Recom. installer to fix D* installation

[Todd Humphrey]

Installing a taller pole is not a wise idea. Trees grow. All you are doing to putting off the problem, you are not solving it. The pole for a Kaku dish must be VERY stable. Unless you plan to install a much larger pipe and reduce the diameter at the top, your mast would need guy wires or support struts to a building.

To answer your question regarding someone to help, I am sure if you look in the phone book you can find someone close that can do this job right. If you continue to have problems finding someone, PM me and I will look into a few resources I have to see if find someone.

I looked in my directory but the closet person was 75 miles away.

 

[axg9504]

Thanks again for all the info, this is a very helpful forum! The D* installer that came last week said the regulation pole (7 feet?) mounted in the ground would work from a spot out in the yard, about 50 ft away, diagonally, from the current position. From this spot the pole could probably even be shortened (he said). He said he was not equipped to run cable under concrete, so I have deferred the instal to another company in Charlotte NC that has experience in custom installs. From this position in the yard I can run along the side of the driveway underground which would mean longer cable run length but only a short sidewalk to go under or go diagonally across the driveway. I haven't done any measurements to see if the first route is too long. I've been told that 100 ft is recommended by D* as optimal but a supv. at their instal company said they would go 250 ft. I'm tempted to try Joe's suggestion on getting the cable under the driveway. I even have some underground rated cable that the installer, who is quitting D* (not paid enough) left me. Not sure if it's enought to do the job. However I'm not handy enough (or handsome) to do the rest of the work so I think I'll let a pro do it. This installer quoted me about $100 to do it as a custom. Not sure what the company coming out this week will say. I feel D* should pay some of it.

.

 

[raoul5788]

Thanks again for all the info, this is a very helpful forum! The D* installer that came last week said the regulation pole (7 feet?) mounted in the ground would work from a spot out in the yard, about 50 ft away, diagonally, from the current position. From this spot the pole could probably even be shortened (he said). He said he was not equipped to run cable under concrete, so I have deferred the instal to another company in Charlotte NC that has experience in custom installs. From this position in the yard I can run along the side of the driveway underground which would mean longer cable run length but only a short sidewalk to go under or go diagonally across the driveway. I haven't done any measurements to see if the first route is too long. I've been told that 100 ft is recommended by D* as optimal but a supv. at their instal company said they would go 250 ft. I'm tempted to try Joe's suggestion on getting the cable under the driveway. I even have some underground rated cable that the installer, who is quitting D* (not paid enough) left me. Not sure if it's enought to do the job. However I'm not handy enough (or handsome) to do the rest of the work so I think I'll let a pro do it. This installer quoted me about $100 to do it as a custom. Not sure what the company coming out this week will say. I feel D* should pay some of it.

.

By your description, and without seeing the install, $100 sounds like a very reasonable price.

 

[Joe Diamond]

AXG,
Remember I suggested the pipe deal for a "sidewalk".

For a "driveway" it gets more interesting. There are underground contractors they typically work for cable and phone companies.
They will come to your dish location and dig a hole to get their "mole" started. Then they can pull cable in conduit to your house electric bond & drop area. Sometimes this works pretty well. Other times the "mole" ,which is connected to a compressor, hits a rock or tree root. Then it turns or, even worse, it dives. Then you get out the shovel and begin all over again. Sometimes they hit other underground utilities so have them marked by MISS UTILITY.

It may be cheaper to find one of these guys working for the local cable company and ask them for just the "road bore" under the driveway and then kick the cable in from the bore to the dish and from the bore to the "drop" (where the cable goes into your house and where it will be grounded.

The dual cable with ground should run from the dish to the ground block on your house. If you cut the cable you start over; no underground patches. You many want to run two dual cables with ground if you need more than 1 recorder or more than two receivers.

You will have really departed from the FREE installation by this point. I wonder how much of this DTV will support?

Bon appetite!

Joe

 

[Phoenix1]

Oh man, you just reminded me of something I forgot to do before starting construction on my current house. I buried 1" sprinkler pipe under the sidewalks and driveway before they poured the concrete on the last house for exactly this purpose and I forgot to do that again. Doh!

 

[axg9504]

Joe: Looks like running the cable around my driveway to avoid having to go under it will bring my cable length to a little over 125 ft. (This route would require only going under a 4' sidewalk). Is this OK?

 

[Joe Diamond]

Yup,
That is considered a long run but it will work. I would connect everything to test before digging. The slight chance of defective cable could ruin your day.

I found a tool just recently that works pretty good. It is available in garden centers and is used for edging. This tool has a half disk shape and a space for your foot directly over the center of the blade. You push it into the ground and rock it back and forth to cut the soil and sod; works better than a nursery spade and either work better than a regular shovel.

Good luck,

Joe

 

[axg9504]

Thanks for the tip Joe, to check the cable first before burying it. I didn't think of that. Well I had an appt. with an installer that I contacted, but I canceled it after calling D* ONE more time and being assured that they would send someone who had the equipment to do the job. I will probably have to pay something but I reasoned that D* should only charge me for that portion of the job that was not considered standard whereas the other guy would have to charge me for everything.

Joe: have you had any experience with the long term reliability of buried cable. If I go this route and the cable becomes defective I will have a much harder restoration job.

 

[Joe Diamond]

axg,
It usually isn't a problem. I remember the line I ran down a dock. It is often submerged and has given no trouble. Have to change the fittings from time to time.

If you have to repair it it will be because of accidental cuts. Finding the cut can be tough. I have used a toner a few times. If you can find the cut using a barrel connector and two fittings can work but you have to puddle silicone caulk around it, and that seems to work ok.

Replacing underground is easy if no roots have grown over the cable. you just pull it up and push the new line into the slit in the sod using a wooden pusher.

If you plan several receivers you will need two dual cables. I think I would think about a trench and conduit for these but kicking it in will work, just lots of kicking.

At least rats and rodents won't eat it underground.

Joe