Only 20V at PI-21 SWM Output?

[RyanBiggs]

Hello all,

I'm trying to diagnose no signal on my amateur installation of a SWM 3 Slimline and HR21. (Yeah I know professional installation would solve all my problems but my landlord has very particular requests about the install and I figure I should be able to do this since I've worked as a professional electronics tech in the past.)

My biggest problem is not having a signal meter of course, but I have things set up where I can see the TV while adjusting the dish. I figured this might present problems in getting all 3 satellites well peaked, but I'm seeing absolutely nothing. Mast is plumb, elevation and tilt set correctly (unless I'm totally crazy), azimuth set with both a compass and dishpointer.com (which agree). Hit the reset button. I've swept +/- 10 degrees from the expected azimuth; no B band converter. Nothing but zeros on the signal strength screen.

I have a new-to-me used LNB and a new PI-21, as well as the had-it-for-years HR21 which was previously set up with a non-SWM 5 satellite LNB. So I'm thinking perhaps the LNB is bad, though the HR21 seems to see it (automatically sets and locks dish and switch type). However, I checked the PI-21 output, and under no load it only reads 20.1V at the ODU terminal. This seems kind of weird, since you'd expect 21V if this is a regulated supply and substantially more with no load if not. Unfortunately I don't have an F tee laying around at the moment to check the voltage under load. The PI-21 light is on, though it dims what seems suspiciously slowly when unplugged with the ODU connected.

What do you think - is this voltage a sign of a dud PI-21 or is this normal?

 

[Jimbo]

Hello all,

I'm trying to diagnose no signal on my amateur installation of a SWM 3 Slimline and HR21. (Yeah I know professional installation would solve all my problems but my landlord has very particular requests about the install and I figure I should be able to do this since I've worked as a professional electronics tech in the past.)

My biggest problem is not having a signal meter of course, but I have things set up where I can see the TV while adjusting the dish. I figured this might present problems in getting all 3 satellites well peaked, but I'm seeing absolutely nothing. Mast is plumb, elevation and tilt set correctly (unless I'm totally crazy), azimuth set with both a compass and dishpointer.com (which agree). Hit the reset button. I've swept +/- 10 degrees from the expected azimuth; no B band converter. Nothing but zeros on the signal strength screen.

I have a new-to-me used LNB and a new PI-21, as well as the had-it-for-years HR21 which was previously set up with a non-SWM 5 satellite LNB. So I'm thinking perhaps the LNB is bad, though the HR21 seems to see it (automatically sets and locks dish and switch type). However, I checked the PI-21 output, and under no load it only reads 20.1V at the ODU terminal. This seems kind of weird, since you'd expect 21V if this is a regulated supply and substantially more with no load if not. Unfortunately I don't have an F tee laying around at the moment to check the voltage under load. The PI-21 light is on, though it dims what seems suspiciously slowly when unplugged with the ODU connected.

What do you think - is this voltage a sign of a dud PI-21 or is this normal?

Just a thought here....

You could set up the dish without the SWM originally, this way eliminating the SWM, this will allow you to point it correctly first and get a signal and then change out to the SWM.

I cannot help you on the voltage issue as I have never really concerned myself with the voltage if it works, but I know what your saying.

 

[RyanBiggs]

Unfortunately I don't have the old LNB, although my next thought is try and get my hands on a non-SWM LNB to eliminate both the SWM LNB and PI as suspects, and go from there. But if anyone's experience indicates that this PI is definitely acting weird, I can probably manage to exchange it with the seller for a different one.