Flat panel and SWM conversion complete UPDATE
Moderator note; I had posted this in tech forum but it is kind of class A specific and I think will get a better reception here.
Just finished up replacing the old tube TV's with flat panel HD's and converting to DIRECTV- SWM.
I started by having DTV come out to the house and replacing all my old stuff with a new SWM LNB and three HD Dvrs, two year recommit required.
I got a power inserter, SWM3 LNB (smaller than the 5) and 4X splitter for the RV tripod from the installer-$30. Also got two diplexers to combine OTA and Sat signal on one cable.
Measured my openings and found TV's that fit the width of the old trim perfectly, made fillers for the top of the front TV and built a short box/stand for the rear that has room for a sat box under the tv.
The front TV has a sound output that feeds the Surround Sound amp, so when I change inputs from sat to Blu-Ray or OTA, the sound is there.
Since I was losing the old Winegard switch box, I wanted an OTA amp so I bought the Sensar Pro Winegard OTA signal meter, which I could not be more pleased with. I pick up twice as many stations. Another advantage is that it has two out puts; I use one directly to the front TV, the second I fed to a diplexer to combine sat sig and OTA sig over the factory cable that runs the rear tv, the other diplexer is in the bedroom.
This works just fine. I had been told you can not diplex SWM and OTA, but it works just fine.
I used the factory cable that runs from the AV area to the outside utility area that was supposed to be for park cable to connect to the Slimline. This also works fine. I haven't used park cable in years. We are either tailgating or in state parks.
The big advantage of SWM to me was that now I run one cable from the dish to the park cable input and run two HD DVR's on one cable. The power inserter and 4-way splitter are all in the AV area by the antenna, front tv and amp. Plus I have a smaller LNB than the old LNB 5 which stores easier.
I also have a third TV outside with a sat box I used to connect to the dish with two separate cables, which I now will feed from the sat box in the bedroom. I have to run a 35' HDMI cable for that. The RF remote control allows me to change channels from outside. Works fine. I connect the sat box to the bedroom tv via component cables, outside tv with HDMI from the same box. No OTA for the outside TV, will not be an issue.
I also made sure both house and RV LNB's and splitters are the same so I never have to change dish types in setup. Just moev the boxes back and forth.
I still need to clean up some of the wiring. I need 4 or 5 14" long co-ax patch cords and get rid of some three footers that are coiled up.
Just glad it all works. Football starts this weekend.
Just finished up replacing the old tube TV's with flat panel HD's and converting to DIRECTV- SWM.
I started by having DTV come out to the house and replacing all my old stuff with a new SWM LNB and three HD Dvrs, two year recommit required.
I got a power inserter, SWM3 LNB (smaller than the 5) and 4X splitter for the RV tripod from the installer-$30. Also got two diplexers to combine OTA and Sat signal on one cable.
Measured my openings and found TV's that fit the width of the old trim perfectly, made fillers for the top of the front TV and built a short box/stand for the rear that has room for a sat box under the tv.
The front TV has a sound output that feeds the Surround Sound amp, so when I change inputs from sat to Blu-Ray or OTA, the sound is there.
Since I was losing the old Winegard switch box, I wanted an OTA amp so I bought the Sensar Pro Winegard OTA signal meter, which I could not be more pleased with. I pick up twice as many stations. Another advantage is that it has two out puts; I use one directly to the front TV, the second I fed to a diplexer to combine sat sig and OTA sig over the factory cable that runs the rear tv, the other diplexer is in the bedroom.
This works just fine. I had been told you can not diplex SWM and OTA, but it works just fine.
I used the factory cable that runs from the AV area to the outside utility area that was supposed to be for park cable to connect to the Slimline. This also works fine. I haven't used park cable in years. We are either tailgating or in state parks.
The big advantage of SWM to me was that now I run one cable from the dish to the park cable input and run two HD DVR's on one cable. The power inserter and 4-way splitter are all in the AV area by the antenna, front tv and amp. Plus I have a smaller LNB than the old LNB 5 which stores easier.
I also have a third TV outside with a sat box I used to connect to the dish with two separate cables, which I now will feed from the sat box in the bedroom. I have to run a 35' HDMI cable for that. The RF remote control allows me to change channels from outside. Works fine. I connect the sat box to the bedroom tv via component cables, outside tv with HDMI from the same box. No OTA for the outside TV, will not be an issue.
I also made sure both house and RV LNB's and splitters are the same so I never have to change dish types in setup. Just moev the boxes back and forth.
I still need to clean up some of the wiring. I need 4 or 5 14" long co-ax patch cords and get rid of some three footers that are coiled up.
Just glad it all works. Football starts this weekend.
