New install wiring concerns

[harperjn]

I currently have cable and am considering switching to Directv, but I have some concerns on the install process. I would be getting 1 HD-DVR and 1 SD receiver. I would be keeping cable internet. My house currently has old RG-59. I would prefer to run new RG6 cable myself, including fishing the wire. I'm not sure what layout is required. If I were to get a SWM with my install, only 1 cable would be entering my house. I could then connect it to an approved splitter, with 1 cable going to each receiver (including DVR). Is this correct? Could I ensure getting a SWM buy adding 2 SD receivers to my order for a total of 1 HD-DVR and 3 SD receivers (5 tuners)?

If I order only the HD-DVR and 1 SD receiver and don't get a SWM, what does the wiring consist of? Will I have 3 cables entering my house, with 2 going to the HD-DVR and 1 to the SD receiver? Will I then have to install a double coax jack for the DVR? How would I be able to pre-fish the cables?

I also have some questions about the actual dish placement. My house faces south, but I do not want the dish attached to the front of the house. I have a single story with a pretty low pitched roof. Assuming no trees or any other buildings, will the dish be able to be placed on the back of the house facing south over my roof? My zip is 61611 if that matters.

Thanks a lot!

Jaime

[jamesgangnc]

Tech isn't going to complain about you running the wire. Use copper core and get good ends. 5 tuners might get you swm but nothing is certain. If the tech doesn't have swm then you won't get it. The only 100% way would be to buy it yourself and have it there when the tech shows up. Buy an lnb, power inserter, and splitter. If you just have 3 tuners then most likely you are going to have 3 lines from the dish. Tell the tech your homeowners rules won't let you put the dish on the front. If he can't clear the roof from the rear then it might still work to put it on one of the sides on the back half of the peak. Try this site http://www.dishpointer.com/ and see what options look likethey might work.

[rudeney]

If you are willing to do the wiring yourself, why not go ahead and buy your own SWM? If you wanted, you could even buy the SWM8, although the installer may balk at that. If you do guarantee yourself a SWM (either buy tuner count or buying it yourself), then all you need is one RG6 to each receiver location. Although it does not have to be a homerun system (i.e. you can split it multiple times like with CATV wiring), it would be best to do it that way. You will then need one wire from that homerun location out to where the dish feed will enter the house. If you get a SWM-ODU (i.e. built into the dish), then it will only have one cable coming from it. If you decide to go with a SWM8, you will need a regular dish installed that will have four wires coming from the LNB that will connect to the SWM8, then one wire from their to the splitter(s) and receivers. The SWM8 can be placed outdoors, so you can still just run one wire into the house.

As for placing the dish on the back of the house, you should be able to do that. Your elevation will be over 40 degrees, and if your roof is fairly flat as you say, it's likely not that steep. You may be able to mount the dish on the lowest area of the back roof and still aim well over the peak.

[harperjn]

I'd rather not buy the SWM ahead of time because A) free is always better and B) there is no guarantee that the installer will install the SWM. Installing SWM after the fact doesn't help me. I'm just not sure how the interior wiring would need to be run for it to work without SWM. Can the non-SWM configuration use splitters, or does the cable from the dish have to go directly to the receiver? For example if I home-run the cables to a centralized splitter, will the non-SWM configuration work in that setup?
I really just don't want the installer to run new cable and drill new holes all over my house. I would prefer if all they had to do was install the dish and connect to existing wire.

Thanks

[joe diamond]

Harper,

IF you decide to run new cable you can use the existing cable to pull the new stuff (Solid Copper RG6). Get some barrel connectors and compression fittings. IF you can find where the cables run in the walls you can pull the new cable in as you pull the RG59 out.

Sometimes this doesn't work.....sometimes you can just splice the center wires, join them and tape the two cables together.......sometimes this doesn't work.....next is pull strings.

Enjoy,

Joe

[BattleZone]

"Legacy" (non-SWM) systems cannot have splitters. With 4 tuners or less, there is no external multiswitch either; the 4x4 switch built into the LNB is enough to run up to 4 tuners. With only 3 tuners, the tech would run 3 lines into the house and to wherever the receivers are going.

It is certainly possible (and with new construction, very common) to run all of the internal lines to a central location, so that if you expand later, a multiswitch will go there.

