Let me start by saying my VOOM is now up and running and WOW am I impressed!!!
My installer showed up on time, but other than that it was about the only thing that went well.
I had already run two seperate rg-6 lines for sat and the ota. I showed him where I wanted the stuff mounted, showed him existing grounding block, etc., etc. I had the TV pulled out and showed him where to put the STB.
He started hooking up the STB to the TV and writing down serial numbers. I had to go get my daughter from school and when I returned he told me he was through inside and he was working outside. I went in and saw what he had done to the TV connections. He had the RCA yellow, red, white cable hooked from the STB to my TV. I told him whoa, that ain't gonna work. He told me that is the way he does all the installs. I said that people with HDTV that don't know any better is going to be pissed. You cannot get a HD signal like that. (Could be why a lot of people are mad at VOOM as far a PQ). I asked him about component video cable or DVI cable. He didn't know what either was!!!! He handed me a bag and I got the component video cable out and the DVI cable and explained to him what they were and how they hooked up.
He proceeded to work outside. I had to run another errand and when I returned, he had the dish mounted (not where I wanted) and the OTA mounted to the dish mount. I asked him if he saw a problem here? He said no, what. Other than the two new connection splices and the local stations were do north of my house and the roof of my house blocking my OTA. He said he called another installer and said that would be fine. I argued with him for a while and told him that was unacceptable that I would not get an OTA signal at all like that. He told me that was the only mount he had and he had to rob parts off the next install he was going to do just to mount it. I went to Radio SHack and bought the necessary mounts to put it on my eave. Had to use my own ladder to get on roof because his was not tall enough.
Got it all mounted and saw where he had run the ground line. Where all the cables go into the house is a grounding block for my electric service ground, telephone grounding block and cox cable grounding block. Instead of tying into one of those he put his own grounding rod into the ground. About a foot from edge of house and left about 3 inches sticking out of ground (just enough to hit it with a mower). After he left, I grounded it to another block and drove his rod all the way into the ground.
Now it's time to aim the dish. He started moving it and got a strong signal on his box. But I couldn't get over 31 on the signal meter on the dish on TV. After tweaking he told me I just couldn't get a good signal...there is not a tree, bush or powerline on the south of me for a mile....anyways I looked at the dish and said it is too high on elevation. I looked on this forum and found the correct elevation and azimuth. He had the elevation at 49 degrees. I said lower it to 34 degrees and point it more to the east. He did and I got a signal of 64 inside (old firmware).
He was here 4 1/2 hours for a job that should have took no more than an hour.
Long story short, I was not impressed with the installer or his company, and I'm not sure how much VOOM is involved in the selection of companies, but they need to take a good hard look at it.
Again, I am up and running and I am somewhat impressed with the service from VOOM so far.
BTW, I am in Chickasha, OK
Scott
My installer showed up on time, but other than that it was about the only thing that went well.
I had already run two seperate rg-6 lines for sat and the ota. I showed him where I wanted the stuff mounted, showed him existing grounding block, etc., etc. I had the TV pulled out and showed him where to put the STB.
He started hooking up the STB to the TV and writing down serial numbers. I had to go get my daughter from school and when I returned he told me he was through inside and he was working outside. I went in and saw what he had done to the TV connections. He had the RCA yellow, red, white cable hooked from the STB to my TV. I told him whoa, that ain't gonna work. He told me that is the way he does all the installs. I said that people with HDTV that don't know any better is going to be pissed. You cannot get a HD signal like that. (Could be why a lot of people are mad at VOOM as far a PQ). I asked him about component video cable or DVI cable. He didn't know what either was!!!! He handed me a bag and I got the component video cable out and the DVI cable and explained to him what they were and how they hooked up.
He proceeded to work outside. I had to run another errand and when I returned, he had the dish mounted (not where I wanted) and the OTA mounted to the dish mount. I asked him if he saw a problem here? He said no, what. Other than the two new connection splices and the local stations were do north of my house and the roof of my house blocking my OTA. He said he called another installer and said that would be fine. I argued with him for a while and told him that was unacceptable that I would not get an OTA signal at all like that. He told me that was the only mount he had and he had to rob parts off the next install he was going to do just to mount it. I went to Radio SHack and bought the necessary mounts to put it on my eave. Had to use my own ladder to get on roof because his was not tall enough.
Got it all mounted and saw where he had run the ground line. Where all the cables go into the house is a grounding block for my electric service ground, telephone grounding block and cox cable grounding block. Instead of tying into one of those he put his own grounding rod into the ground. About a foot from edge of house and left about 3 inches sticking out of ground (just enough to hit it with a mower). After he left, I grounded it to another block and drove his rod all the way into the ground.
Now it's time to aim the dish. He started moving it and got a strong signal on his box. But I couldn't get over 31 on the signal meter on the dish on TV. After tweaking he told me I just couldn't get a good signal...there is not a tree, bush or powerline on the south of me for a mile....anyways I looked at the dish and said it is too high on elevation. I looked on this forum and found the correct elevation and azimuth. He had the elevation at 49 degrees. I said lower it to 34 degrees and point it more to the east. He did and I got a signal of 64 inside (old firmware).
He was here 4 1/2 hours for a job that should have took no more than an hour.
Long story short, I was not impressed with the installer or his company, and I'm not sure how much VOOM is involved in the selection of companies, but they need to take a good hard look at it.
Again, I am up and running and I am somewhat impressed with the service from VOOM so far.
BTW, I am in Chickasha, OK
Scott
