Do you have a SWM dish or a SWM multiswitch?

I have a single wire multi switch LNBS Model# SL3 SPIG-WNC Rev.1

It is CRITICAL that you have the line to the power inverter connected to the "power pass" (red output) port on the splitter. Are you doing that?

no. It is currently hooked up fter the splitter before it goes to the dvr

actually it is not currently hooked up at all. Everything is running without it.

The original set-up had the cable from the LNB going in to the SWM side of the power inverter. The IRD side of the inverter then went to the red connection of the 4-way splitter. The 4 cables then came out of the splitter and ran to each of the tvs.

The next tech came to the house and showed me a diagram for the inverter installation which showed that the cable from the LNB was supposed to go to the red connection on the splitter. From the splitter, the 4 cables would go to the tv's. The inverter would then go in-line on the one cable running to the DVR. The Direct TV techs I talked to at the local store keep telling me that the other guys don't know what they're talking about and assure me that their method is the correct way.

That's when I got fed up and pulled the inverter completely off to see what happened and everything seemed to work. I'm sure though that the inverter was probably there for a reason and I'm just wondering if I need to put it back, and if so, where?

I took it last night and plugged it in to the wall to see if I could get the 24 volts output to show up on my voltage meter. I had a short piece of cable coming out and put on lead on the center wire and another on the inside of the threaded connector. I got no reading whatsoever, thus the question whether there is a way to test the output.

Thanks for whatever help you can provide.

The power inserter sends power up to the dish, rather than relying on the receivers to power the dish. It is definitely an important piece of the puzzle, and be installed before or after the splitter, and (if after the splitter) at a receiver. If you install it at the receiver, after the splitter, then you must use the power passing port on the splitter so that the power can go up to and through the splitter, to the dish.

If nothing works when you use the power inserter, then you may have a defective power inserter. If you haven't done it already, try using the PI, no splitter, and only one IRD.

Thanks. Should I be able to measure some voltage coming out of the inverter using a meter? Also, what is the power passing port on the splitter? On the splitter I have, there is a red connection labeled in, and 4 regular colored connections marked out.

Sounds like it may just be easier to hook it up before the splitter. I'm assuming then that the swm connection goes to the LNB, and the IRD connection goes to the red input connection on the splitter? Then the 4 outputs go directly to the tv's.

What is the model of your splitter and what is the frequency range on it?

Yes, SWM to LNB and IRD to the input on the splitter.

The model of the splitter is SWS4WB-WNC. I don't see a frequency range listed. The IN connection (red one) on the splitter does say Power Pass on it.

I did hook up the meter to the Power Inserter (SWM side) and got 19 volts.

Right--and one of the outputs is also power passing on that splitter.