Preparing for Dish install in new home - Wiring Questions

[CubsWin]

I have been a Dish customer for almost 10 years and I have always pretty much let the installer run the cables however they see fit, but I am moving into a new house and am going to be very particular about how and where I want everything wired up.

I want the Hopper node installed in my basement and in-wall wiring with coax connectors and wall plates is a must in every room. What, if anything, do I need to do in advance of the installer arriving? Will he run all the coax cable through the walls from my basement to the 1st and 2nd floor of the house or do I need to have all that done myself? If doing it myself, how should I get everything ready for the installer? Would I just run unterminated coax cables to where I want the node installed and let the installer take it from there?

Also, what is the preferred method for routing cables from a roof-mounted dish (2 story house) into a basement? I definitely don't want them running all the way down the side of the house, so will the installer route cables through the soffit, into my attic and down into the basement from there?

I plan on living in this house for many years, so I just want to make sure I have everything installed as cleanly as possible from the start. Any answers or additional advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[nsafreak]

That's a LOT of work that you'd be asking for the installer and these days they seem to try and get the job done as quickly as possible while still meeting QA guidelines. Your best bet would be to pay a contractor to do the work you want done ahead of the installer arriving, that or find a reputable retailer in your area that's willing to do the extra work that you want done to get installed.

 

[KAB]

Ditto the suggestion for a wiring contractor.

 

[Scherrman]

What you are asking is beyond a basic install and should be billed extra. If you offer the tech a substantial tip he may do it for you but don't expect it to be done for free.

 

[CubsWin]

If you offer the tech a substantial tip he may do it for you but don't expect it to be done for free.

I would be fine with that, but what I'm afraid of is that the tech won't be able or willing to do it, even for a tip, and then it will be a wasted service call.

Ditto the suggestion for a wiring contractor.

Thanks. If I can't do the wiring myself, I will check with a local shop that used to be a Dish reseller and see if they do it.

Also, what is the preferred method for routing cables from a roof-mounted dish (2 story house) into a basement? I definitely don't want them running all the way down the side of the house, so will the installer route cables through the soffit, into my attic and down into the basement from there?

Can anyone advise me on this question?

 

[Dishman1978]

What you are proposing is way more complex than a typical install.

Do you have closets that are stacked on top of each other? Because what you are asking is beyond most installer abilities. We are not trained to wall fish 2 stories. If you have closets sitting on top of each other then it's not too hard, but you'll have exposed cabling in the closet.

If I were you I would get VERY familiar with how your rooms are laid out and how the walls intersect and figure out how you would think the cable could be ran.

All this type of cabling should be ran in a remodel. And fyi, nothing can be wall fished on exterior walls easily.

There is a company that specializes in adding outlets of any type in my area but they charge $50 a drop. And only on interior walls, exterior walls are $100/each.

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[osumike]

Wow... I can only imagine the phone calls I'd get if one of my techs had this job... It's damn near impossible for a dish tech to wire things the way you're wanting. At the very least it'd be a two man job, with no other jobs that day, and even that's questionable. From dish to basement, most guys would probably run the cable down either behind a downspout or in the corner of the siding to hide it as best as possible, then drill in to the basement. Two story wall fishes from there, I dunno. Like others have said, techs aren't trained, or paid to do that. Please don't make this an issue for the installer that comes out. This is WAY beyond standard. I'd strongly suggest you get a wiring professional out there BEFORE you order dish, to get the wires ran and hidden the way you want them. I'm not intending to talk you down, it's just the reality of what Dish techs are trained and prepared to do at an install.

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[CubsWin]

Please don't make this an issue for the installer that comes out. This is WAY beyond standard. I'd strongly suggest you get a wiring professional out there BEFORE you order dish, to get the wires ran and hidden the way you want them. I'm not intending to talk you down, it's just the reality of what Dish techs are trained and prepared to do at an install.

I completely understand and that is why I asked well in advance so I don't end up wasting a tech's time on a service call that he is unqualified or otherwise unable to complete in the alotted time.

 

[osumike]

Cool... I wish more customers were like you!

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[Jim5506]

If this is a completed house, it may not be possible to do what you want without tearing out sheetrock to drill through base plates, etc. especially where the first and second floors meet.

Sometimes walls have spacers in the middle of the wall studs that prevent stringing wire down the space.

It will be much, much less expensive to simply run all the cables down the outside wall and either paint them the house color or enclose them in their own fairing that blends with the wall material.

 

[KAB]

You could also run cables behind a gutter downspout, painted.

