[email protected]: 2 different power inserters

kevinturcotte · Oct 12, 2008

Checked out the SWM LNB installation video here http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=SWM-PI#MORE and it mentions that there are 2 different power inserters. A 29v for the standalone SWM, and a 21v for the SWM LNB. Is there really much of a difference? My SWM LNB came with a 29v power inserter. Where can you purchase the 21v power inserter (Mine needs to be replaced)?

dave29 · Oct 12, 2008

you cant use the 21 volt with the swm8

David MacLeod · Oct 12, 2008

solid signal sells PI's separately for swm8 and swm dish.
following is for the swm dish, NOT the swm 8.

http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=PI-21

bwaldron · Oct 12, 2008

dave29 said:
you cant use the 21 volt with the swm8

Yep. But you can go the other way and use the PI from the SWM8 with the SWM-LNB. At one point they were shipped that way.

David MacLeod · Oct 12, 2008

for $ 20 I'd buy the right one

veryoldschool · Oct 12, 2008

David MacLeod said:
for $ 20 I'd buy the right one

The 29 volt PI is "the right one" for both.
"I think" the 21 volt is a cheaper PI that is for the SWMLine to help keep the cost down.
DirecTV has sent me two SWMLine LNB assemblies that both came with the 29 volt PI.

David MacLeod · Oct 12, 2008

only $ 4 difference, in retrospect seeing that I'd also grab the 29 volt.

dave29 · Oct 13, 2008

bwaldron said:
Yep. But you can go the other way and use the PI from the SWM8 with the SWM-LNB. At one point they were shipped that way.

that is correct

kruegs · Oct 13, 2008

Question... I stumbled upon this thread. I realized that my e-bay provided SWM-8 module shipped with a PI-21. I questioned the seller at the time, but he assured me it would work. It does in fact work, but I have complained from day 1 that mine is way too HOT. Thoughts? I am guessing I need to get a PI-29. Pisses me off.

veryoldschool · Oct 13, 2008

kruegs said:
Question... I stumbled upon this thread. I realized that my e-bay provided SWM-8 module shipped with a PI-21. I questioned the seller at the time, but he assured me it would work. It does in fact work, but I have complained from day 1 that mine is way too HOT. Thoughts? I am guessing I need to get a PI-29. Pisses me off.

Heat would be more due to how/where you have it mounted. They do run "warm" but shouldn't run hot.
Do you have it enclosed?
They need to have ambient air flowing around them to keep them cool.

David MacLeod · Oct 13, 2008

well, my PI (29) isn't quite as well ventilated as I'd like and its barely even warm to the touch. only way I know its on (besides dvr's working

) is the green glow from inside.
not sure if that helps, but thought you could use it as a comparison.

kruegs · Oct 13, 2008

Yep, PI is not warm..> SWM is however. Too weird though, I definitely confirmed that my SWM-8 is running right now with a PI-21. Sounds like regardless I need to swap it out for the correct PI-29. I bet my e-bay seller flakes on this and I have to poney up the $20 through Solid Signal.

David MacLeod · Oct 13, 2008

oops, my bad thought you were talking about the pi being warm.
not going to crawl under house to see if swm is warm, but seeing as its below 50 right now I bet its not too warm

excalibur26 · Oct 13, 2008

kruegs said:
Yep, PI is not warm..> SWM is however. Too weird though, I definitely confirmed that my SWM-8 is running right now with a PI-21. Sounds like regardless I need to swap it out for the correct PI-29. I bet my e-bay seller flakes on this and I have to poney up the $20 through Solid Signal.

Who is the seller? My SWM-LNB/SWM-ODU came with the PI-21 as well. I don't see where it will make a difference though.

Anybody with any thoughts on the PI-29 vs. the PI-21 and what, if any, difference it could have?

kruegs · Oct 13, 2008

If you have the SWM-LNB, the PI-21 is correct based on what I am reading. I do not have the LNB, rather, I have the standalone SWM-8 module, thus it would appear as though I require the PI-29. Having said that, I am using it now and have for a while with the PI-21 with no apparent issues.

houskamp · Oct 13, 2008

I would expect the 29v to make the SWM warmer as it would have to drop more voltage in the regulator circuits..

David MacLeod · Oct 13, 2008

houskamp said:
I would expect the 29v to make the SWM warmer as it would have to drop more voltage in the regulator circuits..

not always true, lack of correct power can create system strain creating heat.

veryoldschool · Oct 13, 2008

David MacLeod said:
not always true, lack of correct power can create system strain creating heat.

I think this is becoming a mountain out of a mole hill.

If a SWM8 is too hot to touch, it needs more air flow.

SWM8 are for MDU systems, where they don't even use the 29 volt PI. These are powered through the #3 legacy port and use a lower voltage PI.

A 21 volt PI can't be used with [as much] steel core coax, as a 29 volt can be.

David MacLeod · Oct 13, 2008

so the differences in the PI are more for the style/length of coax than for the actual module then?
I, incorrectly I guess, thought it was for the requirement of just the module.

veryoldschool · Oct 13, 2008

David MacLeod said:
so the differences in the PI are more for the style/length of coax than for the actual module then?
I, incorrectly I guess, thought it was for the requirement of just the module.

There is no reason to think the SWM "needs" anything more than 12 volts. The LNBs need the 18 volts to select, but the LNB only "needs" 12 volts to do it's work [or it wouldn't with the 13 volts being selected].

[email protected]: 2 different power inserters

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