Help! SWM 5 LNB Slimline Install Problems!

[Dirty_D]

Switched from Dish after 9 yrs (self-installed at several homes) to Direct and can't get a bloody signal from the dish. I've got to be missing something obvious. Please help by looking over my setup before I lose all my hair!

Like I said, new Slimline 5 SWM, which means all 4 outputs from the LNB arm are identical and carry all the sats, correct? The mast is plumb (bubble in the circle). It came with the 21v power inserter and SWM-8 splitter. I've got 2 HR-22 HD DVRs to hookup. I'm using a cheapie $20 analog sat finder.

I watched a bunch of install vids and got the slimline pdf directions but it seems all these were geared toward the older, non SWM Slimline.

Originally I had 1 wire running from the dish thru the sat finder down inside the house to the SWM-8 splitter input. Then I had the power inserter hooked to the 1st (power pass) splitter output with the receiver hooked to the PI output. Just 1 wire to the receiver's 1st input should provide both tuners according to the directions so that's what I did.

I had the elevation and tilt set to my zipcode from the receiver and slowly panned the az. until I peaked around the required compass reading. first thing that was weird was that my signal meter was max pegged when peaked even with the sensitivity turned all the way down. Also noticed there were 2 az. peaks a few degrees apart so I tried both thinking I'm seeing the wrong sats. After all this, I've still got no signal showing up on the receiver (setup for the slimline 5 swm and swm switch with dual tuners). I've tried all different configs like putting the power inserter in between the dish output and SWM-8 splitter input, removing the splitter and running the receiver directly to the PI, etc. Nothing's worked.

What am I missing here? Do I have to remove the sat finder before looking at the receiver signal? Should I get a 2-way power-pass 2GHZ splitter and hook the sat finder to that without the receiver? At this point I'm not sure the satellites are even still up there

BTW, after having all these probs, I did a red-button reset on 1 receiver on some advice read here about having to do that after hooking to a SWM. Now the receiver won't power on! I've pulled power for 15 mins or so and replugged to no avail. Hit the reset again and waited for 15-30 min and nothing. The thing is just a black brick laughing at me now.

Sorry for being so long winded, but this has been a frustrating few days. I'm regretting switching from Dish at this point...

 

[randyk47]

Are you sure you've got a 5LNB SWM and not just a regular 5LNB? Kick me if I'm wrong but I thought the SWM models only have one line from the LNB.

 

[boba]

randyk47 your right that it is only 1 line with SWM LNB but he shouldn't have a 21 volt power supply if it is the standard LNB some of the information is just wrong.

 

[Dirty_D]

I'm beginning to wonder myself. I just watched another SWM install vid that specifically said the SWM dish/LNB has only 1 output and uses the SWS 8-port splitter in the house. The LNB I have definitely has 4 coax outs on it, but Solidsignal claims it should be the SWM.

Here's the Solidsignal p/n for what I have if you want to check: AU9-S-SWM-B-PWS http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=AU9-SL5-SWM-B The directions clearly state that the LNB has 4 outputs. I just looked at their zoomed picture of the LNB and it looks like it only has 1 output. Looks like I've got to call them...

 

[randyk47]

Boba - Yep. This is a head scratcher. Sounds like somebody bought or sold him the wrong equipment. If it's a standard 5LNB then he shouldn't have gotten a PI but then Dirty_D mentions a SWM-8 which he shouldn't have gotten if he was going with a SWM LNB. I'm running a standard Slimline 5LNB. I took the four lines from it to a SWM-8 module. From there I run the SWM1 port to a 4-way splitter and then individual lines to my 3 receivers. One of the receivers has the PI on the backside though it's the 29V inserter used with the SWM-8 not the 21V that comes with the SWM LNB. Maybe it's too early in the morning for me but Dirty_D posted like he's got pieces and parts of both approaches but not enough of one or the other for an install.

 

[Dirty_D]

Thanks for the info guys! Based on this, I'm putting it on Solidsignal for sending the wrong components. Any guesses as to why my one reset receiver won't power up or will I have to send that back too?

