Any word on if existing customers can get this? I'd love to ditch the dual coax requirement for all of our DVRs....
I'm sure you'll be able to buy one at the very least.
SatelliteGuys Premiere Review: The DirecTV SWM LNB
- Thread starter jcrandall
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I'm sure you'll be able to buy one at the very least.
Good review masterdeals.
Just to clarify, If I have some old receivers I cannot use the SWM-8 without upgrading the receivers?
Just to clarify, If I have some old receivers I cannot use the SWM-8 without upgrading the receivers?
Yes, anything outside the listed receivers will not work on ANY SWM switch/lnb.
HR20/HR21, H20/H21, R16/R22, D12/D13
How long is this rollout supposed to take? Like by the end of the year, will everyone, or at least 80% of the markets be covered?
If you have a Slimline now, all you would need to do is swap the LNB off the mast.
No messing with the dish itself, no need to realign.
Mike
One thing I didn't discuss in my review that I will at least mention:
I did a complete new install of a slimline dish using the new LNB. My previous dish was a sidecar. I had never installed a slimline dish before, and watched the video before starting. The process of dithering using the fine tuning knobs was stressed.
My findings were that I was able to get 90+ signal on all satellites without performing the dithering. Being able to set the receiver to 103c and aim may be something that wasn't possible when they designed the dithering process.
I'm not saying installers should not follow the normal process they are trained to do, I'm just sharing my expereince.
Given this may be related to the 103c satellite being operational now and have nothing to do with the LNB, I left it out of my review. I just thought it was something to share.
I did a complete new install of a slimline dish using the new LNB. My previous dish was a sidecar. I had never installed a slimline dish before, and watched the video before starting. The process of dithering using the fine tuning knobs was stressed.
My findings were that I was able to get 90+ signal on all satellites without performing the dithering. Being able to set the receiver to 103c and aim may be something that wasn't possible when they designed the dithering process.
I'm not saying installers should not follow the normal process they are trained to do, I'm just sharing my expereince.
Given this may be related to the 103c satellite being operational now and have nothing to do with the LNB, I left it out of my review. I just thought it was something to share.
I believe you're right about that, Jason. When I had my HR20 install back in mid 2007, D10 was not available yet. I though I had good signal strength on all my transponders because they were close to the signal strengths I was getting with my oval 3 LNB dish. When D10 went operational, I found that the signals from it were in the 60s. After I had a tech (actually, two-a more experienced tech and one getting checked out on the Ka/Ku dish) realign the dish, almost all my signal strengths jumped into the 90s. Only a few of the 103c transponders were in the high 80s. I wrote it off to the earlier tech not being able to aim the dish at a non-existent (at the time) satellite.
OK, great review, but how does it work inside?
Is it bandstacking like some of the Echostar switches are?
Is it bandstacking like some of the Echostar switches are?
Very good review, and very interesting development. The main reason I had not called DirecTV this week to schedule an installation was because I've spent the week helping my son buy his first vehicle. I may want to put off the installation until this is available in my area. It would make my installation even easier. At most I might need to change out a couple of splitters.
It is a method of bandstacking. Sorry that I don't understand the complexities on how it works to be able to explain it
Essentially, they use bandwith from as low as 5 to as high as 2300 mhz, IIRC.
I'm not familar with how Echostar does it but the SWM LNB has 8 channels within the frequency range(actually more but the others are not used for tuners)
As an example one channel may be 5-100 MHz(not a real range just an example) and this would be for on tuner. I don't know how the SWM-Tuners decide who gets which channel but I'm not sure it's important.
Hope this helps
Mike
It does not use bandstacking. It translates a single transponder to a fixed frequency in the 1-2 GHz range (there are eight frequencies/channels available and one is assigned to each connected tuner). The receiver tells the SWM which satellite, polarization and transponder it wants to see. More information was posted today at DBSTalk.
It looks like there are only a few (expensive) signal meters available so far which are compatible with SWM (Super Buddy and Birddog 3.0). One could use the on-screen display for alignment, but I don't think Directv has enabled the audio signal for tuning.
It looks like there are only a few (expensive) signal meters available so far which are compatible with SWM (Super Buddy and Birddog 3.0). One could use the on-screen display for alignment, but I don't think Directv has enabled the audio signal for tuning.
I see the DBSTalk review is up and its a good read.
What I find strange is everyone was picking on Jason because he said that Diplexing worked, yet in the DBStalk review is also says this and shows you the best way to wire it.
Both reviews were well done.
I really want one of these LNB's.
What I find strange is everyone was picking on Jason because he said that Diplexing worked, yet in the DBStalk review is also says this and shows you the best way to wire it.
Both reviews were well done.
I really want one of these LNB's.
I see the DBSTalk review is up and its a good read.
What I find strange is everyone was picking on Jason because he said that Diplexing worked, yet in the DBStalk review is also says this and shows you the best way to wire it.
Both reviews were well done.
I really want one of these LNB's.
FWIW, I don't think the diplexing part should have been included as it's not supported by DirecTv. Could cause some folks some headaches down the road.
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