my ugly and painful dish install

[u4ea]

First I want to preface that the reception is awesome, the 522 works great and the CS guys at Dish have been very helpful.

Anyway, I had my dish installed a couple of days ago - check out the install...

Heres a link to a small photo gallery I created to show the install....

Well, I complained and told dish what the installer did... They didnt think that sounded good at all, and they are having an "area supervisor" coming out on Sunday to look at the install and fix what might need fixing (i.e. the whole shabang in my opinion). :shocked

Would love to see what you guys think about this install... also mind you that I live in South Florida (#1 in lightning strikes in the world) so I am not really happy about the fact that lightning has to enter my house then get grounded (based off the way this is set up).

Any suggestions or comments?

 

[bigthrust]

Is the install guy new?

 

[MrDRC]

Pitiful! The grounding block should be outside for sure. Was there no way to bring the feed in through the attic?

 

[Sky King49]

My installer grounded it to my cold water pipe in the basement. I thought that was a good place to do it. Was I mistaken?

 

[silversurfer]

Gee that only violates about every electrical code out there!

 

[btbrossard]

Pretty attractive install you have there.

The wires running down the side of your house are one thing, then he runs the cables along the baseboard inside your home? :shocked

/Benjamin

 

[owlbox]

Color

The least he could have done is use black cables.

 

[ERSanders]

...and no drip loop on the outside. Any rain water that gets on the cable will run into the house!

 

[bcshields]

At least he used white wire?

Ouch.

 

[u4ea]

we will see wht they do on sunday.... if not I guess Ill hire someone myself to fix this crap.

Maybe I should email the CEO of Dish the link to my install photo gallery... and then copy the BBB and my States Attorney General

 

[Claude Greiner]

The wiring outside I can see as accecptable, but there is no way in hell that little stunt grounding to the electrical outlet is going to fly!

Was this DNSC who did this installation or a local retailer?

You mean to tell me you don't have an attic where they could have fished down the wires, or a crawl space or basement where they could have bought up the cables through the floor?

The only time running cable along a baseboard like that is even remotely accecptable is when a house is a total piece of crap, and if there is no crawl space or if the conditions are really bad in the crawl space.

It looks like you have a pretty nice home, its sad an installer made a mess of your install

 

[Claude Greiner]

BTW, email that over the CEO and see what they can do for ya

 

[GaryPen]

The only time running cable along a baseboard like that is even remotely accecptable is when a house is a total piece of crap, and if there is no crawl space or if the conditions are really bad in the crawl space.

Not exactly true. A townhome, condo, or apartment install would most likely require running cable along the baseboards, as well.

 

[dishsystems]

Yep.Pretty crappy job allright.That installer needs to go back and fix the job.If this was dnsc they will most likely fix it for you.Sorry you had a bad experience.

 

[u4ea]

Was this DNSC who did this installation or a local retailer?

My account was set up directly through Dish - I called the 800# to set everything up.

You mean to tell me you don't have an attic where they could have fished down the wires, or a crawl space or basement where they could have bought up the cables through the floor?

The only time running cable along a baseboard like that is even remotely accecptable is when a house is a total piece of crap, and if there is no crawl space or if the conditions are really bad in the crawl space.

In South Florida Basments are VERY RARE... But I DO have an ample attic he could have accessed.

It looks like you have a pretty nice home, its sad an installer made a mess of your install

My house is only 2 years old and about $300K

BTW, email that over the CEO and see what they can do for ya

I just sent an email to him with the link to the photogallery to ceo@dishnetwork.com I also submitted it through the Contact Us page on the Dish Site. I basically explained what happend, why I am unhappy, and that I hope they can "make good" on this whole thing. I also explained I am not directly upset with Dish, but that they are responsible for the work done at my home... as they are the ones who contract the work out. We will see what happens I guess.. I am not even sure Charlie receives that email... I am sure someone will get it though.

 

[PSB]

Good Grief! The worst I have seen......all week, they should be reported to the state electrical board if you have one, every one should ask to see their installers SBCA 1+2 certification card and license if needed in your state, tell them when you schedule that you will NEED to see it before you will let them in the door! Don't let these flakes mutilate your homes, let alone put your house and family at risk. Know your state laws when you call for installation and quote them, I know we all want our satellite TV NOW but its worth waiting a few more days to get a professional installation that will add to your home, not put it at risk, I am sorry you had this experience with your install. I am sure they will put it right, if they can.

 

[u4ea]

I think I will contact an inspector to check this out as well...

 

[Mike500]

Looks like a "low ball" "free" "fulfillment" install. This has to be what the industry has become. I've done quite a few of them, but I could not make anything on them, for the time I needed to spend and for the quality of materials I supplied. They appeared even to cut corners using non DishPro approved hex-crimped connectors.

Indoor grounding blocks are a definite code violation (Article 820 NEC 2002). That also goes for grounding to an inside receptacle (Article 250 NEC 2002).

Most of my business now is from repairing these so called "free installs." People just love those completely "in wall" installs, but the want FREE, and that's what they get!

In the ideal install, the cables should have entered the attic just under the gable eave, with the grounding block, there. The only wire outside should have only been the ground wire.

 

[James Long]

I didn't track my hours on my "complete install", but a whole house wiring plan is beyond a $99 value install. The satellite only portion of my install required pulling wires in an enclosed basement ceiling. The outside walls are blown with insulation and the existing cable was RG-59 STAPLED to the joists inside the wall during construction, so the only "easy" path was down through the floor, over to an access panel I created in a basement office, then over to the room where my cables enter the house (which has a drop ceiling to provide access). The attic wiring (for off-air TV and phones) required crawling through insulation and carefully figuring out where the hole drilled above would drop into the wall below. I wired the house for a 16 extension phone system and Cat-5 data and had to do a couple of rooms from the attic. BTW - I pulled a phone wire along with the coax so my receivers would be able to call in (and do CallerID).

Back to the "ugly install" ...
The ground NEEDS to be outside (mine are). The wiring is unobtrusive, and other than the grounding looks neatly done (even if we would do it another way). Dish location is hard to judge without a good look around. My back yard is tree free on both lines of sight I'm interested in (Dish500 and 61.5) so I put the dishes at ground level. I do believe that bulk installers sometimes forget how to hide a dish and still get line of sight.

JL

 

[Eastern OR]

every one should ask to see their installers SBCA 1+2 certification card and license if needed in your state, tell them when you schedule that you will NEED to see it before you will let them in the door!

Does anyone know if Oregon requires SBCA 1+2 certification card and license or an equivalent?

thanks a bunch