swm question?

[austen0316]

Is 8 tuners the max for the swm right now?

Also wheres the best place to buy one online?

mike

[raoul5788]

Is 8 tuners the max for the swm right now?

Also wheres the best place to buy one online?

mike

Yes, with a conventional setup.
Solid Signal is a good place.

[randyk47]

Unless you go with a SWM-8 module instead of the SWM LNB. In that case you can, by adding more modules, provide signal to more tuners. Only the SWM-8 offers that capability.

[dave29]

Just to add, a SWM8 module has 3 legacy tuners as well.

[austen0316]

so dave, are you saying i can use the 8 tuners plus 3 legacy tuners with an older dvr?

[RoyGBiv]

You can use the 8 SWM outputs with a "modern" DVR, and you can use the 3 legacy ports with an older DVR or receiver.

SMK

[dave29]

so dave, are you saying i can use the 8 tuners plus 3 legacy tuners with an older dvr?

Yes Sir, giving you a total of 11 tuners.

[texasbrit]

so dave, are you saying i can use the 8 tuners plus 3 legacy tuners with an older dvr?

but (just to remind you what has been posted) only with the SWM-8 Single Wire Multiswitch, NOT with the SWM LNB at the dish...

[mcbeevee]

Also wheres the best place to buy one online?
mike
Cheapest online option for a SWM is e-bay.

:)

[randyk47]

Personally I prefer the SWM-8 solution as it provides the greatest flexibility. Of course I have no legacy, non-SWM capable receivers so that's not an issue but I do have a perfectly good 5-LNB dish. It's been up two years and is close to as perfectly aimed as I think it can be so I decided not to mess with it. Might add it's not in an easily reached location so that also helped with my decision. Other than the time to collect the SWM-8, PI and splitter the whole switch over process took me all of 15 minutes. In the eight months since I installed the equipment I haven't had one single problem with the setup and that includes having lost power a few times with everything coming back on line by itself.

[austen0316]

thanks everyone for there answers

[tvcontract]

saw your post, above, and wondered if you have -- and might be able to share -- the instructions you followed in installing your SWM-8.

i'm getting one next week and would love to do the install myself, but haven't located instructions that I can follow.

Thanks very much.

[randyk47]

Here is the install guide I used. http://forums.directv.com/pe/RepositoryFileDownloadServlet/10396641/SWM%20-%20Integrated%20LNB-ModuleTraining.pdf I pretty much went through the example installs until I found the one on page 30 that best matched my situation. Set mine up that way and it's working like a charm. Should add that one thing I didn't see in the instructions but picked up from the folks here was to disconnect the receivers completely. By completely I mean unplugging everything from the wall including the power. Once you've installed the SWM-8 power it up with the PI then connect and power up each receiver. The receivers will then go through the setup routine and recognize the SWM. Worked for me the very first time and I've not lost the connection with the SWM module since then. Even with power failures the system has reset itself without any difficulty.

[randyk47]

Got mine off of eBay for about $100. That included the SWM-8 module, the PI, and a 4-way splitter.

[HoTat2]

Say folks;

I have non-SWM set-up of a Slimline-5 feeding a WB616 and a WB68 in cascade to feed 6 DVRs throughout the house. Only two of which are HR2Xs with the rest legacy (two DTIVOs and two R15s) at the moment. Unfortunately I see that DirecTV's upcoming DECA networking solution will only work in a SWM environment and I'm looking for the simplest way to integrate a SWM-8 module into to this mix for the two (and any further) HR2Xs so these category of receivers will be prepared for DECA.

Can I just run four lines from the main WB616 multiswitch to the SWM-8 in cascade with it?

I'm pretty sure this will work, but I just wanted to make sure.

[carl6]

Say folks;

I have non-SWM set-up of a Slimline-5 feeding a WB616 and a WB68 in cascade ...

Can I just run four lines from the main WB616 multiswitch to the SWM-8 in cascade with it?

I'm pretty sure this will work, but I just wanted to make sure.

Probbaly would work, but in general cascading is not recommended. Your best bet would be to run the multiswitches in parallel rather than cascade.

You can either run the WB616 and SWM8 in parallel, giving you 16 non-SWM outputs plus 8 SWM outputs, or if that isn't enough...

You can run all 3 (WB616, WB68 and SWM) in parallel giving you 24 non-SWM and 8 SWM outputs.

Just use wide-band power passing splitters, and keep all the splitter outputs going to the same multiswitch inputs (i.e., splitter "1" goes to all the 13V non-tone inputs, splitter "2" goes to 13V 22KHz input, etc.).

