Question for installers...

[bobrap]

What do you use to detect/align the sat signals?

 

[Jared Twomey]

a meter...
personally i use a Channel Master 1006IFD

 

[bobrap]

How 'bout an installer using a cell phone from the dish to someone at the screen, saying "What's it now?" (asking about signal strength)

 

[bhelms]

They might even place a phone receiver there without human help and just listen to the audible signal strength indication. It's primitive and might seem unprofessional, but frankly if it gets the job done, what's the problem...?

 

[iafirebuff]

I have used cordless phones, frs radios and such to have my daughter or wife read me that signal meter screen. Fast, cheap and easy!

 

[iafirebuff]

or you could take the receiver and a tv out and do it that way.

 

[RandallA]

I use a cheap satellite finder and a baby monitor. First I find the satellite with the finder and then fine tune it with the baby monitor (sound).

 

[Jared Twomey]

i would bet all installers have had to do stuff like that at one time or another... personally i've used a set of two-way radios to listen to the tv...
if i had another guy working with me i'll occasionally call them just to make sure i'm getting all the satellites. saves me from walking down the ladder to run the check switch myself.

 

[Hall]

or you could take the receiver and a tv out and do it that way.

I did that once when I installed my DirecTV system. Had a 19" TV that I used. Brought it and the receiver into the backyard and set it on the patio about 15' from the dish. This was a (1) satellite dish and using the numbers D* gives, we got a signal right off the bat. Fine-tuned it using the TV...

Tried the arrangement of someone in the living room relaying to a person at the back door relaying to us in the backyard. It didn't work as there's too much lag between moving the dish and the receiver locking on. It was like "how's it now ?" ... "nope, nothing" ... so we moved it a bit. We should have moved it , waited 5 seconds, then asked.

 

[boba]

As a professional I find that a very poor showing for the new customer. I am sure if either D* or E* managers saw that being done by their installers that installer would not be working for them.

 

[bobrap]

As a professional I find that a very poor showing for the new customer. I am sure if either D* or E* managers saw that being done by their installers that installer would not be working for them.

Kinda thought that myself. I'll see if it gets any better on Mon. Installer's gonna come and realign my dish.

 

[Roadwarrior]

gyahh. lighten up. Its satellite installation not surgery. I've had to that before because I had installed a dish in a downpour and my meter got soaked and wouldnt work that day. I still had 3 installs to do. S**t happens. The world of satellite installation isn't a perfect one and things go wrong all the time.

What is your signal strength?

 

[bobrap]

110 about 70, 119 around 98, 129 - 68

 

[brad1138]

I have to echo what boba said, there is no good reason a professional installer would not have some type of meter. Maybe if he forgot it at his last job, but you can buy a cheap meter at Radio Shack for about $20. Buy 2 and have a spare. I personally use a Birdog meter(about $400), which tells me which sat I am locked onto and has signal meter at least as accurate as the onscreen sat display.

The problem is that there are some not so reputable companies that hire "installers" ( I use that term loosely) that roll in their own cars, usually not licensed or insured and poorly prepared/equipped.

I have heard stories of an installer coming to a job with a ladder duct-taped to his roof, or needing to use the customers ladder and/or drill etc...

IMO a prof. installer should roll in a company vehicle or at least a clean work van/truck and be well equipped, especially with tools as commonly need as a sat. meter.

 

[Roadwarrior]

I have to echo what boba said, there is no good reason a professional installer would not have some type of meter. Maybe if he forgot it at his last job, but you can buy a cheap meter at Radio Shack for about $20. Buy 2 and have a spare. I personally use a Birdog meter(about $400), which tells me which sat I am locked onto and has signal meter at least as accurate as the onscreen sat display.

The problem is that there are some not so reputable companies that hire "installers" ( I use that term loosely) that roll in their own cars, usually not licensed or insured and poorly prepared/equipped.

I have heard stories of an installer coming to a job with a ladder duct-taped to his roof, or needing to use the customers ladder and/or drill etc...

