Question about Directv installation procedure

[ktk3438]

I'm no expert, but the cable through the door??

 

[Shazapp]

I'm no expert, but the cable through the door??

Although I had permission from the landlord to have a hole drilled through the wall, the installer said he wouldn't do it and would use a flat cable passed through the sliding glass door.

 

[Mtnmike]

So drill a hole yourself. How hard is that?

 

[Shazapp]

So drill a hole yourself. How hard is that?

Without a drill, pretty hard. Again, this wasn't my complaint. Everyone loves to put words in my mouth.

 

[johnml]

Most of the people on this site hate it when the installers do a sh!tty job, Alot of them will ride your ass when you complain to Directv about crappy installations. I'm like you, I want the job done right the first time. The installer is supposed to be the "expert" but people on this web site think the customer should be the expert. I had problems when I had the AT9 installed. I had to have Directv come out three times and each time they had to replace the entire dish because the installer mangled it. Ulitimatly, Your paying for the service and you should get it done right. I actually had a installer come to my house and he didnt speak one word on English ??? Im one of those people who do call and complain when things arent done right. Directv has taken care of me through credits and free programming. (people on this site bitch about that too) Good luck -

 

[Shazapp]

Thanks. I was beginning to think I had to join a secret society before being qualified to expect a decent install without prior knowledge of the cost of a sled mount, etc.

I've learned a lot from this experience and will definitely ask more questions tomorrow when the installer is supposed to come back to my place to "make it right". I am very anxious that I'll have to deal with this on a continous basis. The experience, as a whole, is not making me feel very confident about cancelling my cable service (which happened this morning.)

I realize there is a lot of bias on this site because it is visited by installers. But expecting me to know how to do the install and correct all of the problems on my own is, frankly, a little odd. Maybe most dish owners are more "hands-on" type people. I don't know. I have been a little taken aback at the rather vicious attitude most people here have exhibited towards my questions about the install.

My hope is that in a year from now, this will all be behind me and I'll be enjoying my DirecTV system as much as I did for the 48 hours it managed to work following my initial installation.

 

[johnml]

Personally, I dont think the installers like installing the new dishes. Directv had to have a senior tech come out to finally get mine done right. Remember in the end Directv will take care of you. I had a installer that was supposed to be here between 8-12. At 12:00 I called Directv and while I was on the phone the installer showed up (at 12:03) I told Directv to forget about it that the installer showed up, but they told me because he was 3 minutes late I would get a $20 credit. A suprise for me (which I didnt expect) if you have problems call 1-800-824-9081 - The csr's at this number have more authority to give credits and free programming to make you happy -

 

[Mike500]

I don't think so, A novice wouldn't have used a sled mount. He figured telling somebody to lug two cinderblocks up some stairs is better than saying six.

I haven't responded to this post further, since I wanted tp provide others with the opportunity to do so.

A custom mount would have been in order, but I am sure that the installer had neither the time, the resources or the tools to design, build and install one.

First, the rails of the balcony could easily exceed the load requirements for mounting the 32 pound static load of the AT9 dish. Building code and engineering standards require a minimum of the railing's ability to retain a dynamic load of 250 pounds, with some codes requiring a load retention requirement of 600 pounds or more, due to the increasing obesity of the population.

The solution for the original poster's situation lies in increasing the rigidity of the mount and it's inertia to prevent displacement.

He needs to use at least six (6) 8x16x 4 inch concrete cap blocks laid down on the side to affect the lowest center of mass and to achieve the highest friction between the angle iron mount and the concrete floor of the balcony.

Then, to make the mounting as rigid as possible, you'd need two "monopoles" between the neck of the mounting arm and two of the balcony rails.

It is unexcusable for the installer to use a flat cable, when he has been approved to drill a through hole in the wall. Since all cables in electric boxes enter and exit from the top, the safest place is drill is always 2-3 inches to the side.

 

[grydlok]

It is enexcusable for the installer to use a flat cable, when he has been approved to drill a through hole in the wall. Since all cables in electric boxes enter and exit from the top, the safest place is drill is always 2-3 inches to the side.

Something happen when the installer talked to the landlord, because the tech came back with flat cable and a sled. I not saying somebody didn't tell this guy to drill, but I always check the property manager 1st before I do anything I could care less what a customer says as they done own.

 

[Shazapp]

Something happen when the installer talked to the landlord, because the tech came back with flat cable and a sled. I not saying somebody didn't tell this guy to drill, but I always check the property manager 1st before I do anything I could care less what a customer says as they done own.

The installer never talked to the landlord. I have a permission slip in writing saying that I had permission to get a hole drilled in my wall. What you always do doesn't mean anything to this guy, apparently. He said, and I quote, "I'm not drilling a hole."

 

[chadzx11]

This one is missing the monopoles, and using a sh!tty flat cable. Cheapest of the cheap. That's an $18 sled, and I would not be using it for an AT9. I'd be a using the bigger Primestar/DTN/Hughesnet style sleds. This one is for an 18" or a phase 3!

