New D* isntall tomorrow. HR20 single line and other general questions

[gbr]

I have gleened about as much information as I can from the forums...great active forum btw. But I am left with some questions that have come up by what is either misinformation from the installer or D* or both. Please help answer what you can.

The people I talked to at the installation center (Ironwood Communications) sounded like dispatchers...not installers so I don't know what to believe.

1. I was told I was getting an AT9. Isn't that discontinued now. Should I be asking for a slimline?

2. I was told they couldn't install an AT9 on a pole in the yard because it needed a tripod? The pole my current Dish 500 is on will certainly hold 30#.

3. I do not want any wires run outside the house and obviously only have one connection in each room where I want an HR20. I rarely watch and record different channels. Will one wire work and only give one tuner? D* said it won't.

4. Should I wait until SWM's are available?

[Michael D'Angelo]

I have gleened about as much information as I can from the forums...great active forum btw. But I am left with some questions that have come up by what is either misinformation from the installer or D* or both. Please help answer what you can.

The people I talked to at the installation center (Ironwood Communications) sounded like dispatchers...not installers so I don't know what to believe.

1. I was told I was getting an AT9. Isn't that discontinued now. Should I be asking for a slimline?

2. I was told they couldn't install an AT9 on a pole in the yard because it needed a tripod? The pole my current Dish 500 is on will certainly hold 30#.

3. I do not want any wires run outside the house and obviously only have one connection in each room where I want an HR20. I rarely watch and record different channels. Will one wire work and only give one tuner? D* said it won't.

4. Should I wait until SWM's are available?

:welcome_s to DBSTalk

1) You will probably end up with a AU-9 Slimline but it does not matter if you get the AT-9. I have had it since June of 2006 with no problems at all.

2) You can have it installed on a pole. They should do it for you. They will charge if they do it but it can be done. It needs to be installed on a 2 inch pole.

3) Yes you can use the HR20 with only one SAT line. Like you said you can only record or watch one live program at a time.

4) It looks like some area's may already be getting the 5 channel SWM (single wire multi-switch) already. At least that seems to be the rumor. You could add it in later.

[gbr]

Thanks. Good deal on the one line. I will wait for the SWM if they don't have it then.

There is a pole (I don't think it's two inches though) out there already that has the Dish 500 on it and three rg6 cables each about 50' that go underground to the house. (I don't want to bury another cable). Which makes me wonder, doesn't the multiplexer just split up the signal into multiple outs? Why are there 4 cables? If I just use the three outputs from the dish that are currently burried, how many TV's can I hook up (using multiplexers and SWMs)? Sorry if I am using the wrong terminology or a dumb question.

Another couple quick ones before I dig a hole and put a 2" pole in it.

Is the spot where the other dish network dish sits going to work for D*? or are the angles completely different.

If they can't put the dish on the roof (concrete tile) and there is no spot on the house to put the dish w/LOS, why won't they put it on a pole for free?

[Michael D'Angelo]

Thanks. Good deal on the one line. I will wait for the SWM if they don't have it then.

There is a pole (I don't think it's two inches though) out there already that has the Dish 500 on it and three rg6 cables each about 50' that go underground to the house. (I don't want to bury another cable). Which makes me wonder, doesn't the multiplexer just split up the signal into multiple outs? Why are there 4 cables? If I just use the three outputs from the dish that are currently burried, how many TV's can I hook up (using multiplexers and SWMs)? Sorry if I am using the wrong terminology or a dumb question.

Another couple quick ones before I dig a hole and put a 2" pole in it.

Is the spot where the other dish network dish sits going to work for D*? or are the angles completely different.

If they can't put the dish on the roof (concrete tile) and there is no spot on the house to put the dish w/LOS, why won't they put it on a pole for free?

I am not sure about this but I am sure you know. I think Dish Network only has SAT's at 110 and 119. DIRECTV has 99, 101, 103, 110, and 119.

How many receiver's do you want and what kind of receiver's do you want? That will be the easiest way for me to tell you what you need to do and what you need.

