DirectV Swim Slimline Dish alignment

[lpkirby]

I have a Slimline dish on a tripod and it uses a swim power box. This is how the installer set up the receiver in the Bounder. I cannot seem to be able to line up the dish. My satellite finder sounds the whole time it is connected and I cannot lock on to it. Any help or ideas? It is HD, maybe that is why it is much harder.

[Don/Lou]

The cheep sat finders do NOT work on SWiM systems
It requires a special high$$ one!
FWIW
Don

[450Donn]

If you have a smart phone, you might try the sat finder app. It will aid you in positioning the antenna. Also remember that the audible sat finders are only capable of picking up a sat, They have no clue which one or if it is the right one. Best thing to do IMHO is get the coordinates for your location, and using a good compass adjust the antenna to those coordinates, and go from there.

[lpkirby]

Originally Posted by Don/Lou

The cheep sat finders do NOT work on SWiM systems
It requires a special high$$ one!
FWIW
Don

Okay that is why, all the meter does is sound the tone. Will not work. Directv is sending out a tech tomorrow to switch my dish back to Standard Definition. Not really what I wanted, but I need TV. I really do not want to spend the money on a roof top install if I am around lots of trees. Not sure what the best solution is.
Thanks

[Don/Lou]

If you had direct change it out to the SL3 NON SWiM LNB you can use the cheep meter and you would have to change your receiver set up to sl3/multiswitch and use a BBC .You didnt say model of receiver -this will only work on H/HR 24 and lower receivers
This is how I have mine set up /using Dishpointer.com for set up instructions

[lpkirby]

Originally Posted by Don/Lou

If you had direct change it out to the SL3 NON SWiM LNB you can use the cheep meter and you would have to change your receiver set up to sl3/multiswitch and use a BBC .You didnt say model of receiver -this will only work on H/HR 24 and lower receivers
This is how I have mine set up /using Dishpointer.com for set up instructions

I have a HR20 HD-DVR receiver, so that should work for me, correct? I only have 1 cable in the RV, will this setup require 2 cables? Will this also give me HD channels? Thanks for the help. I will call and see if they can bring that out or do I need to get one myself.
Thanks,
Leon

[Don/Lou]

Originally Posted by lpkirby

I have a HR20 HD-DVR receiver, so that should work for me, correct? I only have 1 cable in the RV, will this setup require 2 cables? Will this also give me HD channels? Thanks for the help. I will call and see if they can bring that out or do I need to get one myself.
Thanks,
Leon

if you want to watch 1 channel and record a different channel You will req 2 coax in
Yes HD will be ok Direct should exchange LNB ??
Make sure to use BBC to get HD channels. One for each in coax line
If you need more help send a PM
Don

[Don/Lou]

This is the LNB you need
DIRECTV SL3 SlimLine Four Out Ka/Ku Slim Line LNB (SL3) from Solid Signal)

[falconman]

Other than trying to use a signal meter you don't give much info on how you are trying to set up the dish. I assume the system was working when the tech installed it. Forget the signal meter. If are trying to use it on the slimline dish by just spinning the dish till you lock on, it won't work. You need the satellite coordinates and a compass. Make sure the tripod perfectly level! I adjust the azimuth and tilt before mounting the dish then slowing rotate the dish till I get a signal. Fine tune it for strongest signal and lock it down. Unless you can see the TV screen you will need some one to help you read the signal strength. The beauty of the SWM is it needs only one cable to watch/ record, but it does need the power inserter to work. The slimline is a little more effort but the HD signal is the result. If you go back to the non HD dish, the receiver will have to be reconfigured. See if the tech will walk you through it.

[lpkirby]

Thanks everyone for all the help and information. The Tech just left and we kept the HR20 and the slimline with the SWiM. He said the same thing that the meter that I have will not work. But he showed me how to align using the screen and what the knobs on the dish are for. I now know how to align it. Lock in on 101 first at 95% or higher then adjust the fine tuning knobs on the azimuth (103) and elevation (99). So I will find out on the next trip in 3 weeks if I really do have it down.
Again thanks for all the help and advice.

[Sequim Guy]

Directv SL5S Lnb for HD Slimline Dish Antenna. If you have a Directv SlimLine dish antenna and want to upgrade to a single wire setup this is the way to go.
The SL5S lnb is able to pick up 5 satellite locations for DIRECTV high defintion programming on one lnbf. This lnbf picks up programming from the 101, 110, and 119 satellites. Along with these satellites this integrated lnbf also picks up signal from the new KA satellites which are the 99 and the 103 satellites.
The SL5S LNB is designed with an built-in 8-channel multiswitch which allows you to have multiple satellite feeds at once. This means that one output can carry satellite signal from all five satellites in the sky.
This is designed for the DIRECTV SlimLine Dish setup.


If you had the installer put on one of these, you could have run a single cable to all of your tv's and had DVR and HD capabilities at every tv.
You could have had it all.

[schneid]

To use a "cheaper" meter, I use an Accutrac 22 Mk II, there are two issues you must overcome.

1. Power from a PI must be provided to the dish.
2. The box must be kept off-line. Once it boots it disables the meter.

For 1, you need a glorified splitter called an ASL-1.

DIRECTV ASL-1 SWM Alignment Signal Locator

For 2, I added an A/B switch to my HR20 so the box can boot but stay off line until I am through with the meter.

[Sequim Guy]

Got a Sat Buddy on ebay used, $30, works great.
Then got a new ASL-1 to go with it.
Told my son what I got, he said, "You should have asked me."
Then he gave me his Birdog meter that he used when he was a Directv
installer a few years ago.
The Birdog is a pro quality meter that has all the satellites already programmed into it.
Oh well, at least now I have what I need.


.

[schneid]

Looks like the original Birdog has been discontinued but you can get the new one:

Birdog USB ULTRA Satellite Signal Meter Finder - Positive Id Meter from Horizon

If that was is too rich for you:

Birdog USB Plus V 4.0 Satellite Signal Meter Finder - Positive Id Meter from Horizon