RG60 and basic Pro install (1 Viewer)

[Jay H]

6th Ave is having a special with free pro installation that I might just take advantage of. Not that installation should be hard in my house (our house is already prewired with RG59 from an outside OTA antenna (no cable) so running the RG60 required should be a breeze. But since it's included, I'll let the guy climb on the roof and set up the sat. signal. What kind of wire is the guy going to use, is it going to be
the kind of wire that I hear is recommended, which is RG60/quad shielded or something like that or is there a ACME brand RG60 that he is going to use.. Should I buy my own and have him just use it?
Jay
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[Howard Williams]

I'm no expert but I think you're suppose to use RG6 for DBS systems. Something about less signal loss and better shielding, I think. I never heard of RG60. I've heard of RG59 though which is regular coaxial cable, primarily designed for cable television.
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"Hand over the remote and nobody gets hurt !!"

 

[Jay H]

Oops, you're right Howard, I meant RG6, not RG59... We have just plain broadcast TV in our house and the only reason I'm getting a dish is for OLN. Then for Cartoon network, Discovery Channel, Nat Geo., and Cartoon Network.
There is some kind of special "quad-shielded" or some term like that for RG6 which might not be something the installer is going to use, they'd use the cheapest one that works. I'm wondering if I should buy my own and have the guy use it...
BTW, for a two receiver hookup, the second receiver is connected from the main (dual LNMB) receiver or from the satellite?
How about the Ant. I'm not planning on buying local stations , do we connect our existing antenna to the satellite dish or do we have to run two parallel coax cables to the TV/dish receiver?
Jay
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[Robert_J]

Jay,
For the antenna, easiest way is to use a diplexor to combine the satellite feed with the antenna feed on to one coax. At the receiver, another diplexor is used in reverse to split the signals. Easiest is not always best. Diplexors will cause slight signal degredation and it's one more thing to trouble shoot if you have problems. I would run separate coax.
I think cable quality will depend on the installer. I recently took advantage of Dishnetwork's DishMover program. I left my dish at my old house and got a new one installed at my apartment for a reduced price (free install). The installer used RG6 quad shield but did a crappy job putting on the F-connectors. That's why I installed my system at my previous house and will install it at my next house. My quality will always be better than these guys getting paid peanuts to do a free install.
Each receiver has a coax running directly to the dish or a switch mounted near the dish.
I'm guessing that you are going with DirecTV since you mentioned the National Geographic channel. Dishnetwork doesn't have NG but they have the whole Discovery Channel lineup with Wings, Science, Kids & Home and Leisure. Either system you get, I recommend one of the PVR receivers. They are more expensive but they are worth it.
-Robert

 

[Jay H]

Thanks Robert, since our house is already wired for out external antenna, we'd leave the RG59 there and hook up the ends to the receiver I guess. Then there's an option on the remote to switch from dish to OTA, and back I've read.
But the 6th Ave special says it's $49 for the second receiver installation. now I thought the second receiver was connected to the first receiver (the main one with Dual LMNB) but I guess I'm wrong cause I saw a friend's hookup and he has two RG6 cables coming from his dishNetwork dish.
I mean, it's easy for me to run a wire from the main receiver to my bedroom HT, What else is involved with the second receiver installation?
Jay

 

[Robert_J]

A simple two receiver install consists of running coax from each receiver to each output of a dual LNB. Switches are involved when you have more than two receivers or you want to receive signals from multiple satellite positions. DirecTV's 18x24 oval dish points at satellites at 101 degrees and 119 degrees. A switch connects the output from the two dual LNBs and sends signals to up to four receivers. Two receivers and an oval dish should take a few minutes longer since you have to wire in a switch and it is more difficult to aim the dish.
Be careful with the $49 install. That may only cover the basics. Instead of routing the coax through the attic, inside the wall and terminated with a nice wall plate, they may route the cable outside the house, punch a hole through an outside wall and run the cable directly to the receiver (no wall plate). My wife would have freaked if she saw black cable on the outside of our white house. It was much cheaper to install it myself. The coax stripper and crimper were about $10 a piece and the F-connectors are $5 for a box of ten.
I hope my rambling has answered your question.
-Robert
[Edited last by Robert_J on July 11, 2001 at 08:08 AM]

 

[Jay H]

Thanks, I posted a new topic cause I'm going to the store at lunchtime and really wanted to know this stuff before I got there so I know what to ask.. Actually, our house is old and our current wiring is basically sticking out of the wall!! I mean we have the RG59 coming from the attic and our outside antenna, parallel to the chimney into a closet where it is connected to a splitter and the the coax that goes into the bedroom basically is cut through the floor to the basement and run up through some heating ducts and cut behind a air-return vent and simply run to my VCR. Since it's not visible and in the corner and also behind my subwoofer, we never bothered to put a plate in it and I have plenty of cable to move my TV whereever I go in the room so we did the lazy approach. I don't think I'm going to clean it up for this and as you said, I can always do that myself if I so choose to do so.
Thanks for the reply again.
Jay
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