splitting incoming Ka/Ku satellite leads

[sgerbode]

I recently upgraded to the new HR21-700 and upgraded Ka/Ku satellite system. The 4 satellite leads are connected to a Zinwell WB68 multiswitch, which, in turn, is connected to 2 TiVos downstairs.

In my home, however, most coax cables from each room of the house are homerunned to a closet in the attic, and I have exactly 4 cables leading from where the WB68 is located to the attic closet. This means that I can only set up 2 tivos in other areas of the house (2 inputs per tivo -- total 4), with the current setup, running 4 lines from the WB68 to the attic and from there distributing them to to the upstairs receivers.

What I would like to do to get optimum distribution is to somehow split the coaxes from each of the 4 satellite input leads into 2 output coaxes (probably amplified), then attach one of each pair to the local multiswitch and run the other pair to the attic, where there would be another multiswitch to feed tivos in the rest of the house. I called DirecTV and they said I needed to use an amplified splitter or splitters to do the job. They said I could get one at Best Buy, but I would rather have a specific manufacturer/model number that I am sure would work.

I imagine a similar situation has come up before. Can someone give me a lead?

Thanks!

--Sarge

 

[Andrewwski]

No, you can't do that.

What it sounds like is that all of the coax cables run to the attic closet. The lines from the dish go to the WB68, which is not in the attic, and 4 of those lines go to the attic and thus to the rest of the house.

What you want to do, if I'm reading your post correctly, is get four barrel connectors and connect the lines coming from the dish to the ones going to the attic. Then put the WB68 in the attic, attaching its inputs to the lines that are now attached to the LNB's, and plugging the lines to the receivers into its outputs.

 

[Smith P.]

Check other threads where is posted diagrams or links to 2xWB68 setup.

 

[vegassatellite]

Doesn't the KAKU only require 4 lines to the multiswitch? If I recall, the WB68 has 8 outputs, so couldn't you just cascade to a second switch by connecting the four closet leads to the first switch and putting a second switch in the closet?

I suggest this without knowing what impact this would have on the B-Band signals. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable on that could comment?

 

[Andrewwski]

That, or use two-way splitters before the multiswitch. Feed one leg of each into the inputs of the first switch, and the other leg of each splitter into the same input of the second switch.