# R10 Problems - Dish Problems! Please Help.



## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Ok, so under my pursuasion my friend bought a used R10 box locally today.

Here is the problem. He lives in a condo complex and does not have a view of the souther skies so he is forced to use the dish on top of the building that is used by those who have the same problem of no southern view.
SO the problem now lies that we have no idea of what kinf of dish is up there on top of the building and there is only one coax cable running to living room - so I am assuming it is a single LNB connected to a multiswitch to run to all the condos that need to use that dish.....

Is there ANY way to use the dual tuners without haveing access to a dual LNB?

Second problem - my friend does NOT have a land line home phone, and therefore causes another problem. We talked to DirectTV before getting the box and the gal on the phone said that you ONLY need the phone line if you want access to Pay-Per-View and premuim channels. He does not, so therefore we got the box. Now the guy on the phone is saying that you HAVE to have a phone line to use the box at all. Seems like depending on who you talk to you get a different story - I figured I could get the truth here.

TIA


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

The dish on the roof most likely has a stacked signal. There is no way to know for sure without asking the company that did the dish install or the apartment complex. If it is stacked then he could use a destacker. The cheapest way to go with a destacker is a single destacker and a multiswitch. Thanks to feldon23 for the diagram:







.

The phone line is only needed for initial activation and software upgrades. Both of these can be done without the satellite dish hooked up so you can take it over to someone with a land line. PPV can be done on the website.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Will I need the multi switch if I am only running one box?


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

supasta said:


> Will I need the multi switch if I am only running one box?


Unless you want to use a dual destacker which is much more expensive.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Thanks for your help. 

I have another question -

With only one cable connected will the R10 function just as a single tuner? 
We got everything connected and working, but the box will only see the ODD transponders(?It will only see the ODD)

How can I fix this. This really turned out to be such a headache....thanks for your help.


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

If it is only seeing the odd transponders then you do have a stacked signal. You will have to get a destacker as above.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Why is this? His other DTV Box works just fine and sees all of the transponders.....
Is this just specific to the R10 box?


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## or270 (Feb 4, 2006)

supasta said:


> Why is this? His other DTV Box works just fine and sees all of the transponders.....
> Is this just specific to the R10 box?


Did you try the guided satelite setup on the r10, It will ask if it is a round or oval dish, if not know try them both.

And it will work with a single cable, Just not able to watch a channel and record a different channel.

If another directv receiver worked the R10 should work fine.


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

supasta said:


> Why is this? His other DTV Box works just fine and sees all of the transponders.....
> Is this just specific to the R10 box?


Many standalone receivers have built-in destackers. What model is the standalone receiver?


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

or270 said:


> If another directv receiver worked the R10 should work fine.


Not if it is a stacked signal...


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

supasta said:


> Will I need the multi switch if I am only running one box?


For just one DVR the dual destacker is the easy way to go, you could add a second destacker in that diagram to eliminate the multiswitch.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

rminsk said:


> Many standalone receivers have built-in destackers. What model is the standalone receiver?


The old box is a D11. (From what I can deduce from photos, almost positive)



JimSpence said:


> For just one DVR the dual destacker is the easy way to go, you could add a second destacker in that diagram to eliminate the multiswitch.


Dual Destacker - is that the same a a Destacker as pictured?



or270 said:


> Did you try the guided satelite setup on the r10, It will ask if it is a round or oval dish, if not know try them both.


Only tried the Round dish setup, which works but will only see the ODD. The dish is on the top of the roof on a 3 story building and is not visible fomr the ground at all. The property manager doesn't know his...er....he doesn't know.



or270 said:


> And it will work with a single cable, Just not able to watch a channel and record a different channel.


It sounds like the advantage to all this hassle is that if the signal is stacked I will be able to use the dual tuners if I setup things as laid out in the photo.....


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

supasta said:


> Dual Destacker - is that the same as a Destacker as pictured?


No. The dual destacker essentially is a high frequency splitter and two destackers in the same assembly. It has two outputs that can feed a DVR.
This is the dual destacker. http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?PROD=SD575D
This diagram above is a single destacker.

