DirecTV - hookup for 2nd rx

[rctoyguy]

I don't have a problem setting up my HD dish/rx for one TV on my camper - but now I'm ready to add a 2nd rx so I can watch something outside while someone watches something else inside. I believe I have all of the right pieces, I'm just not sure about the order of connections.
Note rough diagram...


Question 1 - does the splitter need to go between points A&B or C&D on this diagram? Right now, the power inserter is inside the cabinet with Sat RX 1 inside the camper. I ran dish to "sat in" on side of camper, and then "Sat out" inside cabinet to SWM power then to RX1. no problem... I'm hoping the splitter can be between the dish and the "sat in" on the outside, as this would make it a simple matter to drop another cable under the camper to the 2nd sat RX near the outdoor kitchen.

Question 2 - there is also a "cable in" on the outside of the camper, along with a "cable out" in the cabinet and an unmarked cable connection near the outdoor kitchen. I'm assuming the unmarked one is cable out, which doesn't help me since I'm also guessing it's after an antenna/cable booster which would not let it work in satellite world. --- what would be a good way of verifying what that unmarked connector is on the outside of the camper, without tearing everything apart and manually chasing the cables?

[rctoyguy]

A few weeks ago I tested this and everything's my worked perfectly. Tried again last night, I thought set up EXACTLY like last time, and no go. The non-DVR RX (outside) wagons signal strength 92, downloads guide fine, then gives a "771-signal loss error". The dual tuner DVR (inside) works sometimes, other times it gives a "771- signal loss on Satellite in 2".

Cabling is dish to 8 way splitter. Non-powered output of splitter goes directly to outside RX. Powered output of splitter goes to power inserted then to Satelkite in 1 SWM of inside DVR/RX.

Any help before I pull out what's left of my hair?

[mikestock]

My primary point was about the Genie eating up so many of your lines and I see no option to reduce the number. Just thinking someone could be baffled, as I was after installing a Genie, not realizing how it ate up so many of your 8 input lines.

I'm sure that most people don't see the need for 2 DVR's plus a Genie. I just figure that since I'm paying for them at my home, I may as well take them along. This would only be the case for an extended stay or on a tailgating Saturday, when we get a crowd of family.

[Bill_Satellite]

Yes, C & D works as well but the OP says he hoped A & B would work. I was just confirming that.
To the OP, if you have a cable in as well as satellite in, the cable in connection usually goes to the Winegard (or similar) power supply wall plate and is used to switch between OTA TV (power light on) and cable (power light off). This can be modified in many cases to allow it's use with satellite as well by adding an A/B switch to the wall plate. You can give it a try by simply removing the wall plate, and disconnecting the coax on the back that is connected to the port labeled Cable. Connect that to the satellite receiver (may need to add an extension) and if you get satellite TV then it will work with the A/B switch in the mix. If that works you just run that coax you disconnected to 1 port of an A/B switch and then run a jumper from the A connection back to the wall plate and a jumper from the B connection to the satellite. If it does not work then there could be other splitters in the coach that would prevent the use of satellite as Roy mentions above.

[mikestock]

I do C and D because it is convenient. In my case I use 3 DVR's between the main, the BR and outside. I was having unforseen problems until I realized I had exceeded the 8 outputs available by introducing my Genie into the system. The Genie eats up 5 outputs and cannot be setup for anything less. I had to set one of the DVR's for single input, as opposed to duel, to keep the inputs used, to 8.

What irritated me the most was, how long it took me to diagnose the problem.

[RoyB]

Bill.Satellite wrote:


Please ignore any posts from someone who says you cannot use a splitter with your SWM system.

Thanks Bill SATELLITE - I needed that haha.... most definitely would not pass through for me with what I was using back in 2009 and I did not want to go tracing and changing things around just to get a SAT RCVR to work... Going direct bypassing all of the provided inputs was the answer for me.

I know things must be different now...

Roy Ken

[Bill_Satellite]

The splitter can be between A and B if that is what you would like. Just be sure you have the coax that headed to the power inserter in the one port (A, I think) that has the power pass indication. That coax will go into the coax, connect to the power inserter and the output of the power inserter will go to either receiver. The 2nd coax will go directly to the 2nd receiver.

Please ignore any posts from someone who says you cannot use a splitter with your SWM system.

[RoyB]

Good luck my friend haha...

A ew years back when I was tryig to do this with just STANDARD DIRECTV I had to use a dual head on my portable DirecTV dish with one RG cable feeding the front TV and a second RG cable feeding the rear TV. I had SAT RCVRS at both locations connected to the RG cable coming form the SAt DISH. Then I used the VIDEO OUTPUT cable from the SAT RCVR to connect to the VIDEO INPUT of the TV set.

I could not use anything on the outside of the trailer called SAT to work in my setup... The SAT signals does not like to to use any of the splitters it seemed when i was playing with it. Running separate RG cables was the answer for me back then...

Then when the NATIONAL BROADCAST system changed over to digital TV mode everywhere I started using the OTA TV signals being picked up by my BATWING antenna and stopped bringing along my SAT RCVRs from my house account and the TRIPOD SAT DISH setup... The digital TV was much better reception from the local towns then the stander mode SAT TV was...

Have no idea how the SAT TV world has evolved now for RV's with all the modern automatic SAT TV items you see on the RV's... I think they all have to receive two or three SAT signals at the same time to work.

My simple way worked great with minimal time getting it setup - Just never liked the quality of the older standard SAT signals... Everybody only likes to watch NCIS anyway haha...

Roy Ken