Multiple dishes joining cables

erukus

Hi

I am wondering if I have a sky dish already installed with a cable coming from the dish to the wall. If i install a new 85cm dish can I somehow connect the cable from the new dish to the cable from the sky dish and have the two satellite dishes coming to the wall via the same cable i.e. the original sky cable. Also is the dreambox 600 equipped to handle two seperate dishes??? CheersCan I connect the two dishes to a switch such as a
SW21 Switch and it should work right?

trigger

Yes its called a diseqc switch. You can get them in 2 or 4 way versions (I believe there is an 8 but not played with one).
If you are going to connect a sky box then make sure that the 28E feed is on port 1 or A as a sky box cannot switch a diseqc switch.

Search this site I´m sure there will be a sticky on here about diseqc switches somewhere

Good luck

erukus

Thank You, Do you know if this is possible if one of the two dishes that would be supplying the switch had a monbloc lnb i.e. i think it would already have a disesq switch built into it. Also can you explain what a sticky refers to ? Thnks again

Robbo

It is more tricky with a monoblock as it already contains a diseqc switch.

It can be made to work by soldering a wire between the 1st two inputs of a 4 way diseqc switch and connecting the monoblock to one of those.

There are a couple of recent threads where this was mentioned.

Robbo

erukus

OKAY my bad i should use search before posting Ive been posting a bit too much and should search forums instead ok makes sense? This soldering method sounds pretty complex is that the only option available?

Robbo

I will try and find the thread where it was mentioned. But the other method suggested was to use a twin monoblock and use both outputs.

The soldering method doesen't look too hard though, and it's cheap.



Edit...

This was the last thread it was mentioned in, there's even a picture of the mod, soldering a wire accross like that would be very easy to do.

monoblock + Switcher

erukus

Okay will give that a try what type of wire should be used just some copper wire?????? Also what make is this switch or one that is easily opened and can be left outside?

Robbo

I have not actually done it, but I'm an electronics engineer by profession.
So, yes copper wire. You could even probably use the inner core of some sat coax.

Many of the Diseqc switches are not waterproof themselves. The waterproofing is obtained by placing the switch in a plastic cover. The one I have comes apart very easily and does look not that disimilar to the one in Trust1's photo. Mine is a Eurostar 4 x 1 Diseqc cheapo, it is certainly physically possible to do the modification with that.