Cable/ Sat. outlet - Montana Owners Club

rlwhit · 05-02-2005, 02:24 PM

Outside of the couch is a single connection that says cable/sat. Inside there are two connections with one lable that states "Cable/Sat." I asked the question how do I know which is which? They got the "expert" over and he said he did not know which was which. Well today I found out the inside top one is cable and the bottom is sat. Keystone had the two inside connections looped together with a short coax cable. Does anyone know why?

Countryfolks · 05-02-2005, 04:15 PM

I need to find out also. I know the sat line cannot have a splitter in it, it must go straight to the sat receiver. I have two wall plates, the top one with two fittings, "A1" and "A2", and a lower plate, "B", with one fitting. Assuming the outside fitting is directly connected to "A2", I would guess the top fitting, "A1", is connected to the bottom plate, "B" by a loop in the wall. The fitting on "B" is connected to a splitter [single fitting side] which is connected to the roof antenna amplifier and the back of the DVD player [double fittings side]. The roof antenna is connected in the bedroom at the antenna amplifier. There's probably a splitter there. It looks like the signal for cable comes in "A2", loops thru the short cable to "A1", then loops again [in the wall] to "B" and out to the bedroom /DVD. The antenna amplifier must be off. To route a sat signal coming in "A2", the short cable must be unhooked from "A2" and replaced with a cable going directly to the sat tuner. The tv's are connected by replacing the short cable on "A1" with a longer one and connecting it to the tv connector on the sat receiver. This is all guesswork at this time. I still have to try it out. Hope this helps and is not too muddy.

Skip

Montana_1240 · 05-02-2005, 06:14 PM

Skip,

You hit the nail on the head.

While we're going to be in Luray, VA for two weeks, and the only broadcast station worth a hoot is ABC, I visited a local DirecTV shop and will be ordering up an antenna, to get us started, before eventually getting one installed on our fiver.

I had to check out the two plugs to know which was on the outside connector, and assume the other came from the bedroom equipment.

Never hurts to have my brainstorm backed up.

Thanks,
Steve

Bill and Ann · 05-03-2005, 01:42 AM

Countryfolks is right. It goes to the bedroom amp.

Montana_2785 · 05-03-2005, 08:49 AM

OK, I'm no expert on Satellite equipment, but I believe that the Low Noise amplifier on the dish is powered by DC current fed through the cable from the receiver. Most cable switching equipment (and even external cable through-the-wall connecters) will block the DC power thus preventing the LNA from powering up and doing its job.

Eric

Montana_1240 · 05-03-2005, 02:07 PM

Eric,

I think you’re right about the receiver powering the LNB.

I also have been told by the DirecTV dealer that there can be no junctions between the dish and the tuner. (Maybe so as to not interrupt that power.) There has to be junctions in the fiver’s wiring to get both TVs fed through the broadcast antenna.

Plus, when I forget to turn off the fiver’s bedroom amp, and then plug into a cable-equipped site, the cable doesn’t work worth a hoot. And I think it also disturbs the neighbors’ cable reception, as well. (My wife scoffs at my insistence at setting up the TV before I put the dogs’ water bowl out when setting up!)

I’d think that the power would interfere with the LNB, but I can’t say for certain. But I do know it’s just not going to help Satellite TV.

Steve

rlwhit · 05-03-2005, 02:40 PM

Countryfolks

You are most certainly correct on your rambling discription. After a lot of trial and err it does work the way you told us. Now for the question of powering the LNB. I did both a portable dish with connections and also connect to the big house sat. dish, and both worked on both TVs. Now the dumb thing that I forgot about. The bedroom TV has to be on either ch 3 or 4 just like the old VHS stuff. Our bedroom TV was left on Video 1. In the big house that is how we get Sat. Live and learn.

Countryfolks · 05-03-2005, 04:22 PM

You should have seen it before I rewrote it 5 times!

I forgot about the channel 3-4 thing until seeing it in your post, thanks.

The Dish setup in the stick house has worked for the last 10 years with at least one male/male cable connector in the line. It also worked for the last 2 years on our 3280, with a male/male splice and then thru the wall fitting. They will not work thru a splitter. Don't ask how I know, [3 day hassle].

Skip

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