Moving To A New House With SWM SL3 Already Installed...

[TheTechGuru]

What is the fastest and easiest way to determine which of the 4 outlets in the house is connected to the power passing port of the SWM splitter that is probably in the attic that is hard to get into. I also don't want to have to get on the roof to check for voltage at the dish.

Is there a way to tell with a digital multi meter? Or do I need to just connect my SWM PSU to each outlet until it works? Is there a standard location DirecTV installers use for the power passing? I personally would use the outlet closest to the dish to minimize voltage drop but knowing MasTec I'm betting if there is a standard it's probably the living room?

 

[raoul5788]

Since there are only four outlets, it shouldn't take long to check voltage at each one. There should be at least 21, or possibly 29 volts at one of them.

 

[twizt3dsist3r]

Since there are only four outlets, it shouldn't take long to check voltage at each one. There should be at least 21, or possibly 29 volts at one of them.

He is looking to tell which outlet to add the pi to. So none have voltage right now. Without an aim meter (directv field testing meter) all you can do is hook up one box in line with the pi to each outlet one at a time and one will start to give you signal the other 3 will not. If you can visually trace the wires that's an option as well. Follow the line connected to the power passing port on the splitter and put your power inserter there. But there is no way to tell which wire is passing power to the lnb without an aim meter.

On the off chance you have an aim meter lol. change the setup to read slimline3s. Go to eiv option 3 at home. Then set it to odu..spl..pi..ird and move the arrow to the dot right before pi and hit run test. One line will pass the other 3 will read swm not detected.

 

[raoul5788]

Gotcha. I did read it wrong. Regardless, it's a one out of four chance that you will hook it up correctly, like twizt3dkitty said.

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[TheTechGuru]

He is looking to tell which outlet to add the pi to. So none have voltage right now. Without an aim meter (directv field testing meter) all you can do is hook up one box in line with the pi to each outlet one at a time and one will start to give you signal the other 3 will not. If you can visually trace the wires that's an option as well. Follow the line connected to the power passing port on the splitter and put your power inserter there. But there is no way to tell which wire is passing power to the lnb without an aim meter.

On the off chance you have an aim meter lol. change the setup to read slimline3s. Go to eiv option 3 at home. Then set it to odu..spl..pi..ird and move the arrow to the dot right before pi and hit run test. One line will pass the other 3 will read swm not detected.

Ah, I was hoping I could tell with a DMM, I would think the Ohm's reading would be different though the power passing port or something.

 

[Jam3s]

You can plug the PI in to one of the outlets, go to your splitter, put a voltmeter on each line until you get somewhere in the nighborhood of 21 (expect between 19 and 21 depending on your cabling), and then hook that cable to the power passing port. Alternatively, you can test for resistance on each line, I usually get about 21 ohms on a working LNB, but I'm not sure if that will work through a power passing splitter, I've only done it outside at the cable cluster.

 

[TheTechGuru]

So it seems the builder of the house pre wired with Holland Diode Steered splitters, so I am able to feed power to the SWM LNBF via any outlet. (well any outlet of the zone that is connected to the SWM splitter, no idea why DirecTV didn't just leave a diode steered at that location.)

I had to have the cable internet company install a dedicated line for internet because there was no way of just feeding it to just one outlet. There are only 3 coax wires accessible in the attic that are feeding 6 outlets via splitters further down the line that one can't get to.