[Marlin Guy]

Trying to help a buddy out with getting a second receiver out by his pool.
He currently has a single DirecTV basic receiver at one TV in the den. That's it. No DVR. No additional receivers.
The existing receiver is about 60 feet cable length from the dish in his yard.
The second receiver would be about 105 feet in cable to the existing receiver or 150 feet to where the cable comes through the wall from the dish.

Questions:
I think I read that there are total cable limitations?
Are we over the limits with this much additional cable?
If so, what can be done to overcome them?

What equipment does he need, other than the additional receiver, to be able to connect and use the second receiver?

 

[SledgeHammer]

Trying to help a buddy out with getting a second receiver out by his pool.
He currently has a single DirecTV basic receiver at one TV in the den. That's it. No DVR. No additional receivers.
The existing receiver is about 60 feet cable length from the dish in his yard.
The second receiver would be about 105 feet in cable to the existing receiver or 150 feet to where the cable comes through the wall from the dish.

Questions:
I think I read that there are total cable limitations?
Are we over the limits with this much additional cable?
If so, what can be done to overcome them?

What equipment does he need, other than the additional receiver, to be able to connect and use the second receiver?

View attachment 32122

Just run the cable on the ground and see if it works. If it doesn't and relocating the dish to a midpoint isn't an option, then you can add a 2nd dish. That's perfectly allowable. Only requirements are same physical address.

 

[Marlin Guy]

Just run the cable on the ground and see if it works. If it doesn't and relocating the dish to a midpoint isn't an option, then you can add a 2nd dish. That's perfectly allowable. Only requirements are same physical address.

That's a good idea for the cable length, but what do we need to connect the second receiver to the one dish?
Just one of these and cable?

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[codespy]

It might help showing a pic of the dish and the LNB. If it’s an old SD and not HD/Slimline dish, there may be another coax connection on the LNB for the second cable to the pool.

 

[P Smith]

Or post here a screenshot of System info from existing IRD

 

[Marlin Guy]

New question.
Has anyone here tried using a wifi bridge with DECA adapters in lieu of having coax from point A to point B?

 

[harsh]

Since the addition of a receiver is likely going to involve the installation of a completely new configuration, it is probably better to call DIRECTV and tell them what is desired. Chances are pretty good that it will involve a Genie 2 and some manner of Genie Mini. It is then the installer's problem to figure out.

 

[raott]

Is your friend insistent on satellite? It may be an easier solution to switch to Directv Stream assuming his wireless can reach out there. I personally use a nest router and have a second nest point near my outside, which supplies wifi to my outside TV.

 

[Marlin Guy]

Since the addition of a receiver is likely going to involve the installation of a completely new configuration, it is probably better to call DIRECTV and tell them what is desired. Chances are pretty good that it will involve a Genie 2 and some manner of Genie Mini. It is then the installer's problem to figure out.

He actually did that first.
The tech came out and told him it couldn't be done.
He was charged $50 for the service.

 

[Marlin Guy]

Is your friend insistent on satellite? It may be an easier solution to switch to Directv Stream assuming his wireless can reach out there. I personally use a nest router and have a second nest point near my outside, which supplies wifi to my outside TV.

His internet service is abysmal.

 

[slice1900]

The easiest solution for your friend might be to call Directv and ask for an upgrade to a Genie, and get a wireless client for the pool house. No cable to run, no second dish to worry about. Based on your diagram it looks like a pretty short run with only a couple of walls so should work unless there is a metal wall between the location of his indoor TV (where the Genie would go) and where the pool house TV would go.

Supposedly it is getting harder to add standalone receivers to an account. While he may not have that issue if he's got a standalone receiver or two tuner DVR today, someday when people are asking for replacements they are going to get told "sorry".

 

[harsh]

He actually did that first.
The tech came out and told him it couldn't be done.
He was charged $50 for the service.

You perhaps should have lead with that.

I'm not sure how much luck there is going to be getting wi-fi deep into what appears to be a metal clad building but I don't see any real reason that a Genie 2 install couldn't be done via coax. It would be getting near the coax length limit if the route needed to be that circuitous. This would be a snap with CAT6 but that isn't something DIRECTV DBS supports. It seems like there used to be a way to hardwire a WAP but the Genie 2's WAP is built in.

I'm also not on board with the idea that this should have been treated as a repair call for which a truck roll was charged. I don't recall precedent for failed installs being charged for.

