Nope - not at all. The LNB has four leads coming off of it. They may travel inside the arm, but they're already there. You just screw those cables onto the SWM.

Are you saying the cables are already connected to the LNB, or that there are 4 connectors? I know that the alignment of the Slimline dish must be very precise to pick up the HD channels. I just want to avoid messing up the alignment and have to request a service call from Directv.

There are four connectors on the LNB. There may or may not be lines connected to them.

Power Inserter Location

I am working towards installation of a SWM-8.
Most of my wiring is going to the various locations via outside around the house runs.

My plan:
The 4 cables from dish to SWM-8.
SWM1 output will be split via a 2 way splitter. The 2 outputs will go to the 2 back bedrooms and will ultimatey have HD receivers but not now.

SWM2 output will be split via a 4-way splitter. The outputs going to the family room DVR, Bedroom DVR, living room receiver and Master bedroom receiver.

I found that the 2 existing cable runs to the family room and master bedroom were actually RG-6 cable!

Questions: Can a power inserter be installed without any receivers hooked to it? ie... the SWM1 output? If not, then I will need to reverse SWM1 & SWM2 splitter configuration.

Can the power inserter be installed after the splitter? If not, I'll need to install the power inserter outside enclosed in a weather proof box. Can this be done?
Otherwise, it will be installed off the DVR in the bedroom.

Is there anything that pops out at you as to configuration problems/

Yes - you can install the power inserter to SWM1 and have nothing coming out of the IRD port on the power inserter. If you have a terminator, it might help to screw it on there.

Or, you can install the power inserter after the splitter. Just make sure you're using the red 'out' port on the run that holds the PI.

Everything else sounds good!

how does a 4-way splitter feed 2 DVR's and 2 recievers. a DVR needs two signals to record and watch different channels. a 4-way splitter will only carry 4 signals if both SWM outputs are used?

i'm not stating facts. I'm asking the question. i assumed that if one SWM output was being used it would carry all 8 signals, but if both SWM outputs were being used it each one would carry only 4 signals.

DVRs only need one SWM line. In fact, they can't handle two. From the one line, they get all the data they need to get to use both tuners. That's another advantage of SWM technology.