At least once a month, one of our customers calls in with the same question. They have two satellite dishes. Sometimes it’s an RV user who has satellite TV at home. Sometimes it’s a boat where they want to use the marina’s satellite TV system. In some cases, it gets even more complex. People want to use an over-the-air antenna sometimes and satellite TV sometimes.
Inevitably this leads to a question like, “Do you sell an A/B switch that will handle that?” The sad answer is no we do not, and I can’t say this strongly enough– you should not use an A/B switch in cases like that. If you do, you’re deliberately making your system less stable. That may not end up biting you today, but it will bite you eventually.
Here’s the bottom line
There’s nothing wrong with the very idea of an A/B switch. The problem is that no one makes ones that are specifically designed for satellite use. We’ve looked into making our own, and the reason is simple. They’re expensive to engineer, and we wouldn’t be able to offer them at a price you’re willing to pay.
A/B switches are designed for antenna TV and traditional cable TV. Those technologies use frequencies up to about 1,000MHz. Satellite TV uses frequencies up to about 2,000MHz. That means the A/B switch isn’t guaranteed to preserve those frequencies or keep them free from interference. The switch may work, or it may not. Or it may work for a little while and stop working just when you need it. I don’t know how, but consumer electronics have a weird way of failing at the worst possible moment. You’ve had it happen to you too, I bet.
What should you do instead?
It’s no fun, but you really should be manually disconnecting cables and reconnecting them when you change sources. Stay away from “push-on” connectors because they will degrade the signal just like A/B switches will. Unless the push-on connector is specifically designed for satellite, it’s going to create the same problem. And by the way, I don’t know of any push-on connector designed for satellite.
I know I’m the bearer of bad news here. You may choose to ignore this article and use that A/B switch anyway. It may work for you for a little while. When it stops, at least you’ll know why. That’s all I can do. In the meantime, do me a favor and shop for the satellite accessories you need from Solid Signal. If you’re not sure what you need, call us! We’re here for you during East Coast business hours. The number is 888-233-7563 and we do actually pick up the phone from our Novi, Michigan office. If it’s after business hours, just fill out the form below. We’ll get back to you, usually within one business day.
