DirecTV installer: Won't run line using flat coax coupler

[grydlok]

Well then, we cant have people actually opening and closing doors now can we? How dare they actually use their house as it was designed to be used. Perhaps the real culprit is not the homeowner but the rocket scientists at D* and the "people" here that thought using flat cable in doors and windows was acceptable to begin with.

If I called your remark as an idiot remark I might get banned. If you thought for one second outside youre own little world and realized that it people who rent and the landlord requested no drilling flat cable was their only option. If you subscribe to Dish, or Direct knowing full well that no drilling in the apt, and the tech would have to use flat cable have the phucking sense not to slam the damn door on it repeatedly or just get cable.

 

[Techfizzle]

12 and 18 volts are not enough current to star fire!

 

[iwc5893]

12 and 18 volts are not enough current to star fire!

First of all, volts are not current... Any voltage can start a fire if it draws enough current. I've started fires by shorting across a 9 volt battery with a coil of wire to light my cigarette before.

If the 4x8 was being powered by a flatwire, I believe that is 24 volts.

 

[Techfizzle]

after looking at my receivers:
ok max draw is .5 amps. A car battery is 500-1200 amps.
Most modren receivers have a relay in them to quit supying current to the dish if there is a short above that .5 amp
If you use a flat coax, using a dremel tool, cut a small slot in the sill of window, so when the window shuts, it wont bear down on the cable.

Or if you must use standard coax, cant a guy go under a soffit, or thorugh a attic vent? I have before, that would count as no drilling.

 

[charper1]

as said a few times; renters, especially apartment dwellers, CAN'T do any of that.

 

[RobertE]

Recently had the pleasure of going to a customers appartment to replace the flat cables. I didn't do the job for other reasons. Can't go into here. Anyway, we have 12 workorders from DirecTv and who knows how many internal ones since April for this guy. Why? Because he continues to slam his patio door on those cables.

He has had no signal more than he has had signal. I don't know what it will take to convice this guy to stop slamming his door, but, until that happens, someone will keep going out and replacing the cables. Won't be me though.

 

[jckm78]

I seen a power 4x8 and a power DPP44 cause the flat cable to catch fire. Flat cable are good on window where you don't need to open and close the window. Putting it on sliding doors have a higher rate of a repeat service call.

 

[dssturbed]

Flat jumpers still work OK. It's just that in most cases they take a beating and have to be service over and over again. Now I'm talking about the average customer that doesn't know anything but plug and play. If you do it yourself you should have no problems. I've done it for years without any issues.

As far a charging more for drilling that's incorrect. In my area the large sub installer is DirecTech and they pay their guys $30.00 an install no matter how long the job takes. For the most part they do lousy work because they are rushing through the jobs to get the volume in. Some other companies pay $80.00 to $100 for installing the dish and the first receiver and $20.00 for each additional receiver but in this case you usually have to be self insured and set up as a business. The rates suck. they've been the same for over 5 years. To make good money doing residential installs you need to be a dealer or do commercial installs where the owner pays you for the work.

 

[vurbano]

If I called your remark as an idiot remark I might get banned. If you thought for one second outside youre own little world and realized that it people who rent and the landlord requested no drilling flat cable was their only option. If you subscribe to Dish, or Direct knowing full well that no drilling in the apt, and the tech would have to use flat cable have the phucking sense not to slam the damn door on it repeatedly or just get cable.

I will refrain from name calling and I unlike you will not even use the word in my post. D* no longer allows the flat cable and for good reason. Last time I checked windows and doors had a function. This function ruins the cable eventually.

 

[Van]

Evidently the problem is that way way to many installers and customers and a few trolls dont understand the proper way of installing a flat cable in a window or door frame. All the ones that I ever saw that had failed were installed in the impact zone where the door edge or window edge would make forced contact with its frame.

The original flat cable isnt rated for the newer systems and its center conductor is as thin as the really cheap rg59 stuff that came with kmart vcr's. The new flat cable that dishnetwork uses is considerably more heavy duty in its outer casing as well as the connectors and the clips that hold them inplace and the center conductor. Give it time and direct will adopt these new flat cables once the court case is settled.