[JBReynolds]

I had an installation appointment with DirectSat USA for a movers' program install earlier this afternoon. I have purchased an SWM-8 switch for the new house and prewired my two DVRs (one HR20 and one HR21) from it.

The installer (as I expected) had never seen an SWM-8 before and, since he wasn't willing to trust my explanation that all he had to do was run the four cables from the dish to the SWM, ended up calling his office to get instructions. Just after the office told him how to handle the installation, it started raining. While waiting for the rain to clear, he took another look at my DVRs.

When he saw the HR20, he said, "That's an old one", and called the office again. The office told him that the HR20 did not work with SWM. I pointed out the "FTM" next to the coax input and the notation on the SWM Install Quick Reference that "some equipment may be marked 'FTM' instead of 'SWM'".

At this point the installer put me on the phone with a technician named "Chris" at his office. Chris adamantly insisted that the HR20 and all other receivers marked "FTM" required something called a "frequency separator" in order to work with SWM and would not be swayed from that position by the fact that DirecTV's own installation guide contradicted it. I was eventually able to convince him to let the installer try to install the HR20 and to only install one DVR if it did not work, but the installation was eventually cancelled due to weather, so we never got a chance to test Chris's assertion.

My installation has been rescheduled for September 2. How should I handle this issue if it comes up again then? Does Chris have any idea what he is talking about? If not, how can I convince DirectSat that the HR20 is, in fact, an SWM receiver?

 

[dbmaven]

Send him here - and tell him to ask. Or just direct him to this thread.

I have 2 HR20-100s and 1 HR20-700 running off an SWM-8 - with just the people posting in these DirecTV forums there must be hundreds of HR20s running off of SWMs.

 

[Grentz]

and this is why I wish Directv would just send the equipment to us if we so ask...so many incompetant installers out there

(There are good ones as well, like many on this board, but too many others that are not...)

 

[Sharkie_Fan]

I too have 2 HR20-700s running on an SWM, without any other sort of special equipment.

 

[techrep]

For your use, FTM and SWM are the same thing and you will have no issues.

Chris is wrong and just hook it up yourself if the installer doesn't.

 

[houskamp]

2 hr20-700s here.. one dates back to the original release.. been on swm since 1st swm5 testing..

 

[Teronzhul]

He's probably assuming that you're using a frequency band stacker from an mdu installation or something, since he obviously knows little to nothing about how the actual swm operates. The swm requires no destacker (frequency separator or whatever he called it). Your only option is to continue to explain it to him and try not to call him a blockhead to his face (or over the phone).

 

[BattleZone]

and this is why I wish Directv would just send the equipment to us if we so ask...so many incompetant installers out there

Incompetent, maybe; not enough information to judge. Untrained? Certainly, but the national SWM rollout was just this week, and many areas are just getting their first SWM-equipped dishes, in SMALL quantities. Expect it to be another month or two before the majority of techs have had a chance to see one in action and get some training on it.

So many people here forget that just because they've known about SWM technology for months doesn't mean that anyone else has. DirecTV is JUST NOW doing the national rollout! Most installers have never seen or heard of SWM; they're too busy doing installs 6 days a week, 12+ hours a day!

 

[Johnnie5000]

Incompetent, maybe; not enough information to judge. Untrained? Certainly, but the national SWM rollout was just this week, and many areas are just getting their first SWM-equipped dishes, in SMALL quantities. Expect it to be another month or two before the majority of techs have had a chance to see one in action and get some training on it.

So many people here forget that just because they've known about SWM technology for months doesn't mean that anyone else has. DirecTV is JUST NOW doing the national rollout! Most installers have never seen or heard of SWM; they're too busy doing installs 6 days a week, 12+ hours a day!

What he said

 

[Grentz]

Incompetent, maybe; not enough information to judge. Untrained? Certainly, but the national SWM rollout was just this week, and many areas are just getting their first SWM-equipped dishes, in SMALL quantities. Expect it to be another month or two before the majority of techs have had a chance to see one in action and get some training on it.

So many people here forget that just because they've known about SWM technology for months doesn't mean that anyone else has. DirecTV is JUST NOW doing the national rollout! Most installers have never seen or heard of SWM; they're too busy doing installs 6 days a week, 12+ hours a day!

I understand that on this subject, I was going into my off topic own rant there a bit I guess

Also the fact that the guy, Chris, should have not just totally blown the customer off as dumb on the subject...something many installers tend to do (not just directv installers, other installers as well for other things).

 

[JBReynolds]

An update - Today's installer knew what an SWM-8 was, although he hadn't seen one before (he asked me where I bought it and for how much). This means that no call to Chris was required, and the installation went smoothly. Both the HR20 and HR21 are working.

 

[Grentz]

Glad you got it figured out and up and running!

 

[webby_s]

Good to hear!

Glad it went well. What did you tell the installer where you got it? Did you get it from solid signal?

 

[JBReynolds]

Good to hear!

Glad it went well. What did you tell the installer where you got it? Did you get it from solid signal?

Yes, from Solid Signal.

 

[Johnnie5000]

Yes, from Solid Signal.

solid signal should really start kicking this forum a comission as much biz as they get from here

 

[Radio Enginerd]

2 hr20-700s here.. one dates back to the original release.. been on swm since 1st swm5 testing..

+1. Been on SWM since the first round of testing and never had an issue.

 

[Chip Moody]

Did the tech say he was going to let Chris and the previous tech know that the HR-20 did in fact work fine?

- Chip

An update - Today's installer knew what an SWM-8 was, although he hadn't seen one before (he asked me where I bought it and for how much). This means that no call to Chris was required, and the installation went smoothly. Both the HR20 and HR21 are working.

 

[JBReynolds]

Did the tech say he was going to let Chris and the previous tech know that the HR-20 did in fact work fine?

- Chip

I didn't tell him about the issue from the previous visit, just that it was canceled due to weather.

 

[veryoldschool]

Been on SWM since the first round of testing and never had an issue.

Don't lie, you ran out of SWM outputs, and needed my SWM8. :lol:

 

[Radio Enginerd]

Don't lie, you ran out of SWM outputs, and needed my SWM8. :lol:

Ok, yeah you're right... :lol: