Question for you guys on splitting my cables...

[Devo1237]

Hey guys, I currently have two wires going from my Slimline dish to my HR21, and I would like to split another cable or two off of their to hook up a nearby standalone receiver. I currently have an old Zinwell SAM-3402 Multiswitch from an old SD install, but when I hook it up the HD doesn't seem to want to go through.

I saw a post on here about moving the BBCs onto the wires BEFORE they go into the multiswitch, but when I do that I only get HD channels on EVEN transponders. All the ODD transponders read as zero. Does any have any idea if I get this switch to work? I'd love to save myself the money of having to buy a fancy new one and it seems like it's almost ready to work, since the even transponders go through. If not, can anyone recommend a cheap multiswitch that would work? Thanks for your help.

[houskamp]

all HD switches (wb68 or wb616 or SWM) require all 4 cables from dish to work..
cheapest thing for you to do is run 3rd cable from dish.

[Grentz]

and moving the BBC is for diplexing OTA, not splitting the satellite signal.

[Beefcake]

You should just run the third line from your dish. Your multi switch won't allow the HD .

[carl6]

Basically, you cannot split a coax from the dish to the receiver. It is a 2-way communication link. The receiver tells the dish what it wants, and the dish sends the applicable channel back to the receiver. If you split that line, then with two receivers asking for different channels, one will get a searching for sat signal error.

There are four output connectors on the LNB assembly in the dish. The first four tuners need coax from the dish to the receiver. Beyond that, you run all 4 to the inputs of a WB68 multiswtich, then outputs to each tuner.

Carl

[Devo1237]

Cool, thank you guys for quick responses. I had a feeling it wouldn't work, but thought I'd ask to make sure. I have a WB68 (or something) on the roof and had various links dropped around the house when it was first installed, so my work around is to string a cable from upstairs to the living room for this new third jack. It's ugly, but it works.

Follow up question though, can I use that SD multiswitch in a room with an SD DVR? Currently my bedroom also has 2 lines coming in, and I'm using the multiswitch to send two lines into the DVR and one to the box downstairs. Everything seems to be working with this set up, but it sounds like I might I have some trouble if all three of those lines are trying to access different channels. Is that right? Or is that just the case with HD stuff?

[carl6]

If you have an older multiswitch that is serving SD receivers/dvr's only, and you have two coax from the dish (or other multiswitch), then you should be able to hook those to the input of the multiswitch and use it for access to satellite 101 only.

If you get locals on 119, or subscribe to the Spanish language channels, that won't work.

Carl