going from DISH to DIRECT - questions

[gopcs]

I have been on DISH for about 4 years. Planning to switch to DIRECTV in January, getting GENIE DVR.

Do the installers generally run new coax from the satellite dish to the "home-run location"? Seems DIRECTV will need 3 coax runs to the dish versus the 2 I have now for DISH.

Should the current satellite dish location work ok for DIRECTV? I am in Nashville area, zip 37211.

thanks

 

[dishrich]

Seems DIRECTV will need 3 coax runs to the dish versus the 2 I have now for DISH.

Where DID you get that idea from??? ALL Genie installs (must) use SWM, which requires only 1 coax from the dish - as well as to ALL the receivers. All they install is a splitter at your "home run" location, which then splits the single coax out from the dish, to your receivers. (similar to a regular cable splitter)

Should the current satellite dish location work ok for DIRECTV? I am in Nashville area, zip 37211.

Most likely...but if you have LOS issues immediately to the left of your current E* dish, you could possibly have a problem...but since the D* birds are at a higher look angle, most likely you won't have a problem. The installer will (should) know after he gets there...

 

[zim2dive]

I have been on DISH for about 4 years. Planning to switch to DIRECTV in January, getting GENIE DVR.

Do the installers generally run new coax from the satellite dish to the "home-run location"? Seems DIRECTV will need 3 coax runs to the dish versus the 2 I have now for DISH.

Should the current satellite dish location work ok for DIRECTV? I am in Nashville area, zip 37211.

thanks

My installer re-used the wiring from sat-dish to DVR location. He also re-used the mount location, and possibly the mount as well.

EDIT: to clarify, my installer ran 0 new wiring. I had to have a different installer come back and switch out the wall plates to upgrade the barrels to the appropriate ones as I was having signal issues.

 

[gopcs]

Thanks to both replies! This is encouraging news.

 

[raoul5788]

Where DID you get that idea from??? ALL Genie installs (must) use SWM, which requires only 1 coax from the dish - as well as to ALL the receivers. All they install is a splitter at your "home run" location, which then splits the single coax out from the dish, to your receivers. (similar to a regular cable splitter)



Most likely...but if you have LOS issues immediately to the left of your current E* dish, you could possibly have a problem...but since the D* birds are at a higher look angle, most likely you won't have a problem. The installer will (should) know after he gets there...

Not if there are more than eight tuners in use. Then you need four cables from the dish to a swm16 switch.

 

[dishrich]

Not if there are more than eight tuners in use. Then you need four cables from the dish to a swm16 switch.

Yea, well aware of that...but since you can put the switch by the dish, you would still ONLY need 2 cables max actually coming into the house. I was very confident the OP would NOT be needing this...

 

[raoul5788]

You're probably correct, but I wanted to make sure to cover the bases. BTW, it's my understanding, perhaps wrongly, that a swm8/16 isn't normally installed by the dish. That would depend upon the physical layout, of course. If it's on a pole, probably not a good idea.

 

[gopcs]

just to clarify, "if you have LOS issues immediately to the left of your current E* dish, you could possibly have a problem", is this to the left as standing behind the dish looking toward the sky in it's direction?

I want to be able to record 5 channels simultanoeusly with the Genie DVR, so the SWM mounted at the dish can accomplish this with one coax? That's great!

Thanks

 

[raoul5788]

Yes, from behind the dish.

 

[dishrich]

BTW, it's my understanding, perhaps wrongly, that a swm8/16 isn't normally installed by the dish. That would depend upon the physical layout, of course. If it's on a pole, probably not a good idea.

It's weatherproof & IS made to be mounted outside...so as long as it's securely mounted vertically w/the appropriate weatherproof connectors, it'll work fine...

 

[raoul5788]

Sure it will work, but who wants a big multiswitch zip tied to the pole? There may be instances where it's necessary, but it would be unsightly.

 

[dishrich]

Then put it in a box then...