IMO a prof. installer should roll in a company vehicle or at least a clean work van/truck and be well equipped, especially with tools as commonly need as a sat. meter.

Yeah, ok. I drive my own truck, buy everything and I do have two meters.
And just because you work by the hour and have a nice little uniform and and a shiny company vehicle does not make you any more qualified to do the job. Sometimes stuff happens. And If you have several installs to do and your last job was 50 miles south and there is no Radio Shack in sight(or it's Sunday?), what are you gonna do? I am usually prepared, and whos to say this guy bobrap is talking about isnt usually prepared and just had a really bad day? Or maybe he was a new subcontract installer and just wasn't trained properly,or long enough. Alot of new subcontract installers pretty much have to teach themselves, and as bad as it sounds, thats on the job training. (Me, for example).

Are these guys just supposed to go work at wal mart? Everybody needs a job. What proper training is there for this type of work? 8 hours of SBCA classes? Is that it?

I laugh every time a customer asked me how long I had to go to school for this.

 

[bobrap]

Sorry guys, didn't mean to start anything. Just figured if the best the installer can do is eyeball it, I can do that one afternoon myself and then I can't complain.

 

[Roadwarrior]

Well, ideally, he should have had a meter. Yeah, we don't all just go out there and eyeball it.

I just read alot about how "stupid" the installer was, or "the guy was clueless" or something equally demeaning, and it irritates me. A so-called "professional" installer is just a guy who has been doing this for years. Not a PhD in engineering or anything like that. You were unfortunate enough to either get a new guy just trying to get started or a decent installer who just did not have a meter on him for whatever reason that day. If your signal strength is good, no problems, if not, it's aggrivating and you have to get somebody else out there that will fix it.

Of course I do know a couple of guys who just go out there and slap it in for beer money, I can't deny that. but those guys usually don't last long. Most of the "bad installs" are just inexperienced guys trying to learn.

I'm done with the rant.

 

[brad1138]

I drive my own truck, buy everything and I do have two meters.

I've got no problem with your truck, my point on this was more the guy driving up in his hatchback with all his crap in back etc.

And just because you work by the hour and have a nice little uniform and and a shiny company vehicle

I work for a private co. with 4 installers (7 people in entire co.), they supply the van and tools(my boss would say my van isn't very shiny & that I need to wash it ). I work on commision, not hourly, and a T-shirt with co. logo is all the uniform I have and I don't have to wear it.

whos to say this guy bobrap is talking about isnt usually prepared and just had a really bad day

I didn't, just last week I left my only cordless drill at a customers house, and ended up driving in a couple lags with a 1/2 wrench because I couldn't find my back up rachet that I hadn't used in about 2 years. I felt bobrap asked how installers felt it should be done.

What proper training is there for this type of work? 8 hours of SBCA classes? Is that it?

The SBCA class was a joke, we usually have a new hire ride for 3-4 weeks with a current installer. Also having a background in & understanding of home electronics is good.

I also get a kick out of people asking if I had to go to school for this

*edit - I started this b4 your last post-thats why it seems out of order*

 

[Roadwarrior]

Sorry guys, didn't mean to start anything. Just figured if the best the installer can do is eyeball it, I can do that one afternoon myself and then I can't complain.

Oh yeah, wanna know the really funny part? You CAN do it yourself. There are several customers that post on here that do just that. And alot of them do it just the way your installer does it.

 

[SmityWhity]

Guess I'm not a professional installer; but myself, I look at my watch to see what time it is, and then I go out and eyeball it first, then I use one of all of the methods previously listed except for the $400 meter and baby monitor. But, that's only because I don't keep baby monitors around, I know how well they transmit to the neighbors .

My last install I used a SF-95, but I didn't like it, and switched to a 13" TV.

However... For you professional installers, I do agree you need to show some sort of professionalism, but I think/feel that being courteous to the customer is the most important, and suspect most of you are.