A Warning for those getting a KaKu dish

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Mounting to the vinyl is not acceptable. Too much flex, plus it screws up the siding.

Agreed. At my previous house, I had 3 different dishes installed over a 6-year span. Never had a leak or any other problem. The job simply has to be done correctly, and sealed properly.

It's not the roof-mount that is an issue; it's installer competence.

I'm not picking-on installers in-general -- I've had some good ones, but recently I've had some very poor organizations doing the work.
 
I made one more call before retention. The csr gave many apologies, and defended D* even though she was (again) unable to contact the install supervisor at Mastec Advanced Technologies. I told her that I ought to be compensated for my time; and that at my salary they owed me $250 for today's calls. She could not help with that. She told me that I had to be on the line to talk to a supervisor; D* is not allowed to contact install supervisors without the customer on the line. More time-on-hold? I asked for retention.

Retention understood my complaint. When I told her that Time Warner would be happy for my business, she offered to call the supervisor at Mastec, and call me back once that person was on the line. When she called-back she explained that the Mastec line rang indefinitely, and a D* supervisor advised her to simply schedule another install (in 2 days), and inform me. I told her that did not compensate my time. She offered 3 months' free Showtime plus a $5 credit off my HD package for 6 months.

My wife is instructed not to sign the workorder if the pole is not cemented; the IRD's properly configured to 5 lnb; and the HD locals working.
 
Mastec are generally quite awful. I'd pay a knowledgable independent installer out of my own pocket rather than let them touch anything on my system.
 
Is there a problem with doing your own install if you're capable? I prefer to do my own work on my house.
 
Is there a problem with doing your own install if you're capable? I prefer to do my own work on my house.


I don't think it's a problem. I prefer to do my own as well. In this case I don't have the electronics needed to peak the AT-9; plus it has a lot of adjustments and I'm not confident that I can do a good job aiming it. Once it's installed properly, aimed properly, anchored properly, and I can see that all LNB's and electronics are functioning properly, then I'll take-over any later changes in the house... like running extra cables as-needed for DVR; and installing my OTA antenna (my SquareShooter is sitting in its box) so my wife will quit complaining about the rabbit ears in her living room.
 
I don't think it's a problem. I prefer to do my own as well. In this case I don't have the electronics needed to peak the AT-9; plus it has a lot of adjustments and I'm not confident that I can do a good job aiming it. Once it's installed properly, aimed properly, anchored properly, and I can see that all LNB's and electronics are functioning properly, then I'll take-over any later changes in the house... like running extra cables as-needed for DVR; and installing my OTA antenna (my SquareShooter is sitting in its box) so my wife will quit complaining about the rabbit ears in her living room.


The most I've installed was a dual LNB. If one wants to have 3 or 4 TVs hooked up do you need to run 4 separate runs to the dish or would 2 be enough, then using a switch inside the house somewhere?
 
The most I've installed was a dual LNB. If one wants to have 3 or 4 TVs hooked up do you need to run 4 separate runs to the dish or would 2 be enough, then using a switch inside the house somewhere?


The AT-9 has 5 LNB's plus a 6x8 multiswitch. Every TV requires a straight run to the multiswitch (no splitters/diplexers/switches in the house). The HD DVR requires 2 straight runs to the multiswitch. The dish itself has a bunch of adjustments on the back, more than the basic 2-lnb dish and more than the Phase III (3-lnb).
 
"Black Jack" or roof cement - looks like sticky black tar works good too. It can be applied in freezing weather, rain, etc. Just wear gloves though...it is messy!

This is a big issue. We have to get messy working on the roof but then be extremely clean while inside the house because customer has white carpet and white sofa. Even silicone I hate because it always gets on my hands no matter how hard I try and its very difficult to work after that. Cant grab or hold anything when fingers touched silicone real pain.
 
You could think ahead like my neighbors installer, he keeps a box of latex gloves and an extra pair of shoes in his truck. Smart man!
 
As a QC guy, I can tell you that there are a LOT of installers who don't use anything, period. Half of the guys I worked with at E* used nothing. No wonder they had a lot of roof repair claims. I have never had 1, and I installed for 8 years.

The way to avoid having to drill multiple holes is to mount on the overhang. Locating a dish at or near an attic vent will let you SEE the stud that you are mounting to.

QUOTE]

Yeah some new homes you cant see that stud period. Only way to find out is poke holes and wait till drillbit finally goes into the stud. Too many holes. What do you do in this situation?
 
You could think ahead like my neighbors installer, he keeps a box of latex gloves and an extra pair of shoes in his truck. Smart man!

I do that, why the hell anybody wants to screw up their own hands by not wearing gloves is beyond me. I thought everyone had extra shoes on hand along with a change of clothes incase something happens.
 
Yeah some new homes you cant see that stud period. Only way to find out is poke holes and wait till drillbit finally goes into the stud. Too many holes. What do you do in this situation?


