my SWM8 Install - Suggestions

[Jasqid]

I've been doing a lot of reading on the SWM products. I've got a reciever in the master bedroom (Currently H21-100) which we're thinking of changing to an HR model. Problem is this room only has 1 RG6. (Second floor... way to difficult to run a second line for the 2nd tuner.) I built the house and did all the cable and electric runs. With the sunken floor below, it was a real b!tch to get the wires, let alone heating/cooling ducts, into this room. With that said, I'd rather spend the money on the equipment to make it work.

So, to demonstrate my current setup, and to map out a plan for doing the SWM8 install, I've attached a sketch (forgive my sloppy handwriting) to illustrate.

Currently I have a Slimline AU9 with 4 lines running down the back of the house and enters next to the air conditioner and dryer vent. 3 of the 4 lines (the 4th line was left inside the entry point from the installer) continue across the back of the house in the cable runs over to the east wall where I have my services (electric/cable/phone) coming into the house. At this point I have a 4x8 sheet of laminated playwood that holds my electric panel, media distribution system, and some other gadgets.

This media distribution system is the point that I ran all my RG-6, Cat-5, Cat-3 and speaker wires to from ALL rooms in the home. So it would make sense for me to split the signals from this point to the rooms I want an IRD. (Point B) on my sketch.

So does it make sence to place the SWM and power inserter at Point A in my sketch? I read in some of the guides that there is a distance limitation. I'd have to re-read this material again... but is the run from the LNB to the SWM8 too far (or was it the PI?). My estimate is there is appro 30ft of cable from dish to entry into home.

I'm in the planning stage. Would like to do this later in the spring when I can get on the roof.

[veryoldschool]

Dish to SWM8 [can be] ~ 45'
PI to SWM8 [should be] 15' min.
"Seems like" "A" is good for the SWM8 & "B" is good for the PI, but the PI could be after the splitter in one of the rooms too.

[BattleZone]

What you have here would work just fine, and alternatively, the power inserter could be placed behind any one of the receivers too; you'd just need to connect it to the correct port on the splitter (the red, power-passing one).

The only potential problem is the type and number of receivers you have. The SWM module only supports 8 tuners (DVRs use 2 each), and the receivers must be SWM-compatible. As long as those issues are covered, you're good to go.

[Jasqid]

Dish to SWM8 [can be] ~ 45'
PI to SWM8 [should be] 15' min.
"Seems like" "A" is good for the SWM8 & "B" is good for the PI, but the PI could be after the splitter in one of the rooms too.


Cool, I was thinking the PI had to be with in a certian footage... so thats were I couldnt remember. I could put it in great room with the HR-22, which would be ~10' after the split. (great room entertainment center is directly above the distribution system).

There iis approx 25~30ft from point B to A on my sketch.

I guess in the case of distance between dish and point A being too great, worse case scneario (not worse, but not preferred), would be placing the SWM8 up at the dish, and use one of the run wires down into the house and to my distribution point. (?)

With all the cold weather situations I was reading about thought I'd keep it inside, but I think that was the SWM LNBs.

[Jasqid]

What you have here would work just fine, and alternatively, the power inserter could be placed behind any one of the receivers too; you'd just need to connect it to the correct port on the splitter (the red, power-passing one).

The only potential problem is the type and number of receivers you have. The SWM module only supports 8 tuners (DVRs use 2 each), and the receivers must be SWM-compatible. As long as those issues are covered, you're good to go.

Yeah, I got SWM compat. HW, the HR22 and H21. Looking to add another HR to the mix. Each unit so far has the BBCs. So I could dump these as well.

[veryoldschool]

Cool, I was thinking the PI had to be with in a certian footage... so thats were I couldnt remember. I could put it in great room with the HR-22, which would be ~10' after the split. (great room entertainment center is directly above the distribution system).

There iis approx 25~30ft from point B to A on my sketch.

I guess in the case of distance between dish and point A being too great, worse case scneario (not worse, but not preferred), would be placing the SWM8 up at the dish, and use one of the run wires down into the house and to my distribution point. (?)

With all the cold weather situations I was reading about thought I'd keep it inside, but I think that was the SWM LNBs.
Cold hasn't bothered SWM8s, and 45' isn't a "hard-fast" limit. I ran mine @ 65', and others have used longer, without problems.

[randyk47]

I have my SWM-8 in an attic storage area out of the weather. That actually wasn't by design, more that the previous home owner had built some kind of cable distribution system into the house and that's where it came together in one place. It's actually handy to have it within easy reach so it works for me. I power my SWM-8 with the PI behind the first receiver where I can plug it into a UPS and the run is about 25'. Up and running a little over a month without any problems, resets, etc. I wish all my electronics were as easy to work with as this little gem has been.