coax cable switching with timer

[turbosat]

Here's a question from a friend of mine, who wants to know if there is a way he can install a switch or timer on a satellite cable going to one room. I've never heard of such a thing, but he wants to be able to turn off the satellite cable at a certain time at night, using some type of timer, without just taking out the satellite receiver completely.
He has a family member who's mildly retarded, who works for him during the day, but has taken to staying up all night and watching tv , sleeping all day, basically doing nothing. And rather than sticking this guy in assisted living someplace, they want to be able to 'watch' him while allowing him to do things that he can do around their place during the day. (he's adult and I understand, very clever but also stubborn as a mule).
Any ideas appreciated, and no, a good thrashing wouldn't help, lol.

ps its a dish network receiver but I don't know which one.

 

[Bill_KY]

Get a lock box, drill some holes in it. Put a electrical timer in the box and connect the satellite box electrical cord to the "timer in a box" and lock it up and have the timer cord run from the lock box to the wall.

 

[Mr Tony]

turbo I've never heard of anything like that.....A manual A/B switch might work but that involves manual switching

 

[turbosat]

Bill KY,
That's what he told me he had imagined to try, until/unless I can come up with some other ideas. I think it would work. He already had to put a lock box on the thermostat control because the guy tore up two of them lol. Then the fellow figured out how to bend a coat-hanger wire into a tool to reach up into it and still mess with it! Maybe he won't do that with 120ac.

 

[Bill_KY]

Bill KY,
That's what he told me he had imagined to try, until/unless I can come up with some other ideas. I think it would work. He already had to put a lock box on the thermostat control because the guy tore up two of them lol. Then the fellow figured out how to bend a coat-hanger wire into a tool to reach up into it and still mess with it! Maybe he won't do that with 120ac.

Maybe that isn't such a good idea with the lockbox. 120 volts and coat hangers don't mix.

Maybe extend the coax wire from the dish to a locked closet or room. Then put a A/B switch from the coax wire (from the dish) to the room where the STB is. When it is time to go to sleep, someone has to go into the closet and "flip" the A/B switch to the unused side where no coax is connected.

It would have to be done manually, unless one can integrate a simple timer switch with some relays in conjunction with the coax.

 

[Hermitman]

Here's a couple of thoughts. Dish receivers have timer functions and parental/system lock functions. The lock function requires a password to change an item. Can the receiver be configured, by timer, to cause a channel change to a boring music channel at a certain time needing a password to change it to another channel? Maybe a parental lock to all channels, requiring a password to do any viewing at all? If that doesn't pan out, how about using an old receiver with a loop out connector. Then set the timer on this old receiver to come on and go off at the same time every day. That may interupt the Dish signal on a definite schedule. Something to look in to. Good luck.

 

[SpiffWilkie]

This is a little overboard, but cool nonetheless.
Time-Scout: TV Lock | Kids Time Management | Parents and children | Control the TV Peacefully | Computer PC Timer

 

[guapoharry]

A take-off on Bill's locked room idea...
If there a place the guy doesn't have access to, like a locked room.. The receiver could be put there, but connected to the TV by coax. Then you could put a remote control extender like a Powermid next to the TV. The other half of the Powermid controls the receiver.

A timer on the receiver controls power to it.

 

[Claude Greiner]

A take-off on Bill's locked room idea...
If there a place the guy doesn't have access to, like a locked room.. The receiver could be put there, but connected to the TV by coax. Then you could put a remote control extender like a Powermid next to the TV. The other half of the Powermid controls the receiver.

A timer on the receiver controls power to it.

Thats probably the cheapest and easiest solution.

Hopefully the guy has an older analog tv in his room, or the next thing you will see him doing is shoving a coathanger in the back of the TV to pick up the OTA locals.

 

[turbosat]

Thanks for all the brain-storming, guys. We'll see what plays out. I first suggested taking out the satellite box and giving him an antenna, but then my friend says "he'd just stay up watching infomercials" hehe.

 

[Anole]

hand's off solution:

I was looking for an old 12 volt switch (relay, actually) you run a coax through.
I found an obsolete: "Sadoun S-SM21V 0-12 volt L.N.B. switch"
I'm sure there are others.
Place somewhere along the coax from the LNB to the satellite receiver.

Get a 12 volt wall wart (little power supply), and hook it to the switch to power it.
Any 9 - 12 volt regulated or unregulated supply off your dead answering machine, will probably work.
Do not spend over $3 on this.

You get a 24 hour timer and set the hours you want the "light" to be on/off.
I've seen these on sale at Home Depot and similar stores for under $5 quite often.
Plug the power supply into this timer.

Hide the whole contraption in the closet, basement, rafters, etc.

 

[rv1pop]

I have an old coax relay with 12 Volt coil and F connectors on it witch was designed to switch between LNA's. Even a normal 22hz switch .... Just figure a way to input the 22 HZ.
However, you may be able to find a coax relay at a Ham radio shop which would have PL-259 connectors on it, and the necessary adaptors to F connectors.