 

[ktk3438]

Dude, most of what you read here says you got got a sh!tty install. Call D*, and complain, and to prove your point, take those pictures and scan that persmission slip of yours from management, and E-mail it to them so thay can see what kind of asswipe installer they have working on their behalf.

I'm sure you'll get it done right if you do that.

 

[Nate505]

I saw someone here say that a bucket shouldn't be used for a dish.

For those of us that live in apartments, that are not on the ground floor, and for those of us whose apartments don't allow you to mount anything on the railings, how on earth would you get a dish there?

The more I read here, the more I realize that for apartments cable is probably the only way to go. Which sucks for me, because I like DirecTv.

 

[johnml]

5 gallon buckets work fine for the 3LNB dishes - not too sure about the 5LNB dishes though - A friend of mine lives on the 15th floor of a condo on the beach (which is always windy) and rarely has problems. If you do have a problem, all you gotta do is turn the bucket.

 

[Shazapp]

Well, I finally have a working dish again. The installer (a different guy) came on Wednesday morning and realigned my dish.

The reason I couldn't get a signal simply by moving the sled back to where it was originally was due to the fact that the original installer didn't tighten any (or many) of the screws or nuts that hold the dish in place. The new installer said that most of them were able to be tightened using just his fingers, which is unacceptable. He also re-leveled the mast, which was apparently not level anymore.

Once he got it realigned (which took about 15 minutes), he did manage to get a stronger signal for me than the original installer did. (Which isn't a surprise at this point.)

He took down the original installer's ID number. What, if anything, will be done from his end, I don't know.

Unfortunately, he wouldn't drill a hole for the cable to come into the apartment. Although I had verbal permission from the landlord, the permission slip was a bit more vague. I was mistaken when I said the permission slip said I was allowed to drill a hole. While it didn't say I couldn't, it did not spell out that I could. (The landlord told me that to make sure that when a hole was drilled, to make sure that some sort of putty or insulation was used to plug the hole around the wire. He wouldn't have told me that if I wasn't allowed to drill a hole.) Anyway, the installer said that in apartment installs, he's not permitted to drill through the wall. He did give me four more flat cables to use if the current one craps out.

While I'm not happy about that, it doesn't prevent me from drilling a hole of my own later...if I acquire a drill (or rent one)...so that wasn't too upsetting.

Almost on cue, tonight we're having a snow storm with 20-30 mile an hour wind gusts and my dish is steady (now with six cinder blocks instead of only two) and I've got a crystal clear picture. :clap

 

[Revenoor]

Excuse me, I just have to interject

To the original poster: You got screwed by a lazy worker. While I am not a professional dish installer, I have installed every one of my dishes since 1985 C-band big ugly dish. While there is no earthly reason you should have to do the job, you are obviously technically adequate to do the job yourself and do it right. I'm pretty darn sure you are by the fact that you recognized it was wrong to start with, are smart enough to find this forum, describe the problem and then not take offense when some of these numb nuts say it's your fault. My rationale follows: in my personal opinion, as each day goes by, one less good employee goes by the wayside in every walk of life as the newer, touchy-feely, let the governemnt take care of me because I have a right to money for no work, generation grows to outnumber us. As this is a different vent for a different time let's just get to the bottom line and that is we all have to learn enough to ensure we get the service we pay for. Now I have fiqured out that I can and will do the work and let the seller (DTV in this case) pay me to do it. My pay is via discounts, programming, free car washes or whatever. In the photos posted, I could not see the balconey walls clearly enough to make a determination but my bet is that you can get that dish off the floor and mount it to the wall somehow that is structually sound and has the landlord's blessing (get it in writing). Look at all the pict you can find of a dish installed, cruise complexes, observe and then go to a hardware store and get that sucker mounted. Surf till you drop in many forums such as this and you WILL find that aiming and tuning a dish is not brain surgery and can be done without special meters or tools. Good luck, if I were close by I'd drive over and lend a hand.

 

[chadzx11]

Anyway, the installer said that in apartment installs, he's not permitted to drill through the wall. He did give me four more flat cables to use if the current one craps out.

Drilling a hole in an apartment is not quite the same as drilling one in a house. If the firebreak is penetrated like that, it may violate a fire code somewhere (I don't pretend to know all codes everywhere, so your mileage may vary). Before you let somebody like mr revenoor help you mount that, you might check into codes and then ask to see some proof in insurance and so forth. An untrained ape might be able to do the job, but that does not make it wise to allow it.

 

[Shazapp]

I'm not planning on making any changes to the current install unless a problem arises. It's working fine (so far) and does the job. I don't need it to be mounted differently if this method does the trick...and so far it's doing the trick.

The drilling issue is one for the future, but not necessarily the immediate future.

I just want to enjoy my Directv for a little while at this point.