# Rough-in: Understanding SATV



## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

boot said:


> Hello, I am new to the forums here. I am an Electrcian's Helper, I've been in the field for all of nine months!
> 
> I just helped my co-worker rough in a brand new house. Our boss told us to run two runs of RG-6 to the attic from the basement for the satellite dish. Individual home-runs of RG-6 from each television location have also been run to this same spot in the basement.
> 
> ...


My guess is that he wants to hit four locations , But don't feel stupid because you do not know,,Hell I've got 38 years in and just never do satellite,,So we are in the same boat,,boot;..:laughing:

Welcome to the forum enjoy the show...:thumbup:


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## JustinG (Sep 4, 2012)

My background is in Directv, DTV has in the past couple of years switched to a SWiM system that has the multiswitch built into the dish that can provide signal to 8 tuners. The reason they are asking for 4 RG-6's is for future expansion and CYA. 

On a regular 5 LNB dish there are 4 inputs, 13v, 18v, 13v-22khz and 18v-22khz. What ever voltage and/or 22khz tone is sent down the line is what determines what transponders aka channels are available to the set top box.

I know I'm leaving a lot out but I hope that helps.


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

Get a copy of Newton's Telecom Dictionary. 

Mine is the 14th edition (90's) and doesn't have SWiM in it.



> This is the world's bestselling and most comprehensive reference book on telecom, data communications, networking, computing and the Internet, with over 785,000 copies sold. Featuring 26,283 terms and hundreds updated and expanded, the 26th edition of Newton's Telecom Dictionary weighs in at over four times larger than any other telecom and IT dictionary, and includes wired, wireless, satellite, fiber and Internet terms.
> It explains technical concepts in non-technical language anyone can understand. According to Discount Long Distance Digest, it "truly belongs on the bookshelf of everyone in the telecom industry. It's worth every penny, and is pound-for-pound the best telecom book we have seen." The 26th edition includes The dictionary has THREE BONUS Sections:
> 
> THE BEST MONEY-SAVING TIPS - Harry Newton's favorite ways to save on telecom, computing, airlines, hotels, and buying and using great gadgetry and software.
> ...


Amazing book.








.


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## JustinG (Sep 4, 2012)

Here is a PDF training link if you would like to read up on it,

http://forums.directv.com/pe/Reposi...96641/SWM - Integrated LNB-ModuleTraining.pdf


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## Ultrafault (Dec 16, 2012)

At one point when dish network switched to hd I had to run 6 rg6 wires. To my knowledge they only require one from the lnbf to the switch currently. 4 sounds like a homeowner spec to me


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## Gustavo270 (Mar 17, 2013)

Directv looks at 4 different satellites for all its programming so it needs 4 wires to run to the multi switch to combine all the programs to a single wire. The SWiM system from directv has the multi switch inside the dish so it only needs one wire running back to the service room but it can only do a max of 8 tuners (DVRs have 2 tuners each). With 4 wires you can use the older hd dishes and and use special splitters to allow you to hook up more than 8 tuners


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

SWiM = single wire multiplexing

In the old system, the STB would tell thw switch which LMB it wanted by the voltage is sent out the coax. In a SWM system, each STB tuner is assigned its own frequency.


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## boot (Mar 1, 2013)

Thank you all for the warm welcome to the forum. I had no idea about the SWiM protocol. It's nice to be abreast of the latest advancements in the technical department. We did end up running the 4 wires, but the quad shield requirement was dropped. 

There's 4 TV's in the house, if I understand right, with the SWM multiplexer, one wire could have done 8 TV's. So, the 4 wires is just a CYA of a CYA? Or is what the other poster mentioned, 4 different satellites (is my leg being pulled?) have something to do with it?


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## five.five-six (Apr 9, 2013)

It will do 8 tuners, DVRs have 2 tuners, so 4 STBs and 2 DVRs or 2 STBs and 3 DVRs, you get th idea.


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## JustinG (Sep 4, 2012)

In a pinch the directv guy could put a SWM16 at the dish location and swap out the LNB for a 5 LNB. But 4 runs to the dish is the right way to do it.


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## MisterCMK (Jul 5, 2009)

You should pull an additional 2 coax feeds to the attic for MATV as long as you are pulling the cable.


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## Justindishone (May 6, 2013)

Most the guys on here are right, cya. If the customer ends up using more than 8 tuners (4dvrs or 8non-dvrs or whatever) they will need to use a swm switch. The genie uses 5 tuners and everyone seems to be upgrading to that lately.. (---ex directv tech).


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