advice for Directtv HD installation

[pluckdogg]

hi guys, i have a situation:
i have a standard D* receiver already and am wanting to add an HD receiver. so i get everything set up to add the HD receiver which of course requires a new satellite dish, and when the install guy shows up, he informs me that the new dish MUST be installed on the roof only, nowhere else. my landlord denies me permission over the phone to do that and i cannot continue with the install. the install guy says he can't install it in the ground or on the side of the house because it's too big. i call directtv (on the line for 35 minutes, mostly on hold) and battle with a rep's supervisor and although i made some good points, she insists that they cannot and will not waive or pay for any fee that the installation company will charge for 'custom installations' (i.e. installs on the side of house or ground or pole mounts.) so i was wondering if this is BS and is there any way i can get around it? should i call back and ask to speak to someone else? and also, what do you think they would charge me for a mount on the side of the house and/or on a pole if there isn't a way around it? i live in southeast Ohio if that is at all relevant.
PS. the supervisor advised me that it is not their policy to 'inform customers of custom installation situations' and they 'assume that the customer knows the landlord's preconditions'. i let her know i thought this was BS cuz it sure sounded like it for a company to tell its customers this: they took no responsibility.
what should/can i do?

 

[charper1]

WELCOME!

You say rental; is this a single family house or a condo or what?


The 5 LNB dishes CAN be installed on lawn mounted posts; but lets determine what you can and can't do first.


Keep in mind that installers a contractors, NOT DirecTV employees. Also DirecTV CSRs would have little to tell you about custom charges since each home/job can be different and by a different contractor so they can't have a play book for every scenario, plus THEY really are not the ones doing the work and know almost nothing about the industry past the script books that they are trained with.

 

[pluckdogg]

yeah its a single family house
i had a kind of attitude with the CSR but in the end i let her know that i was just trying to get my way and realized that she probably could not have really helped me, then thanked her.
anyways, can i try and deal with the install company because in reality, it's BS, but if that's the policy, well then that's the policy. i just don't want to pay anymore than i have to because i was SO CLOSE TO HIGH DEF! and i still really want it.

 

[dodge]

Pluckdogg
Get a 2" fence post from Lowes, Home Depot Menards etc. Drill a couple holes in the side of it and put a few lag bolts in it. Set it in about 3' of concrete and let the installer come out again.

 

[Mike500]

We mount a lot of dishes on the OLD PhaseIII or round dish pole using an adapter that was developed by one of my fellow subcontractors.

He also sells the item on eBay, and it works.

DirecTV AT9/AU9 KA/KU Adapter for old 1-5/8" pole - eBay (item 150230471763 end time Apr-03-08 15:38:37 PDT)

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Pluckdogg
Get a 2" fence post from Lowes, Home Depot Menards etc. Drill a couple holes in the side of it and put a few lag bolts in it. Set it in about 3' of concrete and let the installer come out again.

2 inch ,you joking right? I hope you mean a 2" metal pipe.

 

[charper1]

Well since you are in a rental home; make sure the landlord gives you WRITTEN permission (make copies for you and the installer) to do what Dodge says above me, yet I would go with Sch40 galv pipe not fencing post.

 

[pluckdogg]

ok guys how about this:
i have a small wooden shed about 8 foot high behind our house that we keep trash and tools in. it's very small. and i think it has a clear view of the SOUTHERN SKY, depending on the angle. the neighbor's house is small and i really don't think there's an obstruction. i just now thought and observed this by the way. they could easily run a cable from the shed too the roof which is like 3-5 ft. away and run it into the upstairs.... would the install company do this??

 

[Jimbo]

ok guys how about this:
i have a small wooden shed about 8 foot high behind our house that we keep trash and tools in. it's very small. and i think it has a clear view of the SOUTHERN SKY, depending on the angle. the neighbor's house is small and i really don't think there's an obstruction. i just now thought and observed this by the way. they could easily run a cable from the shed too the roof which is like 3-5 ft. away and run it into the upstairs.... would the install company do this??

That would work fine, but you still can have the dish on a pole mount anytime, there is NO WAY that they can ONLY install on a roof.
ASK the INSTALLATION company if they are going to be around IF the roof LEAKS ....

Pole mounts are done all the time, I find it funny that he said he couldn't do the install on the ground "Because it's too BIG "
Curious, why would an installer rather mount a 5 LNB on the roof, over a ON the GROUND install ?