[HoTat2]

Probbaly would work, but in general cascading is not recommended. Your best bet would be to run the multiswitches in parallel rather than cascade.

You can either run the WB616 and SWM8 in parallel, giving you 16 non-SWM outputs plus 8 SWM outputs, or if that isn't enough...

You can run all 3 (WB616, WB68 and SWM) in parallel giving you 24 non-SWM and 8 SWM outputs.

Just use wide-band power passing splitters, and keep all the splitter outputs going to the same multiswitch inputs (i.e., splitter "1" goes to all the 13V non-tone inputs, splitter "2" goes to 13V 22KHz input, etc.).

OK gotcha;

But thing that always sort of confused me about the parallel multiswitch set-up, is shouldn't the splitters be power passive on only one side to allow either the powered WB616 or the SWM-8 to act as the polarity locker for both? Yet I see many others using input splitters to the multiswitches which are power passive on all ports and it still works this way. :confused:

[rudeney]

OK gotcha;

But thing that always sort of confused me about the parallel mutliswitch set-up, is shouldn't the splitters be power passive on only one side to allow either the powered WB616 or the SWM-8 to act as the polarity locker for both? Yet I see many others using input splitters to the multiswitches which are power passive on all ports and it still works this way. :confused:

First of all, when connecting switches in parallel, it is absolutely necessary to match their polarities, i.e. match the 13v, 18v, 13v/22hz, 18v/22hz ports. In order to get a stream from the LNB's on these ports, there must be voltage on them. Let's say that we use splitters with only one power passing port. Mutliswitch #1 is on the power passing port of it's 13v splitter, and Mutliswitch #2 is on a non-power passing port of the 13v splitter. If MS#1 needs a channel from an odd transponder on 99/101, then it puts power out to the 13v feed and gets it. However, if it's not using any odd transponders on 99/101, then there is no power on the 13v feed. If MS#2 then needs an odd 99/101, since it can't pass power through the splitter, the LN won't be be able to give it that stream.

The example I gave was with two "multiswitches", but it does not matter if those are WB68's, WB616's or SWM8's as I don't believe any of those "power-lock" their satellite feed ports. There is a device called a Sonora Locker that goes between the mutliswitch(es) and the LNB's and provides constant locked voltage on the four ports. In that case, running multiple multiswitches in parallel, power-passing would not matter.

[HoTat2]

First of all, when connecting switches in parallel, it is absolutely necessary to match their polarities, i.e. match the 13v, 18v, 13v/22hz, 18v/22hz ports. In order to get a stream from the LNB's on these ports, there must be voltage on them. Let's say that we use splitters with only one power passing port. Mutliswitch #1 is on the power passing port of it's 13v splitter, and Mutliswitch #2 is on a non-power passing port of the 13v splitter. If MS#1 needs a channel from an odd transponder on 99/101, then it puts power out to the 13v feed and gets it. However, if it's not using any odd transponders on 99/101, then there is no power on the 13v feed. If MS#2 then needs an odd 99/101, since it can't pass power through the splitter, the LN won't be be able to give it that stream.

The example I gave was with two "multiswitches", but it does not matter if those are WB68's, WB616's or SWM8's as I don't believe any of those "power-lock" their satellite feed ports. There is a device called a Sonora Locker that goes between the mutliswitch(es) and the LNB's and provides constant locked voltage on the four ports. In that case, running multiple multiswitches in parallel, power-passing would not matter.

I understand this, but I thought powered mutiswitches like the WB616 or the SWM-8 also double as polarity lockers in that they put out a constant 13 and 18 volts on their 99/101 degree inputs and 13+22khz and 18+22khz volts plus tone on their 110/103/119 degree inputs?

[veryoldschool]

I understand this, but I thought powered mutiswitches like the WB616 or the SWM-8 also double as polarity lockers in that they put out a constant 13 and 18 volts on their 99/101 degree inputs and 13+22khz and 18+22khz volts plus tone on their 110/103/119 degree inputs?
Yes they do. I would use power steering splitters like Skywalker, as they have diodes and which ever one has a higher voltage will power the dish. Should one switch/SWM lose power the other would keep powering the dish.
A WB616 doesn't have an amp, so the RF loss is fairly high to use in a cascaded setup. Splitter loss is much less.

[RobertE]

I understand this, but I thought powered mutiswitches like the WB616 or the SWM-8 also double as polarity lockers in that they put out a constant 13 and 18 volts on their 99/101 degree inputs and 13+22khz and 18+22khz volts plus tone on their 110/103/119 degree inputs?

Correct.

