Hooking up a 2 receiver

[pr1947]

What type of switch do I need to hook up a second receiver to my system? I'm not sure how to do it or whether it can be done without screwing up my main unit. I have a Fortec Platinum receiver, 90 cm dish and SG2100 motor. My second receiver is the Satwork 3688. Here is foolish question to ask, Can I control the SG2100 motor from either location without make one of them a slave receiver?

Jose

[wejones]

Originally Posted by pr1947

What type of switch do I need to hook up a second receiver to my system? I'm not sure how to do it or whether it can be done without screwing up my main unit. I have a Fortec Platinum receiver, 90 cm dish and SG2100 motor. My second receiver is the Satwork 3688. Here is foolish question to ask, Can I control the SG2100 motor from either location without make one of them a slave receiver?

Jose

Re controlling the motor, no, I don't think that will work. You have a couple options,
(1) slave your 2nd receiver to the one which is controlling both the motor and polarity (use a DC block). This will limit you to seeing channels on the same satellite and on the same polarity that the controlling receiver is viewing.

(2) if you have a multi-port LNB, you can hook up your 2nd receive to the second port on the LNB. You will need a 2nd coax, and your second receiver won't be able to run the motor, but you will be able to view either polarity.

There may be a possibility of controlling the motor from either receiver with some hookups, however even if that worked, you never want to have two receivers sending lnb voltage to the same dish, except when you have a multi-port LNBF, so if you DID manage to have two receivers capable of sending commands to the motor, you still wouldn't be able to control the polarity.
You are better off slaving, and using one receiver to control motor and polarity.

[elgemcdlf]

As long as you are not trying to run both receivers at the same time I see no reason why you could not simply split the line coming into the house from the motor.

[wejones]

Originally Posted by elgemcdlf

As long as you are not trying to run both receivers at the same time I see no reason why you could not simply split the line coming into the house from the motor.

This is what I was referring to when I said " There may be a possibility of controlling the motor from either receiver with some hookups" , however I would be careful trying this, because you would be sending power from one receiver back into the input of the other receiver, unless you used a DC block on one receiver, and if you did that, you'd still need to control polarity with the other receiver.
Without a DC block, even assuming that these receivers turn off completely when turned off (not all receivers do, although I think that the Fortec receivers do), it still seems like a risky thing to fool with, because you don't know what applying voltage from the outside of these inputs might do. Sometimes they have components that need to have voltage applied from inside to function right, and if you turn that off, no telling what will happen. Plus, if you are forced to go turn off one receiver before using the second or even check to make sure it is turned off, then I don't see this being much easier than slaving it.

Anyway, I'd be a bit nervous about trying this, not to mention that it will likely cut your signal in half... or worse.