Newbie questions re: Shaw Direct in AZ

[daveAZBC]

Hi all - have been lurking here awhile, but now ready to get serious about receiving Canadian TV (CBC, TSN, etc.) in Arizona. I am permanently resident in British Columbia, but spend the winters in the Phoenix, AZ area. I plan to buy the new Shaw HD DVR in Canada using my home address, then carry it (and the dish) in my car when I go south for the winter. I anticipate no problems with billing, or calling them for setup (using my Canadian cell phone with USA roaming), but I still have questions and need some experienced advice. here goes...

1. I would likely buy the receiver in a local retailer, but I think the retail stores do not give you the dish. Later the installer arrives with the dish at the time of your install appointment. Can I just thank him, take the dish and install kit, and send him away without actually installing it? Can I get him to give me the larger dish instead of the smaller one? If not, then how can I get the dish?

2. Assuming I can arrive safely in AZ with Shaw Direct receiver and dish intact, how can I find a contractor to install it for me? Most I have contacted seem to only want to do DISH or DIRECT TV installations. (I am good with the electronics part, but not good with the drilling, mounting, stringing cable in the attic part!)

Thanks - I will appreciate any advice you can offer.

Dave

 

[joshuals]

Question #1:

You could purchase from KuSat.com. This would get you the receiver and the dish, minus the installation. They will set up with a new account.

You can also purchse dishes on Ebay or similar sites.

Do not count on purchasing a dish in Arizona, at a garage sale, etc. I tried this route for several years and was unsuccessful. There are no retail outlets that I could find in Phoenix that had the dish available.

You could also contact "Ask Jim" at Shaw and tell them your situation. They will likely require you to sign up for the Home Away From Home Program (HAFH), and it will cost you an extra $100. I once investigated this route, telling them that, as a renter in Quebec, I was not permitted to install the dish at my rent (which was the truth), but wanted to take it "to my cottage" (which is really my permanent residence in Arizona). They didn't have a problem not doing the install in QC, as long as I used the QC address as the service address and as long as I signed up for HAFH. In the end, I did not go this route, as I had no good way to get the dish back to Arizona. Note that this was several years ago, so their rules may have changed by now. But it wouldn't hurt to ask.

Question #2:

What area of the Valley are you planning to move to?

Depending on your answer, there are certain areas of the Valley that receive many Canadian visitors for the winter, e.g., Apach Junction, Sun City. There are installers in those areas who are familiar enough with Shaw to get the job one. I know of one in Glendale who is not particulary "workmanlike", but they were successful in doing a Shaw install for me several years ago. I can send you their name in a PM if you wish. The big hang-up seems to be that most installers in Arizona are familiar with Dish or DirectTV and seem to get hung up on pointing the dish. From practica experience, I can tell you that pointing the dish is not that difficult if you follow a few basic rules. People on this forum can walk you through it if you want to go this route.

The 75e dish is preferable in Arizona, and the signal level is great.

 

[Frenchophile]

sign up for home away from home

I agree with Joshuals. your best/easiest option is to sign up for home away from home before you leave for az

 

[sparksals]

Coming in late, but I had my SC set up in Flagstaff and Tucson no problem by calling various satellite companies. When I told them I had the pointing angles and all the info they needed, they charged me $99 to do the install. No problems. I'm sure you can find someone in the Phoenix area too.