Direct TV Antenna Questions

[James]

I looked for a more proper group to post this in, but could not find a better group. I figured some folks here would know about Direct TV antennas.

Ok, first I know next to NOTHING about satellite tv and antennas, so please be patient. I live near Atlanta, Ga, and I use Direct TV and it works great. But, I have a fishing cottage on a lake about 30 minutes away, and I would like to take one of my receivers there and get Direct TV when I am there on some weekends.

I picked up a 21 inch by 18 inch dish at a garage sale. It came with an LNB, identified as:

Eagle DTVP3 Triple-Feed, Multi-Satellite LNB Built-in Multi-switch with 4 outputs

This unit has three mushroom looking pods on it (which point into the dish) and FOUR coax connection points.

(I only aim at one satellite, about 215 deg azimuth, and about 40 degrees elevation, if any of that makes a difference.)

I just need to feed one tv receiver at my very small lake cottage. Here are my questions:

1. Do I just run one RG6 cable, from any one of the 4 ports to the Direct TV receiver ? In other words, is that all there is to it?

1. How is this LNB powered ??? I would have thought it was powered by the coax-feed, from the receiver ???? Is that right ??

------------------

Thanks for any other tips in helping me get this to work. I want to go up there next weekend, and if I need anything else I would like to know now.

Thanks Again !!

JJ

[HeyBub]

Yes for #2. That's the extent of my knowledge.

[Oren]

Never had a multi-LBN dish. Depending on the location, I mounted my dish on a 5' galv. pole in cement right next to the short point connection.

1st I tested the reception while the dish sat in/on a 5 gal. bucket. Then I mounted it and 'tuned' it for reception. My point.. test before you really mount the dish on the roof line or ground mounted.

[bob haller]

your source for everything satellite tv realted.

everything but theft of services.

[Mark Lloyd]

[snip]

The "mushrooms" are LNBs for 3 satellite locations. One of them is the normal since satellite location. The 4 connections are the outputs of a multiswitch. This allows you to easily connect up to 4 receivers, although it'll work OK with just one (use any connector).

Those numbers vary according to your location.

Yes.

The receiver supplies power to the LNBs (and multiswitch). This is either 13VDC or 18VDC, determined automatically by the receiver to control what polarization is to be received. Because of this, you must not use any splitters or amplifiers in the cable (unless these are designed to pass DC).

Dish positioning is more critical than with an OTA antenna. It helps to connect the receiver and use it's "signal meter" display when aiming the dish.

[Tom G]

I suspect that you are not going to get things to work at your cabin without Direct TV's cooperation (and additional fees for the second location).

Tom G.

[HeyBub]

If at all possible, avoid a roof mount. Oh, you may have to because of trees or tall houses, but absent obstructions, a ground mount is far superior.

If the dish is gound-accessible:

• It's easier to align

• It's easier to remove snow and leaves

• Other

[James]

Your answer has nothing to do with my questions...... no comment whatsoever on my two questions... did you actually read my OP ?

JJ

----------------------------

Never had a multi-LBN dish. Depending on the location, I mounted my dish on a 5' galv. pole in cement right next to the short point connection.

1st I tested the reception while the dish sat in/on a 5 gal. bucket. Then I mounted it and 'tuned' it for reception. My point.. test before you really mount the dish on the roof line or ground mounted.

[James]

I don't think Direct TV will know or care if my 4th receiver that I lease from them is at my home, or my cottage 30 minutes away. I am paying for the service, and for the equipment. I can move the dish

100 feet or 30 miles from my primary home, as long as I pay for it.

JJ

[mm]

What business is that of yours?

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

[greenpjs]

I'm not sure about today, but ten years ago, they did care. People were registering receivers in one place and then moving them to watch in another place. In some cases, across the Canadian border or into an area not elligible for the national network feeds. DirecTV used the phone line connection to determine where the receiver was actually located. Like I said, that was ten years ago and a lot has changed since then like local channels becoming available from the satellite. Do they still check via the phone line today? (I haven't had DirecTV for a long time due to moving to a place with no view of the satellites).

[James]

To answer the question about telephone lines hooked up to the receivers, they don't do that any more.

JJ

[greenpjs]

Thanks. How they handle pay-per-view? I can imagine you calling them to pay for a show and then they send an authorization to the box via the satellite -or- maybe via an internet connection to the box?

[Tom G]

I would agree that, that makes sense. However, I have friends in Arizona who tried this with their vacation cabin up on the mountain. Originally it worked but eventually Direct TV got wise to what they were doing (no phone line involved) and somehow made it impossible for the second receiver to pick up a signal. Actually they could get the signal but got the on screen message that programming was not subscribed to. My son tried it with his new home 70 miles away from the old, pending sale of the old. Initially it worked but eventually he also was forced to subscribe and pay for a second service. Another friend in Wisconsin worked out a deal with a neighbor who paid for a second receiver for his "camper" at a reduced rate. Actually the "camper" was my friends home. So far they've been getting away with it.

Good Luck,

Tom G.

[aemeijers]

Dunno about Direct, but Dish still does.

-- aem sends...

[James]

Thanks Tom. Very interesting...

JJ

[salty]

Directv still uses a telephone connection for some services, such as PPV. I am not sure, but I think they use it during initial activation and occasional software upgrades as well. After installation, I unplugged mine, and it seemed okay without it. After being unplugged for a long period, it did do some sort of update when I plugged it back in recently.

[SteveB]

We have one at our primary residence and one at our cabin 50 miles away.

Steve

[Mark Lloyd]

I always ordered PPV online. All receivers are authorized by satellite. No telephone line needed.

[Mark Lloyd]

Wrong (except possibly for local channels).

Unless you tell them, or connect a phoneline to the receiver they have NO way of knowing it's in a different location. The satellite signal is the same (except possibly with local channels, because of the spot beams).

BTW, If you want PPV order it online.