SWM question

[Zynergi]

What Model DVR do you have, not all of them are compatible?

You dont need 2 SWM8's you have 4 DVR's and the 3 boxes. Run the 3 NonDVR's off the Legacy Ports.

 

[randyk47]

Yes you do care. It's especially important if you're going to put the Power Inserter between the splitter and a receiver. The PI must be on the line that runs through the power pass output. This is the splitter you also want to use with the SWM1 port on the SWM-8 to power the whole setup.

 

[johndsparks]

I have one HR-20 and 3 HR-22. Will the HR-20 work with the SWM?

 

[johndsparks]

Also can I just put the power on the SWM-1 output between the SWM-8 and the sws-4 splitter?

 

[randyk47]

Yes, your HR20 will work just fine with the SWM. I'm running two HR20's and an H20 on mine and it's been solid since the very first.

I'd suggest you look at the attached SWM guide. Back in the guide, around page 25 or so, it starts to show potential setups of the SWM-8 and splitters. I used the chart on page 30 as my guide and it works well. About the only thing I noticed is that they don't cover, or I may have missed it, that you can put the PI between the SWM-8 and the splitter rather than between the splitter and one of the receivers. In either case though the PI has to be on the SWM1 port on the SWM-8. Here's a link to the guide: http://forums.directv.com/pe/Reposi...96641/SWM - Integrated LNB-ModuleTraining.pdf You have to be a little patient for it to download as it's a pretty good sized PDF file but well worth it.

 

[johndsparks]

I found a great diagram at a vendors site for 4 line dish with multiple SWM's:

http://www.weaknees.com/pdf/dual-swm-switches.pdf

Although they show an antenna connected? I didn't think you could do that or can you use it with the older models like the HR-20 that has a separate antenna input?

 

[randyk47]

Yep. That works. Not as "pretty" a diagram as the one in the guide but it does show how to hook up dual SWM-8's which is a nice option for those who have more than 8 tuners. I do notice that their chart has the PI between the SWM-8 and the splitter. As I said previously that works though I have mine between the splitter and the first receiver. For me it was a matter of where I could get power to the PI without having an outlet installed in my attic storage area where the SWM-8 is installed. It also allowed me to plug the PI into a UPS I had behind my AV stack to keep it powered if there's a short outage.

 

[johndsparks]

Thanks, do I need to cap the unused legacy outputs? details, details, details....LOL

 

[randyk47]

No, just cap SWM2 if you're not using it. The SWM-8 comes with a cap and it's probably already installed on the SWM2 port, at least mine was.

 

[johndsparks]

Can I split the SWM-1 output 8 ways or do I need to use a 4 way on each of the 2 outputs?

Also is their a way to run OTA signal on the same line with diplexer anywhere in the path?

 

[randyk47]

You can buy one 8-way splitter and run it off of SWM1 or you can buy two 4-way splitters and run one off of SWM1 and the other off of SWM2. The bottom line is a total of 8 tuners on the SWM side regardless of the splitter combination. For instance, I'm running one 4-way splitter off of SWM1. With two HD DVR's and one HD receiver I've used 5 of the 8 tuners on only 3 of the outputs off of the splitter. I could actually run up to four HD DVR's off that one 4-way and use up all of the eight tuners SWM will support. More than that then it's time for an additional SWM-8.

As for OTA. Supposedly you can run OTA through the SWM-8 port labeled for OTA and then diplex it out at the receiver. Since my antenna is located in the upper attic and not close to the SWM-8 I'm using the cabling already installed in the house for it and don't run it through the SWM-8 so I don't have any experience with that. I know the DirecTV instructions say not to run OTA through the SWM-8 but I've seen postings where people are doing it successfully.

 

[johndsparks]

Thanks guys! I have ordered what I think I need now. I will let you know how it turns out! This forum is the bomb by the way. Most helpful I have ever used.

 

[randyk47]

I think you'll find the installation of the SWM-8 to be amazingly simple. I'm an ex-HAM operator so I have pretty good basics but that was more years ago than I want to admit and I don't think I used or needed my old skills/knowledge to do my install. Just remember to unplug, not just turn off, all your receivers and remove all the BBC's. Install the SWM-8, connect all the cabling, plug in the PI, and then bring each receiver up one at a time. It's really a plug and play process and it took me longer to get my three receivers up than it did to install the SWM-8. It's a great piece of technology and a great solution where you can't run additional cables. Good luck!

 

[johndsparks]

Alright guys, I hooked it all up and activated one receiver. I am receiving most channels but not all> I can't get a signal for ESPNHD for one. So which channels should I check to try to see what the problem is as far as which satellite is not performing and any suggestions about why I would get almost all my channels but not some of them?

 

[rad]

Alright guys, I hooked it all up and activated one receiver. I am receiving most channels but not all> I can't get a signal for ESPNHD for one. So which channels should I check to try to see what the problem is as far as which satellite is not performing and any suggestions about why I would get almost all my channels but not some of them?

If you're trying to get ESPNHD on channel 206 that would be the 99(c) satellite. If you're trying for ESPNHD on channel 73 that would be on either 110 or 119. If it's the channel 73 one don't worry about it, that's the old MPEG2 version which will be going away soon, use the 206 which is the MPEG4 version.

 

[johndsparks]

Ok if I run 2 lines into my old HR 20 directly from the slimline LNB I get all channels, no problem. When I feed all 4 inputs into the splitters and 2 SWM and four SWS-4 splitters that is here I lose channels. Is all the data from every satellite carried on each of the 4 lines from the LNB and if so the SWM needs all four inputs to work correctly? If so I think the problem maybe one or more of my runs from the LNB to the splitters? Any thoughts?

Which of the satellites do I have to have signal from: 101, 99, 119, 110, 103c, 103s, 99s or do I need them all?

I am going to test each satellite and post results.

Thanks guys!

 

[rad]

Sorry, not sure what you have, do you have two SWM8 modules and using splitters to split the lines to the two SWM8's or one SWM8 and using the splitters from the two outputs on that one SWM8?

As for your question about what sats, if you have a 5LNB (three white covers) then you should see 99(s & c), 101, 103 (s & c) 110 and 119. If you have the 3LNB (1 white cover) then you won't have 110 and 119 but the others.

 

[johndsparks]

OK I have two SWM 8 with four splitters (one in each line ) from the Slimline LNB with the matching outputs of each splitter going to the matching input on the SWM8s. The splitters are high frequency 5-2600 splitters.

Then I have four 4 output SWS splitters total, one on the SWM1 and one on the SWM2 output of each of the SWM8 for a total of 16 feeds.

The power for the SWM8s are between the line out and the way splitters.

Does that make sense?

 

[randyk47]

Did you take your receivers totally down? By that I mean did you not only turn them off but also unplug them from the wall or back of the receiver? The sequence is that you've got to start by powering up the SWM-8's then bring the receivers up by plugging them in and then turning them on. Also you said you had the PI's between the SWM-8's and the SWS splitters. Make sure you've got at least 15' of cable between the PI and the SWM-8.

 

[rad]

All I can say is to double check that the outputs from the splitters to the SWM8's go to the same exact inputs on both of them. I know when I set mine up I had two of them flipped and also lost some channels like you're having.