if you have a powered multi-switch but no if it not powered

yes that the multi-switch you will need

yes you would just need the extra cable.

but now if you only have 2 rec. the combiner is all you will need

t

 

[ChrisDuncan]

but now if you only have 2 rec. the combiner is all you will need

Since I can only run one cable from my dish, then I can't use the combiner that I currently have, right? That's the reason I need the multiswitch?

I'll have 2 receivers in my house and 1 in my guest house. But since I can only run one cable from the dish to my house (since the other one's being used in my guest house) I won't be able to use the combiner and I'll have to use the multiswitch, right? If I used the multiswitch then I have no use for the combiner as I understand it.

I'm easily confused. LOL

Thanks for all the help

 

[TYORK]

yep you will need a multi-switch

 

[ChrisDuncan]

I went ahead and bought a multi-switch and hooked it up. The local Channelmaster dealer didn't have the one I wanted in stock, so I went and bought the Radio Shack equivalent.

To get my OTA to still come in, I have to use the Winegard combiner I got from Voom. If I just run my OTA through the multi-switch I get no signal on OTA channels.

SO, I just used the multi-switch to split the sat signal before it goes into the combiner and ran the OTA into the combiner like before, now I'm getting sat and OTA in both rooms. The multi-switch was $60, though, so if the installer has one I'd rather use his/hers and take back the one I bought from Radio Shack. I'm wondering if this particular multi-switch doesn't pass power through the UHF input for some reason.

Anyway, it works like it is now, I'm getting a 96 sat signal in both rooms and my OTA channels are as good as before.

The only weird thing is that now some of my channels are off. Like PlayboyHD shows up where StarzHDP should be, and SciFI shows up where UHD should be....

I think those are the only ones that are off...

 

[TYORK]

sound like the switch you bought was not power passive.

t

 

[sat4me]

Here's what you need to do or have the installer do for your powered OTA, using your non-power passive OTA input multiswitch.

Open the PDF and the diagram will show exactly what you need to do.

Good luck..

 

[TYORK]

Here's what you need to do or have the installer do for your powered OTA, using your non-power passive OTA input multiswitch.

Open the PDF and the diagram will show exactly what you need to do.

Good luck..

thank sat4me i was not sure how to post that diagram of what i was talking about.

t

 

[sat4me]

thank sat4me i was not sure how to post that diagram of what i was talking about.

t

No problem.. glad I could help out.. I don't have as much time as you do to monitor all the posts for qusetions, but I used to do this stuff for 15+ years and I'm a level 3 SBCA certified installer, so any time I can help out I will.

Keep up the great work you're doing!

 

[ChrisDuncan]

Thanks guys, I printed that out and will show it to the installer in the morning. You guys (and gals lol) are the greatest.

 

[TYORK]

you are very welcome

t

 

[ChrisDuncan]

The installation went real smooth this morning. The multi-switch I had bought was not power passive, but luckily the installer had one with him.

He switched the way I had it too, for the better. He ran 2 lines from the dish to my house and into the new multi-switch, the antenna into the multi-switch, then ran a new line out to my guest house (and hooked up the 2 receivers for the house).

Now, I'm getting my OTA on all 3 receivers with no signal loss. So everything worked out just fine.

 

[sat4me]

Chris,
Glad to hear it. Those power passive multi-switches are hard to come by, lucky your installer had one, but the diagram will work too for anyone else with a non-power passive OTA switch.

FMI, what part of the country are you, and who was the great installer?

 

[TYORK]

glad to here everything work out .

tyork

 

[heyguy35]

i just got my dishnet installed at my house today. The installer connected the voom winegard sensar II using a diplexer but took off the winegard power passing multiswitch (model vm-3400) and connected another diplexer on the receiver end of dish 811 receiver. But now i'm not picking up any digital signals on my ota. The installer did not know why this what happening. Does anyone know what i should i do?

 

[Ilya]

took off the winegard power passing multiswitch...

So, how exactly is he going to supply DC voltage to the antenna?
Sounds like you need to buy a power supply.

 

[NiFi]

No power to the Winegard = no signal. The voom box provided power to the antenna, dishnet's does Not. Time to buy powersupply or better yet, for cheaper, unamplified OTA antenna.