7 story Condo installation

[thirtynine39]

I live on the 3rd floor of a seven story condo.

I have the landlord permission form completed for the Direct TV installation.

I am planning on using a non penetrating roof mount that is 10 feet from a service conduit entrance to electric closets that are stacked from the first floor to the roof, aprox. 75 feet from the roof to the 3rd floor.

just to be on the safe side I am using RG-11 cable.

From the electric closet to my condo where the current CATV lines enters is 150 feet, again I am planning on using RG-11. Once inside my condo the longest run is 100 feet max.

I am planning on 4 wires from the LNB on the dish down through the electric closets to the 3rd floor closet, then “sending” the signals to my condo either by a SWM 16 install in the closet OR I can use amplifier(s) down through the closets and then send the signal to my condo where I would install a SWM 16, then distribute to my tuners.

I am trying to keep this short, but get as much advice as possible.

I can provide any additional details ( LNB, Reciver models, Genie model) and my wish is to keep it whole home ready or whatever the term is today.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Claude Greiner]

Dude, just get a reverse band LNB and run 1 wire to your unit.

Rg6 will likely work with no issues, but Rg11 will not hurt either.

I do commercial installs all the time, your over thinking this thing.

If you where my customer, we would be using a reverse band LNB and RG6.

As far as the 4 wires and the swm16, your not getting any of the reverse band signals. You need a DSWM 30 and 6 wires

 

[Claude Greiner]

It’s 13 tuners on a reverse band LNB.

If you want to do it the other way using a polarity locker, SWM amp, taps and DSWM30, be prepared to spend $300/$400

 

[thirtynine39]

Dude, just get a reverse band LNB and run 1 wire to your unit.

Rg6 will likely work with no issues, but Rg11 will not hurt either.

I do commercial installs all the time, your over thinking this thing.

If you where my customer, we would be using a reverse band LNB and RG6.

As far as the 4 wires and the swm16, your not getting any of the reverse band signals. You need a DSWM 30 and 6 wires

I appreciate your quick response, and yes I may be over thinking it...... I am here because I keep getting a WIDE range of installation designs when I reach out to contractors.

A couple of things, first, I am going to be the first Direct TV customer in my building and there is the potential of 3 condos per floor ( 4 -6 tuners each), a total of 21 condos on all seven floors total).

Next, I have to remove fire stop caulk between each floor to be able to pull cable from the dish to me ( roof, 7, 6, 5, 4). I am pulling additional wires, one for an OTA install and 3 more, 2 for an 6 wire install if someone wants that down the road and a spare. It is easier to do it once the caulk is out now than later.....

I also don’t mind additional equipment, polarity lockers, amps, etc.... this has been a pain and I just want it to work...

Thank you for any help and assistance.

 

[thirtynine39]

It’s 13 tuners on a reverse band LNB.

If you want to do it the other way using a polarity locker, SWM amp, taps and DSWM30, be prepared to spend $300/$400

I am here because I have gotten a wide range of install designs from contractors.

I don’t mind additional equipment, polarity lockers, amps, etc.....this has been a pain and I just want it to work.

Thank you for any help and assistance.

 

[thirtynine39]

Thoughts? I would not need the left side of this tree, just the right. Second dish at this time. I can’t find the TAMP6RO3-24, what are good alternatives? Thanks!

 

[Inclined Orbit]

I've also done a lot of commercial installs, including 11 floors of the old DirecTV corporate headquarters, engineering buildings and several broadcast centers. If I were in your shoes, and thinking of the future, I would work with the building owner to install a system that will expand and potentially feed anyone in the building and you would be the first customer. You could probably sell the owners on a plan where they pay for the system and possibly charge anyone a small connection fee to recover their cost and of course you would get a free connection for the idea and help in designing it.

The benefit for the building owner would be one single dish on the roof to feed everyone and a clean install, avoiding a future roof bustling with sloppy dish installs and cables run over the side of the building flopping in the breeze. I would consider a single reverse band dish with launch amps in the top floor closet and appropriate taps on each floor to feed an appropriate number of SWM modules on each floor. I would also use RG-11 for the main trunk lines down seven floors and wherever else practical.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I appreciate your quick response, and yes I may be over thinking it...... I am here because I keep getting a WIDE range of installation designs when I reach out to contractors.

A couple of things, first, I am going to be the first Direct TV customer in my building and there is the potential of 3 condos per floor ( 4 -6 tuners each), a total of 21 condos on all seven floors total).

Next, I have to remove fire stop caulk between each floor to be able to pull cable from the dish to me ( roof, 7, 6, 5, 4). I am pulling additional wires, one for an OTA install and 3 more, 2 for an 6 wire install if someone wants that down the road and a spare. It is easier to do it once the caulk is out now than later.....

I also don’t mind additional equipment, polarity lockers, amps, etc.... this has been a pain and I just want it to work...

Thank you for any help and assistance.

I’m the contractor that quotes this type of stuff all day long.

Slimline dish on the roof, 6 lines to a polarity locker, and 6 lines to each floor with a tap. SWM amp every 3 floors.

But my point earlier was , install what you need for you and you only.

If the owner of the building wants to pay to put a proper back bone, great! However I wouldn’t spend $1 more than I have to for infrastructure that may never get used by maybe 2 or 3 people. Most people are more concerned with getting internet, which they are likely getting as a bundle from the cable company.