So, if you were to go with a paralle setup, you would want the WB616 or the SWM on the power passing leg of splitters.

Cacading off a WB616 is not really an issue, as it's powered. Zinwell even states it's ok to run multiple cascades using WB616s.

[veryoldschool]

Cacading off a WB616 is not really an issue, as it's powered. Zinwell even states it's ok to run multiple cascades using WB616s. From working with someone that had two WB616s cascaded, even Zinwell can be incorrect.
Cascading a WB68 off a WB616 doesn't have as much RF loss as two WB616s do. This user had called Zinwell and they said "no problem", but there was.

[HoTat2]

Yes they do. I would use power steering splitters like Skywalker, as they have diodes and which ever one has a higher voltage will power the dish. Should one switch/SWM lose power the other would keep powering the dish.
A WB616 doesn't have an amp, so the RF loss is fairly high to use in a cascaded setup. Splitter loss is much less.

OK VOS;

I'll probably go with the parallel MS setup for assurance.

Do you mean this particular splitter?

http://www.skywalker.com/itemdisplay.aspx?item=8971

[veryoldschool]

OK VOS;

I'll probably go with the parallel MS setup for assurance.

Do you mean this particular splitter?

http://www.skywalker.com/itemdisplay.aspx?item=8971
That is the one(s). I've been using them on my SWM since the early days of testing.

[tvcontract]

Thanks, Randy!

[dsw2112]

Yes they do. I would use power steering splitters like Skywalker, as they have diodes and which ever one has a higher voltage will power the dish. Should one switch/SWM lose power the other would keep powering the dish.
A WB616 doesn't have an amp, so the RF loss is fairly high to use in a cascaded setup. Splitter loss is much less.

This is very good info VOS. In the case of multiple SWM8's in parallell is it really necessary to power each individual SWM8 then? In this case we'll just say two SWM8's. Also, is there any potential damage that can result with utilizing all port power passing splitters with multiple powered switches?

[rudeney]

it does not matter if those are WB68's, WB616's or SWM8's as I don't believe any of those "power-lock" their satellite feed ports.

I understand this, but I thought powered mutiswitches like the WB616 or the SWM-8 also double as polarity lockers in that they put out a constant 13 and 18 volts on their 99/101 degree inputs and 13+22khz and 18+22khz volts plus tone on their 110/103/119 degree inputs?

Yes they do.

Oh, I stand corrected! I think I always get confused on this and think it's locking the WB616 and SWM8 don't do when it's signal amplification that they aren't capable of. Thanks for correcting my misinformation, VOS.

[veryoldschool]

This is very good info VOS. In the case of multiple SWM8's in parallell is it really necessary to power each individual SWM8 then? In this case we'll just say two SWM8's. Also, is there any potential damage that can result with utilizing all port power passing splitters with multiple powered switches?
Since a SWM does more than "just" power the LNBs, yes they all [each] need their own power.
With "all power passing" ports, there really shouldn't be any damage. The actual power of each LNB would be shared between the powered switches [WB616]. Since voltage is a constant, it would mean the current would be reduced [from each] by the number of switches used.
There is a "rare chance" that the 22 KHz tone "might" have a problem as two signals 180 degrees out of phase will cancel each other. I think this is why some have used single power passing port splitters, but [again] I'd guess this is rare and adding just a bit of coax to one side would change the phase.

[dsw2112]

Since a SWM does more than "just" power the LNBs, yes they all [each] need their own power.
With "all power passing" ports, there really shouldn't be any damage. The actual power of each LNB would be shared between the powered switches [WB616]. Since voltage is a constant, it would mean the current would be reduced [from each] by the number of switches used.
There is a "rare chance" that the 22 KHz tone "might" have a problem as two signals 180 degrees out of phase will cancel each other. I think this is why some have used single power passing port splitters, but [again] I'd guess this is rare and adding just a bit of coax to one side would change the phase.

Thanks a lot VOS. It seems that there is some mis-information out there about placing SWM8's in parallel. Most of the info I've heard is that the splitters had to be all port power passing and I've kinda wondered why. So it seems that you can use single port power passing in these situations, and even better would be the skywalker splitters. Thanks for clarifying this.

[veryoldschool]

Oh, I stand corrected! I think I always get confused on this and think it's locking the WB616 and SWM8 don't do when it's signal amplification that they aren't capable of. Thanks for correcting my misinformation, VOS.
This is one of the reasons the Spaun products are pricey, they have "the locker", amps, and slope compensation [for long cable runs].
BTW: the SWMs do have some amplification [30 dB AGC].