Best way to hook up 2 Rec, one cable?

[delta_charlie]

Hi all, I have managed to get my PC DVB system working very well and I'm thinking of moving the computer into the living room. The current dish setup is two stationary 80 CM dishes with a 22 Hz tone switch and one cable running to the living room.

The other receiver is a Mercury II. I only have one TV so I do not need to run both receivers at the same time.

What would be the simplest way to hook up the PC so I could feed it or the Mercury II from the one cable?

Would a simple splinter do the trick?

Thanks, DC

 

[Lak7]

You could use the Loop Through connection.

 

[Mr Tony]

unless the LNB's are duals, then add another 22k switch (or diseqc)

but the loop out would be the best/easiest in this case

 

[Tron]

I use the loop through on my Visionsat to run my Twinhan PC card. The Visionsat is used to find the feeds (blind scan), which I can then enter into DVBDream.

 

[DocRobster]

Is there a trick to find the Video and Audio PIDs and other items on the Visionsat? I an using it to blind scan and then use my Linux VLC system to show them on my computer.

It seems I can only find the frequency V/H and SR.

 

[phlatwound]

Is there a trick to find the Video and Audio PIDs and other items on the Visionsat? I an using it to blind scan and then use my Linux VLC system to show them on my computer.

It seems I can only find the frequency V/H and SR.

Hey Doc,

While viewing a channel if you press the "Info" button twice it brings up a display that says (for example):

SID : 0x0004/ TSID : 0x00001/ ONID : 0x1111
99.0 W GALAXY 16C : FEC 3/4

I think this is the av pid info but I don't know how to read it, maybe someone else can decode it for us.....or tell how to convert it to "English".

 

[DocRobster]

I have seen that information as well and I was wondering if something had the magic decoder ring for it.

 

[Mr Tony]

on the visionsat while on a channel press info and in the right hand lower corner it shows the transponder info like "SBS6 11733 H 6616"

manual pid info is usually not needed...just the frequency info

 

[delta_charlie]

You could use the Loop Through connection.

Hi Lak7, I tried the loop through but could not get it to work. I tried all three ways - with the receiver on and decoding a channel, off but power switch on and completely off (power switch off). Could not get a signal to the DVB card.

Hooked the DVB card direct to the cable and it worked fine.

Perhaps the loop through is broken on my Mercury II? Just had a thought - might there be a setting in the Mercury that enables the loop through?

Found a separator left over from my *E install but after looking at the printout on the right side I don't think it would pass the required voltage to power up the LNBs from the left connection. My *E system uses one of these to split the input from one cable to both receivers on the VIP 222. Why does it work on the *E system? Is it because of the way the switch and LNBs are setup - the switch being built into the LNB and a second cable running to the second LNB getting the voltage from the first???

Looks like I might have to go with the Diseqc switch. Because I already have a tone switch hooked up between the two dishes I do not believe another tone switch would not work because that would cause only one dish/lnb to be available to each receiver - one receiver would have the tone on and the other off and that would prevent me from selecting the other LBN - do I have that correct?

I also noticed that ProgDVB does not seem to have a provision for a tone switch, only a Diseqc.

Might the ultimate way to set this up be to move the tone switch I have now between the two dishes/lnbs and place it between my two receivers. The Mercury II could be set to have the tone on - on both satellites and the DVB program to have no tone. Then use a new Diseqc switch between the two dishes/lnbs and the Diseqc settings within the Mercury II and DVB program to select one of the two dishes/lnbs?

That sure got complicated ;-)

Or maybe I should just run another cable? That could allow me to watch something on the Mercury II and record something else on the DVB program at the same time.

Thanks, DC

 

[Mr Tony]

that separator wont work

 

[delta_charlie]

that separator wont work

Hi Iceberg, you did not say a separator would not work, just that one so I have to ask is there a separator I should be aware off?

Thanks, DC

 

[Mr Tony]

Dish is the only one that has a "separator" like that

any satellite splitter will work. That above works differently and only for DIsh Network boxes

 

[delta_charlie]

Hi all, update - I tried another splitter that had DC pass on one port only. Did not think it would work and it did not. The problem I believe is I need a splitter that passes DC on both ports. Found one at Sadoun that I think might work.

I will be taking my digital multi meter home tonight and plan to test the Mercury II when off and the SS2 card when the computer is on but the DVB software not running. What I'm looking for is no voltage at the coaxial connector and a open circuit. If I find this then the dual pass splitter will work provided I do not try to use both the receiver and the DVB program at the same time.

Will post follow up on what I find.

Later, DC

 

[Mr Tony]

that will work

 

[PopcornNMore]

I use the loop through on my Visionsat to run my Twinhan PC card. The Visionsat is used to find the feeds (blind scan), which I can then enter into DVBDream.

Excellent idea!

 

[Sadoun]

The best solution is to use a "STACKER" & "De-STACKER" set.

Dual LNBF 1
| |
| |
[4x2 Multi-Switch] == Dual LNBF 2
| |
| |
STACKER
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
De-STACKER ----- Rec 2
|
|
Rec 1

Both receivers in this case will have access to both dishes (and both polarities) independently.

 

[delta_charlie]

I will be taking my digital multi meter home tonight and plan to test the Mercury II when off and the SS2 card when the computer is on but the DVB software not running. What I'm looking for is no voltage at the coaxial connector and a open circuit. If I find this then the dual pass splitter will work provided I do not try to use both the receiver and the DVB program at the same time.

Will post follow up on what I find.

Later, DC

Well, I checked the Mercury II this morning and found the circuit is not open at the coaxial connector when the receiver is off. I had 10.2 K ohms. This might be enough to drop the voltage from the DVB card to the point the LNB will not work.

BTW - I also checked the loop back connector and it was open. Perhaps it is not connected and that is why I could not get it to work.

I was really hoping not to have to re-do and re-run more coaxial cable and replace the LNBs simply to get a second receiver to work.

Perhaps I should send the Mercury II in for warranty repair of the loop back.

I also want to look into using a Diseqc switch but I'm having trouble understanding how it would work from two receivers. Will review the FAQ sections of this forum and try to learn how this might be done.

Rec 1
l
l
l l Rec 2
l l
l l
Diseqc switch
l
l
60 foot coaxial run
l
l
22 tone switch
l l
l l
30 foot coaxial run
l l
l l
l LNB on west dish
l
l
20 foot coaxial run
l
l
LNB on east dish

Above is what I'm trying to setup.

Thanks, DC