Advice on buying a new multiswitch

[meccatx]

In reference to my previous post concerning loss of signal from both dishes...
if I have to buy a new switch, what brand of powered switch should I buy? I currently have an Eagle DTV4X8 installed professionally two years ago.

:confused: I found the unit described below at Circuit City for $149. This seems to be more switching than I need, as I only have four coax cables coming from the dishes and one cable going directly to a single D10-100. There are no splitters, additional equipment, etc. on the single cable.

Features
Philips 5 x 8 Multi-Switch (SDW5058)

Indoor/outdoor multi-switch: This rugged, weather-resistant indoor/outdoor multi-switch connects multiple devices. Gold-plated inputs/outputs create minimal signal loss. The interference-rejecting die-cast body and gold-plated inputs/outputs create a solid ground connection for your devices.

Compatibility: This multi-switch unit is compatible with the Triple LNB DIRECTV® Phase II oval dish. Connect up to 8 receivers or 4 dual tuner DirectTiVos® plus antenna or cable signals.

Power: This connector uses a DC power supply.

[Earl Bonovich]

What dishes are you using?

[Mike500]

If you don't need diplexed OTA, the Zinwell SAM-4803 is the best. It is basically weatherproof, has the smallest form factor, and works with everything, including Phase I, II and III elliptical dishes.

[meccatx]

Earl: My original dish is a round RCA, one LNB. The two-year-old dish is a KTI elliptical (not quite round), one LNB. The KTI is used for local channels only.

Mike: thanks for the reference. Zinwell must be creme de la creme, as I've seen in mentioned on many forums.

[Earl Bonovich]

Mike: thanks for the reference. Zinwell must be creme de la creme, as I've seen in mentioned on many forums.

SPAUN is the "creme de la creme"

Zinwell is just the most common now, as they have the FLEX ports, and where the first and for a long time, the only, ones with a multiswitch fully compatible with the 5LNB dishes

Zinwell is good switch to go with now...

[meccatx]

That's good info to have, Earl. Thank you!

[spunkyvision]

If I don't have the 5LNB Dish can I still use the same Zinwell switch? I have a powered switch now that goes from the back of the house to 2 - Phillips DirecTivos, 1 _ Hughes DirecTivo and 1 HR10 DirecTivo.
I am wanting to get rid of the power one as the cable goes through the sliding door of my upstairs bedroom is pretty tacky.

[cpsavage]

In reference to my previous post concerning loss of signal from both dishes...
if I have to buy a new switch, what brand of powered switch should I buy? I currently have an Eagle DTV4X8 installed professionally two years ago.

:confused: I found the unit described below at Circuit City for $149. This seems to be more switching than I need, as I only have four coax cables coming from the dishes and one cable going directly to a single D10-100. There are no splitters, additional equipment, etc. on the single cable.

Features
Philips 5 x 8 Multi-Switch (SDW5058)

Indoor/outdoor multi-switch: This rugged, weather-resistant indoor/outdoor multi-switch connects multiple devices. Gold-plated inputs/outputs create minimal signal loss. The interference-rejecting die-cast body and gold-plated inputs/outputs create a solid ground connection for your devices.

Compatibility: This multi-switch unit is compatible with the Triple LNB DIRECTV® Phase II oval dish. Connect up to 8 receivers or 4 dual tuner DirectTiVos® plus antenna or cable signals.

Power: This connector uses a DC power supply.



I just bought a Zinwell 6x8 on ebay for $25. Unless you're in a hurry check there.

[Mike500]

The Sam-4803 4x8 is the one that you need, if you don't have the 5lnb dish.

[samrs]

Seems to me any run of the mill 4x4 switch will meet his needs.

[harsh]

In reference to my previous post concerning loss of signal from both dishes...Is there any chance that you can use a single dish to pick up both the satellites? If you could, it might be cheaper and cleaner to go that way.

[meccatx]

I just bought a Zinwell 6x8 on ebay for $25. Unless you're in a hurry check there.

That kind of information I like to hear. I buy on eBay all the time and $25 is in my price range right now. Thanks!

[meccatx]

Is there any chance that you can use a single dish to pick up both the satellites? If you could, it might be cheaper and cleaner to go that way.


I don't know the answer to that one because I only had to touch-up the alignment on our original dish once in 12 years and that was because a tornado zipped by the house and pushed the tilt a degree or two. When we asked Directv for the local channels after they were initially taken away by that lawsuit years ago, Directv said we had to have the second dish for that satellite. I'm pretty sure the tech said the original dish couldn't handle it. The second dish, new receiver and installation were all free since our receiver was 10 years old, so I took the gift horse without asking anymore questions.:D

btw, I found the bill for the original set-up : $800 plus tax.....and we installed it ourselves to save the $35. It seems the complete programming with all the premium channels ran a hefty $21 in 1995.