# Dual Tuner Questions from a Newbie (R15 300 firm. 104B)



## orliville (Oct 10, 2006)

Greetings all,

This forum is fantastic and I really appreciate the FAQ and guides that have been posted here. I just got an R15 300 firmware 104B last week and have been pretty happy with the experience so far. I haven't run into very many issues so far and have only had to reset it once.

My questions is about the dual tuner. My setup is as follows: 
I have 2 Dishes on my roof 
2 cables going into Tuner1 and Tuner2 jacks in the back of the R15. 
I do not have a phone line hooked up to the DVR since we only use mobile phones now.​With this setup, am I able to record two shows/record one show and watch one show at the same time? I have read through several threads in the forum and haven't really found a definitive answer (could be due to a lack of understanding on my part).

Then, as suggested on this forum, I ran the system test to make sure it's picking up both tuners. The results of the test are as follows:
Tuner 1: 0K
Tuner 2: 0K
Access Card: OK
Recorder ID: OK
LNB Output: OK
Phone: Failed (which is obvious given my setup above)​Today I came across this on D* website: 

Record two shows at once**​** For full functionality, this recorder requires connection of two (2) satellite inputs from a dual LNB DIRECTV® System dish antenna and *connection to a land-based phone line*.​Am I missing something? Just about everything that I've read here says that this can be done without a phone line. But when I'm watching one show and it needs to start recording another, I am asked to switch or not record.

I'm sure this is really basic, but please help dumb it down for a new user. Thanks!


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## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

You should be able to record two different channels (and watch something previously recrded), or record one and watch a different live show.

The phone line isn't needed.

It sounds like you're set up correctly. Have you tried a red button reset?


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## sheridan1952 (Mar 16, 2006)

You said you are hooked up to TWO dishes? How? That may be key here. Because a normal installation is ONE dish with up to 4 feeds. How are these 2 dishes hooked up? The more details you can provide, the better we can help you.


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## orliville (Oct 10, 2006)

Quick update:

My wife and I were just watching a show that we recorded. When we finished the pre-recorded show the screen said that another show was recording. It then gave us the option to keep recording. So that's what we selected and we started to watch another program. This seems to be working, but the amber record light is not lit up showing that it is recording the other program.



qwerty said:


> You should be able to record two different channels (and watch something previously recrded), or record one and watch a different live show.
> 
> The phone line isn't needed.
> 
> It sounds like you're set up correctly. Have you tried a red button reset?


I have not attempted to reset with the red button yet.



sheridan1952 said:


> You said you are hooked up to TWO dishes? How? That may be key here. Because a normal installation is ONE dish with up to 4 feeds. How are these 2 dishes hooked up? The more details you can provide, the better we can help you.


I don't really know anything else other than what I stated previously. On my roof, I have 2 dishes (didn't have any before). There are 2 black cables that go into the side of my house into a dual port coax wall plate. Then two black coax cables come out of the wall plate into Tuner 1 and Tuner 2 jacks on my DVR.

I'll have to verify that the second show is recording, but it looks like it is working, at least in part. However, I am still confused as to why it asks to switch channels when it's time to recorded a show...


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## qwerty (Feb 19, 2006)

If the record light isn't lit I'd guess your box is just acting up. I'd do the reset and try forcing a software update by hitting 02468 at the first blue screen.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

After first trying a reset, and if needed a software download, and if you still have not resolved your problem, then do the following.

Can you get to the dishes? If so, check the following. I'm assuming both are round 18" dishes. 

1. Are they pointed the same direction?
2. Verify what you said, that there is one wire coming in from each dish.
3. Using a phillips screwdriver and a pair of pliers, carefully remove the screws that hold the LNB assembly at the end of the arm in front of the dish. Slide it out just a couple of inches so you can see where the cable connects. Are there one or two connectors there? Check this on both dishes.
4. Tracing the wiring from the dishes back to your receiver, is there anything along the way other than a ground block? A ground block will look like two barrel connectors on a common metal frame with a separate ground wire running someplace. If there are any additional inputs or outputs, then it probably isn't a ground block, but rather a multiswitch.

