Community Forums

Hypersprint · 01-27-2015, 09:26 AM

Hey Folks,

I have an '09 motor home with a MotoSat DirecTV HD model SL5PIG-WNC dish and the Nomad II controller but was told that the Genie DVR that was just installed in my home will not work in the motor home with this dish. I do not know much about dishes but it seams to me that all the technology is in the LNB (I think that is what it is called), is it not possible to change the LNB with one that supports SWM and will work with this dish when it folds up or down, or do I need to be looking into a completely new dish?

Thanks
Rob

falconman · 01-27-2015, 09:38 AM

i would suggest you call Royal Lamb at RF Mogul. I think they are dealing with Motosat retrofits.

Mobile Satellite Systems Provider - Mobile Internet, HD Television Acquisition Solutions - SNG, VSAT, TV - Universal Dish Controller

ernieh · 01-27-2015, 11:46 AM

I'm not sure how the MS aligns, but if it has it's own data cable, you should be able to convert it to SWM using a SWM8 multiswitch and PI28/29 power inserter.

That is what I have done on my Winegard SK3005.

Hypersprint · 01-29-2015, 08:22 AM

Thanks for the input folks, I called Mogul and was told that I could change the LNB and add a power inserter (which is the inexpensive parts) but I would also need a new controller ($900 ouch), isn't there a way to make the SWM signal backwards compatible just for the controller? I have also looked at the SWM switch kits a little bit and need to figure out if it will work with my MotoSat, do these switches convert the current signal to SWM? Could I leave the controller setup the way it is with its own feed from the sat (the sat has 4 cables running into the rig) and put this switch on the cable feed from the sat to the main tv where my genie controller would be setup with the wireless bridge to feed 2 other tvs using the wireless genie mini receivers

Thanks for any help
Rob

ernieh · 01-29-2015, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hypersprint

Thanks for the input folks, I called Mogul and was told that I could change the LNB and add a power inserter (which is the inexpensive parts) but I would also need a new controller ($900 ouch), isn't there a way to make the SWM signal backwards compatible just for the controller? I have also looked at the SWM switch kits a little bit and need to figure out if it will work with my MotoSat, do these switches convert the current signal to SWM? Could I leave the controller setup the way it is with its own feed from the sat (the sat has 4 cables running into the rig) and put this switch on the cable feed from the sat to the main tv where my genie controller would be setup with the wireless bridge to feed 2 other tvs using the wireless genie mini receivers

Thanks for any help
Rob

If those 4 cables don't go to any kind of MS box, it should work. The 4 cables connect directly to the SWM8. A PI29 will be between the SWM8 output and your sat receiver. There are options on the output side, but that's the basic setup.

That's exactly how you upgrade a Winegard SL5 to SWM.

FlyingDiver · 01-29-2015, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hypersprint

Hey Folks,

I have an '09 motor home with a MotoSat DirecTV HD model SL5PIG-WNC dish and the Nomad II controller but was told that the Genie DVR that was just installed in my home will not work in the motor home with this dish. I do not know much about dishes but it seams to me that all the technology is in the LNB (I think that is what it is called), is it not possible to change the LNB with one that supports SWM and will work with this dish when it folds up or down, or do I need to be looking into a completely new dish?

Thanks
Rob

Yes, you can do this. I have, and at least one other people on this board. There's a thread about it. It's NOT the same as doing a Winegard, because the the Motosat controller requires one of the sat signal cables as a pass-through, and you can't do that before the SWM-8 because it blocks some of the signal.

You need an SWM-8, the PI-29 for it, and a 6x8 multi-switch. You run the four cables from the HD-SL5 to the multi-switch, then four of the outputs to the SWM-8. Then one of the SWM-8 outputs goes to your receiver, with the PI-29 in-line. You can use the other output on the SWM-8 for another receiver, or use a splitter on the first output, depending on where things are located.

You take one of the other outputs from the multi-switch and run it directly to the Nomad controller. Don't connect anything to the output on the controller.

