DirecTV B Band Converters?

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Quillback, I know you are not the pro but you have seen and experienced the newest installation, so I have a few questions.
Quillback 424 said:
- Is your wiring Cat 6 or above; if it's only Cat 5 something, will it work?
My coach installation currently has the SK3005 with two channels dropped to HR24(with two B-Band converters) front and an HR23 in BR. If changing to the Genie system does this require CAT 6 internet cabling to be routed from the Genie Receiver (Hub) to the Clients?

Quillback 424 said:
-
If you go with Genie, it requires a new power inserter. Don't use the one from a previous receiver.
The SK3005 is powered from its own control. Is something else added to system requiring a power inserter...I saw mention of a SWM-8 which I can only assume is a multiswitch - do existing SK3005 outputs get rerouted to this SWM-8?
Quillback 424 said:
- Are your TV's compatible with D-TV's RF controllers? My Vizeo's are not so I need the Vizeo controller for volume control. I haven't checked with D-TV or Vizeo to see if there is an update available.
Bummer...I haven't seen very many TVs that you can use an RF remote on, any update would have to be hardware. You can get RF to IR repeaters which are a little cumbersome but do work.
I don't understand why you need an RF remote. Doesn't each client accept IR inputs from a local remote?
Thanks
Bob
May not change in coach since everything is currently working quite well but if Boss gets unhappy could change.
 
Bob:

I'm very concerned about putting out bad information especially since, unlike you, some folks appear to use this forum as their total research and many may read this thread in the future.

That said, I downloaded:

Winegard's "Guide for Using DIRECTTV SWM Technology with Winegard Mobile Satellite TV Antennas" (doc 2452242) at www.winegard.com/receivers, and;

Information on Genie, C-31 client, dongles, RVU equipped TVs (which would eliminate the need for the client at the TV), prices, etc. at http://forums.directv.com and at http://www.solidsignal.com  or just google Direct TV and Solid Signal and be prepared to spend time reading installers questions and thoughts.

Solid Signal's forum discusses connection requirements for HD and SD TVs and I believe it also has a good video on receiving, filtering and passing along the frequencies received by the SK-3005 dish. If the video is not on Solid State it will be on DIRECTV.com .

Direct TV's doc discusses SWM technology and contains the warnings about using appropriate power inserters and their connection requirements or damage may result.

Quote from: Quillback 424 on Today at 06:38:37 AM
- Is your wiring Cat 6 or above; if it's only Cat 5 something, will it work?My coach installation currently has the SK3005 with two channels dropped to HR24(with two B-Band converters) front and an HR23 in BR. If changing to the Genie system does this require CAT 6 internet cabling to be routed from the Genie Receiver (Hub) to the Clients?

I personally have never found a requirement for Cat 6 for my installation. I was more concerned that HDMI would be required. The installer charged me $30 for 50' of Cat 6 and $40 each for an HDMI dongle at each TV. If my MH was already wired with Cat 5, I would have researched whether or not it would work. Keep in mind that with Genie data is being passed both ways (actually on every path) since you can watch TV and record multiple programs at the same time at any TV location and play, pause, advance etc. any program from your location even if it was recorded at another location -- Genie is the only receiver and it is also the only recorder on my system. Also, with Direct TV's "Cinema Kit" Genie can be connected to your router which provides access to up to 10,000 PPV DTV movies and the entire internet on any TV. So, lots of data could be moving on the MH network. I installed the Cinema Kit at S/B, which is HDMI, but not on MH.


Quote from: Quillback 424 on Today at 06:38:37 AM
-
If you go with Genie, it requires a new power inserter. Don't use the one from a previous receiver.
The SK3005 is powered from its own control. Is something else added to system requiring a power inserter...I saw mention of a SWM-8 which I can only assume is a multiswitch - do existing SK3005 outputs get rerouted to this SWM-8?

If you install a Genie or just the SWM-8 you MUST change out the power inserter which powers the SMW-8 and hence the SK. DIRECT TV'S WARNING NOTE: "Do not use DIRECTV PI-21 power inserter with SWM-8. Use a DIRECTV power inserter PI-28 or PI-29". SWM-8 is a multiswitch and, on the Genie system, takes all four cable inputs from the SK-3500 and provides one cable output to Genie. Don't hold me to this but I think SWM-8 can route the OTA antenna signal also. I kept the OTA and park cable runs undisturbed on my setup since they are switched at the TV.

Quote from: Quillback 424 on Today at 06:38:37 AM
- Are your TV's compatible with D-TV's RF controllers? My Vizeo's are not so I need the Vizeo controller for volume control. I haven't checked with D-TV or Vizeo to see if there is an update available.Bummer...I haven't seen very many TVs that you can use an RF remote on, any update would have to be hardware. You can get RF to IR repeaters which are a little cumbersome but do work.
I don't understand why you need an RF remote. Doesn't each client accept IR inputs from a local remote?
Thanks
Bob
May not change in coach since everything is currently working quite well but if Boss gets unhappy could change.

My installer mentioned something about putting an IR sensor on the Genie since my TV's are IR'd but I rejected it before he even finished his explaination. I don't need another piece to this puzzle right now -- maybe later -- besides, the RF controllers are amazing!

According to my DTV installer, Genie has been available for less than one year and the C-31 client for only about three months. If I had a working system with the SK-3005, I think I would probably let the Genie system mature a bit before I jumped in.

Larry
 
Our RC64 RF remotes work fine with our four Vizio TVs in IR mode while the remotes communicate with the Directv receivers in RF mode.


There is a second code to input to control volume while in AV1, I believe it is 993.
 