Jimbo

 

[charper1]

Will they install on unattached property?

 

[Jimbo]

Will they install on unattached property?

IF your referring to the shed, then YES they will.
Be prepared to pay extra if you want them to bury the line.

Jimbo

 

[charper1]

Ahh, so its only the line burial is what brings in the extra costs.

 

[pluckdogg]

ok, Directtv told me that the install on top of the roof should not be a problem. i don't think the cable should have to be buried... but i don't know for sure: couldn't they just run it around the house perpendicular to the ground and into the house? kind of wrap it around the house? from the shed to one of the roofs of the house, the distance is literally less than 2 ft. i don't see a reason why they couldn't do that since it's on the property (and unattached) as well, Jimbo.
Another thing jimbo, when i told the install guy that my landlord wouldn't allow the house roof install he told me that DIRECTTV wouldn't guarantee that there wouldn't be a leak. maybe i could have brought that up: would the installation company be around for a leak?
anyways, i'll find out in the morning and be sure to let you know the results as this may help someone else out. if it goes wrong, i will most likely come back to complain and ask more suggestions! thanks guys!

 

[iwc5893]

ok, Directtv told me that the install on top of the roof should not be a problem. i don't think the cable should have to be buried... but i don't know for sure: couldn't they just run it around the house perpendicular to the ground and into the house? kind of wrap it around the house? from the shed to one of the roofs of the house, the distance is literally less than 2 ft. i don't see a reason why they couldn't do that since it's on the property (and unattached) as well, Jimbo.
Another thing jimbo, when i told the install guy that my landlord wouldn't allow the house roof install he told me that DIRECTTV wouldn't guarantee that there wouldn't be a leak. maybe i could have brought that up: would the installation company be around for a leak?
anyways, i'll find out in the morning and be sure to let you know the results as this may help someone else out. if it goes wrong, i will most likely come back to complain and ask more suggestions! thanks guys!

This is assuming that your landlord will even allow them to install the dish on the unattached shed.

As to the cable run, yes, they could wrap the house if necessary but be prepared to pay for the extra cable if it exceeds the 125 ft maximum allowed by DirecTV as part of the basic install.

There are a few issues with running the cable directly across from the shed to the house and not burying it. First would be a possible safety hazard, depending upon how high the cable would be. Secondly, will your landlord allow it (and the wrapping of the cable around the house)?

As to the roof only mounting that your original installer said, I didn't see where you said what type of construction your house is. Is it wood siding, shake siding, vinyl siding, stucco, concrete, brick, etc...? This could be the reason that the installer could not install to the house.

For example, the HSP I work for will not allow us to install to the following surfaces: concrete/cinder block, brick, vinyl siding, aluminum siding, stucco, or shake siding. The same applies to roofs...we could only install to asphalt shingles or use a non-pen on a flat roof.

Since a roof mount seemed like a viable option that was refused by your landlord, it would be up to the HSP as to whether or not they would charge you for a pole and concrete mount.

 

[pluckdogg]

it is vinyl siding and i can see if they couldn't do it but i'm curious as to why they can't put that particular dish in the yard where the current one is. anyways, the CSR from directtv just said to tell the installer that we wanted it on shed and there shouldn't be a problem. as for the landlord, she was fine with the dish being on the side of the house so i really do don't think she'll care for the shed mounting. also, the house isn't very big so there shouldn't be too much cable running around it. the cable from the shed to the roof isn't a safety hazard unless you're 11 ft. tall and not capable of ducking.
we'll find out in a short while...

 

[mattopia]

For what it's worth, I spoke to an installer who works for my local contractor before ordering D*. The local company charges a flat $75 for a pole/yard mount and I'm more than willing to pay it!

As others have mentioned, it wouldn't be that difficult to cement in a pole and run the cables yourself.

 

[pluckdogg]

ok, just wanted to let you know that everything worked out. the technician installed the dish on the shed , he had no problem with it and there were no charges at all. best of all, it's working great! thanks for the suggestions guys, but luckily i didn't have to much except for think of an alternate solution.

 

[Ronnie-]

Congrats!

 

[BluegrassGuy1976]

Ahh, so its only the line burial is what brings in the extra costs.

Not entirely, it's for the added labor of digging the hole, pouring the quikrete, AND trenching the line. Lot of work involved in a pole mount if it' done right.