Still fighting with it... Dear Lazyweb, help me solve this jigsaw puzzle.
<lj-cut text="Likely to be eaten by a Grue --More--( 5%) "> I have these objects:
With this:
Single LNB → 1 very long coax run from roof →
DirecTivo
I have only a single LNB, but I get 90% signal on even and odd transponders. Either LNB works. With this:
Dual LNB → 2 short coax →
uS575 Stacker → 1 very long coax run from roof →
HR PI 10-2150 MHz Power Inserter → 1 short coax →
D575D Destacker → 2 short coax →
DirecTivo
I get 90% signal on odd transponders and 40% signal on even transponders, which is not enough for DirecTivo to be happy. Without the power inserter, this configuration doesn't work at all (indicating that the stacker requires additional power beyond what the DirecTivo provides.) With this:
Dual LNB → 2 short coax →
uS575 Stacker → 1 short coax →
PAL30 DBS Amp → 1 very long coax run from roof →
HR PI 10-2150 MHz Power Inserter → 1 short coax →
D575D Destacker → 2 short coax →
DirecTivo
I get nothing. But maybe I have it hooked up wrong. Note that this amp has 3 coax ports on it, labelled "DBS Input", "In/Out DC" and "DBS Output". The old one had that too, but was not necessarily the same model amp. My best guess is that "DBS Input" connects to the stacker (and thence the LNBs), and "DBS Output" goes to the long run (and thence the power inserter, followed by the destacker, followed by DirecTivo).
I think I've tried all the other permutations too. No luck. What inputs on that amp am I intended to use?
If the amp goes before the stacker, and does not pass that +20v through to it, how can the stacker work? How did it ever work before? Because it did.
At this point the only components I have not replaced are the destacker and the DirecTivo itself. The fact that the single-tuner configuration works seems to indicate that the DirecTivo is fine. I'm hoping to not have to replace the destacker as well. How could that have gone bad? It's inside!
(I now have 3 stackers, 3 power inserters, and 2 amps. One of each is old, and I've tried all of them at this point, though not in every possible permutation.)
Update: Finally! This worked:
Dual LNB → 2 short coax →
uS575 Stacker → 1 very long coax run from roof →
PAL30 DBS Amp, powered directly → short coax →
D575D Destacker → 1 short coax →
DirecTivo
With that, I get 90% signal on even and odd transponders on both LNBs! Yay!
This is not how I had it hooked up before. Before, I did what I think everyone would say is the sensible thing and put the amplifier outside close to the signal source, instead of inside, after the long run had already degraded it. But, for whatever reason, that no longer works and this does. On the amp, "Input" goes toward the dish, "Output" goes toward the destacker, and "in/out" has the wall wart. The HRPI is unused.
I cannot explain why this works and the other way does not (but used to).
