LNB (no laughing in your fists, please)

[yeibiche]

My question may appear idiotic, but I assure you, I'm not totally there. I am unafraid to attempt anything technical (or maybe that does make me an idiot)
Anyway....I have a dual receiver with Dishnetwork, installed a few years ago. I now find it necessary to add another receiver, as we've added another person to our household. I understand I can add this second receiver as long as I have a dual LNB. What is an LNB and how do I tell what type it is? Also, before we went with dish, I had the whole house wired for cable...once I find out where this LNB is (assuming it's outside on the dish???) and I get another line into the house (using whatever type of coax the dish folks used in the original install) can I then just couple onto the existing house coax or am I going to have to run all new cable, in other words are the two types of cable compatible?
Thanks

 

[DishSatUser]

The only idiotic question is the one that is never asked.

It's the device that is on the end of the arm extending from your dish. It has a usually white plastic lense that aims back towards your dish.

That is the LNB. The Dish acts as a reflector of the sat signal back to a more concentrated focus on the LNB, think of it as a form of "radio telescope".

Depending on the age of your receiver and dish, it may be Dish Legacy, Dish Pro, or Dish Pro Plus.

Regardless of the version, you need to have the Sat cable connection feed direct to your receiver. The only exception is for any special Dish switches, but this should not be feed to all the TV's in your home. That will be what connects to the "output" of your receiver if you want to watch your TV, once received by your Dish Receiver, on multiple TV's in your home.

There are many on this forum that are very capable on installs and can likely explain the technical details with much more detail, but that gives you the basics. Welcom to SatelliteGuys!! I've found this forum extremely helpful since I joined way back, I'm sure you'll also find it useful.

 

[yeibiche]

Found my LNB!

Thanks for that reply. My Dishnet dish is a 500 DP Plus and has two of those lenses. I recently had the dish relocated, so within 3 feet of the LNB there is a coupling, also (naturally) under my house runs the cable from the dish up into the wall to my current dual receiver. My new question is: is there some kind of splitter I can put either at the existing coupling outside , or (preferably) cut into the existing cable under my house, BEFORE the dual receiver to hook up the new single receiver?
I know I have to contact Dish in order to activate the new receiver, but I'm trying to save on install costs but getting all wired myself. My last question (at least this time out) the line Dish ran is RG6 3Ghz....assuming I can use a splitter, can I connect the existing coax formally used for cable tv or do I need to run all new RG6?
Multi thanks!
Holly

 

[Hemi 6.1]

If its just a single room receiver like a 301 or 311 Then you just have to run a wire from thr dish to your receiver. If your getting a DVR or a VIP 222 then you need a Single wire from your dish to a seperator(not a Splitter) then to your receivers dual inputs. You can use exsiting cable as long as its RG-6.

 

[TheKrell]

Dishnet dish is a 500 DP Plus and has two of those lenses.

That's a bit of a puzzle since a DishPro Plus twin LNB has a single wide lens. This LNB is probably the most common LNB placed on a Dish 500 in a long time, and so it's likely what you have. You can get your receiver to tell you what it's hooked to... Try hitting the system info button on your remote TWICE and tell us what it says.

If it is a DishPro Plus twin, then it has two outputs (and a single input for a wing dish). The DishPro Plus twin can feed two dual-tuner receivers, so you can definitely save if you install a 2nd receiver yourself. But each receiver must have a separate RG6 all the way to the DishPro Plus twin outputs. You cannot use a normal splitter since there is two-way communications going on between LNB and receivers.

 

[yeibiche]

Alright then, let's make sure I'm not being idiotic...on the arm coming off the dish is a box and facing back into the dish from the box I have two white plastic things that look about the size and shape of dixie cups...these are the lenses, right? Cause if they're not, then I'm talking about the wrong thing. Now for what the info button told me: I pressed it twice and got the same reaction as pressing it once, as follows:
Model ID Dish 322
Receiver CA ID RXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Smart CaRD ID SXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
blah blah
Primary remote address 1IR
Secondary remote address 2 UHF Pro
Copyright 2008 EchoStar
I've had the dish for just about 15 months.
Can I be helped??
Multi thanks again.
Holly

 

[TheKrell]

on the arm coming off the dish is a box and facing back into the dish from the box I have two white plastic things that look about the size and shape of dixie cups...these are the lenses, right?

Yup. I am beginning to think you have two "dual" LNBs and not a single "twin". Dish nomenclature is confusing here. A "dual" LNB, as opposed to a "single" LNB, is a single LNB with two identical outputs. Both outputs of a dual LNB supply the signal from a single satellite location. A "twin" LNB, on the other hand, is an integrated feedhorn assembly with two single LNBs and a switch inside. Let me find some pictures and post them here in a minute.

Now for what the info button told me: I pressed it twice and got the same reaction as pressing it once, as follows...

My failing braincells, sorry! The remote for my 722 doesn't even have a system info button. It does have a menu button, and pressing it twice gives me the equivalent System Info page that your 322 showed. Of course that's not what I wanted! (Goes to refresh failing memory.) OK, press the menu button followed by 6-1-3. Tell us what that says.

