Installation Today - Please Help

[edin555]

Like the topic says, the installer is coming today and I have a few questions for the experts here

1. I live in Quincy (near Boston) Massachusetts and I ordered HD Bronze with no locals. Will I be getting one or two dishes and which ones? Is there perhaps a solution I should insist on?

2. I am doing a roof install in a 3 floor town house, and I have a wire box on the first floor as well as something on the attic, so am I right assuming that he will run a wire alongside my townhouse and then drill a whole on the first floor connecting some kind of cable to the wire box?

3. Should I tell him not to forget to put extra tar or whatever the substance is called so that my roof doesn't start to leak?


Anything else I should ask him or tell him to insure that the installation goes smooth and that he doesn't cut any corners?

Thanks,
Edin

 

[mwgiii]

1)You will probably get a D1000 dish.

2)Probably so unless you pay extra for fishing the lines inside.

3)If he is professional he will take care of it.

 

[VegasVoomer]

Anything else I should ask him or tell him to insure that the installation goes smooth and that he doesn't cut any corners?

Thanks,
Edin

Tell him it gets really windy where you are (even if it doesnt) and to make sure the bolts holding the dish in place are completely tight. Not just once, but TWICE I had 2 different installers leave every bolt up there loose and after a day the dish was flopping around like a top. The Voom guy did it and I was up there the next day fixing it then a year later the Dish guy installed a second dish and did the same freaking thing.

 

[edin555]

Thanks to everybody who responded.

Now, it is 2pm here and the guy still hasn't shown up?
I know they scheduled the installation for between 12am and 5pm but this is a roof installation we are talking about and the house has three floors. How long does the installation usually take or is he going to stay the entire night with me if needed be?

Ps. Great advice on the wind, it is always windy in New England!

 

[edin555]

One more question,

What exactly does fishing the lines inside mean? Would it make the wire box unnecessary so that he doesn't have to run that huge cable to the first floor and go through an entire room in order to reach the garage (wire box)

If so, how much does it cost approximately, since I wouldn't mind paying extra if he can finish the entire job by just going to the attic (the phone guy did something in the attic, I assume that was fishing)

 

[Hall]

Between 12 and 5 means when he can show up. He can show up at 4:55.... Then again, it's not like they "guarantee" anything related to installation arrival times.

Dish has general guidelines on how long installations should take based primarily on the number of receivers. I think number of dishes *has* to factor in too though... The installer will not go home 'til he/she is done. They usually get paid by the job, not by the hour. They likely can't come back tomorrow either as they're probably booked up.

A "standard" installation doesn't include "wall fishing". They will drill a hole from the outside to the room where the receiver is. Tell him/her what you want done and how and see how they react. You might have to entice them with $$$ offers.

 

[dougruss]

Did he ever Show up ??

 

[FunkyBoss]

Must be too busy watching HD!

 

[edin555]

"Must be too busy watching HD!"

Unfortunately not
The guy who came said that the roof was too steep to go in from the balcony and so he needed the 32foot leader (which he didn't have).

Long story short, I have to wait for the install until August 31!!!
Another thing he said is that I will be needing two dishes, wasn't there a talk of some mandated law of one dish somewhere?

Anyhow, if anybody would know for how much longer the 200$ HD rebate will be available since I would hate for it to expire wile I am waiting for the install.

Also, will the installer give me the mail-in form, or how do I go about claiming it?

 

[boba]

Jan. 2007 for expiration of the rebates. All local channels must be on 1 dish. You are probably going to have a dish aimed at 110 &119 for most of your channels and a dish aimed at 61.5 for HD channels.
Rebate form is available from DISH website.

 

[noremac]

Another thing he said is that I will be needing two dishes...

Correct. The Dish 1000 will not work in most of New England. See this plot.

...wasn't there a talk of some mandated law of one dish somewhere?

NO! The FCC regulations do not have any restriction on the number of dishes that are permitted, and this specific circumstance has been ruled on in case law.

 

[dishcomm]

Tell him it gets really windy where you are (even if it doesnt) and to make sure the bolts holding the dish in place are completely tight. Not just once, but TWICE I had 2 different installers leave every bolt up there loose and after a day the dish was flopping around like a top. The Voom guy did it and I was up there the next day fixing it then a year later the Dish guy installed a second dish and did the same freaking thing.

Geez!!!!!!! That unreal...I am drilling holes in someone's roof I am goingot make damn sure those bolts are real tight....i always hit a rafter when possible with the center bolts...I test the roof by tapping with the mast or a hammer before i choose a mounting location...if the roof material(sheathting below the shingles) feels less than firm I find another sopt..You should never have probs with the mastfoot getting loose...

