Switch or no switch?

khearrean

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Here's my set-up. I have (2) dishes, (1) for 110/119 (using a Dish Pro+ twin LNBF) & (1) for 61.5 (Dish Pro+ dual LNBF ). I also use an OTA to get my locals. I get SAT & OTA in (2) rooms via a 211 HD receiver in each room. In a 3rd room, I strictly want to get my locals via the OTA. Do I need a switch in the attic to do this? Right now, all the SAT leads & the OTA lead come together in the attic & go into a splitter. When the installer hooked up my 2nd 211 receiver the other day, somehow he disconnected my (1) room which was getting fed the OTA. Any feedback would be appreciated..

Ken
 
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Please reread your post and correct the information THERE IS NO SUCH YHING AS A QUAD DISH PRO PLUS and you claim to have 2 of them.
 
There should not be a splitter, but probably a diplexer to separate the ota and the Dish signals. The ota could then be split to run to your two 211's and your tv. You do need a separate coax run from the dish to the second 211, Dish signals cannot be split. It could be the installer tried to either split the Dish signal or used the Dish signal to the new 211 and disconnected the first 211.
 
Actually, what probably occured is that the dish tech installed the diplexer and swiped the OTA feed from the third TV in question to attach to the second 211. Best case scenario for what it sounds like you want is to get a three way splitter, and install it in the attic on the feed from your OTA antenna. connect one fee from that splitter to the cable goint to your 3rd room. Then connect the other two feeds from the splitter to the VHF/UHF side of the diplexers that should be in the attic. Leave the SAT and IN/OUT connections of the diplexers alone as changing these will interrupt your satellite signal. Good luck!
 
Actually, what probably occured is that the dish tech installed the diplexer and swiped the OTA feed from the third TV in question to attach to the second 211. Best case scenario for what it sounds like you want is to get a three way splitter, and install it in the attic on the feed from your OTA antenna. connect one fee from that splitter to the cable goint to your 3rd room. Then connect the other two feeds from the splitter to the VHF/UHF side of the diplexers that should be in the attic. Leave the SAT and IN/OUT connections of the diplexers alone as changing these will interrupt your satellite signal. Good luck!

Ok, I went up into the attic this morning while it was still tolerable heat-wise & here is exactly what's there.
(1) Winegard DP-3020 (Voltage Regulated) Dual Sat/Off-Air Combiner labeled SAT1 In, SAT2 In & VHF/UHF In; so the (2) SAT Ins are coming from the Dishes & the VHF/UHF In is coming from the OTA. Coming out of that combiner is Rec1 & Rec2 each going to one of the (2) 211 SAT receivers. There is a coax cable just lying there close to the combiner which appears to be going in the direction of the spare bedroom, but it's not connected to anything nor does there appear to be anyplace to even connect it. Does that describe things more clearly?
So would I still need the 3-way splitter you have mentioned? I don't know if this combiner is also called a diplexer or a switch, but since this combiner is what I would call a 3/2, do they make a 3/3 combiner? In other words, just like this Winegard DP-3020, but with an add'l Rec Out so I could take that add'l Rec Out to my spare bedroom? Keep in mind that spare bedroom is only used to get OTA signals, no SAT needed. I'm sure I am overlooking something very simple.

Ken
 
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Back the volkswagon up...

Ok get your self a two way splitter... get a quality one, not the cheap kind that you can push the back of it in with your thumb.

Go back to your DP-2020, unhook the line that goes to port VHF/UHF in, take this line and put into into the IN port of the new two way splitter... now take a short RG-6 jumper and connect it to the OUT leg of the two way splitter and take the other end and plug it into the VHF/UHF in of the DP-2020.

Now take the coax that you believe that goes to the third room that is laying there and connect that to the other OUT leg of the two way.
 

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Thanks rcdallas. I wasn't able to help him any more since I had never heard or seen the piece of equipment he was talking about.
 
Back the volkswagon up...

Ok get your self a two way splitter... get a quality one, not the cheap kind that you can push the back of it in with your thumb.

Go back to your DP-2020, unhook the line that goes to port VHF/UHF in, take this line and put into into the IN port of the new two way splitter... now take a short RG-6 jumper and connect it to the OUT leg of the two way splitter and take the other end and plug it into the VHF/UHF in of the DP-2020.

Now take the coax that you believe that goes to the third room that is laying there and connect that to the other OUT leg of the two way.

Ok, this did not work. I bought & tried the same splitter you showed in the pic & followed the instructions precisely. Whenever I used the new splitter in between the DP-3020 & the OTA lead, I lost total signal to my OTA in all rooms. I even tested it w/o tring to hook up the spare room OTA just using it in between & it still didn't work. Only when I put everything back as it was (not using the new splitter) did I get my OTA signal back. Of course not in the spare room like I was trying. Now the only thing I cannot tell is if the 6-8" piece of coax I used as a jumper is RG-6 or not. It was already just lying there in the attic. But for testing purposes, I wouldn't think that would matter. Any other ideas of anything I can try? This should be simple; I do not have a complicated set-up, but I just can't figure it out..
Update: Ok, I just tried using a standard ordinary inside diplexer instead of the splitter that was suggested & for whatever reason, I was able to get (1) of my OTA's (unfortunately at a lower signal strength), but not the other two. Maybe this has something to do with power passing vs. non-power passing. Any ideas?

Ken
 
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I didn't see what you have for an antenna but the Winegard 3020 suggests that the voltage from the satellite receiver is powering an amplifier in the TV antenna. When you add the splitter you lose the voltage to the amplifier and therefore your OTA signals.
 
I didn't see what you have for an antenna but the Winegard 3020 suggests that the voltage from the satellite receiver is powering an amplifier in the TV antenna. When you add the splitter you lose the voltage to the amplifier and therefore your OTA signals.

You are correct. The 211 is passing power to my Winegard antenna which I believe is a (Sensar II). So if this is the case, what would be my next try? As I said, I tried a standard indoor diplexer just for grins & was able to pick up (1) of my OTA's. FYI: You can see from "rcdallas's" post above the pic of the DP-3020 which is in the attic.

Ken
 
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