 

[randyk47]

Dirty_D - It could be I'm reading your original post wrong or you used the wrong terminology but it sounds like you've got "fruit salad" and are trying to put it together. I looked at Solid Signals site and I think they've got the standard Slimline 5 LNB instructions posted instead of the SWM version. On top of that I think, or at least it sounds like, they sent you a standard 5 LNB instead of a SWM LNB. What I think you're calling the SWM-8 is actually a SWS-8 (or 8-way SWM splitter). It should have only one input port and then 8 output ports. The input port and one of the output ports should have red centers showing the path for the PI. As for your receiver....heaven knows what's going on there. Hopefully you didn't install the PI backwards as I've read that can fry the receiver though I don't know that for certain.

 

[Dirty_D]

Randy,

Yup, I have the SWS 8WB-P splitter, 1 input/8 outs. They definitely gave me a mish-mash of stuff and I'm not happy. Thanks for the help though.

 

[randyk47]

Admittedly not a good advertisement for Solid Signal but stuff happens. I assume they've said "oops" and are sending you the right LNB?

 

[Dirty_D]

Just got off the phone with them and after verifying multiple times that they were sending the correct SWM version, they're advance shipping the correct LNB assembly tonight. Nice thing is when I ship the other one back they'll credit my card the LNB price plus another $10.

Still haven't figured out the receiver problem. One thing at a time. Maybe it can't correctly reset until it sees a satellite signal?

 

[randyk47]

Well.....let's talk about good news and bad news. The good news is that you're getting a new LNB. The bad news is that the receiver ought to at least boot up without a dish attached. Not sounding good but maybe one of the resident experts can talk you through potential problems and solutions. Are you sure you didn't put the PI in backwards?

 

[blacklabl]

Hey man sounds like you may have fried the reciever unfortunatly. but here is how the swm is set up its actually really easy.
first from your old 5 lnb slimline dish.take one of the four lines and single that out.
this line goes into the red in port on the 8 way splitter. next single out a line you can trace from the 8 way splitter to one of the recievers now here is the most importatnt part.
plug that line into the out red port on the 8 way splitter and plug the other end of that line into the red port on the 21v power pack and plug the power pack in but do not plug any of the recievers in to the wall outlets as you can run the risk of frying them untill you have pluged the power pack in first. then plug the line out on the power pack the white port to the reciever. now plug all of your other lines going to the other reciever's into the open white ports on the 8 way splitter. Then you can go and power all of your recievers back up. If you find you can't get a signal to any of the recievers try reseting them.
this should only take about 20 min or so from begining to end. you should not even have to adjust the dish at all. but it is very important to make sure that your using the correct line that goes from the power pack to the out red port on the splitter.the power pack is what makes the dish work. the power dosen't come from the recievers anymore.

 

[peano]

You don't use the power inserter at all with the 5 LNB with four outputs. Just connect one of the four outputs directly to the receiver (with BBC if its HR22 or lower). I would aim the dish with the LNB you have now because you can use your signal meter with it.

 

[randyk47]

If he's going to SWM, be it a SWM-8 module connected to a Slimline 5 LNB or replacing the LNB with a SWM LNB, then he's going to have a power inserter. What it looks like happened was that he got a standard 5 LNB, a PI, and an 8-way SWM splitter. Obviously it didn't/won't work. With the proper SWM LNB on it's way there's still the question of the one receiver and it's sounding, but hopefully not, that it got fried in the process of trying to make the wrong equipment work. I too would try to aim the present 5 LNB before getting the SWM LNB because it sounds like, from what I've read, that it's easier to do. Of course the 5 LNB, since it doesn't require the PI, may have also got fried in the process though Dirty_D hasn't commented about that.

 

[microbeta]

Just got off the phone with them and after verifying multiple times that they were sending the correct SWM version, they're advance shipping the correct LNB assembly tonight. Nice thing is when I ship the other one back they'll credit my card the LNB price plus another $10.

Still haven't figured out the receiver problem. One thing at a time. Maybe it can't correctly reset until it sees a satellite signal?

If you're going to use the eight port splitter make sure you terminate the unused ports.

Use a 75ohm termination cap.

Mike

 

[directmommy]

the box is fried , most likely , also , the swm is set up to go through two "stages" the set up , and then the normal "active" state, you fried the reciever, sorry , but i think you got a black brick , as someone said