My house is a new house. Built in 04. Additionally, there are vents in the side under the shingles, as well as the one I photographed. I don't know what they make roofs out of where you are, but no way am I "poking" holes in a roof until I hit a stud. I'd go in the attic and drill a pilot hole next to one first. But there are easier ways. Stud finders, for example. If its a crappy plywood roof, you can use a hammer. I hate walking on spongey ass plywood roofs.

I use gloves, and still gotten caulk everywhere. I don't even like having that pitch patch/roll dope crap in my truck. That crap gets everwhere even if you have a box to store it in.
 
My installer had 6 or 8 poles on hand in his van, but he ended up not needing one since he moved the dish to the back of the house.
 
Question for the installers on this thread.

Looks like there's several competent installers on this thread and I have a question for you. My 3 lnb dish is mounted on the 3 3/4' cast pipe that my BUD was originally mounted on. This cast pipe goes deep into the ground and is concreted in and is super solid. First a single lnb was mounted on this pipe and now a 3 lnb is mounted there. Both the single and 3 lnb used a short (approx 6") piece of pipe that I think came with the dish (painted the same) that has a slit cut into the bottom that slips over the edge of the 3 3/4" cast pipe and held in place by a bolt that locks it in place. My question is is there a similar adapter that the installer would have that would allow the AT9 to be mounted on the same cast pipe? If not are there any other options to use this cast pipe?

Thanks for any responses in advance! :)
 
Looks like there's several competent installers on this thread and I have a question for you. My 3 lnb dish is mounted on the 3 3/4' cast pipe that my BUD was originally mounted on. This cast pipe goes deep into the ground and is concreted in and is super solid. First a single lnb was mounted on this pipe and now a 3 lnb is mounted there. Both the single and 3 lnb used a short (approx 6") piece of pipe that I think came with the dish (painted the same) that has a slit cut into the bottom that slips over the edge of the 3 3/4" cast pipe and held in place by a bolt that locks it in place. My question is is there a similar adapter that the installer would have that would allow the AT9 to be mounted on the same cast pipe? If not are there any other options to use this cast pipe?

Thanks for any responses in advance! :)


I'm not sure if you need the pipe bigger or smaller but, short of a better answer you could weld a flat plate of steel on the pipe with another round piple welded to the top of that the size you need. Not the easiest thing in the world since you would need to get a welder to the location. Hopefully you can come up with sometihing a little easier but, it's an option if you can't.
 
There are 2" adapters that can be used in a larger or smaller pipe, try ebay or solidsignal.com for such items. It would be better to use the adapter pipe than to have installer put another pipe in the ground. My installer did not level, looks like crap. The settings are nowhere close to what receiver calls for, reception is good however. It installer uses the birddog meter, he doesn't seem to have to worry about getting things level to get an acceptable signal.
 
Ka-ku Dish

HELLO ALL!! I am new to the sat talk, just thought i would drop a message real fast concerning the dish that is causing some problems. I use to work for D* and when the kaku came out we were not properly traind on them, lol some of still are not. The reason all of you are upsetabout extra charges and such is because you dont know the whole story. I use to charge pple $30 for a pole mount because it is the only way to make extra money the company wants their techs to charge more than that so that the company can pocket about 70% of the money. Therefor leaving us with all the work and no money. Not to mention that they were steadily reducing the pay to the techs for installing a kaku dish. It use to be $50 for a high def with a kaku dish last time checked they dropped it to $30. Some of you know that a tech can be there for a while too. Just remember thier techs are being slammed with 4+ jobs a day sometimes 6 and they are usually installs. If yall have any questions dont hesitate to ask. I am very knowledgable abot the sat ways..
 
HELLO ALL!! I am new to the sat talk, just thought i would drop a message real fast concerning the dish that is causing some problems. I use to work for D* and when the kaku came out we were not properly traind on them, lol some of still are not. The reason all of you are upsetabout extra charges and such is because you dont know the whole story. I use to charge pple $30 for a pole mount because it is the only way to make extra money the company wants their techs to charge more than that so that the company can pocket about 70% of the money. Therefor leaving us with all the work and no money. Not to mention that they were steadily reducing the pay to the techs for installing a kaku dish. It use to be $50 for a high def with a kaku dish last time checked they dropped it to $30. Some of you know that a tech can be there for a while too. Just remember thier techs are being slammed with 4+ jobs a day sometimes 6 and they are usually installs. If yall have any questions dont hesitate to ask. I am very knowledgable abot the sat ways..

I sympathize with guys getting slammed pay-wise. I'll usually throw the installer $20-$30 gratuity for a job done well and on-time.

I understand the need to get multiple jobs done in a day, but I can't sympathize with shoddy work: poorly-aimed dish, incorrectly configured IRD, poles not cemented, or garbage left on-site.

If the job is done right, I won't complain about the price. Just do it right, the first time. If there are extenuating circumstances, be straight with me about it and explain the circumstances up-front. Don't to a hack job and run.
 
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