HDTV Forum

Try moving the 2 input cables to the other 2 input ports on the Zinwell (making sure not to use the Flexports). The multi-switch may be switching the receiver to the other 2 ports.

Well, that worked....sort of. I had both tuners working properly, but there's a damn glitch with these machines. Whenever there's ANY kind of distruption, you lose a bunch of channels. So when I reset the unit, it failed to pick up the signals to any of the sats. The other DVR didn't pick up anything either.

I give up. My fingers are worn out from those damn coax cable nuts. Maybe I'll use my protection plan to get a D* tech over here and let him figure it out. Or maybe Zinwell has customer support. I sure hope I don't need two more lines to get this to work.

Tombanjo wrote:I sure hope I don't need two more lines to get this to work.

Unfortunately you do need all 4. Found this on the directv forums:

All four inputs are required. The four lines carry the following voltages and tones:

13V 0KHz for Sat A(101)and(99)MPEG4 Ka band odd transponders
18V 0KHz for Sat A(101)and(99)MPEG4 Ka band even transponders
13V 22KHz for Sat B(119)and(103)MPEG4 Ka band odd transponders
18V 22KHz for Sat B(119)/C(110)and(103)MPEG4 Ka band even transponders as all 3 Sat C transponders are even

Skip an input and the associated transponders are unavailable.

I thought this was the case but did not have the technical details. The way the multiswitch works is each of the 4 inputs are locked onto specific frequencies/polarities as described above. When the receiver requests one of these the multiswitch simply connects the receiver output port to the requested input port. That allows all 4 (or receivers to all use 13V 0 KHz at the same time (e.g.).

Sorry!

akirby wrote:All four inputs are required. The four lines carry the following voltages and tones:

While I understand this part, sort of, the next question would be would a smaller mutiswitch work, like one with a two line input? Or a couple of diplexers going into the 6X8 one I have now?

Ok, I talked to a tech at Solidsignal.com and he said there's no other way but to have four lines, but that in a couple of weeks there will be a new product, the slim line, that will enable a single line to be split. He kinda lost me after a while (not hard to do with this stuff) but he did say that this new multi would take care of my needs.

The "Slim-Line" or SWM (single wire module) units are not cheap.

Also I would like to clear up a possible misunderstanding. Just calling the multiswitch a Zinwell 6x8 is not enough. There is an older 6x8 that won't work with the 99 and 103 sats. It must be a wide band unit which is either a Zinwell WB68 for 8 ports or a Zinwell WB616 for 16 ports.

Pete