Any satellite TV system installers out there?

[Radshooter]

Can someone explain to me how something that used to work one way can't be hooked back up to work the same way now?



We live in an RV. The RV came pre-wired for both satellite and cable TV. We started out with satellite. We could have 2 receivers hooked up and watch different programs on each TV with only one cable coming into the trailer. Then we went to an RV park with cable available, so we suspended our satellite service and went with cable. Now, 2 years later, we want to go back to satellite. The "service technicians" here say we cannot have 2 receivers on one line. I am very ticked off at them because they say we need a seperate line for each receiver. On top of that, they unhooked all my splitters under the cabinet that were wired from the RV factory (and worked great until now), so if we ever go back to cable, I will have to have someone come out and figure it all out again for us. We used to be able to just pull up and plug in outside and be done.



Sorry if this doesn't make sense, but I am so mad right now, I just kicked out the second technician because he told me the same song and dance as the first. We are about ready to tell the satellite company to take a long walk off a short pier.



How come it used to work, but can't be hooked up the same way now?



Steve

 

[RustyJC]

I've had DirecTV since it first came out, and I've always had a dual LNB dish with 2 RG6 cables, one going to each receiver - at least until my upgrade to HDTV. My current home setup is the Hughes HDTV dish which feeds a conventional receiver upstairs and an HDTV receiver downstairs - each of which has its own RG6 cable, and the antenna for local HDTV stations has yet another RG6 cable going into the HDTV receiver. The HDTV dish has 3 LNBs (3 "heads" on the dish arm) with an internal switcher in the dish head to support the 2 receivers. For the RV, I have a dual LNB dish left over from home but only 1 conventional receiver with, of course, a single RG6 cable going to it.



I really don't know how you could drive 2 receivers on different channels off of 1 LNB and cable, but I'm just a pore ole country boy from West Texas. Maybe someone smarter than me will come along and tell me that I'm all wet.



Rusty

 

[Radshooter]

Thanks Rusty. I am just wondering how the guys who hooked us up originally when we were in Kansas City made it work with only a single LNB dish. Also when they hooked us up, they didn't have to unhook all the splitters in our cabinet to make it work. I was so mad this morning I almost told them to unhook everything and take it with them.



We will be back in KC in a few weeks for another contract there. Maybe the same guy is still working. (HAHA).



Thanks again,

Steve

 

[klenger]

To connect multiple receivers, you either need a dual LNB antenna, or you need a multi-switch. Radio Shack has one shown at http://www.radioshack.com/product.a..._name=CTLG_003_008_003_000&product_id=16-2584. Note that the multi-swich is not just a simple splitter as would be used with cable TV. It's possible that whoever installed your sat system the first time used a multi-switch and that it was disconnected when the cable was hooked up. It may still be in the RV somewhere, not connected.

 

[Radshooter]

Thanks Ken. I may have to check out one of those gizmos. How come the "technicians" didn't suggest one of those? It may have solved our problem.



How many of you RVers switch back and forth from cable to satellite? Do you have to do a lot of switching or re-wiring?



We started out with Dish Network with a single LNB dish. That was the system that worked 2 receivers like I described above. Now, we are trying to do the same with a 3 LNB DirecTV dish. Would the different networks make a difference? I guess I thought satellite was satellite, no matter who you got it from. But then, I don't make my living selling or installing the stuff. (Obviously ) All I know is I plugged it in and it used to work.



Thanks again guys.

Steve

 

[klenger]

I have no experience with Dish Network, so I can't help you there.

 

[RBallard]

This guide will help explain the different installations for Dish Network.