Using FTA and Dish Network with the same satellite dish

[MDProuty]

I have had FTA for several months and am planning to purchase Dish Network in the near future; however, I do not want to have two satellite dishes in my yard. I hava a Fortec Star DVB-786NA receiver with a linear universal LNBF. I know that Dish Network comes with a circular LNBF, so I am fairly certain that I cannot use the linear LNBF with my Dish Network receiver (please correct me if I am wrong). I was wondering if I can use the following setup:



I want to put the circular LNBF (Dish Network LNBF) and linear LNBF (FTA LNBF) on the same satellite dish and run them into a S-DS21 DiSEqC Switch. Then I want to run RG6 cable from the switch to the LNBF In port on the FTA receiver (Fortec Star DVB-786NA). I noticed that there is a Loop Out port on the FTA receiver, so I wanted to run RG6 from the Loop Out port on the FTA receiver to the In Port on the Dish Network Receiver.

Then I think I can add one channel for each of the Dish Network satellites to the FTA receiver and set these channels to the second LNBF (Dish Network LNBF). This way when I am watching FTA channels, the FTA LNBF will be selected and I will receive the channels. Also, when I am watching Dish channels, the Dish LNBF will be selected and I will be able to view the Dish channels with the Dish Receiver. By the way, I have a motor on my satellite dish to switch between satellites.

I guess my questions are:

1) Will this setup work or am I missing something?

2) Is the Loop Out port on the FTA receiver what I think it is? I think it should pass the signal from the LNBF through the FTA receiver whether the LNBF receiver is on or off.

3) Does the FTA receiver need to be off for me to watch Dish channels?

4) If the FTA receiver is off, will the switch and LNBF still work with the Dish receiver with the above setup? I think that the FTA receiver will supply the power to the switch and receiver and with the FTA receiver off, the Dish receiver will not be able to get any signal.

I realize this is probably a unique set of questions, but any help would be deaply appreciated. If any clarification is needed, please let me know. Thanks again. MDProuty

[bobkat]

One problem I see right off the bat is that DishNetwork receivers will not control DiSEqC switches -- they use their own type of switch (SW21, etc.)

I would just slap up another dish if I were you.

kat

[MDProuty]

I agree, but I was hoping to use the FTA receiver to control the switch and let the Dish receiver get the signal through the Loop Out port on the FTA receiver.

[bobkat]

Hmmmm.... might work. You would have to switch off the FTA receiver right after you use it to switch to the DishNet LNB. Your DN receiver will not switch polarity properly if the FTA receiver is on. Give it a try.

kat