DirecTV multiswitch question

[vanhuben]

Hi I currently have a dual LNB 18" dish and both feeds were going straight to my 2 receivers. I am considering installing a 3rd receiver and a friend told me to pick up a 3X4 multi-switch, which I did. Without going into a long explanation, I can easily insert the switch between 1 of the feeds, but not the other one. I haven't picked up the 3rd receiver yet but I wanted to try out the switch. Since it was easy to hook up one of the feeds, I put it onto the 18v port with nothing going into the 14v port. I connected just one of the 4 outputs to my 2nd receiver. (Hint there were no instructions with the switch and I wasn't sure why the 2 ports had different voltages on them!)

Now here's the question. When I tried it out everything "appeared" to be working fine. I thought I was "home free" until I checked the signal meter and noticed several of the odd transponders above 25 no longer had a signal. Yet, somehow I am getting every single channel, even those supposedly connected to transponders 27, 29, 31. I did some research last night on how these switches really work and now I understand why there are 2 voltage ports and how the receivers use the different voltages to select between even and odd transponders. The article implied the only way for the switch to work is to have both LNB feeds hooked into the inputs.

So how is my 2nd receiver seemlingly working perfectly right now with only half the switch connected? ... and... when I buy and hook up the 3rd receiver will everything stop working until I get the other LNB feed hooked to the 14v port? The other LNB feed is precariously snaked through a wall and will take some work to hook it to the 14v switch port. I was trying to avoid it if possible.



Thank you.

[robert luzzi]

the switch is not being used as a switch as you have it set up. once you hook your 3rd rec. up you will only have odd transponders , you HAVE to connect both lnb runs to the 18/13 in ports on the switch.