SWM Question

[Directvlover]

Just got my SWM8 today. Also got the 8 splitter and power inserter. One problem is my power inserter only has one plug in it...for power...there isn't a second jack to then connect to the splitter to. All the wiring diagrams i've seen show to do it that way.....so how do i connect my splitter? To the SWM2 port?

[veryoldschool]

Just got my SWM8 today. Also got the 8 splitter and power inserter. One problem is my power inserter only has one plug in it...for power...there isn't a second jack to then connect to the splitter to. All the wiring diagrams i've seen show to do it that way.....so how do i connect my splitter? To the SWM2 port?
Doesn't sound like you have the correct PI then.
Can you post a pic of it or maybe a link to one that looks like it?

If all else fails, connect the PI to SWM1 and your splitter to SWM2

[krock918316]

See if this helps:

http://www.swm8.com/2DVR-SWM1-1SPLIT.pdf

[Directvlover]

It came as a kit so i'm sure it's right....i think i'll just hook the splitter to swm2. anyone done it this way before?

[veryoldschool]

It came as a kit so i'm sure it's right....i think i'll just hook the splitter to swm2. anyone done it this way before?
Yes, [and why I posted about it] and look at the PI and see what voltage it says. You should use a 28/29 volt PI supply.

[Directvlover]

yep that's the voltage it says.

[veryoldschool]

yep that's the voltage it says.
You're good and does it look like the one in the link above and maybe have a termination on the output?

[litzdog911]

I've heard that the newer PIs don't have the second coax connection. You need to connect them to the power passing "output" on a SWM Splitter to get power back to the SWM LNB or SWM8.

[veryoldschool]

I've heard that the newer PIs don't have the second coax connection. You need to connect them to the power passing "output" on a SWM Splitter to get power back to the SWM LNB or SWM8.
I have one of those for a DECA, but they're lower voltage than a SWM8 needs.

[cthomp21]

I just helped my neighbor install this same swm kit this weekend. The power inserter only had one coax connection. It was a bit unexpected because the kit's instructions even showed a power inserter with input/output.

We ended up connecting the power inserter to swm1/pwr and the 8-way splitter to swm2. Everything appears to be functioning correctly.

[BattleZone]

Yes, it is the case that newer PI don't have the second port. DirecTV is trying to force techs to install the PI away from the receiver so the customer doesn't "accidentally" unplug it. A common service call is "no signal on any receiver", and when the tech arrives, the PI is unplugged, often because one of the kids decided to move his Xbox/Wii into that roof for a while and needed power for it. The average customer has no idea there is a power inserter for their sat system, so...

[hilmar2k]

Yes, it is the case that newer PI don't have the second port. DirecTV is trying to force techs to install the PI away from the receiver so the customer doesn't "accidentally" unplug it. A common service call is "no signal on any receiver", and when the tech arrives, the PI is unplugged, often because one of the kids decided to move his Xbox/Wii into that roof for a while and needed power for it. The average customer has no idea there is a power inserter for their sat system, so...

Is there any other benefit to using a dedicated coax run for the PI? I have a second (unused) coax run to the receiver where the PI is located, so I could easily isolate the PI if there was benefit to doing so.

[LameLefty]

Is there any other benefit to using a dedicated coax run for the PI?

Not really.

[kylep2000]

agreed

[Directvlover]

Thanks for all the info guys. Installing it tomorrow. Will post back if i have problems.

[Directvlover]

By the way...here is a picture of it.

[erosroadie]

BTW...

If one uses a SWM8 with both SAT and OTA feeds into it, does the resulting signal set going to a HR2X DVR automatically include the OTA signals? If so, then is there any need for an AM21 for an HR21?

[veryoldschool]

By the way...here is a picture of it.
When they added the "i" in SWiM, they seemed to have lost the output. :lol:

[veryoldschool]

BTW...

If one uses a SWM8 with both SAT and OTA feeds into it, does the resulting signal set going to a HR2X DVR automatically include the OTA signals? If so, then is there any need for an AM21 for an HR21?
If you connect OTA to the SWM, you'd need to diplex it out at each receiver and sent this to the OTA tuner, since SWiM goes to only the SAT tuners.

