diseqc switch and vbox config

[satsid]

first off, apologies if the answers to my questions are already elsewhere on the forum, I must have missed them during my search.

here's my current setup:
vu+ uno receiver to diseqc switch. then two outputs from the switch, one to the fixed mini-dish, the other to the diseqc motor on 1.2m offset dish using usals.

after almost 3 years of working flawlessly, the motor is starting to fall apart and thus my alignment has gone to pot. couple months ago I bought a 1.5m gibby dish with polarmount/actuator/vbox to replace the 1.2m dish and diseqc motor. finally now just making time to do the job.

does the diseqc switch need to come before or go after the vbox? I know I need to use sat positions instead of usals with the vbox, i'd like to know whether the switch goes before or after the vbox before I start because this could affect my cable runs, at the moment the switch is outside so I only have one coax run going through the wall.

also I read somewhere that some folk do not run the lnb coax through the vbox because they say running through the vbox causes signal loss, is this true?

thanks in advance for the help.

sid.

 

[Mickha]

The signal loss depends on your V-box II, I have noticed great differences, regarding signal loss, ranging from a few percent, so not noticeable, to 10-15 percent, so only noticeable on weaker channels.
You can leave the setup, as you currently have it, but you need a co-ax cable, to go to your V-Box II, in order to move your motor, using your receiver.

You should be able to control both the motor, and fixed dish, using your VU+ but it depends on the image, you have loaded.
Under Black Hole you select the tuner, configure it to the advanced option, and set it up accordingly.

 

[satsid]

thanks mickha, I have a superjack v-box II 1.0 and 1.2 diseqc compatible. I guess the only real way to know if there is any signal loss is to try it both ways, i'll report my findings after i'm done.

 

[Mickha]

I have a similar set up, but I use a VU+ Duo 2, with a Superjack V-Box II, but no fixed dish.
As I have two tuners I use a twin LNB, and both tuners, setting Tuner B, the direct connection, to the LNB, as priority, thus getting round the minimal signal loss, due to the V-Box II.
At some point you might want to consider doing the same, by upgrading your receiver, using a twin LNB, and running a second cable, this would also allow you to record, and view, all the other channels.

 

[satsid]

that's a cool idea using the second tuner to take the vbox out of the lnb feed, something for me to think about if I ever need to replace sat receiver. for now though, I can't really justify the additional spend just to be able to do that, especially as I would never bother recording anything. good idea though, thanks for that.

i'm also thinking of replacing the fixed mini-dish with an 80cm fixed dish with multiple lnb's (its lying around in the shed doing nothing at the moment). is there any benefit in skewing the dish rather than the lnb's? I setup my own dish network mini-dish when I lived over the pond, those dishes are designed so that you skew the dish and the lnb's are fixed.

 

[Mickha]

You slightly skew the LNB's, to get the maximum signal quality, on a fixed dish, on a motorized dish the motor tilts the dish, to get the required skew.