Note: this only works for stacked signals for the 101 sat.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Thanks for all your help guys.

Another question - would getting an R15 box solve any of these problems? Does it have a built in destacker? I know it has ethernet which will be a big help too.

I would really like this R10 box to work but we are trying to keep costs down here and a destacker will seemingly set me back $60+ on ebay.


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

JimSpence said:


> For just one DVR the dual destacker is the easy way to go, you could add a second destacker in that diagram to eliminate the multiswitch.


It is also the much more expensive way to go... A single destacker is around $69.50 and a dual destacker is around $154.50 (9thtee prices). As you know a 2x4 multiswitch can be gotten dirt cheap now days and a high frequency splitter is just a couple of bucks.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Either way, it is all way to expensive.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Another question - would getting an R15 box solve any of these problems? Does it have a built in destacker? I know it has ethernet which will be a big help too.


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

supasta said:


> Another question - would getting an R15 box solve any of these problems? Does it have a built in destacker? I know it has ethernet which will be a big help too.


The questions on the R15 would be best answered at http://www.dbstalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=106. The R15 is not a TiVo so not many people on these boards know much about it.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

I cannot find a good price on a 2x4 multiswitch. Can I use a 3x4 multiswitch?

Also, a big reason for this upgrade is to record Boxing matches on PPV. Can this even be done? Will the R10 record PPV? Will it expire and autodelete?


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

3x4 multiswitch would work just fine. PPV can be recorded on the DirecTiVo just fine. It does not "expire" PPVs. If you set it to "keep until I delete" it will not autodelete.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Bought the destacker and the multiswitch off ebay last night. Will update ASAP. Thanks to all for your help!


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Well, good news. 

I bought the destacker and a 3x4 multiswitch off ebay. Got them yesterday. Ran over to my friends house and installed all as pictured above. Nothiing would work. Well, it would work until I connected the second signal to the multiswitch. For some reason, with only 1 signal connected it would work perfectly, but with the second signal connected it would seem to ground out and show nothing on either signal. Well, after an hour of messing with the wiring, checking cords, etc, I figured it was the multiswitch. Ran to RadioShack and got an ancient powered multiswitch (which is HOT!) on clearance, ran back, installed, and BINGO! Worked perfectly. 

Well, almost! So the biggest storm hit right as I was trying to configure the satellite and signal. So, waited an hour for the storm to clear. Got it all running, he took it to his parents house to run the initial test call (he has no land-line) and back home. 

Well, all in all, IT WORKS! Both signals, both transponders, both tuners!

Thanks a ton guys, I owe you all one!      

While I'm here, another question - 

Do you think that what solved it was the fact that we got a powered multiswitch? I am wondering because it runs very hot to the touch (scorching almost) and was more expensve than the one I got from ebay. I was wanting to get another one from ebay but dont want to risk the fact that it will not be powered.....


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Ok, I spoke too soon.

Here's the new problem. 

When switching between tuners the box will drop the #1 tuner. 

ie- Recording on Tuner 1. Go to change the channel or record on tuner #2 - the box drops the signal on tuner #1......

I think the next step is the dual destacker setup (meaning 2 destackers)

Any thoughts?


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## litzdog911 (Oct 18, 2002)

supasta said:


> Ok, I spoke too soon.
> 
> Here's the new problem.
> 
> ...


Try swapping the two satellite cables on the back of the DVR to rule out a defective tuner.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

litzdog911 said:


> Try swapping the two satellite cables on the back of the DVR to rule out a defective tuner.


When I do that I lose both signals all together....


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Ok, finally got everything working.

Let me start out by saying that the above pictured photo does not work....

The contracted DTV ervice tech came out and took a look at the setup, laughed, laughed, and laughed some more.

SO, the setup that worked was 2 single destackers.










He gave me 2 destackers for free, which had I have known, I would not have bought one - so I am selling that one....

Thanks for all your help guys.


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

Will feldon23 please check in. I think there are a lot of people using that first diagram. Technically there is no reason why it won't work. 

But, since you got the destackers for nothing, who am I to argue.


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