Dishcomm: I was under the impression that you meant an outlet ground, as in a power outlet. Apologies if I misunderstood.
Don Landis: Yes, the bases actually have 9 holes now even though we only use 6.
My DNS office up here hands out Dishcomm and Phonex telephone kits at no charge with the same going for HDMI cables for HD new connects. The only extra we charge for I think is the OTA module, which no one really has any use for. The logic with all that is if we offer the best HD programming, why give someone a wire mess by giving them component cables and a lower picture quality? Why make someone pay $5 for a dual receiver just because they don't have a telephone in that one specific room? Dish makes up for that small loss in the long run from customers purchasing PPV and other services/goods. I wish the rest of the DNS offices did the same both for the customer's and Dish's sake.
As for the mounting over the living space... I deal with a lot of country installs where most of the time there is NO reason for the dish to be on the peak of the roof. Silly tech, you're still 22,000 miles away from the satellite itself! With the exception of rare cases where you need to squeeze between several trees there is usually a way better spot to mount it.
9 times out of ten it is the customer that isnsists on dish placement "as high as you can get it".
It gets quite amusing when I hear the reasons why the cust thinks he needs "good reception" and to get that "I want the dish as high up the roof as it can go".
I look at them and say " the satellites are 22,000 miles up in space. Do you think that signal is going to get to the top of your roof and STOP?"...
That closes the book on that nonsense.
I don;t go on roofs if I can avoid it anyway. So the point is moot.
I stay on the ladder and will not go on a roof that has a 8/12 pitch or greater. And I never go out on to the roof of a two story house.
I have had too many near misses. I am not about to risk my life so someone can watch HGTV. No way.