[gbr]

For now I ordered an HR20 and whatever the standard reciever is that they currently offer.

Plan A...The plan would be to get another HR20 once this one was installed (for some reason they would only let me order one but said after it was installed I can get another and set up another install) and run an output out of one of the HR20s down to the kitchen for a TV down there.

Plan B...Same as A except scratch the idea of running a line down to the kitchen and simply installing another basic reciever or basic dvr.

[Michael D'Angelo]

For now I ordered an HR20 and whatever the standard reciever is that they currently offer.

Plan A...The plan would be to get another HR20 once this one was installed (for some reason they would only let me order one but said after it was installed I can get another and set up another install) and run an output out of one of the HR20s down to the kitchen for a TV down there.

Plan B...Same as A except scratch the idea of running a line down to the kitchen and simply installing another basic reciever or basic dvr.

Ok. You have a couple of options.

1) You can either run a 4th line from the dish and put in a Zinwell WB68 multi-switch inside the house and then run lines from the multi-switch to the receiver's.

2) Use the 3 lines you have now for the HR20 and SD receiver. Then you could get a SWM when they are released and install the SWM at the dish and the PI (power supply) inside by one of the HR20's. At that point you would have one SAT line from FTM1 to the PI and then from the PI to HR20 #1. Then from FTM2 to HR20 #2. Then from one of the legacy outputs to the SD receiver. If you want to go the SWM route and want to add the 2nd HR20 before you can get one you could run only one line to each HR20 and only use one tuner for now.

[gbr]

It's about 40' from the dish to the garage so I think the SWM to the garage will work. The drawing I have seen of an SWM have all 4 inputs from the dish. How many does it need? An SWM5 gets me two FMT outputs for two HR20s and 2 legacy ports...is that right?

[Michael D'Angelo]

It's about 40' from the dish to the garage so I think the SWM to the garage will work. The drawing I have seen of an SWM have all 4 inputs from the dish. How many does it need? An SWM5 gets me two FMT outputs for two HR20s and 2 legacy ports...is that right?

Yes you would need a SWM5 and you would be good to go.

You would mount the SWM at the dish and run 4 lines from the dish right to the SWM. Then you would connect the 3 lines going under ground to the SWM. One when it gets inside would go to the PI and then to a HR20. Then one line would go to the other HR20 and the 3rd line would go to the SD receiver.

[gbr]

...and then if I want one in the kitchen? I need to run another line under ground or just come off one of the HR20 back through the house right?

I see on one of the drawings 100' max from the SWM to the devices. Is that a hard limit. Because my dish is 40' out there that only leaves 60ft of run through the house and will be pushing it. I see a minimum from the PI to the SWM of 15', is there a max?

[Michael D'Angelo]

...and then if I want one in the kitchen? I need to run another line under ground or just come off one of the HR20 back through the house right?

I see on one of the drawings 100' max from the SWM to the devices. Is that a hard limit. Because my dish is 40' out there that only leaves 60ft of run through the house and will be pushing it. I see a minimum from the PI to the SWM of 15', is there a max?

You could either use a RF modulator with a HR20 to run a line to the kitchen. The HR20 does not have a coaxial out that is why you would need a RF modulator. Another option would be to wait unit you can get a 8 channel SWM and would need to get 2 D12 SD receiver and they will work with the SWM channels. Then you would add a splitter to FTM1 after the PI and another splitter from FTM2 and you can run a line to each receiver. You can put the splitters on the inside of the house and then you would only be using 2 of the 3 lines from the dish.

SWM to PI in only a minimum of 15 feet. I am not sure the max but it is pretty far. Maybe 60 feet of so. You can go longer then 100 total feet. Not sure exactly how far but about 125 or so should not be a problem.

[gbr]

Thank you for all your help...I need to go move some tvs out from the wall etc. and get ready. Unfortunately all they had was a Friday afternoon install so I am not holding my breathe that it will even happen tomorrow! :)