Bad installation! Help!

[Fgsilva]

Hopefully my update won't be: canceled D* and went for cable!!!!

Wow, thanks for the update. Can't wait to hear the final outcome. Keep us posted. Thanks

 

[stevo/65]

Churn by tenure by Reason=Mostly driven by a poor customer experience at point of sale or installation.

 

[stevo/65]

Sorry your installer was a kid who didnt have a clue, but thats what both direct tv and dish are heading for and serves them right, they have done nothing but consistantly lower the pay and raise the amount of things included for free ( well free to them, but costing the installers ) So the only ones who are interested are the kids who dont have a clue whats involved or how to do it, just see the $$$

[/QUOTE]
Are you reading this Directv? Look at where you are heading.

 

[wobbie]

Have them check the voltage backfeeding from the receiver.

 

[mirage426]

I guess I speak from experience when I say there are rare cases of "not of the norm" procedures.
Everything I have ever done (from cars I've owned to satellite installation) I have recieved the phrase "I have never seen/done that" before. "That's weird".."Usually it is this..."
Even the new apt. I moved into the people before me had cable and Dishnet, so the Dtv installers had to find and wire the correct lines to the correct outlets. That took a bit of experimenting, but they got it. The house my sister lives in the guy who lived there before her had tons of phone and cable lines that went nowhere, I had to fish through them all to find the right ones, so you can kinda understand if the install guys have a bit of trouble from time to time going to each residence with different setups and whatnot.
So don't give up yet.

 

[stevo/65]

Fgsilva cancelled his service with direct already

 

[wobbie]

One of the reason I suggest using a local company, when you use the internet or 800#'s it is never the same guy coming out for any problem and then they just keep trying to figure out what the last guy did. Same thing happened with my fridge... first guy came out.... supposedly fixed it.... down again 3 weeks later... second time a different guy came out.... he was a little upset when I told him I was'nt paying for the first 1 & 1/2 hour of labor as I already paid the first guy. Sure as heck after about an hour he said he found the problem. Ordered the new compressor and three days later, HE was back to put it in.

 

[Fgsilva]

No, I haven't. I was about too though!

Fgsilva cancelled his service with direct already

 

[Fgsilva]

I tried that and it worked. I just connected adaptor to the surge protector. No humming anymore! And my surge protector "faulty" light is not on so I guess it's all ok now???

Oh yeah and thanks to all here for the great help!!! If only D* installers actually read the satguys forums!!!!!:up

Sounds like a ground loop between the dish ground (if it has one) and the outlets that your TV and audio equipment are plugged into. If you have a different ground potential between the dish and other equipment, AC current can flow on the audio cables or any other cables between equipment as it tries to equalize out the grounds. If any TV or audio components have a 3 prong plug, use a ground lifter to see if the hum goes away. The problem could also be incorrect wiring in your house.
Bob

 

[little dish guy]

Aah, some results. I wouldn’t say the problem is ok now, there is still probably something wrong. Could be the wiring to the specific outlet is incorrect or maybe the whole house. Possibly the neutral and ground swapped? I’m not an electrician and can’t comment anymore except to say find someone qualified to check into it. Leaving the ground lifter in line was not the intent, it was just to troubleshoot the problem as you have done.
Bob

 

[sheridan]

I would tend to agree, and I'm not an electrician nor do I play one on tv. I would recommend you get one of those inexpensive outlet testers and go around test all your outlets. Of course, that's only a start.

Something is causing a problem and it could be a wiring problem, a bad device, i.e., outlet or switch, or could even a defective appliance either wired in or plugged in.

You might be able to isolate that by having the system up and humming and while someone listens, go and start shutting off breakers until it goes away.

 

[raymo721]

Fg, So how's the OTA?? Up and running or still having probs??--Ray

 

[Fgsilva]

Ray, OTA sucks (but not all the time though )!!! D* put their stupid bow-tie antenna up there and that piece of crap didn't really work. I tried going cheap and got a UHF only radio shack up there; I first put it together and tested it inside the house. was getting really good signals actually (around 90%) for almost all stations. I don't have a tall ladder so I couldn't put it up yet. then an installer came over yesterday and tried putting it up (replacing the D* bow-tie) but, he couldn't connect to both ends of the antenna cause it was missing a part! So, I"m back to using an indoor amplified radio shack antenna (that looks like the Enterprise!). It actually works pretty well like 90% of the time. It has a "memory" that allows you to turn it around (internally) according to the channel. We've been having a lot of rain these past days so maybe that's one of the reason why sometimes it gets unstable. The signal will bounce from 0-80% every once in a while. I'd still much rather go with an outdoor antenna as I thought it would be more stable. but the installer did say that in my area that are many buildings and trees and that affects my reception. but why I get it much better indoors than outdoors???? In the past I used to live 50 miles away from my stations, but it was up in the hills. I had just an old uhf/vhf antenna up the roof and I could get all channels with 90% signal (I had the 811 back then).Well, I guess I'll have to keep my indoor antenna for another month or so until I can afford the Winegrad antennas people suggested here. But at least so far I still have my HD DN from LA for the four major. So I just set my indoor antenna to PBS, WB and UPN well all the time.

