5 x 16 Multiswitch Recommendations Please

palm

Please recommend the best 5 x 16 Multiswitch.

One aerial + one sat dish with quattro LNB for three separate apartments. Eight points altogether with two wires going to each.

Is it essential to have earth bonding?

watty

YES, for for more than one apartment/dwelling from a single dish.

You must earth the Multiswitch to its own earth spike. In theory you should use a earthed plate with F-Barrels. It wants 4mm earth wire to its own earth spike/

You can earth the dish to a separate earth spike. Never connect dish /pole metal work to LNB earth.

Go for a 9 x 16 switch or 17 x 16 to allow adding one more or 3 more satellite positions. The extra cost split 3 ways is not much. if you ever need more tha 16 outlets you just split the inputs to multiswitch and add another one.

Passive Terrestrial input rather than amplified recommended as it's more flexible.

You need a larger dish and aerial to ensure good SNR on a distribution system. Triax 88 or Triax 90/95


Quattro rather than Quad LNB recommended as some switches don't work with Quads.
In April if you add Saorsat it needs a SINGLE Ka-LNBF, not a Quattro ku-LNBF

http://www.techtir.ie/tv-radio/satellite-distribution

http://www.saortv.info/satellite-saorsat/saorsat-reception/

The emp Centauri switch works OK for me and others I know that tried it.

palm

I had been thinking of a Triax TMP (5) (9) (17) x 16 Multiswitch and it comes with the earth plate. It's easy for me to get but would it be as good as the emp Centauri?

Please clarify what you mean by LNB earth?

Do I need to earth the dish / pole too and you say it can be separate but can it be to the same earth rod?

Could you recommend what aerial category to use in the attic in Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Presumably it's Three Rock Transmitter (Type C/D with Horizontal Polarisation)

With Saorsat, what input will be used for the SINGLE Ka-LNBF?

12 element

Wideband is needed for 3 rock if you are using it for analogue but when analogue is turned off then C/D will be fine.

I wouldn't recommend a Triax multiswitch or dish to anyone really. You are better off with more reliable brands.

watty

palm wrote: »

I had been thinking of a Triax TMP (5) (9) (17) x 16 Multiswitch and it comes with the earth plate. It's easy for me to get but would it be as good as the emp Centauri?

Please clarify what you mean by LNB earth?

Do I need to earth the dish / pole too and you say it can be separate but can it be to the same earth rod?

Could you recommend what aerial category to use in the attic in Ranelagh, Dublin 6. Presumably it's Three Rock Transmitter (Type C/D with Horizontal Polarisation)

With Saorsat, what input will be used for the SINGLE Ka-LNBF?

The LNB is ONLY earthed via the Multswitch. Never add an earth.

Never use same earth wire to earth the Multiswitch barrier plate as anything else. I don't know if Dish can share earth spike or needs its own.

I'd not buy the Triax Multiswitch. Expensive for what it is.

ka-Sat Ka-LNBF will use one of 4 connections from 2nd, 3rd or 4th LNB group. We don't know if Ireland is H or V spot or which part of band yet. Early days. We will know in April. Also you can really use any input and edit the Transponder(s) to suit.

It's possible to use the unused inputs in that group for some other satellite's feed reception that only needs 1, 2 or 3 feeds. Not all satellites use all 4 like 13E, 19E and 28E do.

simonckenyon

i have one from www.vision-products.co.uk that i bought from www.vanjak.com in the north

AstralTV

you will need an earth on a small system, 2.5mm sq earth wire to a suitable earth terminal, if the building you are installing the dish/aerial on has its own lightening protection system you must earth bond the dish/aerial to this system, the latter to be done by a competent person & signed off, this will protect you insurance wise. Remember you are creating a possible electrical connection between all the appartments, if in doubt i suggest you consult a qualified electrician.

Liameter

Earth bonding should always be carried out by a qualified electrician. If you start connecting stuff to earth spikes, you run the risk of introducing loop currents into the coaxial cable shield, which can cause it to catch fire!

The dish is usually electrically-insulated from the system (LNBs have a plastic housing), in which case it's fine to ground it to an earth spike. However, this has nothing to do with safety. Its only purpose is to bleed off static electricity which can build up from wind-blown charged particles.

palm

I have an electrical contractor on site. He hadn't left the earth in the attic. So I was seeking a second opinion on that subject here.

