[Neilkn]

My next door neighbor has had D* for about 5 years now. I just had D* installed this past Friday. We are in a condominium, 4 units per side of the building, 8 total. Each side has 2 up and 2 down on either side of a center entryway. I got the HR21-100 plus two D12's and the DIRECTV 5-LNB Multi-Satellite Dish for one HDTV and two older SD sets. They ran 4 lines down, two to the HR21, and the other two connected to the original cable coaxes, one each going to the two bedrooms.

My neighbor has an HDTV but not HD service. He wants to buy/lease the HD-DVR receiver, but not have to mount an additional dish, nor necessarily have to take the old one down. Of course he would have to pay for the HD-DVR lease and the HD service to his place as the DVR would have to be activated. So it is not as though he is trying to steal anything, or get off cheap ... other than saving the cost of another dish and it's installation.

My question is: If we do allow him to share the dish we have, would we see any degradation of our own service, picture, or whatever? I understand that it is a digital signal, 100% so. But still, would the addition of the device that allows for additional connections to the dish have any effect on us? I can see our benefit being that we'd have someone to share expenses if the dish needed re-alignment or parts ... if those components ever fail. Do they? Of course we couldn't share a full service contract as we are two separate households. And we also understand the issue of the dish initially belonging to ME as I had it installed, so if I go, the dish follows and he'd then have to spring the extra cost for his own. That is not an issue.

Anyone? And yes, this is my first post here, and I am just as new to satellite. I have wanted it for years, finally got my wife to give in as they offerred so much more HD-wise than TWC.

 

[grizzly]

There shouldn't be any problem doing this. You aren't sharing an account, just a physical dish.

If you move, DTV wants you to leave the dish anyways....thats part of their "movers connection". They hope that if the dish is already there it will be an incentive to the new folks to do DTV...more than likely you'll get whatever the latest and greatest Dish/LNB combo there is when you move.

You might have to get a bigger multiswitch depending on how many receivers you have on the account. No loss of any signal.


Kevin

 

[RobertE]

No problems sharing dishes. You'll even earn a brownie point or two from the condo board for minimizing "ugly" dishes. :lol:

You'll see no degradation of your signal.

Anyway, someone (ie, your neighbor) will need to foot the cost for a 6x8, 6x16 or SWM8 switch.

Now the sticky part. Who pays for service on the dish? That will be the biggest issue.

Other than that, no problems running multiple units from one dish.

 

[Tom Robertson]

Welcome to the forums, Neilkn! :welcome_s

RobertE has outlined all the salient points. Basically it works great if you and your neighbors agree on the minimal $ issue. If you or your neighbor have the protection plan, you should be good on service.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Neilkn]

Thank you all. NO brownie points from the Board though ... I'm the Secretary, the neighbor who wants to share ... he's the Treasurer. It's a 224 unit community. He'll have to pay any expenses for any and all components required as well as their installation ... the dish IS mine already so extra cost would not be mine. I did not get the maintenance plan ... yet. Debating the merits, and the extra cost. As for any service issues, I figure we'd both be suffering withdrawel and both would gladly pay half the service call. We haven't discussed that part, but we are both fair and responsible people. We're also both 50+ in years, so no younger hot blood arguments. And we both feel that I would be the one doing him a favor as I already have my HD whether I share or not ... and beautiful it is too.

Also, thank you for the welcome and the speedy responses. I think I'm going to like it here.

 

[Tom Robertson]

So you get leadership points instead of brownie points. Even better!

Also, fantastic you both realize that the minor costs of the possible repairs are no big deal in the larger picture.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Neilkn]

So you get leadership points instead of brownie points. Even better!

Also, fantastic you both realize that the minor costs of the possible repairs are no big deal in the larger picture.

Cheers,
Tom

Minor costs of possible repairs??? I've heard a service call can be pretty hefty. Makes sense it would be too as they've got you by the short and curlies ... where else would you turn to

 

[Tom Robertson]

Shouldn't be more than $80 and occasional parts. And often offset by some credits if you or your neighbor are fairly good customers (advanced packages, sports packages, PPVs, etc.)

To me that is pretty small--but then I'm pretty happy with 5 grandkids and 3 great-grandkids

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Neilkn]

Shouldn't be more than $80 and occasional parts. And often offset by some credits if you or your neighbor are fairly good customers (advanced packages, sports packages, PPVs, etc.)

To me that is pretty small--but then I'm pretty happy with 5 grandkids and 3 great-grandkids

Cheers,
Tom

That doesn't sound too bad, Tom, as long as it's not frequent.
5 plus 3 ... WOW, congrats. At 61, I'm probably seeing all I will from my 3, and that's 1 GS. Today's modern world, they all stay single.

Neil

 

[Tom Robertson]

I've never had a dish or switch related service call. Then again, I do some/most of the install myself or double check the installer's work.

And thanks!

Cheers,
Tom