I would run at least 4 lines in from the dish to the central location (the tech is only required to run enough for each tuner, so 3), which is the minimum required to use a switch if you need one later. You'll need 2 coax from the central location to each DVR.

[rudeney]

I'd rather not buy the SWM ahead of time because A) free is always better and B) there is no guarantee that the installer will install the SWM. Installing SWM after the fact doesn't help me.

I can't see why an installer would not use a SWM dish if you had one ready for him. Maybe some installers can chime in and give their input. Of course if you can get the SWM for free, then that's better, but right now, there is just no sure-fire way to do that unless you supply it yourself.

I'm just not sure how the interior wiring would need to be run for it to work without SWM. Can the non-SWM configuration use splitters, or does the cable from the dish have to go directly to the receiver?

On a non-SWM system you cannot use splitters. You must run one RG6 feed per tuner directly to its own output of either the dish or a mutliswitch. Since DVR's have two tuners, that means two coax feeds. The other end of that feed needs to go either to a central location (basement, attic, or outside near the dish) where it can then be tied to a mutliswitch or one of the outputs on the dish.

For example if I home-run the cables to a centralized splitter, will the non-SWM configuration work in that setup?
I really just don't want the installer to run new cable and drill new holes all over my house. I would prefer if all they had to do was install the dish and connect to existing wire.

In that case, go ahead and pull the coax you need given the tuners you will have. Terminate those feeds somewhere convenient where you might locate a mutliswitch. Then, run four more feeds from there to the outside of your house where you think the dish will be located. The installer can take it from there.

[ndole]

[Quote:
Originally Posted by harperjn
I'd rather not buy the SWM ahead of time because A) free is always better and B) there is no guarantee that the installer will install the SWM. Installing SWM after the fact doesn't help me.]

I can't see why an installer would not use a SWM dish if you had one ready for him. Maybe some installers can chime in and give their input. Of course if you can get the SWM for free, then that's better, but right now, there is just no sure-fire way to do that unless you supply it yourself.


I have to practically beg for SWiM equipment from my office.
If I have a cx pull all of their own cable, AND have a SWiM ready for me to use?..
I'd probably poo myself. :rolling:

[harperjn]

Would I be able to call CS before the install to see if the work order has a SWM? This is assuming I were to order 5 tuners. Or are you guys saying having SWM on the work order doesn't guarantee getting one?

I'm not sure where the dish would go outside. I do have some tall trees on the south side of the house. I'd be fine running the inside wire, but I think I would definitely have the tech do the outside stuff after he picked a spot for the dish.

[rudeney]

I have to practically beg for SWiM equipment from my office.
If I have a cx pull all of their own cable, AND have a SWiM ready for me to use?..
I'd probably poo myself. :rolling:

In that case, it's probably best for both of us that you are 700 miles away and there' s no chance you'd be dispatched to my house. Every room is wired with at least three coax drops (some have multiples of that for flexibility in locating TV's), plus everything comes back to my equipment board with a WB68 and SWM8 in parallel. I would never have an installer pull any wire in my house. The worst thing they have to do is climb a 12 foot ladder to get to the dish or go into a hot attic above the garage to get to the multiswitches. Yeah, you'd definitely be needing some new shorts.:lol:

Would I be able to call CS before the install to see if the work order has a SWM? This is assuming I were to order 5 tuners. Or are you guys saying having SWM on the work order doesn't guarantee getting one?

That seems to be the case - you mirth not get a SWM even if you have all the right criteria.

I'm not sure where the dish would go outside. I do have some tall trees on the south side of the house. I'd be fine running the inside wire, but I think I would definitely have the tech do the outside stuff after he picked a spot for the dish.

Just get the four coax feeds outside near where you think it would go. The installer can work with that and add extensions and connection blocks as necessary. You might want to try http://www.dishpointer.com. Specifically, use its elevation checker feature.

[BattleZone]

In most cases, if SWM is on the work order, you'll get one, and if it's on the work order, and they don't have one in stock, you can reschedule until they do, but "by default", if a SWM LNB isn't available, the installers are supposed to try to put the install in on the original date using legacy equipment (standard LNB and multiswitch) instead.