Regarding the multi switch. I've looked at the sticky and online and cannot find anywhere to buy the emp Centauri 9 x 16 multiswitch instead of the ubiquitous Triax TMP 9 x 16 which pops up everywhere and includes factory installed earth plates and is costing me about 200€ + VAT

slicedpanman

guys you all have me worried about earthing...
Are you all talking about apartment installs only? Or do I need to earth my simple single house multiswitch too?

watty

It's only when something is shared between different dwellings. Because there are three phases with about 380V between each live, as well as the normal 220V from Live to Neutral/Ground. Each dwelling in turn has the "live" from each "phase" in turn.

There are thus special safety wiring regulations to "share" anything connected to the mains.

Never pass an extension cable or lighting to a neighbour in Flat, apartment, semi, terrace or standalone house. Similarly you can't share an Aerial, Dish, LNB, Multiswitch, cable or MMDS with a neighbour without Electrician approved earth bonding system.

There is otherwise severe risk of lethal electric shock or fire.

slicedpanman

phew thanks watty

Zilog

Got my EMP-Centauri multiswitch from this eBay shop:
Satprofishop.
Click on the 'Multischalter' link in the side menu.

Been using for about 6 months now, no problems. Handy thing with the Profi-line range is that they are quad lnb compatible too; however I already had purchased a quattro lnb.

HTH

byte

http://www.hm-sat-shop.de/en/multischalter-profiline/profiline-multischalter-ms-9-16-piu-6.html

I've bought from HM-Sat before (Profiline 5x16), delivered within 4 days.

Martin_F

watty wrote: »

You need a larger dish and aerial to ensure good SNR on a distribution system. Triax 88 or Triax 90/95

Watty - when you say 'distribution system' you're referring to the multiswitch itself?

I have a quad on a 6ocm at the moment and was thinking about stepping up to either an octo LNB or a 5/8 multiswitch - since so many seem to from on the octos (was looking at the EMP-Centauri to avoid swapping out the quad). I don't really want a bigger dish though.

Liameter

Watty is referring to everything from the multiswitch to the receivers. That is your "distribution system".

All switches have signal losses and it's usual to compensate by going to the next larger size dish. (Where the "distribution system" involves long runs of cable, it's usual to go up a couple of dish sizes.) A larger dish will help minimise "rain dropout".

watty

Never hurt to have "next size" dish.

It can create problems to have very much larger dish.

Liameter

Yes, a much larger dish will have a narrower focus so alignment will be more critical and it may go off alignment due to strong winds. In addition, if the signal is too strong, it can overload the tuner, resulting in similar symptoms to insufficient signal.

zu

watty wrote: »

YES, for for more than one apartment/dwelling from a single dish.

You must earth the Multiswitch to its own earth spike. In theory you should use a earthed plate with F-Barrels. It wants 4mm earth wire to its own earth spike/

I have a similar dilemna. But neither my electrician / installer have a clue. Could you put a link to a reference document please. They're telling me the earth in the 13A plug is good enough!!. We're using one dish for four houses and the profi emp 9/16 multiswitch. Thanks

Liameter

Brief outline here:
http://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/multi-receiver-tv-systems-domestic-only/126746-electrical-safety-%96-earth-bonding.html

(Sounds like your electrician isn't actually qualified to do this work.)

Also see http://www.astecaerials.co.uk/communal.htm
especially http://www.astecaerials.co.uk/example.htm

I hate to disagree with Watty but an earth spike is not the correct method for safety. It's more appropriate where lightning is a risk.

For safety, the multiswitch should be "bonded" (connected via 4mm cable) to the building earth. AFAIK this is usually at the entry point for the mains electrical power supply. It is definitely NOT correct to connect it to the "earth" of a 13 Amp socket.
.

watty

Shared / Communal/ Multi-dwelling
All communal systems must be connected to the building’s main earth (MET) via a minimum of a 4mm2 copper cable and only to be carried out by a qualified electrician.

Were there is no accessible main earth, there needs to be an earth rod wired to the switch, via dedicated earth wire that's screwed on, not on a plug. Ideally even an earthed barrier plate, but if only one switch, you could earth to switch (but that wouldn't pass inspection).

Your electrician is obviously not qualified for Multi-dwelling work.