Attention installers - how many cables are required?

[BobHelms]

How many cables are required between the dish and the following receivers, 1 SD & 1 HD? Does it matter if the distance is over 120'? Would dual RG6 normally be run from the dish in this kind of install (the cable has to be buried) to facilitate any future upgrade to a HD DVR? I'm upgrading all my inside wiring to RG6 to get my house ready to accept a D* install and I want to be sure I have all the bases covered. TIA for your help.

 

[jtwex]

The standard Slimline requires 4 cables off the dish then into your house (2 dual RG6 would also work). You might only need two of them as the switch is integrated but if you're burying cables you might as well bury four. I believe the SWM LNB Slimline only requires one cable from the dish then can be split up with a powered switch in your house. This is slightly different then running 4 cables into your house & then into a SWM multi-switch (also powered) & then broken apart with splitters. If you can find/inquire the single cable SWM that might be the best option for you. I use the powered multi-switch linked below (using four cables from the LNB & another for a powered OTA antenna) & it works great. This option is also readily available where the single cable SWM is still in testing (though we saw a few on ebay).

DirecTV SWM 8 Multiswitch Frequently Asked Questions


You can go to 150 ft runs & still be OK. The specs are listed in the link.