TIVO and Dual LNB

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raynladonna

Active member
Joined
Mar 8, 2005
Posts
43
Another RVer tells me that on his rig is set up to handle both feeds of a DirecTV TIVO unit using ONE wire. He believes that the ONE wire connects to a box at each ends and that there are then TWO wires - one set going to the TIVO and at the other end the set goes to a dual LNB. Something similar to this simple sketch. Does this seem correct? If so, What are units A and B?

TIA

--  RayB  --

________________________________

|___|    |___| Dual LNB
  |        |
  |  ---  |
  --| A |--
      ---
      |
      |
      |
      ---
  --| B |--
  |  ---  |
  |        |
  |        |
-------------
|              |
|    TIVO    |
|            |
-------------
 
Ray

Sounds like the guy is using a modulator at one end and one or more demodulators at the other. You can buy these at electronics stores.
 
Ray,

That also could be a splitter. I am using one in my coach that allows me to run cable on one leg and satellite on the other. The satellite feed has 18VDC on it so there's a capacitor on the other let to prevent the voltage from ruining the cable equipment. I haven't seen one for dual satellite but I wouldn't doubt they are available.

 
I seem to recall that Terry installed one for Russ and his dome antenna.
 
Ray

You can do it but have to use a stacker/destacker.... My TracStar in motion Domes only use one RG6 to send dual LNB & power to the coach. ?If you want to use multiple Tivo's as I do then you also have to add a multi-switch. If you try to use only a common splitter your units will only receive the odd or even transponders...not both. It is much cheaper to just run a second coax.

Terry
At Yuma, AZ
 
If you use a common splitter, you may not receive anything as the splitter will block the power to the LNB.
 
The first think you have to know is that TIVO is a brand of digital video recorder with a built in TV tuner
It is not a Sattalite receiver.  Though some sattalite receivers do come with built in digital video recorders
Usually they are NOT TiVo They are "off brand" (there are two name brands, TiVo and Replay, as usuall RePlay, like Curad in self adheisave bandages, is the better one.. But we still call self adheavisave bandages BAND-AIDS (which is the other brand) even if they are 3-M or Curad or some other manafacturer)

Direct TV requires a dual LNB with dual feed, RV units come with a stacker/de-stacker so the dual feed can be "Stacked" on one cable, You do not put ANYTHING in this cable, nothing at all, it is a straight cable from the antenna to the destacker

DISH does it differently, I don't know if they use dual or not but the de-stacker, if needed, is built into the receiver

Your TiVO or Replay or digital tv card in your computer, goes AFTER the sattalite receiver.. A line drawing folloos

{antenna}--------{destacker}===={receiver}---{Tivo/Replay/etc}---{tv}

Note, once you are past the destacker you can have multiple receivers,,,  But only one Tivo/Replay/Etc per receiver

And though you can have multiple TV's down stream of the DVR (Digital video recorder) all will have to watch the same program

Now, with Replay (And, I understand the newest TiVos) you can have multiple tv's and multiple recorders and watch a show on a TV connected to a DIFFERENT recorder than the one it was recorded on... Digital sure is fun (PS. I do that with replay all the time here at home, 3 replays (plus one Computer DVR) and I can watch any show recorded on any replay on any tv, or any show recorded ANYWHERE on any computer. With a bit of work I can watch computer recorded shows on the replays too, not possible with TIVO as far as I know at this time)
 
John,

Ray was asking specifically about the DirecTV Tivo receiver, which many of us have used for years.  It has both a dual tuner receiver and a Tivo all in one box.  A standalone Tivo is of no use to the Rver as it requires a telephone line to get the program guide data while the DirecTivo gets the guide data from the satellite.
 
Thank all of you for your replies.

Terry - The stacker/destacker combination seems to be the answer I'm looking for. As Ned pointed out, I'm dealing with a DirecTV TIVO unit and in this case I'm only worrying about ONE of those units. So I'm dealing with the two inputs to the DriecTV TIVO unit and I'll replace the single LNB unit on the antenna with a dual LNB. So, what is a good source for the stacker/destacker units?  How about Radio Shack?

I'll do an internet search shortly.