 

[Marlin Guy]

Thanks for all of the input.
I agree that it was low move to charge him for the visit.
Not sure what option we'll take. That wireless bridge with two DECA's is still intriguing to me.
Easiest by far would be a second dish at the pool house.
I'll encourage that first and probably a switch to that other company second. I have never had any issues with them.

 

[harsh]

Easiest by far would be a second dish at the pool house.

DIRECTV doesn't do second dishes. You may be able to find an authorized dealer that will do the job and help with activation but it will be entirely on your buddy's dime (including the lease-entry cost on a receiver). Self-installs are not allowed.

The show-stopper for this theory is that DIRECTV typically doesn't offer non-Genie equipment anymore (often not even as replacements). Solid Signal lists H24 and HR24 boxes (they're having a $99 "special" on H24s today) but that doesn't include installation of the leased refurbished receiver.

If your buddy's household doesn't need to be watching TV in two locations, it may make sense to run the pool house TV from the main house receiver using an HDMI extender system and a switch (or splitter).

 

[studechip]

DIRECTV doesn't do second dishes. You may be able to find an authorized dealer that will do the job and help with activation but it will be entirely on your buddy's dime (including the lease-entry cost on a receiver). Self-installs are not allowed.

The show-stopper for this theory is that DIRECTV typically doesn't offer non-Genie equipment anymore (often not even as replacements). Solid Signal lists H24 and HR24 boxes (they're having a $99 "special" on H24s today) but that doesn't include installation of the leased refurbished receiver.

If your buddy's household doesn't need to be watching TV in two locations, it may make sense to run the pool house TV from the main house receiver using an HDMI extender system and a switch (or splitter).

So you install the new receiver at the house, then install a new dish and move the receiver. Installing a dish isn't that complicated.

 

[harsh]

So you install the new receiver at the house, then install a new dish and move the receiver. Installing a dish isn't that complicated.

I thought about that but then it comes down to what kind of standalone receiver you get which puts you directly into the third party authorized dealer realm so you might as well have them do it the way you want it in the first place.

 

[James Long]

DIRECTV doesn't do second dishes. You may be able to find an authorized dealer that will do the job and help with activation but it will be entirely on your buddy's dime (including the lease-entry cost on a receiver). Self-installs are not allowed.

What DIRECTV doesn't know won't hurt them. It would be better to have the install done by an authorized installer who can dial in the dish more accurately than MOST people. I would not call the installer who refused service and charged $50. Once both basic receivers are working DIRECTV will never know that they are on separate dishes.

If you can get a second basic receiver and dish and can find someone you can trust a second dish would be possible ... just not part of the script DIRECTV customer service and their installers follow.

 

[slice1900]

You perhaps should have lead with that.

I'm not sure how much luck there is going to be getting wi-fi deep into what appears to be a metal clad building but I don't see any real reason that a Genie 2 install couldn't be done via coax. It would be getting near the coax length limit if the route needed to be that circuitous. This would be a snap with CAT6 but that isn't something DIRECTV DBS supports. It seems like there used to be a way to hardwire a WAP but the Genie 2's WAP is built in.

I'm also not on board with the idea that this should have been treated as a repair call for which a truck roll was charged. I don't recall precedent for failed installs being charged for.

You can still "hardwire a WAP" with the Genie 2 by using a WVB (wireless video bridge)

The length limit for coax is only what Directv installers will enforce, but has nothing to do with the actual limit. With only a two way splitter between the Genie (whether Genie 1 or 2) and a client in the pool house, that 105 foot distance is not a problem at all. It would probably work at twice the distance even if an AIM meter measured it slightly under spec.

He runs his coax out to the pool house, then gets an installer to upgrade him to a Genie + client (or two clients if a Genie 2) for a second TV he says will be added right next to the existing TV. Once the guy leaves he carries the client out to the pool house and plugs his pool house coax into the splitter behind his TV the installer added for the "second TV".

 

[codespy]

DIRECTV doesn't do second dishes. You may be able to find an authorized dealer that will do the job and help with activation but it will be entirely on your buddy's dime (including the lease-entry cost on a receiver). Self-installs are not allowed……..

I must have been one of the lucky ones 5+ years ago when ATT installed my C61K and RBLNB. But I don’t have a normal setup compared to others.

 

[harsh]

To be certain, you can pull the wool over DIRECTV's eyes by relocating after the fact but if DIRECTV is going to demand an upgrade to a Genie 2 system, things get much more expensive.

I still think it would be easier, faster and perhaps not a whole lot more money just to have a dealer do the upgrade in a way that DIRECTV isn't going to blow back on if a service call is required.