Wiring for multiple receivers?

[cgoodmn]

Hey Guys.

So we currently have a Dish 500 system with a 311 receiver in the living room. I just bought a 301 receiver and I want to use it to watch tv in a different room. I want to be able to watch different channels in that other room.

There is a coax wire running from the dish to a room in my basement where the coax is distributed to the rest of the house.

Last night I called an activated service on my new 301 receiver. I also bought a satellite splitter at radio shack and connected that to the satellite and then the two receivers in their seperate rooms to the splitter. The original 311 works just fine, however the 301 is only able to get signal from the satellite that the 311 is currently watching.

What am I doing wrong? Do I need a multi-switch? Or do I have to run another coax up to the satellite? I'm pretty confused as to how the wiring for this thing works.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[volkodav]

welcome.

splitter don't work that well does it?

it all depends on your dish LNB if you have twin, quad then all you have to do is just run cable from dish to the basement and take out the splitter c

can you tell us what you have for dish part?

 

[cgoodmn]

Haha, no the splitter doesn't work that well.

It looks to me from the ground like there are two heads (if that's the right term). So is that a dual?

Is there any other way to split the signal without getting on the roof? If not, I'll dig out the ladder, but it would be great if there was.

 

[volkodav]

how many cables going in to ground block from the dish?

 

[cgoodmn]

I'm not sure. I guess the next step is to get up on the ladder and take a look at the dish.

 

[volkodav]

can you see from ground how many cables coming out of dish? also go to Menu 6-1-3 on your receiver remote and it would test it self after that it would say devise detected can you tell us what it is

 

[cgoodmn]

Oh yeah. i did that device test last night and it said quad.

No, I can't see the block from the ground unfortuantely.

 

[volkodav]

you going to have to run cable from the quad to your junction make sure you use RG-6 cable on quad pick any port you should have 3 ports open. good luck

 

[cgoodmn]

Thanks for all your help. I crawled up there last night and ran a new coax to the dish and then down to my junction box. I've got everything up and running. I have one last question though. If I wanted to add a third receiver at this point I would need to change out the head (lnb?) of the dish I think. When i plugged the new one in last night I plugged it in to the only open jack on the and there were only two of them.

If I buy a new head is it is simple as removing the old one and mounting the new one? DO I have to tell dish that I'm doing this?

 

[boba]

Run your switch test again on both receivers. They should match and they should show Twin not Quad from your description.
Before you upgrade to a 3rd receiver call DISH and get there price for the upgrade. They should provide receiver and necessary electronics and installation for the one fee.

 

[rthomp03]

If I buy a new head is it is simple as removing the old one and mounting the new one? DO I have to tell dish that I'm doing this?

Yes you can just replace the Dual LNB with a Quad. You don't have to tell Dish you are doing it. If you don't own the current Dual LNB then be sure to keep it to return to Dish should you ever drop Dish service. As boba suggested when you add the 3rd receiver check with Dish about the LNB upgrade charges. I may be cheaper than buying on your own.

 

[cgoodmn]

Thanks for all the help guys.