3 output SK-3005 Conversion to SWM-8

schneid wrote:

I've read an SK-3005 can work with just the 101 in view even though it uses the 101 and 119 to aim. I guess it might work but would be quite a challenge.

Actually, the SK-3005 does quite well with just the 101 satellite. It is programmed to seek 101 first and only uses 110 and 119 to get its skew. If it's only looking for 101 there's no need for skew. You can put the dish into a single satellite mode in which it only looks for 101 but if it can't get either or both of 110 or 119 it will eventually "decide" that 101 is better than nothing! We've had this happen several times in national parks and other places where trees and mountains block our view of the other birds.

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Clay L wrote:
I have a Slimline 3 dish that does receive 99 and 103 on the roof of my house. I wonder if the dish could be used on the SK3003 frame?
I am in AZ so can't check on mounting holes etc.
As said above maybe Bill Adams will come on and clear it up for us.

Seems like OP has PhaseIII dish in the Trav'ler version just like Docj says. It gets the 101, 110 and 119. The SK-3005 gets those plus the 99 and 103 needed for HD. The SK-SWM is the SWM on dish version and just gets the 99, 101 and 103 where most every thing is now except Locals in some markets and some music channels.

The PhaseIII is NOT bolt compatible with a Slimline.

I'm a ground-mounter and converted a PhaseIII to use a SWM SL3 by modding the arm. Later swapped in a "Dish" 1000. Works well but pulling that off on a Trav'ler would be a challenge. Mounting a Slimline would be a bear and lots of trial and error. The Slimline is much heavier so I wonder if the mount would even support it.

I've read an SK-3005 can work with just the 101 in view even though it uses the 101 and 119 to aim. I guess it might work but would be quite a challenge. Might not stow right either. The dish will do SWM with a SWM-8 but won't do HD. It is basically the equivalent of an 18" round dish now. The only reason to SWM it would to support SWM only receivers. On a non-SWM Slimline LNB there are four feeds. You need one cable for each tuner up to four. The PhaseIII supports three tuners. DVR's have TWO tuners. SWM uses one feed that carries eight discreet channels. A receiver requires one feed but uses as many channels as it has tuners. Aregular receiver takes one channel, DVR's two and Genie's five. Run out and you need to use the SWM boxes again. I haven't a clue how that all works.

Somebody did the OP real bad. Did you use a credit card? Close enough to go to small claims court?

I have a Slimline 3 dish that does receive 99 and 103 on the roof of my house. I wonder if the dish could be used on the SK3003 frame?
I am in AZ so can't check on mounting holes etc.
As said above maybe Bill Adams will come on and clear it up for us.

I assume you realize that what you really "got stuck with" was the SK-3003 Trav'ler (not a 3-output Sk-3005) which does not receive DirecTV HD using the current satellite configuration. At one time DirecTV did broadcast some HD using, I believe, the 119 satellite but they don't anymore. My understanding is that it wasn't Winegard that was passing these dishes off on unsuspecting customers, it was dealers who had them in inventory. Because DirecTV did, at one time, broadcast HD on these satellites some unscrupulous dealers continued to sell them as HD-capable.

The second response in this thread did give you a link to the Winegard site with the correct information on how to connect your antenna to the SWM8. You don't need 4 connections because you only have 3 LNBs on your dish. Furthermore, since there is no programming on the 110 or 119 satellites that will be able to view with an English language package you really only need to connect the feed from the 101 LNB to the SWM8; the other two aren't actually going to be used. To be very specific, your dish receives channels from the 101, 110 and 119 satellites, but not the 99 and 103 which are required for HD.

I'm sure Bill Adams, the Winegard guy, will find this thread sooner or later and will confirm this.

Guys, I understand you are trying to help but I really need specific info from someone who has a known solution and understands the problem. I've done extensive research, have talked to WineGard and other so called experts, and have explored all the obvious ideas already

In answer to the first poster who says "SWM technology only requires one output". Well, yes but how do you get from 5 LNB's to the one output? When you understand that you'll understand the problem here. Without providing a full tutorial, do some searches on converting a non-SWM dish to SWM and using the SWM-8 if you care to understand it deeper.

To the second poster, if you take a closer look at the diagrams you refer to you'll also find you'll find that without the required 4 outputs from the dish to the SWM-8 you loose access to a bunch of channels. The SWM-8 requires 4 inputs to be able to provide access to all DirecTV channels on the single SWM output. If you provide the SWM-8 with only three then you have to make a choice as to which channels on what transponder you don't want to watch.

Anyhow, is there anyone who has a verified solution or knows enough about it to suggest a solution that you know will work?

Thanks

According to the Winegard wiring diagrams HERE (scroll down a ways) you can connect the SK3003 to the SWM 8 with only 3 outputs.

The first set of diagrams do show 4 outputs connected to the SWM 8 but farther down they show the SK3003 connections using just three. You need to cap the unused SWM 8 port with a 75 ohm terminating resistor cap according to the instructions.

SWM only requires one output from the antenna. So why does it matter that this antenna only has three outputs? SWM technology does require a different LNB, a external power supply and the SWM splitter. The problem comes that the feed arm may be of a different length than the one you have now. That part will be Winegard specific. The LNB you can buy from DirecTV installer or at many online retailers.