Now, on a related topic. The installer whom came over yesterday was trying to sell me a ka/ku dish from D* that, according to him would allow me to get ALL my HD local, using my current HD TIVO!!! Because I was in a hurry to get rid of him (we had guests over) i didn't argue with him. But it's just amazing that D* have installers like him whom don't know sh*& of what is going on with their products!!!

Fg, So how's the OTA?? Up and running or still having probs??--Ray

 

[raymo721]

Is your reception better durring primetime?? I've noticed my locals are stronger durring that period. I don't think the rain would effect the sig unless its a strong thunderstorm with alot of electrical activity. Charper 1 IMHO is the best in antenna selection advice. My Military backround is in Commo, and the rule of thumb is " Your reciever is only as good as your antenna" Just have paitence and hopefully, by process of elimination, you'll find the right combination for your location. See if you can find out if the locals are even broadcasting at full power. If they're not what doesn't work now, might later. Keep your reciepts. Looks like your doing the right thing by startng small and working up. Isn't it ironic that we are using what our parents used to watch TV!!! Talk about cycles! Good luck.---Ray

 

[Fgsilva]

Our parents? how about us??? Back in Brazil that's how I used to watch TV. We didn't get cable I think till the 90s. Well, right now my indoor antenna seems to be working quite well most of the time. Now, could it be that the signal is so strong that an outdoor antenna is getting the reflected signal? Last nigth i was watching Criminal minds on NBC and it kept pixelating. I finally turned the gain down on my antenna and the signal stabilized. So far, this stations seems to be the only one doing this.

Oh yeah, but I think in a few months I may drop direct anyway. We have a local company, Surewest, that right now kicks butt in terms of HD, phone and internet. If you get it bundled then it's much cheaper. I didn't go with them cause they don't have a DVR yet. But, they have almost all my locals plus all movie channels in HD, tnt, universal, etc. Talked to a sellsguy and he claims they'll be adding up to 40 HD channels. And it's all fiber optics so I expect a better quality. No more dealing with sat companies and their bad installations and messing around with antennas!!! :up

Is your reception better durring primetime?? I've noticed my locals are stronger durring that period. I don't think the rain would effect the sig unless its a strong thunderstorm with alot of electrical activity. Charper 1 IMHO is the best in antenna selection advice. My Military backround is in Commo, and the rule of thumb is " Your reciever is only as good as your antenna" Just have paitence and hopefully, by process of elimination, you'll find the right combination for your location. See if you can find out if the locals are even broadcasting at full power. If they're not what doesn't work now, might later. Keep your reciepts. Looks like your doing the right thing by startng small and working up. Isn't it ironic that we are using what our parents used to watch TV!!! Talk about cycles! Good luck.---Ray

 

[chaotic646]

Speaking of grounds, my installer put up an OTA antenna for me and he grounded it to a new ground rod he placed in my yard. He then ran a ground wire from that ground rod to my main ground rod under my power meter (about 30 feet away). Is that okay, or will that cause a grounding loop?

 

[Fgsilva]

I'm no expert, but I think I only found out (or thought I had) ground loop due to the humming noise on my TV.

Speaking of grounds, my installer put up an OTA antenna for me and he grounded it to a new ground rod he placed in my yard. He then ran a ground wire from that ground rod to my main ground rod under my power meter (about 30 feet away). Is that okay, or will that cause a grounding loop?

 

[chaotic646]

I havent had any problems, but I read somewhere that they are supposed to run the antenna ground directly to your main building ground - not to a 2nd ground thats bonded to your main building ground. I just want to make sure that it is okay before I call D*.

 

[chadzx11]

Speaking of grounds, my installer put up an OTA antenna for me and he grounded it to a new ground rod he placed in my yard. He then ran a ground wire from that ground rod to my main ground rod under my power meter (about 30 feet away). Is that okay, or will that cause a grounding loop?

They are supposed to be bonded together, if there are 2 or more ground rods.

In the marines, we dropped 5 8 foot rods for our satellites, they were all wired together, plus we dug a pit for them and dumped in bags of rock salt. On the 20 footer, the ground wire was huge because there is a lighting arrestor at the top of the thing. Here is a REAL satellite dish.

 

[raymo721]

Oh yeah, but I think in a few months I may drop direct anyway. We have a local company, Surewest, that right now kicks butt in terms of HD, phone and internet. If you get it bundled then it's much cheaper. I didn't go with them cause they don't have a DVR yet. But, they have almost all my locals plus all movie channels in HD, tnt, universal, etc. Talked to a sellsguy and he claims they'll be adding up to 40 HD channels. And it's all fiber optics so I expect a better quality. No more dealing with sat companies and their bad installations and messing around with antennas!!!

Verizon Fios is cable is being layed in our area. I'm waiting to see how D* acts when my HD DVR swapout comes around. Only thing about Fios is I would miss my Tivo. Hoping for a Tivo/Fios marriage in the future. Oh yeah, I remember having to get up and adjust the antenna for my dad as I was growing up and after I got my own place.--Ray