How many coax lines out of sidecar dish?

[skeptic555]

Currently have the "sidecar" 5lnb on the roof, which is feeding 2 receivers - an old school standard def RCA box, and an H20 into a 42" plasma. Never interested in the DVR - I have a couple of combo HDD/DVD recorders that have served me pretty well - one has the "TVGuide" thingy and for the other I use media center to record series and change channels etc. Yeah, not elegant, but it works for me. But now its time for a change!

Thinking of upgrading to a second plasma, meaning a new HD receiver, and what the heck, lets go for the HR20 and see what all the fuss is about. Ive started the negotiations based on the fine advice in these forums, and I expect eventually i'll get an appropriate offer.

My question is about installation. I *could* swap out the boxes and just plug and play (yeah, I know *they* have to come out and do that) but I understand the HR20 gets 2 coax feeds. This, unfortunatley, will require a new run from the attic to the downstairs family room. Ive seen differing info on whether that is part of the "standard" install. Can I expect this will create drama with either d* or the installer?

Then, I was up in the attic today seeing just how big a PITA that would be, and noticed that I only had 2 lines coming into the attic from the dish. I expected 4. So, if I understand correctly, this install will now *also* need a roof visit.

I dont expect ill need a multiswitch - we are still talking about a total of 3 lines - 2 to the new HR20 and one to the H20.

Am I thinking about this correctly? Want to make sure I negotiate the right install deal up front.

As many have said, the advice in this forum has proven indispensible. Many thanks!

[rdiedrich]

Currently have the "sidecar" 5lnb on the roof, which is feeding 2 receivers - an old school standard def RCA box, and an H20 into a 42" plasma. Never interested in the DVR - I have a couple of combo HDD/DVD recorders that have served me pretty well - one has the "TVGuide" thingy and for the other I use media center to record series and change channels etc. Yeah, not elegant, but it works for me. But now its time for a change!

Thinking of upgrading to a second plasma, meaning a new HD receiver, and what the heck, lets go for the HR20 and see what all the fuss is about. Ive started the negotiations based on the fine advice in these forums, and I expect eventually i'll get an appropriate offer.

My question is about installation. I *could* swap out the boxes and just plug and play (yeah, I know *they* have to come out and do that) but I understand the HR20 gets 2 coax feeds. This, unfortunatley, will require a new run from the attic to the downstairs family room. Ive seen differing info on whether that is part of the "standard" install. Can I expect this will create drama with either d* or the installer?

Then, I was up in the attic today seeing just how big a PITA that would be, and noticed that I only had 2 lines coming into the attic from the dish. I expected 4. So, if I understand correctly, this install will now *also* need a roof visit.

I dont expect ill need a multiswitch - we are still talking about a total of 3 lines - 2 to the new HR20 and one to the H20.

Am I thinking about this correctly? Want to make sure I negotiate the right install deal up front.

As many have said, the advice in this forum has proven indispensible. Many thanks!

Yes you will definately need another line from the roof. Tell the installer to run a dual while he is up there and then you have everything in the attic should a multiswitch be needed later.

Randy

[armophob]

Make sure you have all four connected. Once the SWM comes out, the only way to take advantage of it is to have all four feeds.

[Tom Robertson]

Welcome to the forums, skeptic555! :welcome_s

The standard install should include extra lines from the dish to the "central" location (Randy is correct, he should run a dual) and wiring to the receiver with an important caveat. If the installer has to fish cable thru walls, climb deeply into an attic, or in a crawlspace, you can be asked for more money. (Or a cold drink at least) :)

I've usually run the lines myself and let them terminate them, that way I can have the wires where and how I want them.

Cheers,
Tom

[rdiedrich]

Welcome to the forums, skeptic555! :welcome_s

The standard install should include extra lines from the dish to the "central" location (Randy is correct, he should run a dual) and wiring to the receiver with an important caveat. If the installer has to fish cable thru walls, climb deeply into an attic, or in a crawlspace, you can be asked for more money. (Or a cold drink at least) :)

I've usually run the lines myself and let them terminate them, that way I can have the wires where and how I want them.

