# Using a splitter to feed second tuner



## trevorst (Jul 16, 2007)

I just had D* installed a couple of days ago and because the TV in mifes hobby room is on an inerior wall I could only feed one input. Is it possible to add a splitter at the unit and feed both tuners ??? My signal strength is 85%.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

trevorst said:


> I just had D* installed a couple of days ago and because the TV in mifes hobby room is on an inerior wall I could only feed one input. Is it possible to add a splitter at the unit and feed both tuners ??? My signal strength is 85%.


Not at the present time. You need to switch the signal and not "split" it.
Later this year you may be able to upgrade to a Single Wire Multi-switch and then split that cable, but not at this time.
The current dish has four outputs to feed your equipment.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

What DVR do you have? (so I can move this thread to the appropriate forum)


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## trevorst (Jul 16, 2007)

Earl Bonovich said:


> What DVR do you have? (so I can move this thread to the appropriate forum)


The model I am talking about here is the R15.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

For an R15... you would have to invest in a STACKER, (and then use the built in destacker) to use a single cable/splitter to power both tuners.


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## trevorst (Jul 16, 2007)

Earl Bonovich said:


> For an R15... you would have to invest in a STACKER, (and then use the built in destacker) to use a single cable/splitter to power both tuners.


Thanks..

Now what is a Stacker and where can I get one ???

Been away from Sat technology for a while so I need to catch up.


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## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

trevorst said:


> Thanks..
> 
> Now what is a Stacker and where can I get one ???
> 
> Been away from Sat technology for a while so I need to catch up.


More information on Stackers and Destackers here ....
http://search.solidsignal.com/?q=stacker&site=com&new_search=1&I1.x=14&I1.y=16

Equipment suitable for multisatellite distribution (e.g. 3-LNB dish) is expensive. I don't think any stacker/destacker exists yet for the 5-LNB dish.


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## Slyster (May 17, 2005)

Why won't splitters work? Just curious. Does it half the signal strength or something? Always worked in the good old cable TV days.


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## Earl Bonovich (Nov 15, 2005)

Slyster said:


> Why won't splitters work? Just curious. Does it half the signal strength or something? Always worked in the good old cable TV days.


Good "old" cable days... 
In cable, all the channels where available in the datacable at all times... so splitting it, each output of the split had everything.

In SAT... the wire only carriers one segment of the data stream at a time.
Depending on what setup you have, you can have between 2 and 8 (and soon to be 10) distinctly different data streams.

Each tuner of a system can request 1 of those 10 data streams, and that is the only thing in the wire.... so if you split it... tuner 1 might want one, tuner 2 minght want the other.... but the original source wire can only carry one of them.


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## carl6 (Nov 16, 2005)

To add just a bit to Earl's excellent explanation...

The coax is a 2-way communication link. The receiver sends a signal to the dish telling it what channel it wants, and the dish sends the data stream that contains that channel back to the receiver.

If you split the coax, and the two tuners send different requests, only one of them will work, and the other receiver will show a loss of signal error.

Carl


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## Clint Lamor (Nov 15, 2005)

I bought my stacker on ebay, was the cheapest place I found. I just bought a second one a few months back because one of the inputs on the old broke off in the middle of the threads.

Stacker worked great with my R15, gave me both tuners available off one cable. I did have to buy a new splitter from Radio Shack to math the freq needed for sat. All in all with stacker/shipping/splitter and making some extra cables I think I spent maybe $50 or so.


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## sobal (Jun 4, 2004)

Will a multi-switch at the R15 work to split the signals?


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## Michael D'Angelo (Oct 21, 2006)

sobal said:


> Will a multi-switch at the R15 work to split the signals?


Depending on what kind of dish and multi-switch you have you would have to have 2 or 4 lines from the dish to the multi-switch so it would be pointless to do unless you have a few receiver's together in one location.


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## desslock (Jun 19, 2007)

BMoreRavens said:


> Depending on what kind of dish and multi-switch you have you would have to have 2 or 4 lines from the dish to the multi-switch so it would be pointless to do unless you have a few receiver's together in one location.


I have a dual LNB dish and a 4-line multi switch in the attic. 4 lines come from the dish (LNB1 13v, LNB1 18v, LNB2 13v, LNB2 18v). From there, there are 2 sets of 2 cables. One set goes to the living room Samsung, the other 2 span to the bedroom R15-500.

Wouldn't this setup work for him?


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## Michael D'Angelo (Oct 21, 2006)

desslock said:


> I have a dual LNB dish and a 4-line multi switch in the attic. 4 lines come from the dish (LNB1 13v, LNB1 18v, LNB2 13v, LNB2 18v). From there, there are 2 sets of 2 cables. One set goes to the living room Samsung, the other 2 span to the bedroom R15-500.
> 
> Wouldn't this setup work for him?


I think he is trying to run one line to a multi-switch and run more outputs out of it. If that is correct then he will need at least two lines for a 2x4 MS and 4 lines for a 4x8 or 6x8. Since it looks like he is just trying to hook up a R15 it would be pointless to do it. He would just run the two lines to the R15.


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## kenglish (Oct 2, 2004)

Slyster said:


> Why won't splitters work? Just curious. Does it half the signal strength or something? Always worked in the good old cable TV days.


Think of a satellite receiver as a telephone "customer". The receiver has to call back to the dish ("the Phone Company office") for a particular line. The Cable TV analogy is sort of like a "Party Line" phone system.


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