 

[dishcomm]

Like the topic says, the installer is coming today and I have a few questions for the experts here

1. I live in Quincy (near Boston) Massachusetts and I ordered HD Bronze with no locals. Will I be getting one or two dishes and which ones? Is there perhaps a solution I should insist on?

2. I am doing a roof install in a 3 floor town house, and I have a wire box on the first floor as well as something on the attic, so am I right assuming that he will run a wire alongside my townhouse and then drill a whole on the first floor connecting some kind of cable to the wire box?

3. Should I tell him not to forget to put extra tar or whatever the substance is called so that my roof doesn't start to leak?


Anything else I should ask him or tell him to insure that the installation goes smooth and that he doesn't cut any corners?

Thanks,
Edin

Three stories....How is the tech going to get up there?....I use a 28 foot ladder that gets me to most roof lines..But then again there are not many 3 story homes or town houses....
most likely the tech will not have a ladder tall enough to reach a three story roof..
MNone of us carry them...and the DishNetwork techs carry 32 foot ladders ontheir trucks..Maybe the tech can get to your roof wiht that..But don't hold your breath..plus it is very hazardous to work at that height...I do not do three story structures..I need to keep breathing....
I have done them but only with assistance from another tech....
Cable routing ..noramlly the exterior of the building is used to route the cable..I try to place the cable as discreetly as possible...Homes with vinyl siding are great for this ..
If you prefer the cable to be fished down to the first floor in the interior you will most certainly have to pay extra for this time consuming and difficult work....while most installs are done free of additional charges, there are instances where time and materials will mandate aditional charges ..This is what is known as custom work..

 

[dishcomm]

One more question,

What exactly does fishing the lines inside mean? Would it make the wire box unnecessary so that he doesn't have to run that huge cable to the first floor and go through an entire room in order to reach the garage (wire box)

If so, how much does it cost approximately, since I wouldn't mind paying extra if he can finish the entire job by just going to the attic (the phone guy did something in the attic, I assume that was fishing)

This means running the cables thru the top of the wall betwen the sheetrock boards...A wall fish statrts on the attic and the tech drill a hole in the top of the wall in the attic...The he takes the cable and runs it down on the inside of the wall..He then cuts a hole in the sheetrock where the new outlet will be...I ususally take a metal hook and stick it in the hole and pull out he cable...I then make the connection using a flush mounted wall plate with plastic anchors for the screws and voila!!!!!! Wall fish.....\Now your situation is a little different..The wall fish is going to be three floors!..In most instances, a fish like this is not possible without special equipment and a lot of luck......I do not carry such equipment ..Why?..It is not required..and it's an unnecessary expense..I don't buy stuff I might use once every two years..That's bad business and an unwise allocation of funds....Now your area may be different..There could be a plethora of three story homes and thus many techs would have such equipemnt..You'll have to see what the tech has on his truck...
Oh and by the way, that suggesion about waving money in front of the tech..Don't...Unless he has no other jobs that day which is very doubtful, he cannot take your money to do a job that would interfere with his other work for that day....Each customer is equally important....For the tech to take money to do a job that would require him to cancel other jobs would be unethical..However if the tech has just your job that day, he may accept additional money to do a time consuming job....
OH yeah..your roof concern re: leaks...The tech will take care to insure his work will not cause leaks..I use plenty of 50 year silicone on all roof penetrations..In nearly 9 years of satellite work, I have NEVER had a roof leak complaint..

 

[SmityWhity]

Okay, it's time for a little humor.

For the tech to take money to do a job that would require him to cancel other jobs would be unethical..

Unethical? That's the American way! Just ask your favorite (former) Louisiana Governor.

EDIT: But, I agree, and I'm glad there are still people with principles.

 

[VegasVoomer]

Geez!!!!!!! That unreal...I am drilling holes in someone's roof I am goingot make damn sure those bolts are real tight....i always hit a rafter when possible with the center bolts...I test the roof by tapping with the mast or a hammer before i choose a mounting location...if the roof material(sheathting below the shingles) feels less than firm I find another sopt..You should never have probs with the mastfoot getting loose...

It wasnt the mast. That was screwed into the wood. It was the bolts that hold the dish to the mast and the ones on the dish that let it tilt. He left them loose so he could adjust to get the signal tweaked and never tightened them down after he was done. I had to go up and do the whole thing over again.