switches (or combiners or ??)

[st_moose]

My folks had tried to subscribe to dishnet (because they were told that they would be able to receive 'local' channels, this is not the case, of course they did not find this out until after the install of the dish on the roof and a call back to dishnet when the locals where not there).

Anyway, to the reason for this post.

They have of course canceled dishnet. Since the dish is on the roof my dad told them that they would have to get it themselves if they wanted it back, will be keeping their cable subscription and in the spring I get to install an OTA antenna for them. Thus the question, I will be able to use the cable that the dish installer added, what kind of switch (or combiner or ??) am I going to need to add the OTA antenna to the cable?

And, if the dish installer does not return for the dish on the roof, I will be taking that. What kind of switch (or combiner or ??) am I going to need. My current setup is a one line run into the house from a Ku dish (my spring project was to motorize this). Not sure what I will point the other dish at, but am sure I can find something.

thanks

 

[Tron]

You should be able to use the cable that's up there going into your house for FTA. You will not be able to use the Dish Network dish for most FTA, since it is too small and uses circular DBS LNBs instead of linear FSS LNBs. As far as combining your OTA signal into the same cable as your FTA, this can be done with diplexers at both ends, but it degrades the signal by 3.5 dB at both ends (total of 7), which can really impair reception of some of the weaker FTA channels. Best to use a separate cable for your OTA.