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Dishpointer, since you are in the legal profession, is there a way for all installation techs (dish or direct) to form some kind of union? The reason i am interested in getting all the techs together on this , is to protect them from having to continue to take paycutts on a career that was at one time a great one , that seems to be dwindling down to the equivalency of minimum wage. Right now HSP get most of the installation MSP `s are up and coming for direct and DNS for dish , and all are demanding that there techs be SBCA certified in order to install a satellite system professionally for them. Since techs are required to be certified and pay fee`s every other year to stay qualified , can techs pay a fee to an organization to keep the above HSP,MSP,and DNS guys in check the next time they threaten to give us another paycutt. Direct and Dish give these guys their installs knowing that the techs do a quality install that will pass QC therfore they get most of the installs,so to keep busy in the satellite industry (if you are not a retailer) you have to work for one of the above companies and it seems they know this. So if you are a tech who wants to continue to install satellite systems , you take a paycutt or find some other career. Quite a few quality techs moved on to other careers and it looks as if the quality is going with them. I myself would be moving on to another venture if they ask me to take another paycutt. I feel that alot of techs would agree with me on this one. So Dishpointer, would you be interested in getting a union started for us techs? Or would you know of anybody else who would be able to help or point us in the right direction?
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1800 views
W
This is a growing trend in this industry, the HSp and DNS will continue to provide D and E with a "Quality" install while taking 30 to 50 percent of what should go to the installer. Now I know I am about to incite some issues here but lets look at this logically for a moment.. If you work as a DNS or a HSP employee, not contractor then you put yourselves there. They also have a bunch of benefits that you take for granted. For the record, I refuse to work for a DNS or HSP. When the going got rough, I increased my certifications and schooling and became a commercial system operator, now I am the boss, If I dont like my pay, I get mad at myself. The first benefit of working for them is the fact that they get you your work, try going for weeks looking for work as a contractor, it happens. Second, they provide you with the supplies to do the job, this can get expensive, trust me or ask a contractor. Third, they are supposed to provide you with advanced training, I cant say this happens but it is supposed to. They are the easy way to get your foot in the door in this buisness and get trained. Yes the rates they pay you are going down, it sucks, but as D and E put more control into THEIR installations through the use of DNSP and HSP vendors they ultimately are making them more accountable for the bad installs that happen in the field. I understand the misjustice that is falling upon the shoulders of my brothers in the satellite industry, but I ask you to take a look at how many truely BAD installs you see in a week, then think to yourself, why is it the DNS and the HSP have such large overhead. Could it be the myriad of QC inspectors they have to keep on staf. Yes thats part of it, for each 1 of the QC guys out there they are having to pay him roughly 1000 a week not to do installs, they are going to get that money back somehow. I did not say it was right, and I agree there will always be a wrongful backcharge, but most times they are just. One last thing that turns my stomach in the current day industry, since when is it ok to "train" some poor slob for two weeks and then brand him a Tech, I am insulted. I refused to even refer to myself as a Tech til I had been in this buisness for three years. There is no real standard of training at this point. The SBCA and the FSS testing is a joke, it is a book smart test, no real world experience needed. When the industry get sick of butchering customers homes, sending out untrained or piss poor trained "Techs" and paying out millions a year for the wrong servicecall diagnosis(training) then maybe something will change. It will not be more talk of a union, I have been listening to this since the day of 100.00 for the dish and 1 reciever and it will still be out there when 25.00 for the dish and a reciever comes and goes, it will never materialize. This is the reason I left the residential side of the house and went MDU and commercial. I have 6 true Technicians that work WITH me on our installs, I know their training by looking at their work, their work is a direct reflection of their professionalism. Until the day things change on the Residential side of the house, I wish you luck and remember, how many bad installs did you see today?
It is going that way , due to not being able to keep techs long enough (poor pay). I myself have been in this buisness 16 yrs. Yes been a retailer, commercial, ect. My point is the installer (the indian) the really good one`s who have been doing a great job for 3 plus years or even much more , are the guys loosing out. Granted you have management (chiefs) , yes they get a salary and yes they also get a pay raise along with the time spent with an organization. I also noticed there seems to be even more management (chiefs)in these organizations nowadays. Its kinda like too many chiefs are running the show and not enough indians (quality ones). If you are new in the buisness inhouse/contractor, then i can see the payscale starting lower, but these payscales for the installer(indian) again the really good ones (and not enough) are getting lower , i think(my opinion) to pay the management(chiefs) and getting to be too many, thier pay raises. All i am trying to do is look out for the little guy(like myself).woodybeetle said:One last thing that turns my stomach in the current day industry, since when is it ok to "train" some poor slob for two weeks and then brand him a Tech, I am insulted. I refused to even refer to myself as a Tech til I had been in this buisness for three years. There is no real standard of training at this point. The SBCA and the FSS testing is a joke, it is a book smart test, no real world experience needed. When the industry get sick of butchering customers homes, sending out untrained or piss poor trained "Techs" and paying out millions a year for the wrong servicecall diagnosis(training) then maybe something will change.