Let us know what you find.

Carl


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## orliville (Oct 10, 2006)

Update: The show that I thought was recording last night without the red light in fact did not record.



qwerty said:


> If the record light isn't lit I'd guess your box is just acting up. I'd do the reset and try forcing a software update by hitting 02468 at the first blue screen.


I will do a reset tonight when I get home.



carl6 said:


> After first trying a reset, and if needed a software download, and if you still have not resolved your problem, then do the following.
> 
> Can you get to the dishes? If so, check the following. I'm assuming both are round 18" dishes.
> 
> ...


I will take a look at your suggestions tonight and hopefully take some pics to better illustrate what I have as my setup.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

If your dishes are not pointed in the same direction, then one of them is probably aimed at the 101 degree satellite and the other one is aimed at a different satellite for local or international stations.

If that is the case, then the signals from the two dishes have to be combined in a multiswitch before they go to a receiver. In order to do that, you should have two cables from each dish going into the multiswitch. In that case, you can run two cables from the multiswitch outputs to the inputs on your DVR.

However, if you have only one cable each coming from two dishes that are pointing in different directions, then one of the two tuners in your DVR is not getting a satellite signal that it can use, and as a result will only be able to watch/record one channel at a time.

Carl


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## orliville (Oct 10, 2006)

carl6 said:


> If your dishes are not pointed in the same direction, then one of them is probably aimed at the 101 degree satellite and the other one is aimed at a different satellite for local or international stations.
> 
> If that is the case, then the signals from the two dishes have to be combined in a multiswitch before they go to a receiver. In order to do that, you should have two cables from each dish going into the multiswitch. In that case, you can run two cables from the multiswitch outputs to the inputs on your DVR.


Sorry for the delay since my last post, been really busy at work.

@Carl, this is in fact my setup. There are two dishes on the roof pointing in different directions. There are 2 cables from each dish that go into a multiswitch. So 4 cables go in on one side and two come out from the other side. Those two cables go into my house and plug into Tuner 1 and Tuner 2 in the back of my R15.

I did a red button reset and attempted to force the update, but I'm still on firmware 104B.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

When you tried to update, did it actually go through the process of downloading new software, even if you ended up with the same version you had? If not, you should try again. Reset, then when the blue screen first appears push 02468 on the remote - one time - and nothing else. It will typically take a minute or so before you see the new software download screen, be patient.

Okay, so going all the way back to your first post and initial problem. With the setup you have, you should absolutely be able to either record two shows at the same time, or record one show while watching a different one.

You are most likely getting your local stations from one of the dishes, and all of the rest from the other dish. As a temporary measure to test, you can bypass the multiswitch and use barrel connectors to connect both wires from one of the dishes to the two leads that go to your R15. The dish you want is the dish that is pointing at the 101 satellite position. You can figure out which is which by unhooking both cables from one of the dishes and see what you still are able to receive. You will not get local channels when you bypass the multiswitch, but will get everything else.

If, with the temporary setup, you can record 2, then switch back to the original setup and try again. If it does not work, then you most likely have a problem with the multiswitch. Actually, a much easier first thing to try is to simply move the connections that go to your dvr to the other 2 outputs on the multiswitch - this will identify if you have a bad output. But bottom line is, try to isolate where the problem is.

If you have not done so, and don't get both tuners working any other way, also try a clear and delete reset (which erases anything you have recorded). Before that, do both red button and power cycle resets to see if you can get it working. That's (clear and delete) a last resort.

Carl


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## orliville (Oct 10, 2006)

Alright, 

Thanks for the suggestions, but after checking everything I could twice over, I gave up and called DirectTV. They sent a tech out and it turns out that my R15 was bad right out of the box. He swapped it out with a new one (R15 100) and everything is working great now. Thanks for all the help!


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