Help! My HOA wants our dish moved!

[Aridon]

Don't just let this lie they can make your life miserable with fines and leins even if they are illegal you have the burden of trying to get it all removed.

I'd try and file a complaint with the FCC and any other federal authority that may be able to help.

 

[smaug07]

I'd move out of that place! I thought this was the land of the freakin free! What are we coming to when you can't even place an antenna on your property, that YOU own?!!! I have multiple antennas on my house and I wouldn't take them down for anybody, not some moronic HOA, not my neighbors, not the town, nobody! Tell them to take their HOA demands and shove it as far as it will go! Don't back down to these jerks...it's true you'll have to live with them one way or another, but damn it, you have rights and this country's Constitution allows you to exercise those rights!

 

[Joe Diamond]

and grounding issues don't affect picture quality. that's the dumbest thing i ever heard. grounding is important but certainly not for pic quality. lazy techs...

Could be cost of cable, ground wire & time. Within ten to twenty feet of the ground rod is where the ground block should end up. Additional ground rods and #6 wire are just not part of the picture.

And ya know you can paint these things! Keep the white plastic clean and use flat paint.
Resist the urge to make smile faces on the dish.

Joe

 

[iwc5893]

Unless the cable run from the back of the house to the receiver is over 150 feet, there will be no signal loss.

As to the grounding issue, the HOA is correct. A grounding rod would suffice, provided it is backbonded to the house ground so that there is no potential difference between the two grounding systems. To be strictly to code, this should be done by a qualified electrician.

However, this triggers the unreasonable costs/delay clause of the FCC rules. Tell the HOA you'd be willing to move the dish if they want to pay for the electrician to come out and put in an approved ground point.

 

[Kevin1514]

Is your home a single family unit or townhome where the association is responsible for the exterior? If the association is responsible for the exterior they can legally prohibit installation on the structure, but not from areas such as the patio, balcony, etc, as long as it is your exclusive use area.

 

[harshness]

Does anyone know if it cost $$$ to get the ground bonded?

In this case, bonding is a physical connection, not one covered by an insurance bond.

 

[floridasun]

Is your home a single family unit or townhome where the association is responsible for the exterior? If the association is responsible for the exterior they can legally prohibit installation on the structure, but not from areas such as the patio, balcony, etc, as long as it is your exclusive use area.

It is a single family home. The neighbors directly next store to us are fine with the dish. They don't mind that it is on the side of the house...past the midline in the rear. The dish sits behind the chimney. And there are no rear neighbors.

I was trying to think of a creative, perhaps obnoxious way to cover the dish, with out blocking the signal. The dish is too high for a fence or tree.


I'll have to check the 150 ft part for signal quality. Is that for the HD dish?

 

[jtwex]

I'll have to check the 150 ft part for signal quality. Is that for the HD dish?

Generally, the 150ft run is the complete run from the LNB to the receivers. Adding a powered SWM switch changes things a bit (not sure about the non powered switches) but that is D's required limit. I have one run significantly longer than 150ft with no problems but wouldn't do it if I was an installer. I also have an unbalanced grounding system but that was a real pain to bring it to code. I understand it's your property and all (& your rear neighbor doesn't mind the dish - though he could be the one secretly reporting you). On one hand I believe in 'pleasing' your neighbors & abiding by your HOA but this has already resulted in two installers coming to your location. Any changes would almost certainly force outside splices in the coax & that can be big problems even when done right. As a good neighbor, I would probably try to locate an acceptable spot on the rear of the house; even if that means a new entry point for the cables (which would probably shorten your cable run anyway). There might come a time where you need the HOA on your side & this battle just doesn't seem worth it to me. Have you considered a back of the house eve mount near where your electrical comes in? They really have come along way in customizing different mounts. I haven't seen your dish from the street but I've seen dish's installed at the front entrance door which ruins the ambiance of any good neibhoorhood.

Edit: They're different decorative 'coverings' to disquise the dish that you might look into should you wish to keep the dish as is. I haven't any links for these decoratives but I'm sure others can chime in here.

 

[philhu]

and grounding issues don't affect picture quality. that's the dumbest thing i ever heard. grounding is important but certainly not for pic quality. lazy techs...

Grounding issues can cause picture problems.

Those 60hz lines running up your screen is one example

 

[Smith P.]

It is a single family home. The neighbors directly next store to us are fine with the dish. They don't mind that it is on the side of the house...past the midline in the rear. The dish sits behind the chimney. And there are no rear neighbors.

I was trying to think of a creative, perhaps obnoxious way to cover the dish, with out blocking the signal. The dish is too high for a fence or tree.


I'll have to check the 150 ft part for signal quality. Is that for the HD dish?

Can you post a few pictures ?

 

[Rey]

Grounding issues can cause picture problems.

Those 60hz lines running up your screen is one example

That would be grounding issues at the box not at the dish from what i've seen.

 

[loves2watch]

Here is a link to the FCC rules prohibiting the HOA from not allowing you to place your dish where you want - FCC Fact Sheet on Placement of Antennas

Hope this helps

 

[uncrules]

That link is the same link that was given in the 2nd post of this thread.

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

Don't move it!!! You own the house and have the right to have a dish anywhere you please!! HOA's SUCK!!!!

 

[floridasun]

Hey guys,
The HOA is back! They want the dish moved because distance should not affect the picture quality. The HOA actually quoted some of the posts from this site!! However, we still have a ground issue that the HOA did not address. I feel the ground issue is a reason to NOT move the dish. It is an unreasonable expense to have an electrician come out.

Anyone else with a grounding issue???

 

[charper1]

I would not think it unreasonable to get an electrician out, but maybe its time you call a local attorney.

 

[iwc5893]

Again, I would tell the HOA that they must pay for the electrician to come out and install a ground point that is up to code. Simply driving a ground rod into the ground does not meet electrical code.

If they insist that you pay for the electrician, that would most likely trigger the unreasonable costs clause of the OTARD rules.

Like charper says, you may want to contact an attorney and maybe even fire off a question to the FCC about this.

 

[floridasun]

I really didn't want to spend the $$$ for an atty, especially when we have tried to comply. Does anyone have any experience dealing with the FCC and what kind of turn around time they have?

 

[jessshaun]

I completely agree with iwc5893. If it were me, I'd tell them to pay for the electrician. If they refuse, I'd definitely contact an attorney.

MAN! I'm so glad I don't have to worry about a HOA. WAAAY too many horror stories, such as this nonsense. Good luck!

 

[iwc5893]

I really didn't want to spend the $$$ for an atty, especially when we have tried to comply. Does anyone have any experience dealing with the FCC and what kind of turn around time they have?

You could actually file a complaint with the FCC, and they may or may not send a nasty gram to your HOA. I had a rapid response from them (less than 2 days when I used the contact form on the website to ask a question about an HOA). My question was if an HOA could require the installer to meet with them so that they could "approve" the mounting location. The FCC said that was a no-no, and I showed their response to the HOA. After that, I never had a probelm with that HOA again.