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Direct YouTube Link - Agentic AI Security: Why Unconstrained Agents Alarm CISOs #shorts
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View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/N2oPp-plZEw
Direct YouTube Link - Agentic AI Security: Why Unconstrained Agents Alarm CISOs #shorts
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TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHY_0D10LGw
Direct YouTube Link - AI, Coding, and SpinRite
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Direct YouTube Link - AI, Coding, and SpinRite
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TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8ylZleSQCE
Direct YouTube Link - The OpenCode Cyberattack
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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8ylZleSQCE
Direct YouTube Link - The OpenCode Cyberattack
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TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
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Direct YouTube Link - Apple's Foldable Phone Is Finally Here
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Direct YouTube Link - Apple's Foldable Phone Is Finally Here
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Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
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2676105 views
Why are ViP922s So rare? like its crazy how ebay has none, i checked everywhere, also, i got a ViP222k now, which is actually activated!
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760 views
I remember this in the news too...
www.nbcnews.com
$14,000 spent on rented rotary phone
A widow rented a rotary dial telephone for 42 years, paying what her family calculates as more than $14,000 for a now- outdated phone.
www.nbcnews.com
That is a misnomer. In the old days you subscribed to telephone service. That included the telephone line and one telephone. An extension cost $1 a month extra. So that $14,000 over 42 years was for the service not the leased telephone. There is no way they paid $28 a month for 42 years for a leased telephone.I remember this in the news too...
$14,000 spent on rented rotary phone
A widow rented a rotary dial telephone for 42 years, paying what her family calculates as more than $14,000 for a now- outdated phone.
Lifetime Supporter
Schedule drops tomorrow. Mandatory mini camps in June. Hall of Fame game August 6th.
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2154 views
I haven't posted in almost 17 years. Over the air, sat, offline, anything-but-the-internet is still one of my avid pursuits. Been playing with offline tv viewing and offline web browsing. I have great appreciations for this site still being here. It's so hard to find public communities that haven't sold out to social media company.
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Pub Member / Supporter
Hello folks, well my luck ran out last week with a nasty thunderstorm and after 39 years here, finally took a hit. Now, the FTA receivers I had for some years worked great until now. Recently picked up a fairly cheap receiver, online, KOQIT and seems to be good, but for the life of me, I cannot get the HDMI output to work with 3 of my Samsung monitors. I can hook it up to my Samsung TV and its HDMI input and it works fine. The 2 receivers I lost also worked fine with them, so am I going crazy? anyone have come across this or have any suggestions? And, since this is a somewhat cheap unit but works, what is everyone out there using for receivers these days? without breaking the bank? I enjoy watching FTA TV, so I will invest more if needed, what is a really good, detailed unit these days. I'm so use to watching a few of them HD channels. Right now I'm down to composite hookups, yuck! Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Frank 
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1130 views
Take the cover off, show me pics of the board of the bad one and also the bottom of the board. I'm an old hardware electronics tech plus a satellite dealer; I fixed a lot of FTA and regular receivers. I may be able to fix it for you. And yes, they got hit by lightning; it's best to email me the pics at diamondsatellite@snet.net or call me at 203-232-8888. I give you a 50-50 chance of fixing it; I do have spare parts. my phone is a fliptop phoneHello folks, well my luck ran out last week with a nasty thunderstorm and after 39 years here, finally took a hit. Now, the FTA receivers I had for some years worked great until now. Recently picked up a fairly cheap receiver, online, KOQIT and seems to be good, but for the life of me, I cannot get the HDMI output to work with 3 of my Samsung monitors. I can hook it up to my Samsung TV and its HDMI input and it works fine. The 2 receivers I lost also worked fine with them, so am I going crazy? anyone have come across this or have any suggestions? And, since this is a somewhat cheap unit but works, what is everyone out there using for receivers these days? without breaking the bank? I enjoy watching FTA TV, so I will invest more if needed, what is a really good, detailed unit these days. I'm so use to watching a few of them HD channels. Right now I'm down to composite hookups, yuck! Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Frank
Gary
More room for the return of the Plague & Pestilence?
S
a good surge protector will help to.Hello folks, well my luck ran out last week with a nasty thunderstorm and after 39 years here, finally took a hit. Now, the FTA receivers I had for some years worked great until now. Recently picked up a fairly cheap receiver, online, KOQIT and seems to be good, but for the life of me, I cannot get the HDMI output to work with 3 of my Samsung monitors. I can hook it up to my Samsung TV and its HDMI input and it works fine. The 2 receivers I lost also worked fine with them, so am I going crazy? anyone have come across this or have any suggestions? And, since this is a somewhat cheap unit but works, what is everyone out there using for receivers these days? without breaking the bank? I enjoy watching FTA TV, so I will invest more if needed, what is a really good, detailed unit these days. I'm so use to watching a few of them HD channels. Right now I'm down to composite hookups, yuck! Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Frank
Pub Member / Supporter
Now that I'm retired, obviously I have different health care insurance. I take 2 prescriptions. With my old insurance I didn't have to pay for either of them, now I do. It's not a huge amount but it led me to dig a little into the cost of prescription medications. I have been using Walgreens for the longest time. But what I found was that Walgreens price is 4.8 times more for one of my prescriptions and the other is 2.3 percent more compared to the lowest price pharmacy. If you pay for prescription medications you might want to have a look at trumprx and see if you can get a lower price.
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84 views
Actually I take just 2 prescriptions, Atorvastatin and Lisinopril. They cost me $6 each for 100 pills. Next year that will be nothing.That's ok. I probably take enough for the two of us.
God knows what Bobby takes. Maybe so much they count as a meal?
