Which AT9 dish should I have installed

[Bill Broderick]

Because I need a 3 dish install, I needed to buy an AT9 from e-bay. After doing so, because I'm concerned about the future, should I have an LNB go bad, and because I got a great price, I bought a second AT9 as a backup, which I received today. So, I've now got AT9's from both WNC and Cal Amp.

Historically, have AT9's from one of these manufacturers been better than from the other? I'm having the installer come tomorrow and I may as well have him install the one that has a better track record if one of them does, in fact, have a better track record than the other.

[Canis Lupus]

Install the WNC. No-brainer ;)

EDIT: Sorry Bill - I should clarify. I personally have the WNC AT-9 and have had no probs, nor have I seen any posts about bad WNC (Wistrom NeWeb). I have however seen numerous posts on bad CalAmps, so I'd go with the WNC.

[hiker]

Are you trying to combine other dishes for the 110 or 119 and the AT9?

If so see this thread here (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=1079192&postcount=164). The WNC has non standard connectors so it's best to get the Andrew or CalAmp. There's a guy selling a new Andrew model on eBay now, see item 290173155169.

[Canis Lupus]

Good point Hiker. I was unaware of the multi-dish issue with the WNC as I only have one dish.

[Bill Broderick]

I am using multiple dishes. But I'm using the 3 dish methodology shown in the post that you linked to. So I don't care about the connectors between the two LNB assemblies. I don't even think that we will be installing the 110/119 LNB.

My problem is the 119 satellite. There is no location on my roof where I can receive both the 119 and any of the other satellites. So, I'm using the AT9 for 99, 101 & 103, the Sat C LNB (which was the installed using the Sat C kit) from my existing Phase 2 dish and Sat B from a round dish that is already installed to receive Sat B in my current configuration. Sat B & C already are merged using the Sat C combiner in my basement, right next to the existing multi-switch.

So, I just need the AT9 installed and 4 new cables run into my house, two of which will replace the two that are currently coming from Sat A on the Phase 2 one to be combined with Sat B and the last to be combined with the already combined Sat B/C.

BTW, the "non-standard connectors" on the WNC are SMB connectors, which are used in Sirius Satellite Radio antennas. Myradiostore.com, has SMB to F connector adapters for about $10 as well as a 50 RG-6 cable with SMB connectors (http://www.myradiostore.com/sirius/sirius-signal-distribution/50ft-rg6-smb-cable.html) for about $30 ( I believe that this is a brand new item at myradiostore.com).

[RobertE]

Unless you are trying to Frakenstein a couple of dishes due to LOS issues, just go with a slimline.

Parts are not swappable betweent the three mfgs of the AT9. So if you have a WNC dish, you must have a WNC LNB. This will be an issue down the road.

Slimline LNBs are swappable between mfgs.

[hiker]

Well then it's best to buy a couple of WNC AT9's on eBay and keep the LNB as spares since the LNBs can't be ordered. I've been watching the AT9 eBay auctions since I thought I'd be going the same route. Recently one sold for $5.51 but the shipping was $39.49. I lucked out and found a spot for Slimline just yesterday. Hopefully by the time my trees grow to block the 119, DirecTV won't be using that sat anymore.
Good Luck

[RobertE]

Well then it's best to buy a couple of WNC AT9's on eBay and keep the LNB as spares since the LNBs can't be ordered. I've been watching the AT9 eBay auctions since I thought I'd be going the same route. Recently one sold for $5.51 but the shipping was $39.49. I lucked out and found a spot for Slimline just yesterday. Hopefully by the time my trees grow to block the 119, DirecTV won't be using that sat anymore.

If you and Former President Grant were to flag down an installer in a D* van, he might just give you a sealed box of two whole slimlines. :D

[carl6]

I am using multiple dishes. But I'm using the 3 dish methodology shown in the post that you linked to. So I don't care about the connectors between the two LNB assemblies. I don't even think that we will be installing the 110/119 LNB.

My problem is the 119 satellite. There is no location on my roof where I can receive both the 119 and any of the other satellites. So, I'm using the AT9 for 99, 101 & 103, the Sat C LNB (which was the installed using the Sat C kit) from my existing Phase 2 dish and Sat B from a round dish that is already installed to receive Sat B in my current configuration. Sat B & C already are merged using the Sat C combiner in my basement, right next to the existing multi-switch.

So, I just need the AT9 installed and 4 new cables run into my house, two of which will replace the two that are currently coming from Sat A on the Phase 2 one to be combined with Sat B and the last to be combined with the already combined Sat B/C.

