ᐅ Installation of a Satellite Dish System

Peanuts74 schrieb:
To get back to the main topic, if the original poster isn’t even familiar with coaxial cable, it’s not advisable for them to climb on the roof and install the system themselves, PERIOD.

Fully agree!

Peanuts74 schrieb:
Install the multiswitch as close to the dish as possible (under the roof) to prevent signal losses.

Strong disagreement, that is incorrect!

Even though most tuners still work with non-standard low signal levels, the standard output level window of 47 - 77 dB(µV) must be maintained at the subscriber socket in the satellite intermediate frequency (IF) signal. No matter how far the multiswitch is from the antenna, with the same total cable length, the signal level reaching the receivers will always be the same.

As long as the tuner’s threshold is not exceeded and no overload occurs, signal levels have no impact on signal quality with digital signals.

For Unicable/JESS matrices with automatic gain control (AGC), input levels usually ranging from 60 to 90 dB(µV) are regulated to a constant output level. When switching from cable service to satellite reception, it is therefore advantageous in terms of signal levels—especially with long LNB cable runs that have high attenuation—to install the single-cable router in the basement because the attenuation imbalance of the LNB feeder cables then only affects the legacy connections.

I didn't mean to say that the higher the input level, the better. My point was simply that the signal coming from the dish or LNB has a certain level, which in extreme weather conditions can be close to the limit. If a long cable follows, the signal will be further attenuated. Beyond that, I’m not very familiar with TV technology. However, if the multiswitch passes the signal on without any processing, then the location naturally doesn't matter much. I assumed the signal is processed at this point, in which case location would indeed be important. It is clear to everyone that with digital signals, it’s a matter of the signal either working or not.

Signal processing refers to converting a signal to a different frequency or changing modulation from DVB-S to DVB-C, OFDM, or PAL. Multiswitches pass the selected satellite bands from the LNB on, but only with varying levels of amplification.

Peanuts74 schrieb:
It is clear and undisputed that a digital signal either works or doesn’t.

Even during the era of analog satellite transmission, the following applied:

LNB input level – attenuation of LNB feeder cables ± gain or loss of the multiswitch – attenuation of star cables = user signal level

This means that the distribution network attenuation is the same for analog reception regardless of where the multiswitch is installed. Carrier-to-noise ratio (C/N) and modulation error ratio (MER) at the user end are also not influenced by the multiswitch position.

Noticed too late for editing:

Instead of LNB input level, it should of course have been LNB output level.

Everything is correct so far, but if I have a relatively small dish and therefore install an amplifier, it makes the most sense to place it directly behind the dish rather than in the basement.
And that's exactly what I meant: if the multiswitch is also supposed to amplify the signal, then positioning it close to the dish with short cable runs makes sense here as well...

A small dish doesn’t make much sense – it just leads to frustration, and where there is no signal, nothing can be amplified.

By the way, I recommend "passive" multiswitches.