Your going to find many people unwilling to want to get Directv, if it means they have to break their bundle with the cable company.

My suggestion before trying to make your building “Directv ready” is to make your building “internet ready”

Figure out how to get cheap, reliable internet to all the units first, then you might get some people actually interested in switching to Directv.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I've also done a lot of commercial installs, including 11 floors of the old DirecTV corporate headquarters, engineering buildings and several broadcast centers. If I were in your shoes, and thinking of the future, I would work with the building owner to install a system that will expand and potentially feed anyone in the building and you would be the first customer. You could probably sell the owners on a plan where they pay for the system and possibly charge anyone a small connection fee to recover their cost and of course you would get a free connection for the idea and help in designing it.

The benefit for the building owner would be one single dish on the roof to feed everyone and a clean install, avoiding a future roof bustling with sloppy dish installs and cables run over the side of the building flopping in the breeze. I would consider a single reverse band dish with launch amps in the top floor closet and appropriate taps on each floor to feed an appropriate number of SWM modules on each floor. I would also use RG-11 for the main trunk lines down seven floors and wherever else practical.

I do commercial installs also.

Here is the problem with a building like this...

WHO IS PAYING FOR ALL THIS?

Seriously!

I have spoken to many building owners, and although Directv sounds great to install, very few people if any want to spend the money to do a proper install.

They expect us to install everything for free, but at the same time they won’t do an exclusive deal and kick out the cable company as they want to give people another choice.

The problem without 100% penetration in a building, you will never get enough subscribers on the system to cover your initial costs for the install.

My uncle was president of a condo association with multiple buildings. He wanted the same deal with everything for free.

Our deal was we would get the right to go into the association, and would install a dish in each building and build off of that 1 Dish as we got more customers.

All the buildings had line of site except for the last 2, which we agreed to trench about 300 feet of cable to do the final 2 buildings.

They wanted to keep cable as an option, so we didn’t go crazy building the system out.

Did my uncles condo as planned, and of course the only other person who wanted service was a lady in one of the buildings where we would have to trench 200 feet of cable.

I put off this lady for almost 6 months, put out fliers and went to the meetings trying to sign up more people to off set my costs.

NOBODY!

Considering the cost of the ditch witch, having to tunnel under 3 side walks, amplifiers, and dealing with possible repairs to a sprinkler system I decided to walk away.

I wasn’t going to spend $1200 to hook up a lady I was going to make $300.

Point here if we had gotten an exclusive, I could have made the investment and hooked up this lady at a loss and made it by hooking up other customers.

But this is the same scenario I run into with every MDU type situation.

Everything has to be free, which can be done, but it requires kicking out the cable company and being able to provide internet.

Also consider over 1/2 the people today think they can stream everything. So even after you go through the hassle getting internet to be able to sell the Directv, more than half will subscribe to just internet and still not get Directv.

It’s gotten so bad, I get the answers to 3 questions before quoting a big job...

1) Are you booting out the cable company and giving us an exclusive.

2) Are you willing to spend some money for installation.

3) Do you think we are going to do everything for free and pay you to be there?

Very simple, if we are not exclusive then I need money upfront to cover my costs.

No way I would ever consider paying a property owner, unless there was a crazy amount of profit being there.

 

[Inclined Orbit]

About 12 or so years ago I met a guy in So Cal that was a real estate entrepreneur and large hi-rise building owner. He designed his own multi-story distribution system for his buildings that was modularized in custom housings for easy install and maintenance. Then as kind of a hobby then business, he advertised his hi-rise solution and hired an installer. By the time I met him his installer was very busy all over So Cal wiring up hi-rise buildings for DirecTV using his product and it was not cheap. I believe the building owners would then charge a small monthly premium for connection to the system to offset the cost.

I think any savvy building owner would take a serious look at something like this and many have. I found his website and it looks like they are still going strong after 16yrs, so somebody is happy to pay for it. Welcome to B2B TV

I do commercial installs also.

Here is the problem with a building like this...

WHO IS PAYING FOR ALL THIS?

Seriously!

 

[thirtynine39]

Okay, thanks for for some great responses.....The condo association wants to hear what EXACTLY we need to do a great install, to all 7 stories of the building to make each and every resident Direct TV ready.

They want to see what hardware it will take, and then what will be the cost. I think I am close to getting them to pay for this so some good, solid, install diagrams and equipment needs would be great!

Thanks!! I truly do appreciate the help!

 

[slice1900]

Then you should call up a satellite installer with MDU experience like Claude Greiner, who can provide those diagrams along with a quote. I suspect when they see what it would cost to make every resident Directv ready they won't be so eager to do it.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I can design it and give you a list of all the required parts. Send me a Pm

 

[navychop]

Generous.


Sent from my iPad using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[Claude Greiner]

Then you should call up a satellite installer with MDU experience like Claude Greiner, who can provide those diagrams along with a quote. I suspect when they see what it would cost to make every resident Directv ready they won't be so eager to do it.

I spoke with the OP tonight. Besides cable and doing bare bones to get it running, about $400.

I think we had the following

Dish $100
Polarity locker $60
(2) swm amps $236
(2) taps initially, adding more as customers get Directv $60
(1) DSWM30 initially, adding more as customers get directv $45
(4) 29 bolts $28