Dish fell over and doesn't work

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rbdaves

Well-Known SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Oct 20, 2009
29
6
So. Cal.
I have a DirecTV Slimline Sat. dish with an DIRECTV SL3-SWM SlimLine Single Wire Ka/Ku Triple LNB.
I travel with this dish and set it up on a tripod. I'm in a windy area and before I could properly secure the tripod, it blew over. I was able to get the mounting bracket replaced and aimed the dish successfully. However, a couple days ago, I was aiming the dish using a Satlook Light satellite finder that I have used for several years and I got a message "SWM over voltage". I don't know what this means, but I have not been able to acquire 99, 101 or 103 satellites. I've used two different cables without success. I am guessing that the SWM has failed and I have ordered DIRECTV SL3-SWM SlimLine Single Wire Ka/Ku Triple LNB with Built-In Multiswitch from Amazon. When I go through the screens during the aiming process, I see that I have an SL3-LNB. I hope I have ordered the correct part and am wondering what a "Built-in Multiswitch" is and if there is anything I need to know about it. Thanks
 
I installed the DIRECTV SL3-SWM SlimLine Single Wire Ka/Ku Triple LNB and proceeded to aim the dish. Got the three satellites acquired with good signal strength, but had to set the elevation at 43, rather than the 35 that the DirecTV program provided.
 
I installed the DIRECTV SL3-SWM SlimLine Single Wire Ka/Ku Triple LNB and proceeded to aim the dish. Got the three satellites acquired with good signal strength, but had to set the elevation at 43, rather than the 35 that the DirecTV program provided.
You are likely looking at the wrong place for the elevation setting. On this dish the elevation is set to 39°.
dish elevation.jpg
 
... I hope I have ordered the correct part and am wondering what a "Built-in Multiswitch" is and if there is anything I need to know about it. Thanks [/I][/I]

Oh, and a built-in or "integrated" multiswitch simply means the circuitry comprising the SWiM multiswitch is conveniently incorporated into the LNB housing itself.

Instead of external to it with multiple (usually 4) coax lines fed from a non-SWiM or "legacy" type 13v/18v voltage/22 KHz tone controlled and powered LNB.


Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk
 
If the dish fell over, likely it’s bent and you might as well get a new dish.


I have dropped several slimline dishes over the years.

It may not look bent, but it won’t pick up a signal
A bent arm would explain having to adjust the elevation so far from the given number.
 
It turns out that the dish had been bent. Although it wasn't necessary, I purchased a "ready to install" kit. Once I assembled the unit, I was able to get all sats acquired with better signals than I had with the old dish. I have traveled with the old dish for many years and, over time, the signal strength readings declined. It didn't register with me because it happened slowly. The dish had been knocked over before and had been transported in the basement of my RV for years. I felt that I should replace everything to avoid having to order parts piecemeal and wait several days with each order and have no TV. Anyway, this new dish assembly is working much better and life is good.
 
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Were you able to use the correct elevation numbers?
 
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