Sat B/C wierdness

[phran]

Having a strange Sat B problem and don't know how to proceed. Here goes:

Back in '01, I had a triple dish put on my roof. I've never been able to get
any programming off Sat B because it is buried behind some trees (or so I
thought...). I can get Sat C, but transponder 12 comes and goes.

Tonight I hooked up a Spaun 5x8 multiswitch (model SMS 5801 NF) that I
picked up some time ago. I power up my E86, and I'm receiving ESPN2HD.
So I check the 119 transponders and I'm getting a signal from all but 2 of
them, and no signal from anything on Sat C. I go back to the multiswitch
and switch the connections for Sat B, and I get all the Sat C transponders
and nothing on Sat B. (Sat A transponders were good during all this)

Now I go upstairs and check signal strenghts on my UltimateTV. When I
check a B or C transponder, it says Tuner 1 is on the wrong satellite and
Tuner 2 is on the correct satellite. (Now I'm really confused)

Seems to me that one of the following things is going on:
1. The dish was installed incorrectly 4 years ago.
2. This multiswitch is not compatible with D* (or Sat C)
3. I messed up something hooking up this multiswtich

Any ideas??

Fran

 

[damaged]

I didn't look up your model of switch (lazy), but I know the 3lnb dish has a built in multiswitch and any added ms' must be cascadable to work right.

Addendum: Looked it up real quick, according to this:

http://archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/topic/106191-1.html

...that model you have is not cascadable.

 

[S_rangeBrew]

Is that the answer then?

 

[damaged]

The answer is that the switch he's adding is not cascadable, and will never work right on that setup, so he has to buy one that is cascadable.

 

[phran]

Thanks for getting me going in the right direction damaged. Apparently I was
googling poorly late last night.

Found a doc this morning named PhaseIII_extend.pdf
(can't post link, not enough posts).

Looks like Diagram A applies to me. I ordered a Dual 22 kHz Tone Generator from Solid Signal. I'll post results next week.


Fran

 

[phran]

Update /w 22khz tone generators

OK, have the 22kHz tone generators installed but still not much luck.

When the lines from the sat are hooked up correctly (13V - Ver, 18V - Hor), I get
all transponders on Sat C and 2 on Sat B. I can then watch ESPNHD, HDNET, etc.

If I reverse the lines, I get all but 2 transponders on Sat B and no signal on Sat C.
I can watch ESPN2HD and DiscoveryHD.

Given that the new dish/multiswitch is coming soon (should be Jan/Feb in
Baltimore), this is not a terribly pressing problem and I'm certainly not spending
any more than the $25 on it that I've already spent.

Anyone have suggestions on how to solve this? or is it even possible?