Satellite TV hook up?

Hudlow · 05-15-2013, 06:40 PM

I'm in a very remote location on a permanent site for now. I have a Direct TV account at home and plan to take the receiver from my bedroom at home to the camper when I visit.

I have a D12-700 receiver and an 18" dual LNB Direct TV Dish I scored at a flea market that I have mounted on a PVC stand that I built.

My question is how do I hook up the Dish to the LNB....? The LNB has 2 connectors and obviously the receiver has only one.Do I need to connect to both connectors with my coax in the LNB then to my receiver? If so what do I need if it's possible with the equipment I have?

If what I have works, can I run it through the outside connection on my camper - a 2008 27' Forest River Salem LE? I understand some models have an amplifier in the system and won't work with a satellite connection, but I can't find this information for my camper. I have absolutely no "regular" TV reception where I am.

Thanks a lot,

hud

BarryD0706 · 05-15-2013, 07:13 PM

No, just connect your receiver to either of the two LNB Ports. Try it with a direct cable connection first. Once you get that working you can try using wiring internal to your RV.

if your RV has both a "Cable-In" and "Sat" port on the outside, you're all set. If it has only one, you'll probably have to leave that direct wire from receiver to Sat.

Hudlow · 05-15-2013, 07:21 PM

Thank-you so much. I was hoping that's all I needed. I only have a hookup on the outside that says "cable in" or something similar, but it won't be a problem to get a wire through the floor for a straight connection.

I know I wasn't well prepared for lining up the dish but now I have an App on my phone for doing that.

There seems to be an App for anything one wants to do these days. And if all else fails....you get the rest of the guys in the campground involved...

Thanks again,

Hud

BarryD0706 · 05-15-2013, 07:28 PM

Hud, glad to help. While you'll probably get it lined up after a bit, a signal meter makes it way easier. I like this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002FX...sr=8-1&pi=SL75
but you can also find them at Radio Shack.

On that "Cable-In", you could probably just re-purpose that to be your Sat-in connection. The other end of that wire is probably on the back of the Winegard amplifier control plate. Just a thought.

BarryD0706 · 05-15-2013, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarryD0706

No, just connect your receiver to either of the two LNB Ports.

I might be wrong about that. It's possible that one of those LNB connectors is an input (for chaining another dish into that one). It will be labelled as an input if that's the case.

Rrickim63 · 05-15-2013, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hudlow

I'm in a very remote location on a permanent site for now. I have a Direct TV account at home and plan to take the receiver from my bedroom at home to the camper when I visit.

I have a D12-700 receiver and an 18" dual LNB Direct TV Dish I scored at a flea market that I have mounted on a PVC stand that I built.

My question is how do I hook up the Dish to the LNB....? The LNB has 2 connectors and obviously the receiver has only one.Do I need to connect to both connectors with my coax in the LNB then to my receiver? If so what do I need if it's possible with the equipment I have?

If what I have works, can I run it through the outside connection on my camper - a 2008 27' Forest River Salem LE? I understand some models have an amplifier in the system and won't work with a satellite connection, but I can't find this information for my camper. I have absolutely no "regular" TV reception where I am.

Thanks a lot,

hud

I have dish, not direct tv..but i believe both inputs would go together and then into 1 cable. Check with direct tv to be sure what parts you would need. If you use 1 cable at a time, you will probably only get only some of the channels on each cable. I would run cable directly from dish to box (not through rv) to start. Aim your dish , confirm reception and then try going through camper wiring. It may or may not be compatible with camper wiring. Sat recievers dont like splitters or amplifiers which are commonly found in rvs

uncle46 · 05-15-2013, 08:24 PM

You only need to use one cable to the LNB. For one receiver.

melk-man · 05-23-2013, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BarryD0706

Hud, glad to help. While you'll probably get it lined up after a bit, a signal meter makes it way easier. I like this one: Triplett 3275 SatAlign 2 Digital Satellite Signal Strength Meter with Tone:Amazon:Industrial & Scientific
but you can also find them at Radio Shack.

On that "Cable-In", you could probably just re-purpose that to be your Sat-in connection. The other end of that wire is probably on the back of the Winegard amplifier control plate. Just a thought.

is this meter as easy to use as it looks ? just splice into the sat coax after the dish (i have directTV) and move the dish until you get the highest meter reading ?

BarryD0706 · 05-23-2013, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by melk-man

is this meter as easy to use as it looks ? just splice into the sat coax after the dish (i have directTV) and move the dish until you get the highest meter reading ?

It's that easy to connect. No batteries or anything. Pointing with it is a little more difficult because it responds to the other satellites as well, so you have to have a pretty good idea where you're pointing it to start with (smart-phone app or compass). What I've discovered with Dish is that their "beams" are narrower than the other sources so I can tell from that if I've got the right "bird". (Don't know about Direct...sorry.)

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