Thanks Jeff. My S/B controllers are RC65RX and the extra controller they drop shipped for the MH is a RC65RBX. I assume the rest of the MH controllers are one of the two. I'll play around with the book and your code and see what happens. Knowing that it is doable is half the battle. Thanks again.
 
Larry,
Thanks much for your comprehensive reply.
Kudos for your not wanting to pass bad info. Also thanks for the Winegard reference; it is more comprehensive than the last one I read.
Your reply answered all my questions.
1. CAT x cabling for Ethernet between receiver and clients (C31) appears to be required
2. A separately powered SWM8 with inserter is required
3. As you said my coach setup satisfies but wholehouse solution would probably require changes to coach as well. I would hate to have to support and pay for two systems.
I am glad to see that Jeff  passed on some info on the RF/IR functions of your new remote.
Thanks again.
 
Bob,

If you decided to change over to the Genie you wouldn't pay for two systems or even two programming packages if you also have DTV at a S/B. You would pay for the Genie -- $200 for me -- and DTV sends the rest free including SWM-8, one client for each extra TV, component cables, composite cables, etc. You would need to buy the SWM power inserter unless you could negotiate a trade for the PI-21 they include in the package. They even gave me a free carry out dish and tripod. And, the house dish, HR-24 receiver, installation, etc. was free. I'm sure you would need to send your current MH equipment back to them, but that's it.

I have one account and only one monthly DTV charge for the programming package of $68 plus $6 per month for each client even though I have systems in both the house and MH.
 
Larry,
You should work for DirecTV  ;D !
I believe I will call them when I return to Texas. I know the Boss would like the whole-house access to recorded stuff.
Thanks
Bob
 
Maybe the whole-home function for DirecTV has evolved, but in my research, all communication between receivers is done through the coax.  Of course this assumes that you have everything connected from a SWiM multi-switch, and 'green label' approved splitters.  There is no need for ethernet connections.  If you want to extend the whole-home function to the Internet, then you need a DECA adapter, that takes coax input, and output is ethernet to your router.  I'm told that if you hook up to the Internet this way, you must remove any connections you currently have to the ethernet port on your sat receivers, as this will cause confusion in the units, and access to Internet may not work.


This configuration has an added benefit to provide hard-wired ethernet support to areas of the coach that does not have ethernet wires run.  You simply connect the coax at that point to an additional DECA adapter, and use the ethernet port as an extension to the router.  I haven't tried this, but I may in the future.


Kim, did you resolve your B-band problem?  Jeff, did you hook up your new satellite?  Are you using the now older SK-3005 or the model that has the SWiM built in?
 
My whole home in both my RV & stick house is with ethernet to routers, no coax involved.

I installed it during their beta period so it may not be possible to still do this. 

I just noticed Jeff gave this same info in an earlier reply.
 
Terry and I installed our SK-3005 and had it working in about 3 hours with the help of a few strong backs at QZ and Chris Pennings on the ground throwing up whatever we needed. The antenna cranked up and worked on the first try.

To comment on what I mentioned earlier about doing my own install on the Whole House system. About every other Direct installer I have dealt with starts off by wanting to replace any wiring and switches that I have installed telling me it is Direct's policy to avoid problems down the road. I have no intention of allowing that so I have so far managed to install all the Direct systems in our past two motorhomes.

I also was never able to get Direct to install units in our home and TV under one account so they must have changed their policy over the past eight years since we went on the road.
 
DakotaRed said:
Kim, did you resolve your B-band problem?  Jeff, did you hook up your new satellite?  Are you using the now older SK-3005 or the model that has the SWiM built in?

My problem turned out to be a snapped wire up in the antenna on the roof. Nobody could figure out how it broke since that portion of the assembly did not move. I could have sped the process up materially by hauling myself up on the roof and taking things apart, but we were in transit and that was not a good option.

Directing technicians how to logically troubleshoot the issue, however, turned out to be the most complicated part. At $100 an hour, whether they find the problem or not, they don't have the same skin in the game that I have.  8) There were several lessons learned during this adventure in the shop.
 
Hi Kim, did you ever install the HDMI switch we talked about?  While I don't have the same problem you have, I want to use HDMI for my satellite connection just because it is better (pure digital - baby, yeah) than the component video and separate audio connection.  An added plus, is if I get the Genie it will already be set up to use HDMI.


I got everything through Amazon Prime, HDMI switch, 3 inputs, and remote (plus auto-sense so I may not even need the remote) for $10.  Two HDMI 6 ft. cables for $14.  Should be delivered here at Lazydays on Wednesday.
 
Dakota,

If you are running HDMI to a bedroom (or any secondary) LCD, the clients that I received did not have HDMI in and out. That's why I ran HDMI only from the client to the LCD. Something to check if you are still thinking about installing a Genie in the future.
 
Hi Larry,
My plan is to not run any additional cable (mostly - I'll explain below).  Currently there is one coax from the from the passenger seat junction box to the bedroom.  When I get the Genie, my plan is to replace the HR24 in the front with the Genie, move the HR24 to the bedroom, and replace the H24 sitting there now.  Then I will use the H24 that came out of the bedroom and use it for the outside TV.  This way I don't need to add any clients since I am using existing receivers. Cable that I would like to run is from the junction box above the passenger seat, to the basement where I have the TV. I'm not sure how hard that would be.
++Larry
 
DakotaRed said:
Hi Kim, did you ever install the HDMI switch we talked about? 

I did install the HDMI auto sensing A/B switch after waiting three months for a special size cable from B&H Photo (huge mistake). I have some noise in the switch which is unacceptable but have not chased that issue down yet.
 

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