multiswitches expensive!?!

[techno935]

I went on the 'Bay to find me a 3x8 multiswitch to upgrade to a 5th receiver for DirecTV at mom & dad's place, and damn, they are expensive!


You would think it would range around 15 to 20 bucks but they have em way more than that.


Best Buy has a Terk multiswitch (3x8) for $129??? I mean...come on. Thats like selling a gallon of milk for $10.

 

[Anole]

I want 10% of what I saved ya.

Interesting complaint.
I'll take that challenge.

I went to: www.Froogle.com and did a search on this string: satellite multiswitch 3x8
Then I did a sort from cheap to expensive.

I found 17 items (several were same from one vendor) under $25.
(the 18th item was a power supply for a switch.)

Now, I didn't bother to see if they wanted $100 shipping...
... I'll leave that as an exercise for the student.

 

[Sadoun]

Don't go too far, we have them for $35 and they are GUARANTEED BRAND NEW with Mfg warranty. Check #11 or 12 here http://sadoun.com/Sat/Order/Switches/DirecTV-switches.htm

Check the JVI 5x8 we have on clearance sale for $39.

 

[Tron]

Yeah, the big B&M electronics retailers like to "chump" their customers with items like switches, cables, and computer accessories... Its like the $30 firewire cables and $2.50 'F' fittings

Sadoun, that's a great price for a 5 x 8

 

[iafirebuff]

That is a great price Sadoun! I will take mental note. Thanks!

 

[darobster1]

I saw one at Lowe's today for around $35-$40.

 

[Anole]

Now that you mention it, I've seen such things at Home Depot, in the past.
Never know who'll be carrying those switches
It's certainly worth looking in your local stores.
Maybe even WalMart - I was in one yesterday and tripped over some unlikely equipment (not sat-related, but surprising none the less).

 

[TheKrell]

I already have a 3-sat DishPro LNB twin (and dual) setup running to a DP34... Are there any FTA receivers or PC cards that can operate through this switch? I am particularly interested in doing this: http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=908262&postcount=1 so really I don't need to operate the switch at all. Will I still need a legacy adapter?

 

[TheKrell]

OK, I'll answer my own question. The answer is "maybe" which I found on DBStalk here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=29925 Seems that DishPro is some flavor of DiSEqC (V1.3? V2.0?) and that a receiver that can blind scan will find the CD audio channels. Or not!

And from the archive 4 yrs ago: http://www.satelliteguys.us/archive/index.php/t-116.html It would appear I was worried over nothing.

 

[Anole]

Some stand-alone FTA receivers can talk to band-stacked LNBs.
Most computer-based software can, too.
That's the problem - not talking to a DP34.
The DP34 is a diseqc switch, but it uses only diseqc commands and doesn't allow voltage changes to select between V and H (or their circular equals) polarization.

In the past, there have been reasons to connect 119 as the first input, 110 as the second, and then 61/148/whatever as the third input.
It's best to go with whatever switch input assignment works for Dish, and then make your equipment compatible.

... so really I don't need to operate the switch at all.
Will I still need a legacy adapter?

Yes, you do need to operate the switch, to get to the proper LNB.
And no, you don't need a legacy adapter.



As an early test of my first stand-alone FTA receiver, I plugged it into my house wiring (with a DP34).
Commanding it to get through the switch and receive NASA, Angel, and the barker (banner) channels was a good education.
Once I knew how to use the receiver, then hooking it up to other switches, LNBs, and dishes went a lot smoother.

 

[TheKrell]

Yes, you do need to operate the switch, to get to the proper LNB. And no, you don't need a legacy adapter.

Great! How about the 119 feedthrough on the DP34? Mightn't this work as well or better with a FTA receiver, assuming I am only (at this time) trying for the CD-audio?

 

[Anole]

Sounds like a good idea.
Hadn't really considered it.
Your software still needs to talk to a bandstacked LNB.
You should be fine.

 

[Anole]

6x8 switch of any use ?

This thread started out discussing 3x8 switches, then progressed to 5x8 switches.
As you know, a 3x8 is really just a 2x8 with an extra input for your outdoor TV antenna
- a 2x8 (or 3x8) takes the two outputs of one LNB . . .

The 5x8 is likewise just a 4x8 with that same TV antenna input.
- a 4x8 (or 5x8) takes the four outputs of two LNBs . . .

Well, a 6x8 switch doesn't allow hookup of an outdoor TV antenna.
- a 6x8 takes six outputs of three LNBs . . .

To work, each LNB must have two outputs.
The switch sets one port of each LNB to V, and the other to H.
Each receiver can then select whichever polarity is requested.
I believe selecting between the first two LNBs was done by 22khz tone.
(correct me if that's not right)

I was thinking, "wow, this is great! 3-LNB support for cheap!"
Well, the fly in the ointment seems to be, to select the last two inputs, you need "codes unique to DirecTV receivers".
What does that mean?
Anyone know?

At $30 plus shipping, this Zinwell WB68 would otherwise seem a desirable switch.

DirecTV install manual:
http://www.satelliteinstaller.com/My eBooks/DirecTV_6X8_M-Sat_M-Switch-2.pdf
Zinwell install manual:
http://www.satelliteinstaller.com/My eBooks/WB68_Zinwell.pdf

 

[Mr Tony]

The 3rd set of ports is a "flex" setup mainly used to do one of two things
1. Add the Int'l dish or a 2nd satellite locals (72.5) to the Phase III
2. Allow 8 outputs for the 5 LNB dish

The flex ports do not turn on & off with a 22k (the first 4 do that). The codes are unique to the DirecTV receivers (the older ones it won't work). Sadly it won't work with FTA...had one and tried it. Won't work. Its written in the software of the receiver. I don't think even our one legged idiots with the patch over their eye figured out how to make it work with FTA yet

 

[Anole]

Wow, talk about instant feedback! Thanks.

From what I've read about installing the new Ku/Ka dishes, it looks like DirecTV uses some sort of band stacked technology.
I think they needed wide bandwidth due to the spectrum available on the Ka satellites (but I could be wrong).

And from the wiring diagram, it looks like the last two LNBs (are they the Ka ones?) have only a single wire to the switch, not two wires.
...suggesting those are the bandstacked units.
There are ways to adapt recycled Dish bandstacked FSS LNBs to Primestars.
Sadoun does sell an interesting C-band LNB that's bandstacked.
So, there are uses for those last two inputs...

I hadn't been researching in peg-leg-land recently.
Didn't know they'd been evaluating the hardware.
They would be the guys to try it and to do it if they could.

 

[Mr Tony]

The reason the last 2 ports usually only need one input is because there is only one polarity used for Int'l or the 2nd set of locals.

Looks like the KA stuff is bandstacked but they don't use the flex ports. They are really only used (looks like) to add the Int'l or 2nd locals dish

 

[voomvoom]

I bought one of these switches from Sadoun (actually 2), and I couldn't get the Flex Ports to work. Of course I don't have any way to do any Bandstacking or any way to receive ka-band. I had hoped to get it to work as some extra ports like the other 4 work with multi-switching, so I could have 3 dual lnbf's working from the switch. I couldn't get it to work. So, now I'm just using the 4 ports that do work, as if it were a 4x4 multi-switch.

Al

Edit: actually it would be like a 4x8 switch.....