Dumb MasTec Installer Next Door Trashing Up The Neighborhood...

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TheTechGuru

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Oct 30, 2010
1,861
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Texas
Ok, new renters moved in and THERE IS ALREADY A SWM SL3 ON THE ROOF.

Mastec Installer installs a new SWM SL3 for what reason other than to trash up the neighborhood???

I asked the MasTec installer if he plans to remove the old dish because more than one really trashes up the neighborhood, he stated that he's not allowed to get on the roof and that is why he installed a new one.

Well, not getting on the roof is a excuse for not removing the old one, but why install a new one when a wire is already ran from the old one?

Sounds like the MasTec installer just wants to make more money? I thought they're paid per receiver not per dish.

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Is there any cables coming from the other dish?

Sadly I see this all the time. But not to this extreme with the same dish size. When I lived in my townhouse there was one that had a Dish 500, Directv 18" and a slimline on their roof.
 
Is there any cables coming from the other dish?

Yep, that house should have been ready to go, just add SWM power inserter and receivers.

No idea why he would want to install from scratch, I see him drilling into the attic under the eve, seems to be running all new wiring.

I'd be all for a HOA policy that requires all erected dishes to be in service, and provide a copy of the bill once every six months or so. If service is not maintained then it must come down.
 
I can only think of 2 things. Directv wants all dishes to be able to be services via ladder only without getting off and the other is IV-retest. If the dish was outta alignment then he would've had to get off the ladder to peak it. I personally would've prolly pulled the old dish and installed a new one with customer ok'ing it. I do know Multiband will actually terminate a tech if the job gets QC'd and they can tell the tech had to leave his ladder without a 2nd tech/supervision on site
 
This is strictly my opinion & practice what I preach. I only do roof mounts that can be done off the ladder for 2 reasons. 1 the ladder is safer & 2 if the roof is snow covered there is no way to safely work on the dish. I do however get onto a roof for situations like these.
 
No way in hell I'd let someone drill into my roof like that for a dish. Just asking for trouble with how half ass people are. Much less pulling an old dish off and trusting them to properly seal it. No thanks.
 
2 dishes is better then one.. according to DN :)

Who cares if there is 2 or 3 or 4 dishes on the roof, as long its not affecting you directly.

I see that all the time, specially multiples dishes with an FTA and or DTV/DN fanatics. Nothing new.
 
No way in hell I'd let someone drill into my roof like that for a dish. Just asking for trouble with how half ass people are. Much less pulling an old dish off and trusting them to properly seal it. No thanks.

You're assuming we're all a bunch of morons with no knowledge of value of property and lack of know what comes down when a dish comes down. The foot plate stays, no reason to remove the bracket and have exposed holes in the roof. Also, bishops tape is used on the foot plates so they're properly sealed. My rant is finished

Now as for getting off the roof, this is a prime example. Somebody mentioned snow on a roof, this is why they want them to he able to be services via ladders and not taking a trek up the roof. I understand both sides, yes, there's already a dish up there but what happens when his satellite stops working in December and nobody can reach the dish? In a sense he did the customer a favor but he still should've jumped up and grabbed the old dish down IMO. :D
 
Its Mastec, in ct here they will fire you if you get off ladder, now if you need to get off ladder you need to wait for your sup. and munt lanyard to roof then do job, and if over a 7 pitch you cant even do it, so that is why this installer did what he did, but as fare as useing the stubby mount being in the middle of the eve i see problems if they get snow, sloppy wireing job. anyway mastec lowered pay by half and made it imposable to make money, this was probly a service call for 18 bucks, sad
 
Its Mastec, in ct here they will fire you if you get off ladder, now if you need to get off ladder you need to wait for your sup. and munt lanyard to roof then do job, and if over a 7 pitch you cant even do it, so that is why this installer did what he did, but as fare as useing the stubby mount being in the middle of the eve i see problems if they get snow, sloppy wireing job. anyway mastec lowered pay by half and made it imposable to make money, this was probly a service
call for 18 bucks, sad

He was there from about 9am to 1pm.

I could of had that place done in 30 minutes for a 4 room since there was already a dish.

Mastec contacted me for a interview, I'll start a thread in installers zone for that though.

Edit: Started thread here: http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads...100-Miles-Away-They-Must-Be-Totally-Senseless
 
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Is there any cables coming from the other dish?

Sadly I see this all the time. But not to this extreme with the same dish size. When I lived in my townhouse there was one that had a Dish 500, Directv 18" and a slimline on their roof.

But that scenario is understandable .... they had DISH, went to D* got new set up with old 18" for locals, then was upgraded eventually to SL, probably just changed the LNB, left the 18" because they didn't have to remove it ...

My parents neighbor is that way, he won't take the other stuff down because he doesn't know any better and the installer left the other dishes up there.
 
But that scenario is understandable .... they had DISH, went to D* got new set up with old 18" for locals, then was upgraded eventually to SL, probably just changed the LNB, left the 18" because they didn't have to remove it ...

My parents neighbor is that way, he won't take the other stuff down because he doesn't know any better and the installer left the other dishes up there.
but Dish500's and Directv 18" dishes use the same mast size so why not just do that?

Oh I've seen ghetto setups. Dish 500 on the roof and on the deck rail is a 18" dish.
 
but Dish500's and Directv 18" dishes use the same mast size so why not just do that?

Oh I've seen ghetto setups. Dish 500 on the roof and on the deck rail is a 18" dish.

The old 18" dish used the same size, all dishes from directv are now 2" ;)
 
The 105 super dish & 121 super dish both had the 2" masts with the bigger dish pans(metal, not fiberglass), real similar to Directv's slimline dish. Dish made a mistake imo by not utilizing that same setup with the 1k2 & 1k4. The hardware was sturdier with the super dish & the bigger dish pans provided better signals.
 
even the phase III? (101,110,119) I've seen a couple new ones around here locally. Guess they wanted spanish channels but not HD

Yeah, all dishes now use the same 2" mast. Makes it better for use techs so we only have to carry 1 type of mast
 
This thread reminds me of my friend who lives in a townhouse...he got on his roof one day to clean the gutters and noticed a dish (he has cable). He traced the wiring to his neighbours. Ended up, the tech installed it on the wrong roof 2 years ago.

Cheers, K
 
This thread reminds me of my friend who lives in a townhouse...he got on his roof one day to clean the gutters and noticed a dish (he has cable). He traced the wiring to his neighbours. Ended up, the tech installed it on the wrong roof 2 years ago.

Cheers, K

Oh wow! How does someone even so this!? Lol
 
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