HR20 without 5LNB dish......

[chrisexv6]

Has anyone tried retention to get a deal on the HR20 without getting the new dish? (do you think its even possible?)

Im getting a new LCD for my basement, and the easiest way to get wires to it will be HDMI (because its just a single connection)....since Im fishing wires thru existing walls and ceilings, the less I have to fish the better.

That leaves the HR20 as the only (current) DirecTV receiver I can use to make my life easier. I dont currently have the 5 LNB, nor do I want it (I get my locals over OTA with no problems).

Anyone think retention would give me a halfway decent deal on just the HR20? Has anyone successfully done this before?

Thanks!
-Chris

 

[Mtnmike]

I dont currently have the 5 LNB, nor do I want it (I get my locals over OTA with no problems).

Thanks!
-Chris

OTA is fine and you don't need the new dish now, but in order to receive any future HD expansion by D* you will need it and an equivalent (MPEG4 receiver) to get the programming when D* expands HD next year.

 

[chrisexv6]

Yeah I knew that, I was just wondering if there was any chance retention would give me a deal that didnt include "professional" installation. Heck, I wouldnt care if they sent me the dish and I paid a 3rd party to install it, I just dont trust "professional" installation to my nice expensive vinyl siding.

 

[Mtnmike]

Well the best way to find out is call them and see what you can get. There is always a chance you will get a deal, but all you are going to get from us is speculation on a possible deal.

 

[ryanm86]

It may be different for you but the refused to give me a 3 LNB dish.

 

[raoul5788]

Yeah I knew that, I was just wondering if there was any chance retention would give me a deal that didnt include "professional" installation. Heck, I wouldnt care if they sent me the dish and I paid a 3rd party to install it, I just dont trust "professional" installation to my nice expensive vinyl siding.

You do not want ANYONE installing ANY dish on vinyl siding. A pole mount is the best way to go with any dish.

 

[moverj]

I got the HR20 without the dish. My other receiver was freezing up all the time. I called D* and they sent me the new one. You have to send in your old equipment , or they will charge you 250.00 though.

 

[chrisexv6]

You do not want ANYONE installing ANY dish on vinyl siding. A pole mount is the best way to go with any dish.

I currently have a 3 LNB. The reason I mentioned vinyl siding isnt to bolt the dish directly to, there is a cutout for the 3 LNB in the vinyl and its bolted directly to the original clapboard siding/exterior sheathing on my house. I dont even mind havin the 5 LNB if they can put it in the same spot, adding holes for the braces. Im afraid they arent going to put the 5 LNB there, and Im going to have an ugly cutout in my vinyl siding with no dish there anymore.

Ill try calling them I guess, I really just want it for simplicity in wiring my new TV. When it comes time to worry about MPEG4, Ill handle it then.

-Chris

 

[chrisexv6]

Got $150 for the HR20, 5.00/month back for a year.

Somehow just need to convince installer not to put up the 5lnb. HR20 (at least in my area) is on backorder, so I dont know an "install" date yet. Gonna guess it will be a while.

-Chris

 

[raoul5788]

I currently have a 3 LNB. The reason I mentioned vinyl siding isnt to bolt the dish directly to, there is a cutout for the 3 LNB in the vinyl and its bolted directly to the original clapboard siding/exterior sheathing on my house. I dont even mind havin the 5 LNB if they can put it in the same spot, adding holes for the braces. Im afraid they arent going to put the 5 LNB there, and Im going to have an ugly cutout in my vinyl siding with no dish there anymore.

Ill try calling them I guess, I really just want it for simplicity in wiring my new TV. When it comes time to worry about MPEG4, Ill handle it then.

-Chris

The footprint of the mounting bracket is bigger for the AT9 as compared to the P3 dishes. I am not sure how much bigger, since I have mine mounted on a pole. Can you enlarge the mounting area on the house? I would think just cutting back the vinyl and replacing the j channel would do it. I am assuming the cutout area is bordered with j channel.

 

[chrisexv6]

Im not sure exactly how the cutout was made when re-mounting the dish to the house. The siding guy was also a satellite installer on the side (convenient, eh?) so I know he mounted it quite securely to the house, but I forget how he "framed" the opening.

Assuming the installers from DirecTV are not also siding guys, I didnt really want them "just cutting a bigger hole" in my siding. Also, I have a feeling they are going to say that I cant put the 5 LNB dish where the 3LNB currently exists, but I dont know what needs to aim where so I cant be sure thats the case.

-Chris

 

[raoul5788]

Im not sure exactly how the cutout was made when re-mounting the dish to the house. The siding guy was also a satellite installer on the side (convenient, eh?) so I know he mounted it quite securely to the house, but I forget how he "framed" the opening.

Assuming the installers from DirecTV are not also siding guys, I didnt really want them "just cutting a bigger hole" in my siding. Also, I have a feeling they are going to say that I cant put the 5 LNB dish where the 3LNB currently exists, but I dont know what needs to aim where so I cant be sure thats the case.

-Chris

The aiming is nearly the same for the two dishes. The AT9 points at the 101 sat and the P3 points at the 110 sat. The area in the sky they need to see is virtually the same, with the AT9 looking slightly farther east to see the 99 sat.

 

[chrisexv6]

I might get lucky then. But I still need to worry about them possibly hacking up my vinyl siding to fit the AT9 base.

I wonder if I can get them to leave the dish at my house and Ill get my usual installer to come out.

-Chris

 

[raoul5788]

I might get lucky then. But I still need to worry about them possibly hacking up my vinyl siding to fit the AT9 base.

I wonder if I can get them to leave the dish at my house and Ill get my usual installer to come out.

-Chris

Assuming the underlayment is the same, why don't you find out the size of the new mount and cut the vinyl enough to fit it. It's not rocket science, you know!

 

[chrisexv6]

Was thinking about it, but after being in a somewhat major car accident on (surprise) Friday the 13th, my ladder climbing days are done for the near future

-Chris

 

[raoul5788]

Was thinking about it, but after being in a somewhat major car accident on (surprise) Friday the 13th, my ladder climbing days are done for the near future

-Chris

You must have a friend who is handy enough to do this for you.