Home Automation - question re: self install of minidish
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john9243
05-07-02, 10:57 PM
Hi everyone -
Currently have digital cable and dont particulary like it primarly b/c the lower channels come in poorly.
I already have RG 6 cable installed to my HD ready mitsu... however regarding the location of the dish... I have noticed most professional installers put the dish on the south side of the house, obviously since the signal is coming from the south, but how about placing it on the northside of the house? aslong as it has an unobstructed view the south it should be fine?
Also, what about wind and rain with regards the the signal? Would mounting it on the wind protected side of the chimney be a good idea? How important is keeping that cable length
to a minimum??
Also is there a HDTV receiver that is better than the others? I have seen RCA's and Toshiba? RCA has the serial cable and I am not sure if my Mitsu 55" has the serial interface.
Is the the serial interface better than component?
thanks
john
Currently have digital cable and dont particulary like it primarly b/c the lower channels come in poorly.
I already have RG 6 cable installed to my HD ready mitsu... however regarding the location of the dish... I have noticed most professional installers put the dish on the south side of the house, obviously since the signal is coming from the south, but how about placing it on the northside of the house? aslong as it has an unobstructed view the south it should be fine?
Also, what about wind and rain with regards the the signal? Would mounting it on the wind protected side of the chimney be a good idea? How important is keeping that cable length
to a minimum??
Also is there a HDTV receiver that is better than the others? I have seen RCA's and Toshiba? RCA has the serial cable and I am not sure if my Mitsu 55" has the serial interface.
Is the the serial interface better than component?
thanks
john
Matt Stryker
05-08-02, 09:02 AM
John- The north side is fine, as long as you can get a clear line of sight to the satellite. The main thing to consider when you install the dish is plant growth/swinging limbs. The rain effect is best avoided by getting the strongest signal possible; not sure if there is anything you can do beyond that.
As far as cable length, the self install kit should come with a small preamp/amp to attach to the cable to boost the signal.
For a receiver, lots of people recommend the Samsungs. The RCA DTC-100 (the one with the 15-pin VGA connector instead of the component outputs) can be found pretty cheap if you look hard enough....Some of the Best Buys around Atlanta have them for $199 with no contract. Sure beats paying $700 for a new unit.
As far as cable length, the self install kit should come with a small preamp/amp to attach to the cable to boost the signal.
For a receiver, lots of people recommend the Samsungs. The RCA DTC-100 (the one with the 15-pin VGA connector instead of the component outputs) can be found pretty cheap if you look hard enough....Some of the Best Buys around Atlanta have them for $199 with no contract. Sure beats paying $700 for a new unit.