Ready to install SWM 8 in parallel with WB68 questions...

[rckymtn]

Excellent forum, and I am sure these answers were somewhere, but wanted to verify a couple of things specific to my install. I currently have the zinwell 6x8 multiswitch running to 4 DVR's and 2 legacy receivers, and an OTA going to one of the DVR's. Two of the DVR's are only using one tuner, so I am maxed out on my zinwell switch. I will be adding the SWM 8 in parallel with that switch for future expansion and for the OTA signal to be diplexed at at DVR's.

I will only be using the SWM 1 port for one line going out at this time, which will be split using the DTV 1x4 splitter to two DVR's (and possibly two more receivers later). I have the following questions -

1) can the PI (power inserter) be installed AFTER the 1x4 splitter to any of the receivers that are from that original SWM 1 port feed, and can it be any type of DTV receiver, and just install the PI at the receiver location? What if one of the feeds from the 1x4 switch is split again, same question, can the PI be put on one of those lines out of the splitter at the receiver location? The total RG6 length from the SWM8 which is close to the dish outside but covered to the receivers where the PI is located will be around 100 ft.

2) I will be using two of the three legacy ports on the SWM-8. Is there anything I need to do at the receiver for the older receivers for set up, etc?

3)If I turn off one of the tuners via the DVR's internal menu set up, that will free up one of the max tuners allowed on the SWM-8 that I can use for another receiver, even if it is a dual tuner DVR?

4)Once I have the swm-8 set up, and all the lines, PI connected etc, is there any order on how to turn on / test everything. Assuming the receivers are off, put plugged in, do a red button reset at each receiver, one by one and no need to unplug the DVR's? And just turn on the legacy receivers last?

5) I will also have a 1x2 switch, but would prefer to use the 1x4 so I have the two outs for the future expansion. Any great downside of terminating those two outs that are not being used at this time, or should I go with the 1x2 and swap it out later to the 1x4 switch when I need it?

6) For my set up, I will need to cut some existing cable, etc and use RG6 couplers to rejoin the cables. Do couplers affect the signal coming from the dish, multiswitch to the receivers?

7) I have I believe the correct diplexer to get the OTA signal to my DVR's, but how close does the diplexer need to be to the receiver, any min or max lengths?

8) Finally, for the DVR's (HR21's and HR20's) that currently have the bbc converter, if they are connected in anyway from the SWM-8, I need to remove those, but leave them on if they are still being feed from the zinwell switch?

Again, excellent forum, and thanks in advance.

[WK-Jeff]

Excellent forum, and I am sure these answers were somewhere, but wanted to verify a couple of things specific to my install. I currently have the zinwell 6x8 multiswitch running to 4 DVR's and 2 legacy receivers, and an OTA going to one of the DVR's. Two of the DVR's are only using one tuner, so I am maxed out on my zinwell switch. I will be adding the SWM 8 in parallel with that switch for future expansion and for the OTA signal to be diplexed at at DVR's.

I will only be using the SWM 1 port for one line going out at this time, which will be split using the DTV 1x4 splitter to two DVR's (and possibly two more receivers later). I have the following questions -

1) can the PI (power inserter) be installed AFTER the 1x4 splitter to any of the receivers that are from that original SWM 1 port feed, and can it be any type of DTV receiver, and just install the PI at the receiver location? What if one of the feeds from the 1x4 switch is split again, same question, can the PI be put on one of those lines out of the splitter at the receiver location? The total RG6 length from the SWM8 which is close to the dish outside but covered to the receivers where the PI is located will be around 100 ft.

2) I will be using two of the three legacy ports on the SWM-8. Is there anything I need to do at the receiver for the older receivers for set up, etc?

3)If I turn off one of the tuners via the DVR's internal menu set up, that will free up one of the max tuners allowed on the SWM-8 that I can use for another receiver, even if it is a dual tuner DVR?

4)Once I have the swm-8 set up, and all the lines, PI connected etc, is there any order on how to turn on / test everything. Assuming the receivers are off, put plugged in, do a red button reset at each receiver, one by one and no need to unplug the DVR's? And just turn on the legacy receivers last?

5) I will also have a 1x2 switch, but would prefer to use the 1x4 so I have the two outs for the future expansion. Any great downside of terminating those two outs that are not being used at this time, or should I go with the 1x2 and swap it out later to the 1x4 switch when I need it?

6) For my set up, I will need to cut some existing cable, etc and use RG6 couplers to rejoin the cables. Do couplers affect the signal coming from the dish, multiswitch to the receivers?

7) I have I believe the correct diplexer to get the OTA signal to my DVR's, but how close does the diplexer need to be to the receiver, any min or max lengths?

8) Finally, for the DVR's (HR21's and HR20's) that currently have the bbc converter, if they are connected in anyway from the SWM-8, I need to remove those, but leave them on if they are still being feed from the zinwell switch?