 

[britorto]

That would be close to impossible. As stated earlier stacked closets could work. Is the basement finished? If so that makes it even worse. Cosmetically the best id offer without charging would be dish on roof. Run the cable behind a downspout, if its a single hopper job id run 3 lines. 2 for the node, 1 for a line to run along that downspout from node into attic through soffit. Then tap it or split it depending on rcvr locations in the attic. Wall fish interior 2nd floor locations. If the basement is not finished I would also wall fish 1st floor locations into the basement. This would take forever but it could be done. I cant say much else without seeing the house. Honestly your best bet is to hire a contractor

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[CubsWin]

That would be close to impossible. As stated earlier stacked closets could work. Is the basement finished? If so that makes it even worse. Cosmetically the best id offer without charging would be dish on roof. Run the cable behind a downspout, if its a single hopper job id run 3 lines. 2 for the node, 1 for a line to run along that downspout from node into attic through soffit. Then tap it or split it depending on rcvr locations in the attic. Wall fish interior 2nd floor locations. If the basement is not finished I would also wall fish 1st floor locations into the basement. This would take forever but it could be done. I cant say much else without seeing the house. Honestly your best bet is to hire a contractor

That is good information too, thanks. I don't believe there are any stacked closets, but I'll be in the house again next week for a home inspection and will try to get a better idea of where things are located. The basement is finished, but with removable ceiling tiles, so I should be able to have cables run throughout the entire span of the basement with no problems.

I am certainly not opposed to paying extra or hiring a contractor, but just need to find the right person when I get a little closer to my move-in date.

 

[CubsWin]

I was in the house again today for an inspection and I paid closer attention to the wiring. They do have coax cable already wired through the entire house, but unfortunately it is all RG59 cable. Will that be ok for the Hopper or would a Dish installer want to replace it with RG6? If replacing it, would someone be able to use the existing cable to pull new cable through that same space, or is it typically attached or angled in some way that won't allow more cable to be pulled through?

 

[sparc]

I was in the house again today for an inspection and I paid closer attention to the wiring. They do have coax cable already wired through the entire house, but unfortunately it is all RG59 cable. Will that be ok for the Hopper or would a Dish installer want to replace it with RG6? If replacing it, would someone be able to use the existing cable to pull new cable through that same space, or is it typically attached or angled in some way that won't allow more cable to be pulled through?

Are you 100% sure it's RG59?

I would put Joeys in locations where the RG59 would be difficult/costly to replace. Joeys can use RG59.

Then place the hopper at location where it would be easy to replace the existing RG59 to RG6.

A Dish tech would likely be able to do that type of install without any additional cost. Especially if he can just reuse RG59 for Joeys.

In locations where there is no wiring, Dish will be offering the new wireless Joeys in 2 weeks which will make wiring even more simple.

 

[Scherrman]

I was in the house again today for an inspection and I paid closer attention to the wiring. They do have coax cable already wired through the entire house, but unfortunately it is all RG59 cable. Will that be ok for the Hopper or would a Dish installer want to replace it with RG6? If replacing it, would someone be able to use the existing cable to pull new cable through that same space, or is it typically attached or angled in some way that won't allow more cable to be pulled through?

Oh no! Replace all of the RG59 if possible. I know that the Joeys can run off of it but it's just best to replace it all if at all possible. You'll be happy you did in the long run.

 

[KAB]

Very surprised they used RG59.

 

[CubsWin]

Very surprised they used RG59.

I don't know when RG6 became standard, but the house was built in 1997 so I assume that was before RG6 became commonplace.

I will be installing the Hopper in the basement, so I can change that cable out without issue, but it is the rest of the locations that concern me. While I may be able to get by with RG59-connected Joey's based on some of the responses here, I would feel a lot better knowing that everything was wired with RG6. I guess I won't know for sure how difficult that will be until I can actually get in the house and start yanking on cables.

 

[sparc]

I don't know when RG6 became standard, but the house was built in 1997 so I assume that was before RG6 became commonplace.

I will be installing the Hopper in the basement, so I can change that cable out without issue, but it is the rest of the locations that concern me. While I may be able to get by with RG59-connected Joey's based on some of the responses here, I would feel a lot better knowing that everything was wired with RG6. I guess I won't know for sure how difficult that will be until I can actually get in the house and start yanking on cables.

You should look on the jacket of the cable to properly identify it. Some may not be original to the house. I believe they had RG6 installed in some houses in the 1980s, but not that common. I have a Joey running on 26 year old coax for the last two years.

Joeys don't need much. It's why Dish is launching wireless joeys in a few weeks. If it were me, i'd just go with Dish's wireless Joey solution before paying a private contractor to run all new RG6. Although, I would still try the Joeys on RG59 before any of that.

If you do run new RG6 make sure it's 3Ghz rated RG6 to keep it somewhat futureproofed.

 

[CubsWin]

You should look on the jacket of the cable to properly identify it.

I did, I looked at all the cables running up from the basement and they were all RG59 (and labeled that way).