Three dishes one receiver

[HenryL]

I hope some of you experts can help me. I have a fifth wheel camper with a wingard trav'ler SK-SWM3 on the roof and an HR24 receiver. Fairly often I am set up under trees and the trav'ler won't find the signal.

I would like to be able to use my portable SWM 3 dish for those times. I already have the dish and have been using a a/b switch to send the power from the PI-21 power inserter to the dish I am using at the time. For the most part it works, but sometimes I have to restart the trav'ler.

I'm thinking of using two power inserters one for each dish. Can I use something (combiner?) for the coax from the two dishes and one coax to the receiver? Only one dish would be used at a time. Because it's a camper I don't have a way to run another coax to the receiver. Will this work? Could I also combine the signal from a round dish for the times there is only a very small hole in the trees?

Thanks,
Henry

 

[HoTat2]

I hope some of you experts can help me. I have a fifth wheel camper with a wingard trav'ler SK-SWM3 on the roof and an HR24 receiver. Fairly often I am set up under trees and the trav'ler won't find the signal.

I would like to be able to use my portable SWM 3 dish for those times. I already have the dish and have been using a a/b switch to send the power from the PI-21 power inserter to the dish I am using at the time. For the most part it works, but sometimes I have to restart the trav'ler.

I'm thinking of using two power inserters one for each dish. Can I use something (combiner?) for the coax from the two dishes and one coax to the receiver? Only one dish would be used at a time. Because it's a camper I don't have a way to run another coax to the receiver. Will this work? Could I also combine the signal from a round dish for the times there is only a very small hole in the trees?

Thanks,
Henry

Well adding a third round dish is out unless you want to first run its two outputs though an external SWiM multiswitch, since its LNB does not natively use SWiM signaling, but legacy 13/18v control switching.

As for the other two, no I don't see a way of combining the two dish ODUs into one PI.

It's best to just use a separate PI for each ODU feeding the a/b switch off their "To IRD" ports so the LNB of the SK-SWM3 never looses power when switching between the ODUs.

(Or use three PIs feeding an a/b/c switch if you choose to add a round dish by connecting it through an ext. SWiM multiswitch as I said)

 

[HenryL]

Well adding a third round dish is out unless you want to first run its two outputs though an external SWiM multiswitch, since its LNB does not natively use SWiM signaling, but legacy 13/18v control switching.

As for the other two, no I don't see a way of combining the two dish ODUs into one PI.

It's best to just use a separate PI for each ODU feeding the a/b switch off their "To IRD" ports so the LNB of the SK-SWM3 never looses power when switching between the ODUs.

(Or use three PIs feeding an a/b/c switch if you choose to add a round dish by connecting it through an ext. SWiM multiswitch as I said)

Thanks for your reply, I'm just afraid I don't have enough knowledge to understand it all. I don't want to use one PI. I wanted to use two PIs to avoid having to go behind the panels and change connections. The two dishes will never be used at the same time. I will turn off power to the PI that's not needed when using the other dish. I guess I don't know quite how to explain what I'm trying to do. I would like to have the to IRD coax from PI run together in some fashion and then have one coax out to the receiver. I would turn on the PI for the dish I'm using and leave the other turned off. As to the round dish I would set the receiver to round dish and multiswitch. I know this wouldn't give me HD.
Thanks for your patience with my limited knowledge.
Henry

 

[Jimbo]

Thanks for your reply, I'm just afraid I don't have enough knowledge to understand it all. I don't want to use one PI. I wanted to use two PIs to avoid having to go behind the panels and change connections. The two dishes will never be used at the same time. I will turn off power to the PI that's not needed when using the other dish. I guess I don't know quite how to explain what I'm trying to do. I would like to have the to IRD coax from PI run together in some fashion and then have one coax out to the receiver. I would turn on the PI for the dish I'm using and leave the other turned off. As to the round dish I would set the receiver to round dish and multiswitch. I know this wouldn't give me HD.
Thanks for your patience with my limited knowledge.
Henry

So, what happens when you try it like your thinking ?
Plug in one PI that you want to use put the PI before the a/b switch, one on each side and change the a/b accordingly.

