Advice for DIY DBS installation (1 Viewer)

[Howard Williams]

Ok everyone, I've decided to take another plunge and attempt to install my own DBS. I called around and got a couple of estimates. They wanted about $250-$350 to do 3 receivers. I got 2 receivers last week, Sony SATB55 (X2). Those two generic units are for the bedroom and the family room. The main room will have a Sony SATHD100, that is on back order. As I read through the receiver installation book everything seemed pretty straightforward except for grounding. I created a few post and got some good info but I am still very skeptical about achieving proper grounding. I ordered the 24" Sony SAD24MDI. The dish came yesterday and I couldn't help but open it up and started putting it together. No problem. It seems like all I have to do now is run the cables (3) from the multiswitch box located on the dish, directly to each receiver and then do the grounding, right? I think I can handle the first part for sure but I'd like a few pointers.
This is weird to me. I am thinking that since I have the 24" Sony dish with the multiswitch mounted directly to it (and they don’t) that explain the different set ups. I've been trying to notice my neighbors DBS without being too obvious and all I ever see is one line from the dish penetrating the wall into the house/garage very near their cable/TV connection box. I have yet to see or notice any dish grounding connections. This has always lead me to believe the dish ties into that box and provides the satellite signal to every existing cable outlet in the house and that then all you would have to do is put a satellite receiver at each outlet for separate channel viewing. Is that correct? It would also explain why most of them have their dish mounted very close to that cable/TV box. They seem to be using the already installed cable/TV lines to distribute the satellite signal, which makes sense to me. Well I decided to mount my dish closer to the main TV room, which is very far away from that cable box. This makes for a much shorter cable run, which I believe, is a good thing. Now I am I suppose to make separate wall penetrations for each RG6 line that runs from the dish to each receiver, right?
Should I run one continuous cable from the dish directly to the receiver or should I install a wall plate. That adds more connections and potential for more signal losses or is that not really a problem? Any tips for making the wall penetration? Outside wall is stucco. Should I go from inside out or outside in? Do I need a special drill bit for stucco? Do I have to ground each entry point separately even if the dish is grounded as listed below? Can I ground the dish by connecting to the back yard metal water hose outlet? Isn't that that same as "The grounded interior metal water piping system as covered in 250-14(a)"? Any other advice?
As always, Thanxxx in advance for any input.
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"Hand over the remote and nobody gets hurt !!"

 

[Rob Dawn]

Howard,
I can't answer your main question regarding grounding because I had mine professionally installed (although thinking back on watching the guys install it, I don't recall seeing them ground anything?!? anyone have any thoughts on this?), but I wanted to add a little insight based on how my system was installed:
The guys ran the 2 wires from the dual LNB to the cable box on the outside of my house and then connected each to the 2 cable runs that went to the 2 rooms that I wanted SAT in. (The other cables that go to rooms without a TV are now just hanging inside the box, attached to nothing.) You shouldn't have to drill holes in your house if your lucky enough to have access (on the outside of your house) to each of the cables running to all your different rooms.
(Additionally, they used a diplexer - or something - so that the cable & SAT signals run on the same line to each room and then split the cable & SAT signals off to 2 cables in the room - very handy so I can still get my locals via cable without having to drill any holes in the house.)
If you only have 1 dual LNB, you will of course need a multiswitch so that you can get the SAT signal to each of your 3 receivers.
Hope this helps at least a little,
Rob

 

[Howard Williams]

Thanxxx Rob.
My dish has two dual LNBs. The multiswitch has four outputs. My cable/TV box only had two lines coming out of the splitter. It seems one is for a downstairs and the other is for upstairs, not one for each separate room.It's a long story but I now see three separate penetrations will be required, but that's ok.
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"Hand over the remote and nobody gets hurt !!"

 

[Robert_J]

Howard,
Since you have two cables already run into your house you might as well try and use them. First, make sure they are RG-6. Second, there has to be a splitter for each floor that is easily accessible by the cable company. Look in the back of closets for a small panel or hole. Once you find it, you can replace the splitter with a barrel connector to the run that will have a receiver. That saves a hole in the outside wall.
When drilling a hole through the outside wall, work from the inside out. I cut a hole in the drywall for the J-box but did not install it. I poked around in there (very carefully) looking for electrical lines or other obstructions. You will need to have a 1/2" masonry drill bit to get through the stucco. Use a feed through bushing in the hole to keep the cable safe and a little silicone to keep the air out. Once the cable run into the wall, add an F-connector and install the J-box and the face plate. Face plates will not degrade the signal and will look nicer.
It's a good idea to install the dish near the existing cable box. If you use the existing cable, it will make the runs shorter. Also, you can use the existing ground rod to ground the dish. Just run a ground wire from the multi-switch box to the ground rod. Check out www.dbsforums.com for some good advice on grounding.
-Robert