Cheers,
Tom

The cold drink thing works wonders. Anytime I have to go into an attic and the customer offers a glass of ice water they get free wall fishes!

Randy

[rdiedrich]

What would be real handy in your situation is if there is a conduit from the attic to the basement to help get the lines down through the house.

Randy

[Tom Robertson]

The cold drink thing works wonders. Anytime I have to go into an attic and the customer offers a glass of ice water they get free wall fishes!

Randy
:) At our house, unless the installer is strangely rude right off the bat, they are always offered cold water, milk, or soft drink in the summer and hot anything in the winter.

Cheers,
Tom

[skeptic555]

Thanks. Yeah, fishing and deep into attic is definitley on the menu - thats why I was up there today seeing if its something I can do easily myself prior. And it does not appear to be. No conduit into basement that I am aware of. Interestingly, since this was a new contruction townhouse, I added coax runs in a lot of places - just NOT two to any one location - wasnt thinking THAT far ahead!

What may be easiest is that I do have another separate Coax run to the other side of the room that is currently unspoken for - and terminates in the attic. May be easiest to extend THAT one into the basement from the family room, and back up to where the HR20 will be located. Do I have to worry about splicing, longer runs, and signal loss over an excess of connections?

To clarify - a "duel" what?

thanks!

[Tom Robertson]

A dual run of cable into the attic from the dish, so that all 4 lines that a multiswitch needs are in one place.

If you can wait a few months, the single wire multiswitch (SWM) will be available for installers. That will let you run more tuners on one single coax so you wouldn't have to run more cable to the indivual rooms. (Some areas are in limited trials now, perhaps in your area?)

Cheers,
Tom

[Stuart Sweet]

Back to the original post... do I get you right that you see only two lines from the dish? You can get four no problem.

[rdiedrich]

A dual run of cable into the attic from the dish, so that all 4 lines that a multiswitch needs are in one place.

If you can wait a few months, the single wire multiswitch (SWM) will be available for installers. That will let you run more tuners on one single coax so you wouldn't have to run more cable to the indivual rooms. (Some areas are in limited trials now, perhaps in your area?)

Cheers,
Tom

It is not in trial in his area, I am a tech for that area.

Randy

[rdiedrich]

Thanks. Yeah, fishing and deep into attic is definitley on the menu - thats why I was up there today seeing if its something I can do easily myself prior. And it does not appear to be. No conduit into basement that I am aware of. Interestingly, since this was a new contruction townhouse, I added coax runs in a lot of places - just NOT two to any one location - wasnt thinking THAT far ahead!

What may be easiest is that I do have another separate Coax run to the other side of the room that is currently unspoken for - and terminates in the attic. May be easiest to extend THAT one into the basement from the family room, and back up to where the HR20 will be located. Do I have to worry about splicing, longer runs, and signal loss over an excess of connections?

To clarify - a "duel" what?

thanks!

Yes that could be done. I would not worry about the splices as the cable lengths shouldn't be that long that it would be a problem. You may incur some extra fees on this process but if it is the easiest way to get it done the tech may just do it for free instead of having to go the harder route, it all depends on the tech.

Randy

[Milominderbinder2]

The cold drink thing works wonders. Anytime I have to go into an attic and the customer offers a glass of ice water they get free wall fishes!

RandyRandy, it is grea to hear from an installer.

Thank you!

- Craig

[skeptic555]

RG6 successfully run from the one side of the room (from existing wall outlet, down thru floor return vent, across basement ceiling, up thru floor) to the other. So, assuming the original construction installed coax was done right I should be good to go for two tuner nirvana...once I get a couple more feeds from the roof mounted dish. Not the cleanest job in the world, but not so bad for a rank amateur. Now, all I need is for D* to call back with a spectacular HR20 offer...