Directv over fiber distribution

[Claude Greiner]

I was at the Detroit GM Renaissance Center today doing a service call for a Directv customer.

Ran across a Fiber distribution system installed in 2002.

They must have spent a ton of money on this back in the day when GM owned Directv.

It’s distributing Legacy 101 SD.

Looking at a Ton of money to upgrade this to HD so my customer can upgrade his equipment.

Sadly enough it may be cheaper to run coax 40 floors down

 

[Foxbat]

Gah! The fiber optic cable in the last picture looks like it’s kinked / exceeding the minimum bend radius! It’s probably okay, but still unusual for such a professional installation.

 

[ewindowman]

I had some fiber in my yard left over from a install and you can bed it almost all the way over before it breaks. My install has some nice bends in it and for 11 years no problem.

 

[AZ.]

Gah! The fiber optic cable in the last picture looks like it’s kinked / exceeding the minimum bend radius! It’s probably okay, but still unusual for such a professional installation.

The whole install is wonky!....No hard conduit to protect the fiber?...It may have cost alot, but they sure found a cheap hak to install the spine!

 

[Claude Greiner]

The whole install is wonky!....No hard conduit to protect the fiber?...It may have cost alot, but they sure found a cheap hak to install the spine!

There is conduit to protect the fiber. It’s all the way to the receiver. Only the last foot is exposed

 

[Jimbo]

The whole install is wonky!....No hard conduit to protect the fiber?...It may have cost alot, but they sure found a cheap hak to install the spine!

The Orange is the conduit ... its flexible to a degree ... it comes on huge reels.
I don't know how many fibers are run in that conduit in the pictures, but you could fit quite a few ... most of the fiber is about the size of your little finger.

Also remember that 1 fiber run handle a bunch of different prs. I don't remember how many for sure as I'm not splicing it ... I ran a ton of it back in the early 90's, same conduit they use today.
I ahven't talked with the guys about what each handles of late, but its not like theres only one pr in that conduit.

 

[AZ.]

There is conduit to protect the fiber. It’s all the way to the receiver. Only the last foot is exposed

LOL.....Sure thats conduit!.....Hoaky cheap and sloppy......Then the night cleaner comes in with his cart hits it ,hangs crap on it....Seen it a thousand times.....
That is the cheapest way to to it unless they string it like spaghetti!

 

[slice1900]

Looking at a Ton of money to upgrade this to HD so my customer can upgrade his equipment.

Sadly enough it may be cheaper to run coax 40 floors down

What would you be using if you upgrade the fiber? I was curious and found the below which looks future proof for reverse band since the specs show handles 50-2400 MHz on all 6 RF inputs/outputs over a single fiber. Would this not work, or are you saying you can pull six or seven RG11s down 40 floors for less than four grand? (I have no idea how difficult that might be)

Thor 6 Channel L-Band DWDM Optical DeMux and RF Receiver (F-LB61-DWTX) from Solid Signal

EDIT: reading a bit further it sounds like maybe that's only half the system, and the total price is more like 12 grand....so I see what you mean

 

[Jimbo]

LOL.....Sure thats conduit!.....Hoaky cheap and sloppy......Then the night cleaner comes in with his cart hits it ,hangs crap on it....Seen it a thousand times.....
That is the cheapest way to to it unless they string it like spaghetti!

They do have a heavier conduit but it's not flexible like that one is and you wouldn't use it indoors.

 

[Claude Greiner]

What would you be using if you upgrade the fiber? I was curious and found the below which looks future proof for reverse band since the specs show handles 50-2400 MHz on all 6 RF inputs/outputs over a single fiber. Would this not work, or are you saying you can pull six or seven RG11s down 40 floors for less than four grand? (I have no idea how difficult that might be)

Thor 6 Channel L-Band DWDM Optical DeMux and RF Receiver (F-LB61-DWTX) from Solid Signal

EDIT: reading a bit further it sounds like maybe that's only half the system, and the total price is more like 12 grand....so I see what you mean

Here is the deal. If you do a D2 distribution system it requires the following.

slimline dish $100
Polarity locker $50
Trunk amps $125 x 7 = $875
Tap $50
Dswm30 $50
Rg11 3000 ft $475
Rg11 connectors $100

So for around $1600 I can pull coax plus the cost of labor.

If I do fiber I got $3500 for the sending unit plus $500 for each receiving unit on the floors being serviced.

Fiber is better but not cheaper