TIA

--  RayB  --
 
Ned said:
John,

Ray was asking specifically about the DirecTV Tivo receiver, which many of us have used for years.? It has both a dual tuner receiver and a Tivo all in one box.? A standalone Tivo is of no use to the Rver as it requires a telephone line to get the program guide data while the DirecTivo gets the guide data from the satellite.
Click to expand...

I'm familure with the Direct TV DVR combo.. I'd heasitate to call it a TiVo though, (Though it may have been made by them) For reasons I explained earlier.

I also do not call Curad's Band-Aids though most everybody else does

And I plan on using stand alone DVR's, at least 3 of them, 2 of which require internet connections, not phone, internet, al-la-"ron's internet solutions"... In fact I'm DW-Shopping even as I type (have a call into somoene who has one for sale in ... Well I won't say where I saw the for-sale post... Don't want a bidding war) They can go a few days w/o phoning home (2 of them can go a week that way) and usually make their "Call" at something like 1 or 3 am when I'll be fully set up most nights
 
Ray

>> So, what is a good source for the stacker/destacker units<<

I would check the internet...they are EXPENSIVE though, Is there some reason you don't want to run a second cable through your roof?


Terry
At Long Beach, CA
 
Terry -

The satellite dish is mounted about 1/3 of the way from the front to the back of the coach and in about the middle side to side. So far I haven't figured a way to run the new cable through the antenna mount and down the same track as the existing cable. The satellite antenna is automagic, so I'm being very cautious about where I would mount any additional cables.

Looking at the stacker/destacker units I found on the internet, your caution about expense is right on track. Also, at least one web site made a rather big deal about the type of cable used between the stacker and destacker units. The fact that the antenna is an automatic adds another wrinkle as I contemplate alternatives.

At this time, I'm considering the alternative of installing the dual LNB and then running a temporary cable accross the roof and using a 'flat' cable to enter the coach at the slide gasket and then go on to the DirecTV TIVO. I'd do that only when we were going to be set up in a location for an extended period - like the coming several months down in the Valley for the winter.

Thank you for the interest and your thoughts.

--  RayB  --
 
If you can get to the cable at the roof, where it's not glued in by caulking, and have your partner on the inside at the other end of the cable, you might gently pulling on the cable (PULL ON THE CABLE NOT THE CONNECTOR) and see if it moves freely in it's channel.

odds are, it won't.  but if it does use it to pull a fish tape (electrician's tool) through the channel, and then use the fish tape to pull a dual cable back.

NOTE: cables come in different sizes,  I can guarentee you there is a somewhat smaller cable that will pass through the same hole the current cable passes through. it will likely carry the load w/o problem

the problem however is signal loss.  Smaller cable GENERALLY has greater signal loss.  A more complete reference is on my hard drive, and/or in my library, or in many public libraries,  Look for a book from the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) called 'HANDBOOK" it either has, or used to have, a fairly complete listing of cable specifications in it.
 
Ray

You sound as you may be close to the refrig vent...pretty easy to run it through there then through your cabinets to the receiver. You can also just run it neatly clamped on the roof, drill through your roof cap assuming your receiver is in the front as most are.

Terry
At Long Beach, Ca
 
Ray,

Terry helped me run my second cable. My dish was about half way down the roofline. We dropped it through the roof into the A/C duct. That allowed me to run it all the way to the front where the "removable" section of ceiling was located. Worked great. Another way is to use some plastic wiremold on the roof and then drill a hole where you need to drop the cable.

Just replaced my TIVO DirecTV reciever with a larger one. Now I can't record anything until I get a landline. Very frustrating!!!

 
Jim,

You do know that you don't have to be connected to a satellite antenna to install the new receiver?  You just need a television and a telephone line, preferably two, but one can be a cell phone for the voice call.
 
Ned,

The receiver is working fine but the recording function of the TIVO won't activate until the unit dials and connects. Wish I had known that when the guy was helping install it. They wouldn't send me the unit but sent a tech to do the installation. He was quite concerned until I told him all we had to do was swap receivers. ;D

 
But it can do the call without having an antenna attached.
 
Ned,

Problem is I don't have access to a land line to make the call at this time. We just left the service center and are in a campground in Nashville. They have wireless but no telephone line. :) If I could get close enough to the building I might be able to run a cable to their jack.

 
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