Zinwell WB68 Flex Port selection

[zamar23]

I've read in several places that Flex Ports of WB68 can be selected only by using a DirecTV APG capable Receiver, but can't be selected when using an FTA receiver. Meanwhile, these switches are often used in FTA systems, including these with PC Card Tuners.

Can someone step out of "can't use Flex ports" verbiage, and let us know, what DiSEqC or other special command sequence is used to select any of the Flex Ports? I don't think its a big deal anyway, since its just allows to select a proper switch Flex port for unencrypted channel viewing sent from an FTA sat, nothing else. And switching to Flex ports is possible with a PC Card Tuner, if one knows the command sequence, so these ports won't be senselessly wasted in a FTA system. Is that command sequence documented in any Zinwell documentation? If unknown, is there any PC software which allows to record these commands, while they're received by the switch via coax?

Another question is if both Flex ports are routed via an internal Ka-to-Ku frequency converter incorporated into WB68, which works with these 2 Flex ports only?

 

[Mr Tony]

Can someone step out of "can't use Flex ports" verbiage

why should we? The flex ports can ONLY be used with Directv. There are things that a D* receiver can do that FTA receivers can't

I guess in the year or two those 6x8 switches have been around we folks in the FTA area havent tried everything

Just like folks who daisy chain a DP21 onto a DP44 and get 5 satellites on a Dish box
http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-forum/198598-successful-5-sat-hookup.html

It wouldnt work on a FTA setup as posted to the link

 

[zamar23]

There are things that a D* receiver can do that FTA receivers can't

Interesting link. Of course its correct. Except software used to watch sat TV via a Sat PC Tuner allows to program manually switch command sequence, which is not possible with a FTA STB. The challenge is to find out required command sequence (which I assume is a version of a DiSEqC command sequence used to control a DiSEqC switch), and Zinwell documentation should pave the way, if accessible.

Its quite possible that required command sequence can only be activated by a D* STB if signal from a targeted sat is detected during initial STB setup. But in case of FTA use it doesn't matter, what are prerequisites for such setup, since command sequence is still the same to trigger switching to a Flex port, unless signal from Flex ports is freq shifted and superimposed in the switch over signal from standard ports.

 

[TheTechGuru]

Did you ever find anything out? I am interested in this myself.

I'd like to connect the two flexports to the H and V on a separate dish.