BTW, the "non-standard connectors" on the WNC are SMB connectors, which are used in Sirius Satellite Radio antennas. Myradiostore.com, has SMB to F connector adapters for about $10 as well as a 50 RG-6 cable with SMB connectors (http://www.myradiostore.com/sirius/sirius-signal-distribution/50ft-rg6-smb-cable.html) for about $30 ( I believe that this is a brand new item at myradiostore.com).

Hopefully you can find a way to make this work, and if you do be sure to post and tell us how you did it.

The biggest problem you might run into is the fact that 99 and 103 use different signalling. 99 uses 13 and 18V NO TONE while 103 uses 13 and 18V WITH TONE. If you put a separate 110/119 dish (which use the tone), when you signal the dish for 103, there won't be a 103 LNB available on that line.

With only the three satellite positions, you could split 110 and 119 because 101 was signalled with no tone, and 110/119 were signalled with tone.

But now you have 99/101/103 LNB's in a single housing, two of which are signalled with no tone, and one of which is signalled with tone.

Carl

[Bill Broderick]

Hopefully you can find a way to make this work, and if you do be sure to post and tell us how you did it.


The way to do this has already been figured out. The schematic is on the second diagram in the post that hiker linked to (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=1079192&postcount=164) in his first post of this thread.

[Bill Broderick]

Well then it's best to buy a couple of WNC AT9's on eBay and keep the LNB as spares since the LNBs can't be ordered.


Right now, I have the two AT9's (a WNC & a Cal Amp) as well as a used WNC LNB, which I bought for about $25 on ebay. At that price, it was worth the risk of it not working (I bought it before I bought the second AT9).

[hiker]

If you and Former President Grant were to flag down an installer in a D* van, he might just give you a sealed box of two whole slimlines. :DSlimline won't work for what Bill is going to do. AT9 only. See the link for the diagram.

[carl6]

The way to do this has already been figured out. The schematic is on the second diagram in the post that hiker linked to (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=1079192&postcount=164) in his first post of this thread.

Missed that one. Thanks for pointing it out.

Carl

[hiker]

Bill, good luck on your install. Sounds like you've got things under control by going with the WNC. Are you getting a DirecTV installer or did you hire your own? I'm curious because I would think that DirecTV would not sanction combining separate dishes.

My Slimline is a CalAmp, and I am going to replace the LNB with a WNC one I bought on eBay since I've read that WNC provides a stronger signal.

[Bill Broderick]

I hired my own guy after getting a big runaround from the DirecTV contractor (the first guy showed up at the wrong time and said that his supervisor would be back to look at my installation during the original appointment window, followed by multiple no-shows). DirecTV ended up taking care of me though. Originally, I was supposed to get a new HD DVR and HD receiver to replace my HD Tivo and and my Hughes HD receiver for free. Then they were going to upgrade the HD receiver to a second HD DVR for $199.

Given the problems that I had with their installers and the fact that I was buying the dish and having it installed myself, they are now going to give me the second HD DVR for free too. They've already given me the H-20 for self-install, which I'm not going activate until I'm 100% certain that I'm getting a good signal on all satellites (there's no sense in getting stuck with a 2 year commitment if I can't receive all of the new HD channels. Once everything is up & running, they will schedule another appointment with one of their installers to bring me the HD DVR's, which they said that I can't do as a self-install.

My installation got canceled today because it's overcast with sporadic wind. I'm disappointed and upset that I took a day off for nothing and think that the weather is probably a bit borderline canceling. But, I am probably better off, in the long run, if the dish gets installed on a day where satellite strength will be stronger and it will be easier to aim the dish. I can't take another day off next week, so the installer is going to come back next Saturday to do the install.

In the meantime, this morning while waiting for the installer, I ended up making all of the in-house connections that I will need. The old multi-switch has been replaced by the combiners, power inserter and the new multi-switch. The installer just needs to setup the new dish and run four cables into the basement and connect them to the combiners and the multi-switch.

[hiker]

I guess you are putting the dish on the roof so I would hire a guy too. I found a spot out the back on a 20"x20" framed column that supports an upper deck accessible without even a ladder. Four 3" lag bolts into solid wood. And 2 monopoles. Did a coarse alignment with the HR20's signal meters, will do the fine tuning later since I have fairly good readings now. Or maybe I'll take advantage of the DirecTV Protection Plan and get a tech to align. Not sure how you install monopoles on a roof but they're a must if you have even a slight wind problem. Hopefully your weather will clear up soon. Let us know how it goes.