DP44 SWITCH - Inside vs. Outside

[Dish416]

My installer came by today and recommended to install the DP44 switch inside the house vs. outside. He said I would have less interference from rain/snow this way. Do any of you agree w/this? How do you have yours setup, inside/outside?

FYI: I'm getting the following installed,
- Dish 1000+
- 722k
- power supply
- triplexer

I found it odd to install a switch inside the house considering I used to have an SW44 that was outside the house for the past 4 years w/little interference from extreme weather.

 

[HIFI]

I have installed several over the years in basements and closets and personally would prefer them to be inside reducing the risk of moisture entering the switch

 

[Haysoos]

As long as your fittings are torqued properly, it shouldn't really matter. However, it's never a bad idea to bring that sort of equipment inside if you can. It's an expensive piece of equipment, so why put it out in the rain?

 

[Dish416]

Torqued properly? I remember my old SW44 switch had caps on the ends of the connections I was not using, also there were rubber covers around the connections I was using. Might this be why I never had a problem w/that switch? I noticed this DP44 comes w/some plastic covers around all the connections, wonder how well they hold up..

 

[Haysoos]

I mean the fittings on the cables are tightened on the ports of the switch properly. Dish requires 30 (or 40, can't remember exactly) inch pounds on all outdoor connections. Supposed to help against moisture seeping in. The rubber things are weather booties that used to be required on outdoor connections but were found to not be very effective.

So if you have good compression fittings torqued properly, you probably won't have a problem. Maybe that's what you have had all these years. Personally, if I can put a switch inside, I will. If not, I don't fret about putting it outside.

 

[Dish416]

So the rubber/plastic caps are irrelevant, what's important is how tight the connections are made. But how can this be measured when connecting the coax lines? I guess I just have to make sure they are as tight as can be

 

[Haysoos]

Nah, not necessarily tight as can be. You can damage the fitting or barrel if it's too tight. Use a torque wrench if unsure.

 

[Dish416]

I think I am going to have the DP44 installed outside, that way I only need 1 coax line into the house (then into the diplexer).

Does the DP44 need to be grounded if outside? I don't think my old SW44 was ever grounded, it was just installed right behind the dish

 

[Jim5506]

Inside install, especially in an attic may result in temperature related problems when the ambient temp in your attic approaches 150 degrees in the summer.

Mine is located outside under the eave of the house, probably as well protected from weather as an outside install can be.

 

[tedb3rd]

It really depends on where it would be installed outside vs. where it would be installed inside. Rain, of course, should be avoided if possible. Temperature is also a factor (as mentioned if it's in the attic.) How many holes are you willing to drill through the house? etc., etc. I've had a DP44 switch and it was originally installed on the south side of the house (so not a lot of direct sunlight) and also up underneath an overhang so minimal exposure to rain. After some DIY stuff I moved it to the crawlspace underneath the house and that protects it even better. So, the answer depends on your situation and where exactly it would be placed inside vs. if it were placed outside.

 

[DishSubLA]

Right. Attic may be worse, but crawlspace (where I have mine) is better as it tends to be cooler and have much more air circulation. In fact, techs love that it is so easily accessible directly under the trap-door. As one tech said, "Whoever set-up the switches here was smart." . And the owner can easily access the switch for trouble shooting.

Done properly, an outdoor switch install can give you years of great service, but it is always best to avoid putting any electronic device, no matter how weather resistant, outside in the elements. In the right place, inside isn't going to test the water resistance of the equipment.

 

[TheKrell]

I've had a DP34 and a DP33 in my attic for years without a problem. It used to get hot as hades up there before I gave up on passive ventilation and added an attic fan. The switches are rated to... Ah... Can't find the tech specs at the moment. Anyhow, aren't they rated up to 150 deg or thereabouts?

 

[DishSubLA]

I've had a DP34 and a DP33 in my attic for years without a problem. It used to get hot as hades up there before I gave up on passive ventilation and added an attic fan. The switches are rated to... Ah... Can't find the tech specs at the moment. Anyhow, aren't they rated up to 150 deg or thereabouts?

Fair point. I don't think we were saying not to use the attic at all, and, in fact, the switches can get extremely hot out in the hot sun all day. I think the point was that there may be better places than others indoors that are less taxing on any electronic piece of equipment, if we had the practical choice. Certainly folks have external switches in all kinds of demanding places and they work well for years as they are designed to do, even in the elements.