Here is a picture of a Dish 500 with two duals, followed by a dual LNB, followed by a twin, followed by a quad with 2 lenses on the front. Hmmm. Aha! Finally found a picture of a DishPro Plus twin. I have a DishPro (not Plus) twin, and it looks like the old legacy twin. But the DishPro Plus twin looks just like the quad, so that's probably what you have.

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

Thanks for that reply. My Dishnet dish is a 500 DP Plus and has two of those lenses.

This sounds to me like a Dish Pro Plus twin unless they have come out with DPP duals that I never knew about?????? And where is his DP21 then?

 

[Stacy A]

I have absolutley nothing to add to the value of this conversation, but I wanted to point out that this thread is a perfect demonstration of what this site is all about. Helping others in the pursuit of all things satellite. Holly, you are in good hands here.

 

[TheKrell]

Yes, I am now convinced Holly has a DPP twin on her roof.

That's a bit of a puzzle since a DishPro Plus twin LNB has a single wide lens.

My remark above is just plain wrong. See pictures above. I apologize profusely. I did own a DPP twin briefly, but I cannibalized it for it's switch and threw away the plastic housing, lenses, feedhorns, and LNBs, and then totally forgot it had two lenses on the front.

My further remarks after that blunder are valid.

If it is a DishPro Plus twin, then it has two outputs (and a single input for a wing dish). The DishPro Plus twin can feed two dual-tuner receivers, so you can definitely save if you install a 2nd receiver yourself. But each receiver must have a separate RG6 all the way to the DishPro Plus twin outputs. You cannot use a normal splitter since there is two-way communications going on between LNB and receivers.

 

[yeibiche]

LNB (and no one has laughed yet!

Yes, I am now convinced Holly has a DPP twin on her roof. My remark above is just plain wrong. See pictures above. I apologize profusely. I did own a DPP twin briefly, but I cannibalized it for it's switch and threw away the plastic housing, lenses, feedhorns, and LNBs, and then totally forgot it had two lenses on the front.

My further remarks after that blunder are valid.

I seriously hope you aren't apologizing to me, I'm just delighted to be getting the help I so obviously need I went back out and took another look at the dish, after looking at your photo's. Unless I take the boot off, I can't tell how many connections there are under the lenses, but it looks to be either photo 3 or 4. I've figured out by this point that there isn't going to be any cutting into the existing line...am I right? So I'd rather wait until I'm actually about to commit mayhem on my system before diddling with the parts, unless I have to (and no, thankfully, it's not on my roof, it's attached to the side of my shed and I can get at it with a six foot ladder) Oh yeah, and on the inside facing the dish was a sticker that said "digital LNBF" if that has any meaning.
Menu 6-1-3 showed up with
Dish 322
Device= dpp twin, twin (1), twin (2)
Is that what you were looking for? There was other info, but I figured it was the device that mattered.
Deeper in debt,
Holly
btw, I'm also paying extra for the local channels, if that's got anything to do with how to hook this up.

 

[BobaBird]

Menu 6-1-3 showed up with
Dish 322
Device= dpp twin, twin (1), twin (2)

This confirms you have a DPP Twin (post #7, pic #5). When you are ready to add a receiver, take it off the arm (being careful not to bump the dish out of alignment) and run another RG6 from the other output on the left. The lone 3rd connector on the right is for input from another dish.

What is an LNB and how do I tell what type it is?

See EKB: Newbie Page. All versions of the Twin actually contain 2 LNBs and a switch so are more than "an LNB" which is what is shown in pic 2 above.

 

[yeibiche]

LNB discovered, second receiver installed!

To all who helped with my original problem/post regarding what an LNB is and what to do about a second receiver. Stepson happily watching TV in his own room with said receiver. Took a few calls to Dish Tech, ended up needing a new card, no surprise there. What was surprising was they overnighted the darned thing and charged me zip. So, except for some wire and the cost of a used receiver....I figured I saved me a hundred dollars. Don't worry, I'll find something to spend it on.

 

[rich88]

My question may appear idiotic, but I assure you, I'm not totally there. I am unafraid to attempt anything technical (or maybe that does make me an idiot)
Anyway....I have a dual receiver with Dishnetwork, installed a few years ago. I now find it necessary to add another receiver, as we've added another person to our household. I understand I can add this second receiver as long as I have a dual LNB. What is an LNB and how do I tell what type it is? Also, before we went with dish, I had the whole house wired for cable...once I find out where this LNB is (assuming it's outside on the dish???) and I get another line into the house (using whatever type of coax the dish folks used in the original install) can I then just couple onto the existing house coax or am I going to have to run all new cable, in other words are the two types of cable compatible?
Thanks

As an installer let me tell you that by no means are these dumb questions.

In fact, 2 of the first things a tech has to determine are what is the existing LNB and how is the house wired in order to know what modifications and/or additions are needed to perform the upgrade.

:up:up:up on your questions.

 

[Smith P.]

Light correction - Dish, DTV and other providers using Ka/Ku LNBF ( LowNoiseBlock with Feedhorn) type of it.

 

[Foxbat]

Okay, total non-sequitur here: Is it me, or does the DishPro Plus Twin bear a striking resemblance to Bender?

 

[Smith P.]

Opposite.