How do you connect an Explorer 2 Decoder in a Multiple Unit Dwelling with One Dish

[mibman]

How do you connect an Explorer 2 decoder when there is only ONE satellite dish for the whole retirement complex ?

When DSTV website says "Smart LNB - It is not generally suitable for multiple unit dwellings (like complexes and apartments)"

 

[agentrfr]

The dish usually has two co-ax lines coming from the focal point. One is for horizontally polarized signal, the other is vertical

You get a separate box that will combine the two lines into a unusable for the explorer 2. You can have multiple of these unicable combiners or parallel branches of the horizontal and vertical signals from the dish. Multiple decoders can use the same dish so long as each decoder has a dedicated unicable.

A smart LNB sits on the dish and rather than outputting the processed horizontal and vertical signals as two separate cables does the unicable job right there so you can run a single cable from the dish to the decoder

Check with the complex if they supply each house with a horizontal and vertical co-ax cables or a single unicable co-ax cable

 

[Geoff.D]

The current solution for MUDs and complexes where units are supposed to share a common antenna is getting quite complicated and if the Body Corporate has not kept up with what is going on, you are in trouble.

Currently IF your unit has 2 incoming cables from the antenna, one for VER and one for HOR, then what you need to do is get hold of a MC 24-1Z switch. The cables from the antenna connect to that and the Explora decoders are then connected to one of the unicable ports on the switch.

If your complex is still in the dark ages with a single feed where all the channels have been converted to VER, you will have to get hold of the BC and find out how and what the settings would be to be able to connect an Explora to that setup, plus what additional equipment you may require.

Failing the above, your only way out would be to install your own antenna, with an SLNB and a single feed from the antenna to the decoder. That is of course if the rules allow you to install your own antenna.

And BTW, the problem is about to get worse. When MC fully implements the new Hi-band system, a 4-cable system would be required to be able to receive all the channels. ALL existing MUD installations basically become obsolete.

The 24-1Z switch caters for 4 inputs V/L, V/H, H/L, H/H.

Currently, MC uses a "fiddle" to get around this problem as they have only used a few new transponders on the new satellite in Hi-band. What they do is make use of a new setting on the decoders called the "Switching Frequency" which in the past has been an internal parameter, but is now user settable on some decoders to "fool" the decoder into thinking the Hi-band VER transponders are still on Lo-band.

Older decoders have been giving quite a few problems with this setting and in some case the way out has been to prevent the decoders from receiving Hi-band and only making use of the Lo local oscillator. the way this is done on older decoders is to simply ensure you use the Standard LNB setting which forces the decoder to treat all incoming signals as if they are in the Lo-band.

 

[mibman]

Building has Quad LNB. See attached image

 

[Geoff.D]

Ja but are all 4 cables available in every unit? That is the critical point. Typically only 2 cables go to each unit IF the complex was wired for MC PVRs.

If only one cable is available in each unit it means the units were wired for single view non-PVR decoders.

Your first port of call is to find out from the complex management what is available and can the install handle Explora decoders.

Some comment on the installation.
1. There is something seriously wrong with the skew angle adjustment on that LNB.
2. The far right connection cable has a very poorly made off connector.

Both these factors will give problems for Explora decoders.

The availability of quad LNB is good because it can be used to distribute signal to 24-1Z switches and hence provide unicable connections to each unit.

 

[agentrfr]

If two or four cables go to each house you should be fine, I guesstimate 85% success chance

You'll need one of the multi cable to unicable combiner switch thingies though - they are like R300 from monochoice

 

[chrisc]

In a retirement complex (Rathfelder in Diep River is an example) there is an intelligent multiswitcher and distribution amplifier that handles the DSTV signal to the 110 flats connected. Both feeds are taken from a Smart LNB

Was quite an expensive exercise getting it going. Meyer Electronics did the job

 

[Pangsbg]

Good day, I have two HD decoders(4U models) connected to an smart lnb in a xtraview setup...the primary connected to the universal output and the secondary on unicable A output on the lnb for some reason the one connected to the unicable A output doesn't receive any signal whatsoever. Do you perhaps have a solution for me please and thank you.