Again, excellent forum, and thanks in advance.

1. Yes. Just be sure that you connect the leg with the PI to the power passing port on the splitter. See:

SWM Wiring Diagrams

2. No. Nothing special.

3. If one DVR is set for one tuner only, then you will have one more tuner on the SWM for another receiver.

4. Legacy receivers don't really matter...you can turn them on whenever. The SWM-connected receivers need to be turned on (plugged in) one at a time, in no particular order.

5. Not a big deal if your runs from the switch are short (<150 ft). The 1x4 has more signal loss than the 1x2, but it doesn't really matter if your runs are short.

6. They can, depending on the quality of the crimp, barrel connector, etc. But if you do a good job and get good quality parts, it should not matter.

7. You must have a SWM diplexer; I'm not aware of any min/max requirements.

8. They are off if connected to the SWM; on if connected to the 6x8.

[rckymtn]

thanks for the quick reply...

after the install and powering up, I assume I need to switch the dish set up in the dvr menu to "swm" dish? Do this after I do the red button reset or before, or does it matter?

Also, is the swm-8, wb68 and the dish are grounded, and the splitter inside, does the swm splitter need to be grounded at the splitter?

[WK-Michael]

Do it after the red button reset.

Technically, I do think the splitter is supposed to be grounded, but in actuality, no one ever does it.

[rckymtn]

I noticed a couple of the RG06 cable runs in the attic that I was going to use for the swm 1 port on the swm-8 to the 1x4 splitter in the attic, and then from the splitter back to the room where the drv and PI will be located is 2.25 ghz RG-6 cable. My new cable is 3 ghz. I assume that 2.25 ghz rg-6 cable is acceptable for the swm-8 install? That total run with that 2/25 ghz cable is about 75 feet from the swm to the switch, and another 50 feet from the switch to the PI/dvr.

Also, I assume the two screws on the swm-8 unit by the red power port are for grounding. Can I run the ground cable from the dish to one of these screws on the swm-8, then a shorter ground cable coming out from the other screw on the swm-8 to the zinwell wb68 grounding screw, and then one ground cable going from the wb68 to where it will finally hook to my main water pipe in the ground by the side of the house..

Right now, the dish is grounded to the wb68, then the wb68 to the ground water pipe. But I have to ground the swm-8

thanks for the info

[WK-Michael]

Technically, if it's RG6, it should be OK.

Sure - you should be able to run the ground as you described.

[rckymtn]

Success !! - thanks for all the info and assistance, the wiring diagrams were very helpful as well.

I successfully installed the SWM-8 in parallel with my existing WB68, and all works great. I have two dvr's running off of a 1x4 splitter, with the PI After the splitter next to one of the dvrs, with no issues.

I also diplexed my OTA signal running through the SWM-8 first, and diplexed at the dvrs. I was concerned with the PI being after the splitter and others having issues with diplexing with the PI after the splitter and not before. I have no issues diplexing and the OTA is strong on both DVR's

The SWM-8 is very cool, and was a fun project although I completed it in the colorado snow storm last night. Everything works flawless. The use of the two legacy ports also work great on two legacy receivers.

I might even consider replacing the wb68 with another SWM-8, and run that in parallel with the existing SWM-8.

Any advantages or disadvantages of running two SWM-8's in parallel (using my existing skywalker high frequency splitters - SKY 23302D, rated at 5-2300mhz), rather than using the E2 expander for two SWM-8's?

Any signal loss from the dish by running them in parallel via the splitters vs. the E2 expander?

Same question for the OTA signal if running the two SWM-8's in parallel since it looks like I would have to split the OTA RG6 cable to feed into each of the SWM-8's - should I be concerned with any signal loss on the OTA being split only one time into the two SWM-8's?

Can I use the same type of splitter (although not necessary) to split the OTA signal at the two SWM-8's, that I used for my initial set up from the dish to the swm-8, wb68 - that skywalker sky23303D splitter?

Thanks again for all of the assistance and answers, the info and wiring diagrams were also very helpful.

[WK-Michael]

There shouldn't be any signal loss issues with the SWM8 in parallel with another SWM8 if it works fine in parallel with a 6x8. The E2 is a little cleaner and neater, but it's not essential.

Even with the E2, you'd still have to split OTA.

The same splitters should work fine.

[rckymtn]

when running two swm-8's in parallel using the high frequency splitters, when would a polarity locker be necessary (installed between the dish and the high frequency splitters)?

Right now, the high frequency splitters from the dish (as well as the the swm-8 and the wb68) are less than 20 feet from the dish.

The wiring diagram for two swm-8's in parallel mention a polarity locker might be necessary?

thanks..

[WK-Jeff]

The PL is necessary primarily when the runs from dish to splitters/swms is particularly long. 20 ft is not long. If your runs from SWMs to receivers is also reasonably short (<100ft, let's say), you should be fine.