How to Wire Multiple Satellite Receivers
Once your satellite dish is installed onto your home or property, the next step is wiring it. In order to receive a satellite signal, your TV must be connected directly to the satellite dish and receiver using a coaxial or HDMI cable. It is possible to wire connections for multiple satellite dishes and receivers in your home.
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Things You'll Need
- Satellite dish (already installed)
- Coaxial cable
- Coaxial splitter (optional)
- HDMI cable (optional)
- Television (optional: multiple inputs)
Instructions
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1
Place the satellite receiver near the television you plan to use. While the satellite dish can be located up to 300 feet away from the receiver, for best use, the receiver should only be a few feet away from the television. This is simply for convenience, as the receiver is how you change the channel.
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2
Connect the receiver to the satellite using a coaxial cable. For ease of use, purchase a coaxial cable that already has the coaxial ends on it. These ends can connect directly to the receiver and satellite. You also can purchase a bolt of raw coaxial cable without the pre-fabricated ends, but you will have to purchase and install those ends separately.
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3
Add a coaxial splitter if you want to run the satellite signal to receivers in multiple rooms. A splitter has one input and multiple outputs; the ends of a coaxial cable will fit into either end.
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4
Route the cable to the rooms where you want to watch television. This should be where you placed the satellite receivers in Step 1. Just remember, it is not necessary to install multiple dishes from the same provider. As long as you have a coaxial splitter and multiple receivers, you can watch different channels in different rooms.
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5
Connect the free end of the coaxial cable into the satellite receiver.
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6
Connect the satellite receiver to the television using a coaxial cable. If you have an HD television, you will need to make this connection using an HDMI cable instead. DirecTV and Dish Network--the two biggest satellite television companies in the United States--both provide these cables with most installations. The cable will connect to your television's input port. A standard coaxial cable port will be round with a hole in the middle to accommodate the prong on the coaxial cable. An HDMI port looks more like an input port that connects a computer tower to the monitor.
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7
Install as many satellite receivers as your television has input ports. If your television set has two HDMI ports, you can install two receivers on an HD connection. If your set has one HDMI port and one coaxial cable port, you can install one receiver using an HD connection and another using a standard connection (you will not be able to view HDTV on this receiver, even if the receiver can accommodate HD video). If you have two coaxial cable ports, you can install two receivers using standard definition.
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8
Program your remote to accommodate the multiple satellite receivers. This step will depend on two things: which receiver is connected to what type of input port and the style of remote you own.
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Tips & Warnings
Dish Network and DirecTV offer free standard installation with most packages.
Wiring multiple satellite receivers is very similar to wiring a single satellite receiver. The main difference happens when you connect the receiver to the television.
It is against the law to steal satellite TV. Unless you have made an agreement with your satellite provider, you should not use a coaxial splitter along the cable that connects your receiver to your TV. Providers charge per receiver, so connecting one receiver to two TVs is considered stealing.
References
Resources
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