Signal Weak? Can't Split Cable
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MDU stands for Multi Dwelling Unit, which (in this case) refers to a special way that D* can set up the system to provide service to the entire building by mounting only one dish.
What happens is this:
The dish feeds a 13v current and a 18v current to feed the even/odd #'d transponders. When you try to split a single line into 2 over a run of the mill splitter (most are diode-protected) you are in essence trying to pass BOTH currents over the split at the same time, and it eventually burns the diode out. It can't handle different currents at once.
If you live in an MDU, and it sounds like you do, tell your landlord to get ahold of the DirecTv subcontractor or HSP that services the building and they should be able to help you. Probably need a destacker similar to what Dish uses. Direct does have stacked LNB's like the DishPro but we residential techs aren't allowed to use them because of the cost. Only the MDU people are allowed to. I would contact your landlord and have them contact the HSP that installed it.
The dish feeds a 13v current and a 18v current to feed the even/odd #'d transponders. When you try to split a single line into 2 over a run of the mill splitter (most are diode-protected) you are in essence trying to pass BOTH currents over the split at the same time, and it eventually burns the diode out. It can't handle different currents at once.
If you live in an MDU, and it sounds like you do, tell your landlord to get ahold of the DirecTv subcontractor or HSP that services the building and they should be able to help you. Probably need a destacker similar to what Dish uses. Direct does have stacked LNB's like the DishPro but we residential techs aren't allowed to use them because of the cost. Only the MDU people are allowed to. I would contact your landlord and have them contact the HSP that installed it.
Ok, in summary. OP is in a building using an MDU. An MDU (referring to the older systems) stacks multiple signals on a single cable. You can use splitters to drive the two tuners in an H15, but you have to activate the internal destacker, there's a "secret" menu to do this but I don't have the key access sequence to hand right now. If it hasn't been done you need to ask your MDU supplier.
If the destacker has been activated and you are getting low signal strength (more than zero - zero on one set of transponders means the destacker is not working) then you need to talk to the building management/MDU supplier to get the signal strength to your apartment tested and increased.
If the destacker has been activated and you are getting low signal strength (more than zero - zero on one set of transponders means the destacker is not working) then you need to talk to the building management/MDU supplier to get the signal strength to your apartment tested and increased.
Quick update. I had DirectTV come out to check out our setup. He went through and tested everything, went to his truck and grabbed one of his splitters hooked it up and it has been running great for just about two weeks.
He was in and out so fast I didn't really talk with him, so I am not sure if he changed a setting on the DVR or if his splitter did the job.
But in the end I am happy, I can record programs while watching others
and record two shows while away from the tv at once.
He was in and out so fast I didn't really talk with him, so I am not sure if he changed a setting on the DVR or if his splitter did the job.
But in the end I am happy, I can record programs while watching others
and record two shows while away from the tv at once.Question,Why can't everyone use MDU, in stead of a multiswitch,and run 2 wires for 2 DVR's instead of 4?
If you want to spend the money for stackers/destackers, you can. The SWM will solve the issue (and handle all of the HD channels, which stacking won't do). The newer MFH-2 MDU systems use multiple SWMs.
Go to Directv and the bottom of page is a link for MDU , multiple dwelling units,installations. Expensive, but it works great.
Sounds like the splitter you had in there originally was a CATV one: 5-1000MHz. For a stacked system, it needs to go up to 2150 or above.Quick update. I had DirectTV come out to check out our setup. He went through and tested everything, went to his truck and grabbed one of his splitters hooked it up and it has been running great for just about two weeks.
He was in and out so fast I didn't really talk with him, so I am not sure if he changed a setting on the DVR or if his splitter did the job.
But in the end I am happy, I can record programs while watching others
If it were an older DVR, you could install a Dual Destacker for TiVo, which unstacks the signals and feeds 2 tuners.
It is not always feasible or even possible to run extra cables to an outlet. Sometimes even the dish is located where there is an existing cable and there is no way to run another one. Stackers block-upconvert the even transponders (the i.f.) to a bandwidth above the odds. At that point, all 32 transponders are zipping down the cable at the same time. The stacker keeps the LNBs polarized, and you have all transponders available at all outlets, all utilizing just 1 cable. Just 1 cable is needed for each outlet, and you can have as many receivers on the system as you may need (may have to have amplification). I have a bunch of 12-plexes that have 4 outlets in each unit. All 48 outlets can have DVRs if they want. Just gotta use passive devices (splitters, taps) that go up to at least 2150MHz.
The D10, D11, &D12 have wideband-capable tuners, as do the DirecTV DVR Plus units. If a receiver other than one of those is used, a destacker would need to be installed at the outlet. If a DVR other than a DirecTV DVR Plus is used, a Dual Destacker would be needed.
A diagram and description of a simple stacked system can be found at Satellite -- about 1/5th of the way down the page.
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