Help with possible NY apartment install (with pictures)

[vandeley88]

Branchbouncer,

If it comes down to it I will attempt to install it myself. Although I'd love to have the help of someone experienced as I don't know what the heck I'm doing. Three questions:

1. Is there a way to 100% accurately determine if I have the correct line of sight before I purchase any equipment? I currently own a Magellan GPS unit. Not sure if that will help at all.

2. If I ended up buying a used triple LNB dish and receiver on ebay, how much money should I reasonably expect to spend?

3. How do tell what kind of glass I have in my windows?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[branchbouncer]

Here is a link for a stb
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&satitle=HD+HTL
For the glass look in the lower corners of the window glass for a makers logo if there is no logo then you probably just have a standard window, like glass you would purchase from Lowes or Home Depot
How much interference this will cause I am unsure as I have never tried this type of set up.
But I have read that other people have installed dishes inside aimed out a window and had success

 

[jpn]

Branchbouncer,

If it comes down to it I will attempt to install it myself. Although I'd love to have the help of someone experienced as I don't know what the heck I'm doing. Three questions:

1. Is there a way to 100% accurately determine if I have the correct line of sight before I purchase any equipment? I currently own a Magellan GPS unit. Not sure if that will help at all.

Get your zip-code's alignment settings from directv.com, then use a compass. Magellan only tells you where you are on the earth; not what direction you're facing.

 

[chazcbh]

Do you have any friends that have DTV? If so get a dish and have them bring a active receiver over and try it out. You should be able to get a dish cheap on Ebay.

 

[vandeley88]

Once again, thanks for all the suggestions.

JPN, I do know that I'm facing the correct direction because there's a bunch of other dishes in my neighborhood so I know which way mine should face. The major question is if I will have a line of sight over the building the next door. I was thinking if I put my GPS unit (its a Garmin GPSMap 60) where I am hoping to install the dish I could see if I'm getting a signal from the satellite. There is a screen on my garmin that shows the strengths of the various satellites but I'm not sure which one is directv. From what I've heard the main directv satellite is 101 degrees (I'm not sure of the exact measurement). Unfortunately, my garmin lists the satellites as "1", "10", "23", etc. So I'm not sure if I'm picking up the directv sat. Anybody have any experience with this?

And, to repeat myself, thank you all for your suggestions and patience as I try to figure this out. I hope to post a picture of me watching extra innings at some point.

Ryan

 

[DVRaholic]

HeyVandeley88, why not just order Directv, Play Dumb and act like it will be a normal install, when the installer gets there if he cannot get a signal he will just cancel the order and you pay nothing. Trust me these installers get paid by the job so they will want to get you that signal
If he wont mount it on the air conditioner, (Directv probably wont let him) he can at least tell you if it will work or not. Tell him you will pay him for a side job. I bet you he probably would take it on as a full side job if he thinks it will work.
If he says it wont, you lose nothing and your just back to square one.

 

[plnoldrick]

just get some U clamps from a hardware store and mount a pole to the fire escape outside your window. thats an at-9 on the roof right across from you so you have a line of sight, hell you have a line of sight for high def if you really want it. there is no way the top of the building is more then 20 or so degree's higher then the plane the dish would be mounted on.

also if your fire escape has a big enough landing where you took that picture put a bucket mount out there.

get some better pictures of your fire escape and the landing if there is one there and im sure me or someone else will come up with something.

btw your probably gonna want to get some flat window cable if you mount it out there so you dont make any holes in building and send your landlord into a craze

 

[vandeley88]

Okay, I'm going to do it. With the encouragement of all of you I'm going to buy a dish and figure out how to make it work. I figure I'm going to get a dish and receiver on ebay. So, what should I buy?

I'm aiming to spend the least amount of money possible. I suppose I'm looking for a triple LNB dish but what type of receiver? I saw a D10 for really cheap. Would that be good for testing this out?

Also, will I be able to tell if I'm catching a signal without activating the receiver or starting an account with directv?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Teronzhul]

You already know the approximate direction the dish should be aimed, so using that as a baseline you can make an inexpensive clinometer to determine elevation if you want.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/math_explorer/howHigh_makeInclino.html

If you provide your zip code then someone can likely tell you the approximate elevation of the sats from your location.

 

[charper1]

I suppose I'm looking for a triple LNB dish but what type of receiver?

Not sure what all I missed, but are you looking for HD? A "D" series receiver will not get you any HD, and a PhaseIII dish without a HD receiver is not totally needed either.

Also, will I be able to tell if I'm catching a signal without activating the receiver or starting an account with directv?

They have 3 or 4 channels (DirecTV info and stuff) that are "in the clear"


I too advocate getting your aiming coordinates and a $13 heading compass you can find at any Wal Mart or outdoors store BEFORE spending any other money. Heck, everyone needs a heading compass or two in the tool box along with a GPS.

 

[vandeley88]

Interesting info, guys.

Teronzhul, I think I'll put together that clinometer over the weekend.

Charper1, didn't realize I wouldn't need a triple LNB dish. I really just want to pick up a receiver and dish up on ebay that will let me know for absolute certain that I can receive a signal. If I can, I'll probably just chuck what I bought and order higher quality stuff from directv directly. So there's no need for HD or DVR right now.

So would a D10 receiver be sufficient for my purposes? One guy was selling one for 99 cents.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[charper1]

Any receiver will pull the core programming from the 101 bird ("in the clear" signals are here as well); along with any run of the mill standard PhaseI (single LNB) dish.

 

[jpn]

I only suggested the compass because the question was posed "how can I tell the direction". If you know the direction, why ask it?

As for what dish to get.... why are you chasing your own? Why not call D* and get the best new customer deal possible? You're going to get the latest equipment and probably free installation. Any commitment is going to happen when you activate a new card, whether you pay for it on eBay or get new stuff as a new customer.

 

[vandeley88]

JPN, sorry for the misunderstanding. I do know the direction just not if I have a line of sight to the satellite over the building next door. I think I am going to buy a heading compass to help me point the dish exactly where it needs to go. Thanks for the suggestion.

I'll give directv a call tomorrow. See what their deals are.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Joe Diamond]

Ryan,
Here is something that has not come through too clear here. If you connect any DTV receiver to your TV and plug it in you will get a series of screens and prompts much like a computer. They are controlled by buttons on the box or with the remote.

As you enter "menu" and "system setup" you will get a "signal meter " choice and a "dish pointing" choice. You can enter your zip code or longitude and latitude. With instructions for setting up your dish.

If you turn up the volume on your TV you will hear a series of tones that will allow you to hear the signal as you get closer ti the correct az and elevation.

Those numbers refer to launch locations or satellite popsitions in West Longitude as in 101 degrees west longitude from Greenwich, England. You are at around 70 degrees W long. and the az(compas line to the satellite is about 230 degrees (or SW).

Keep going. You are getting closer.

Joe

 

[vandeley88]

Joe, thanks for the great tips. I'll be using your last post as a guide when I'm calibrating my dish.

I found a guy on craigslist who's going to sell me a dish and receiver for $23. I'm hoping to pick it up over the weekend. Its a 3 lnb dish. The only thing it doesn't have is the metal mast. Where can I buy a mast? Radio Shack? Best Buy?

Also, I've seen people selling satellite finders on ebay such as: Satellite Finder Directv Dish FTA w/ power port/compass. Do I need something like this or should I buy a heading compass or will just any ordinary compass do the trick?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[chadzx11]

You could always do a tracvision. They start at about a grand, are enclosed in a dome, and I bet they could bolt to an AC case no problem, with a lot less wind load than a regular dish. Most thieves wouldn't know WTF it was anyway.