Do I really need someone to come out or can I do this myself?

[pogipogi]

I have a solo 211k box in my basement, and a dual 222k in my family room that also feeds my master bedroom tv.

I would like to have a DVR in our family room, and I know I can make my 211k into a DVR by adding an external drive so that is what I would like to do. However, Dish said they would have to send a tech out to rewire my house. Apparently, I can't just move the boxes around. I was looking in our On Q box (where all the wires come into the house) and I see two wires coming into (or out of) a diplexer, with a single wire on the other side. And then I also have another single cable joined by a double-male adapter (forgive me if I'm using the wrong terms...) connecting to another single cable. Is it just a matter of switching some of these cables around to be able to move my 211k up to my family room, and have my 222k control my basement and master bedroom tvs, or do I really need a tech to do this?

I can take a picture of my On Q box if it will help.

 

[HIFI]

post a pic and I'll give it a shot, should be very easy from what you are explaining.

 

[navychop]

Keep in mind a diplexer and a separator are two very different things, although they look similar.

 

[pogipogi]

OK, I moved the wires out of the box. Basically, they come from out of the ceiling in my basement, and go back up from where they came. that's pretty much all I know. I do know when he installed the system, he had to do some wiring in my wall outlets too because this was a new construction house that was "wired for cable" I was told, but hopefully I won't have to touch that.

 

[HIFI]

are the two on the right side of the picture going to the receivers?

 

[pogipogi]

That's what I'm not sure of, since both ends come and go from the same place and the area is finished with drywall now. Is there a way I can test which side goes to the receiver without breaking anything?

 

[HIFI]

have a voltmeter?

 

[HIFI]

I just need to know which of the two connections are hot at the barrel(double male) connection.

 

[pogipogi]

OK I know this sounds real shady, but I just checked and I have one of these:

Amazon.com: Ideal 61-076 Vol-Con Tester: Home Improvement

I won it in a storage auction so I don't know if it works! Is this what you mean by a voltmeter? Why do I feel like I'm going to get shocked doing this...

 

[HIFI]

there is no more than 18 to 21 volts going through those cables, not enough to do any harm unless maybe you have a pacemaker.

 

[pogipogi]

Sorry, bear with me while I'm trying to figure out how to use the thing. When I touch both the black and red styluses to either side, the light lights up +DC. However, I suspect I'm doing something wrong because according to you it should only be one side that is hot. I must be using this tool wrong. Thanks for sticking with me though.

 

[HIFI]

if you have some masking tape, tape and label each cable 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. take another picture, I have an idea.

 

[pogipogi]

I'm on it... back in a couple minutes

 

[pogipogi]

OK here you go:

 

[HIFI]

undo 4 and 5 then put 4 where 5 is now leave 1 and 5 open for now

 

[navychop]

Hmmm. Diplexer, not separator. Def was wired for cable/OTA.

 

[HIFI]

Hmmm. Diplexer, not separator. Def was wired for cable/OTA.

tv2

 

[pogipogi]

OK done... now what. I'm getting excited. Maybe we can get all DVRish tonight in the family room.

 

[HIFI]

go to your 211 and tell me what you see on the screen.

 

[Dah-Henny]

pogipogi, you do know that HIFI is going to charge you a $95 service call, don't you?