[erosroadie]

If you connect OTA to the SWM, you'd need to diplex it out at each receiver and sent this to the OTA tuner, since SWiM goes to only the SAT tuners.

VOS:

Thanks. So, at each DVR, I would need to split the single coax line to attach to each tuner, and then diplex it to run a line to the AM21? Or, do I diplex BEFORE I split?
:confused:

[veryoldschool]

VOS:

Thanks. So, at each DVR, I would need to split the single coax line to attach to each tuner, and then diplex it to run a line to the AM21? Or, do I diplex BEFORE I split?
:confused:
At the SWM it will be "combined", [SWM splitters as needed] and at the receiver, you need to "separate" them [diplexer] and then you can split [if needed] this to your OTA tuners.

[BattleZone]

VOS:

Thanks. So, at each DVR, I would need to split the single coax line to attach to each tuner, and then diplex it to run a line to the AM21? Or, do I diplex BEFORE I split?
:confused:

You only need a single coax going to the Tuner 1/SWM input of your DVR to feed both tuners (hence the name Single Wire Multiswitch), so you don't need a splitter there. You would need a diplexer to separate the sat signals and the OTA signals, and, yes, you would need an AM21 at each location you wanted OTA.

[Directvlover]

Success! Just installed it this morning and all works great. Even diplexing out my ota. Thanks.

[JohnSorTivo]

I've been looking to convert over to SWM myself as well.

After reading about this new PI without the second output, I'm a bit confused. The whole purpose of the SWM is to only require a single line coming in. If I have to use one line for the express purpose of providing power to the SWM, and hook everything else up to port 2, I'm now required to have two lines running to the dish again. This defeats the whole point. Am I missing something?

Thanks.

[Beerstalker]

The purpose of SWM is to only have 1 line running to each receiver. If you have a SWM LNB there is only 1 line from the dish to the splitter, but if you use the SWM8 multiswitch with a standard LNB then there will be 4 lines from the dish to the multiswitch, and then one line from the multiswitch to each receiver.

As far as the power inserter goes it really depends on which setup you end up getting. My power inserter is hooked up to the single line coming in from my SWM-LNB, and then there is one line from the power inserter to the 8 way splitter, and then one line from the splitter to each of my receivers.

[hilmar2k]

The power inserter for the SWM LNB can go [just about] anywhere between the dish and the receiver. Mine is between the splitter and a receiver. The splitter has a power passing port to which the PI is connected.

[JohnSorTivo]

@Beerstalker I'm referring to the new PI, that doesn't have the second coax out, per the original post.

So, I can just place the output on the new PI on a power passing splitter, and if this is a two-way splitter (for simplistic sake), send one output of the splitter up to the SWM, the other to my DVR(s)?

I don't want to end up with the handle "Smoke" and am worried about sending power to the DVR accidentally.

[jpitlick]

@Beerstalker I'm referring to the new PI, that doesn't have the second coax out, per the original post.

So, I can just place the output on the new PI on a power passing splitter, and if this is a two-way splitter (for simplistic sake), send one output of the splitter up to the SWM, the other to my DVR(s)?

I don't want to end up with the handle "Smoke" and am worried about sending power to the DVR accidentally.

You have it a little backwards. You would connect the power passing splitter input to the SWM and the PI to the power passing out port and the receiver to the other (non-power passing) port.

[JohnSorTivo]

You have it a little backwards. You would connect the power passing splitter input to the SWM and the PI to the power passing out port and the receiver to the other (non-power passing) port.Gotcha. Didn't realize that the splitter has one port that IS power passing and another that is NOT.

[jpitlick]

Gotcha. Didn't realize that the splitter has one port that IS power passing and another that is NOT.

The power passing splitters tend to only pass power in one direction. From my understanding it goes from out to in. So even if you had a splitter that passed power on all ports, as long as you connect your power source on the correct side, you won't fry anything.

[Directvlover]

Having just installed it i will tell you that it was a piece of cake....i got my swm multiswitch, splitter, and power inserter on ebay for $31.