 

[HoTat2]

Thanks for your reply, I'm just afraid I don't have enough knowledge to understand it all. I don't want to use one PI. I wanted to use two PIs to avoid having to go behind the panels and change connections. The two dishes will never be used at the same time. I will turn off power to the PI that's not needed when using the other dish. I guess I don't know quite how to explain what I'm trying to do. I would like to have the to IRD coax from PI run together in some fashion and then have one coax out to the receiver. I would turn on the PI for the dish I'm using and leave the other turned off. As to the round dish I would set the receiver to round dish and multiswitch. I know this wouldn't give me HD.
Thanks for your patience with my limited knowledge.
Henry

Wait, backing up a moment, you're going to have to identify exactly what is it about the SK-SWM3 that occasionally requires a restart when switching the PI and receiver back and forth.

Is it just the removal of power from the PI or the proper reestablishment of communication with the receiver that causes it?

Because if it's the later then there isn't much you can do but use two receivers so the SK-SWM3 can remain in communication with a receiver at all times.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Do not run the power inserter through the a/b switch.

 

[HoTat2]

I suggested earlier to try using always powered separate PIs for the satellite coax runs to the SK-SWM3 and tripod mounted Slimline ODU.

Then combining their "Signal To IRD" ports by coax to the "a" and "b" output ports of the coax switcher respectively. Then connect the input of the a/b switcher on a single coax run to the HR24.

However, on further reflection this may not solve the OP's main problem of the SK-SWM3 needing an occasional full restart after switching the HR24 back to it from the tripod mounted ODU. As the restart issue may be caused by just that, such a haphazard interruption and then later reestablishment of SWiM communication due to the disconnection and reconnection of the HR24 this way ....

 

[Jimbo]

Do not run the power inserter through the a/b switch.

I was just thinking he could get by with only 1 PI that way, not sure how much the A/B switch would drop signal though, if any.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I was just thinking he could get by with only 1 PI that way, not sure how much the A/B switch would drop signal though, if any.

I don't think the power inserter could handle the 21 or 29 volts.

Some of those are on a printed circuit board, and others use very thin wire.

I could actually see the a/b switch catching on fire.

It's like the flat cables for patio doors. Some of the cheaper ones where a fire hazard

 

[Jimbo]

I don't think the power inserter could handle the 21 or 29 volts.

Some of those are on a printed circuit board, and others use very thin wire.

I could actually see the a/b switch catching on fire.

It's like the flat cables for patio doors. Some of the cheaper ones where a fire hazard

Gotcha, hadn't thought about that ...

Were we not discussing a week or so ago about some set ups having more than 1 PI in the system and being OK ?

 

[HenryL]

Update
I didn't explain the problem I was having good enough.

The restart I was referring to was with the Trav'ler. We just returned from a long trip and moved often. The trav'ler is an automatic full sized swm 3 dish on the roof of my rv. When we changed camp sites, occasionally the trav'ler wouldn't lock on to the sat at the next location, even with a clear sky. The trav'ler would just keep searching. I would stow the dish and restart Most times one restart did the trick, sometimes it took several.

I have listened to the advice given here and now have two power inserters in the system one for the trav'ler and another for the portable dish. I ran the "to ird" coax from each separate PI to an A/B switch, The power inserters to SWM port is no longer switched. The portable is working, but I haven't been able to check the trav'ler yet. My RV is stored inside a building. As soon as possible I will connect the RV and move it outside in order to check the trav'ler and give an update.

I have an A/B/C switch on order and will connect the round dish coax to "C". I have installed another outside coax connection point for the round dish that doesn't have any connection to a PI as it's not needed. I will set the HR24 to multiswitch and round dish for this. I realize I won't have HD on the round dish.


Thanks for your time, help, and patience,

Henry