SWM vs KaKu

[twiecek]

I'll try to make a long story short. I recently had HD installed, and I also requested International, which requires a separate dish. The first installer didn't have the intl on the work order, so installed only HD. I called for an install of intl. They were here the other day, and said the intl dish is not compatible with SWM, that I need a KaKu, which also means I'll have 4 cables coming into my apartment as opposed to 1. Unfortunately, according to the installation supervisor, the KaKus are being phased out and they don't have any in stock. Maybe next week. I called D* in frustration, and they know nothing about the KaKu's being discontinued. So who's bs-ing who? I'm really confused (and frustrated that this is taking soo long).

[satjoe]

I'll try to make a long story short. I recently had HD installed, and I also requested International, which requires a separate dish. The first installer didn't have the intl on the work order, so installed only HD. I called for an install of intl. They were here the other day, and said the intl dish is not compatible with SWM, that I need a KaKu, which also means I'll have 4 cables coming into my apartment as opposed to 1. Unfortunately, according to the installation supervisor, the KaKus are being phased out and they don't have any in stock. Maybe next week. I called D* in frustration, and they know nothing about the KaKu's being discontinued. So who's bs-ing who? I'm really confused (and frustrated that this is taking soo long).

SWM and SLM are both KA/KU, The international will be moving from the 95 sat to the 110/119. DTV wants a single dish aproach. If you have a SWM3 you will need a SWM5 and you will not have any wiring problems. I have not heard of any SLM being phased out.

Good Luck

[Grentz]

The international will be moving from the 95 sat to the 110/119. DTV wants a single dish aproach.


Time frame is still to be determined on that though and for now the only way is with another dish.

The SWMLine dishes and standard Ka/Ku Slimline dish only differ in the LNB assembly on the end of the arm and they are interchangeable. So you really do not need a new dish, just the LNB assembly.

They can be found for online for fairly decent prices such as here:
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=SL5

and even cheaper on eBay most of the time (just make sure you get the standard 4 coax output LNB, not a SWM version (which will have 1 coax output)). So if the installers cannot get one, maybe ask if you could get one on your own and then they can come and install it with the international dish.

The reason for all this is that they cannot combine in the international dish signal with the SWM signal like they can with the conventional Slimline LNB signal.

[BattleZone]

SWM and SLM are both KA/KU.

Ka/Ku means a dish and LNBs that can receive both bands. All Slimline dishes are Ka/Ku regardless of the LNB used, because all the LNB packs receive both signals.

The international will be moving from the 95 sat to the 110/119.

While I have speculated this in writing here for at least a year, we have nothing official from DirecTV about if and/or when this might happen.

If you have a SWM3 you will need a SWM5 and you will not have any wiring problems.

No such animal.

LNB options are:

SL3
SL3-S
SL5
SL5-S

The two "-S" are the SWM-enabled versions, which have only one output and no input. SWM LNBs are NOT compatible with International, and should NOT have been installed for this customer, who clearly wants International.

The SL3 and SL5 are the non-SWM LNBs, have 4 outputs, and are often used with an external multiswitch. In this case, the external multiswitch is required in order to add International programming, which currently only comes from the WorldDirect dish, receiving FSS-class programming from Galaxy 3C at 95W.

Because this system is non-SWM, a separate coax line must be run from the switch to each tuner (DVRs have 2). That's the way International systems are supposed to be installed.

The only way to get SWM capabilities AND International is to purchase a SWM-8 external SWM module on your own. DirecTV does not supply these for residential use, and the local installers won't have them available at all. The SWM-8 works with a non-SWM Slimline LNB (either SL3 or SL5) and has additional inputs for International.