DirecTV SL3-SWM and cheap meters

[daystrom]

This has been discussed before but I am still not 100% clear on what to use.

I currently use an old 18" DirecTV dish with a D12 standard def receiver. I'd like to bring an HD receiver from the house along with a SL3 dish.

My question is aligning a SWM LNB it with a cheapo LCD meter from eBay. The LNB needs 21v from the power injector to turn on but that is too much for the meter.

DirecTV used to have a 'splitter looking' product called the ASL-1 that would pass the 21v to the LNB allowing you to use a cheap meter. It had outputs for the 101 and other birds. The ASL-1 has been discontinued and they are pricey used.

Some have said to just use a non-SWM SL3 LNB which is fine since I am only feeding one TV. Others have said that you can use a normal green label SWM splitter and inject the 21v into it. You can then hook your cheap meter to an output of it powering it with 18v from an outside source.

Is this indeed factual? Will a normal SWM splitter do the same thing as the ASL-1. What satellite would be output if this is true? I read that as long as the LNB is powered without a receiver, it'll output the 101 bird to peak on.

Thanks!

[lynndiwagon]

I tried everything and couldn't get it to work. I bought a relatively inexpensive meter that works great with SWM systems and my SL3, and it does peak on 101. IF you're really good with the compass and you use the zip code settings for elv. and azi. from the directv setup screen you can get pretty close to 101, but you will still need to use the signal meter built in to the receiver for final tuning.

[edatlanta]

daystrom wrote:
OK so everyone says not to use the cheap meters but I still want to know my original question.

Will a cheap meter work off of a green label splitter that has 21v injected to the lnb? If so what bird is output with no receivers hooked up?

A cheap meter hooked up inline like this: receiver - coax to power inserter - coax to cheap meter - coax to dish

Will Not Work.

[daystrom]

Big Katuna, you said that you use the meter like a continuity tester.

I understand that the meter is going to squeal whenever it sees any signal which makes it difficult to find the right bird. The SL3 LNB sees 3 orbital positions at one time, 99, 101, 103. Would the cheap meter see all three or does the LNB default to just the 101 until the receiver is hooked up?

[Big_Katuna]

I repeat, I use a cheap meter at the SL3 dish which goes to a 8 by splitter with the PI connected to it.

[daystrom]

OK so everyone says not to use the cheap meters but I still want to know my original question.

Will a cheap meter work off of a green label splitter that has 21v injected to the lnb? If so what bird is output with no receivers hooked up?

[wa8yxm]

Toss the cheap meter and use the second best meter for the job.. The one that is built into the Receiver... IF your receiver has coax out to TV hook up a small portable color set and watch it as you aim.

Dish Network's software is as good as the best commercial meters.. Direc's not quite as good but I'd rate it #2 Even among professional meters.

[edatlanta]

Forget the meters. Use the signal strength meter built in to the DirecTV receiver and get a wireless baby monitor (much cheaper than a meter that will work with SWM). Aim the camera at the TV screen, take the monitor outside with you and you can see the strength from the TV screen. If you have a Genie the sound is back so you can hear it also.

[Big_Katuna]

I've used my cheapo meter with the SL3. I use it when I have several sections of cable and basically am using it like a continuity tester. If it lights up, I have a a connection to the sat box. I use Dishpointer AR and talk to my wife who is inside watching the screen.

[2oldman]

Ok, but know that the HD receiver has no beeps.

[daystrom]

I usually do - just trying to understand this and my options.

[2oldman]

If you have another person handy, it's much easier to use the TV screen rather than a meter. As you can see, they're kind of a hassle.