In my coach, all four of the cables ran together in the basement before going to the TV locations. So I put the SWM-8 and the multi-switch down there. I cut into the middle of the cables and added connectors. Then I reused the old cables going up to the TVs. Make sure you're really confident of your cable terminating skills before you do this.

ernieh · 01-30-2015, 12:37 AM

You need an SWM-8, the PI-29 for it, and a 6x8 multi-switch. You run the four cables from the HD-SL5 to the multi-switch, then four of the outputs to the SWM-8. Then one of the SWM-8 outputs goes to your receiver, with the PI-29 in-line. You can use the other output on the SWM-8 for another receiver, or use a splitter on the first output, depending on where things are located.

I have installed a bunch of DTV systems and I don't understand the above paragraph. I don't see how the WB68 figures in. I would think that if the MS controller "needs" a signal, you could attach it to one of the "legacy ports" on the SWM8.

In other words, you would have 4 cables from the dish attached to the appropriate ports on the SWM8. The SWM port would attach to the PI and Genie. Another cable would go from a "legacy port" to the MS controller.

FlyingDiver · 01-30-2015, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ernieh

You need an SWM-8, the PI-29 for it, and a 6x8 multi-switch. You run the four cables from the HD-SL5 to the multi-switch, then four of the outputs to the SWM-8. Then one of the SWM-8 outputs goes to your receiver, with the PI-29 in-line. You can use the other output on the SWM-8 for another receiver, or use a splitter on the first output, depending on where things are located.

I have installed a bunch of DTV systems and I don't understand the above paragraph. I don't see how the WB68 figures in. I would think that if the MS controller "needs" a signal, you could attach it to one of the "legacy ports" on the SWM8.

In other words, you would have 4 cables from the dish attached to the appropriate ports on the SWM8. The SWM port would attach to the PI and Genie. Another cable would go from a "legacy port" to the MS controller.

You might think it would work that way, but it doesn't. I've tried it. The signal processing and switching that goes on in the SWM-8 causes the signal coming out the legacy port to be delayed enough that the controller is always "behind" when trying to aim the dish. It sort-of works, but you never get a good aim on the dish.

If you don't actually have an HD-SL5 with a Nomad controller, your experience with converting other types of automatic (or manual) dishes to SWM doesn't apply.

ernieh · 01-30-2015, 01:31 PM

So you are using 4 outputs on the WB68 to feed the SWM8 and one from the WB68 to feed the controller? ie: there are 9 cables attached to the WB68, 4 in and 5 out.

FlyingDiver · 01-30-2015, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ernieh

So you are using 4 outputs on the WB68 to feed the SWM8 and one from the WB68 to feed the controller? ie: there are 9 cables attached to the WB68, 4 in and 5 out.

Correct. If you also have a non-SWM receiver you can also connect it to WB68 instead of using a legacy port on the SWM8. Not sure if that's really any better, but it's an option.

Hypersprint · 01-31-2015, 03:56 PM

Great info, but I think I am going to need a wiring diagram to help understand how this would go together.

Thanks
Rob

FlyingDiver · 01-31-2015, 04:22 PM

Not going to draw a picture, but this might help. See attached images.

1. Connect the four cables from the HD-SL5 to the four ports on the top left of the Zinwell (or other brand) multi-switch. That's the left image.

2. Connect outputs 1-4 of the multi-switch to the bottom left four ports on the SWM-8 (labeled 99/101 and 103/110/111, I think). That's the right image. Order does not matter.

3. Connect your receiver line with the power inserter to the SWM1/PWR port of the SWM-8. You can also use the SWM2 port for another receiver.

4. Connect a cable from one of the output 5-8 ports on the multi-switch to the input port on your Nomad.

Done.

Hypersprint · 01-31-2015, 05:17 PM

That all makes sense

Where would the 4 cables coming from the dish be going to now?

Thanks
Rob

FlyingDiver · 01-31-2015, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hypersprint

That all makes sense

Where would the 4 cables coming from the dish be going to now?

Thanks
Rob

Well, they end at the multi-switch. The HD-SL5 IS your dish. If you mean the other end off the cables that USED to go to the dish, and now go to the sat receivers, they still do. But you only need 1 cable for SWM instead of the (possibly) 2 that the dual tuner units used to need.