Does an HDMI cable come with the standard installation or, do you get charged extra for that? Also I read where they allow you like two runs of cable at 125ft for the install. If I run my own cable, can I get say 1 cable of about 100ft as kind of replacement? I'm gonna run two lengths because I don't know if I will get SWM or not and, I want a HDDVR. Is there anything else I may have to cover the expenses for?
Questions for DTV installers
- Thread starter ftaisawesome
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hdmi cable is included, and if you asked me for a roll of 100' of rg6 with 2 fittings as 'a spare' i would absolutely charge you for it. No offense intended, but most of us pay for cable, and if you dont need this cable, i couldnt justify giving it to you for free. the only other expenses would be if your install requires anything custom, or you request custom work. You will get SWM as long as it is available to the installer for inventory. My office still has us installing Ka/Ku over SWM5 in alot of applications just because we dont have alot of the LNBs to go around....
What I was getting at is.... don't they pay you for one or two runs of 125'ft of coax depending on whether it was SWM or not? In that case since the customer used his own and had the work done for you, then you certainly wouldn't be losing money. You'd be gaining because you would get paid for doing the full job. Heck DTV wouldn't know the customer had that done.
Now before you take my post the wrong way, I'm not "telling" you how it is. I'm "asking". I just remember reading that you are allowed 2 runs of 125'. I can't even say if that's true or not. The ole can't believe everything you read deal.
P.S. How long is that HDMI cable?
What they pay for is up to 125' per receiver. If the cable is already there no installer is gonna give you cable because you already had it there. If you want to use the installers cable then he/she will put it in for you.
I would say I generally had decent techs even if they are from ( mastec ) in the since that one time I did not have and rg6 with me at the house and I move my office around and I needed like a 30 foot piece of cable, for my cable modem no less. I asked the tech offered to pay but gave it to me for free.
Bottom line be willing to pay some fair amount for a bit a cable and some connectors. even if they dont take your money it is a nice jesture
Bottom line be willing to pay some fair amount for a bit a cable and some connectors. even if they dont take your money it is a nice jesture
ive never had problems giving a cust extra cable. majority of the time its for extra cable incase they wanna move their tv around. Ive had ONE customer in the past, wanted 3 different spots for the tv to go, trailer house and already drilled a hole for one spot, so she wanted me to drill two more spots in case she wants to move them and have them pre-wired. I said id have to charge you for basically a relocate charge. she said no.. i said you can add a barrel and run the cable to where you want it but im not crawlling under the crawl space for two more cables that isnt used today.
others want extentions just to move it abit around, i dont have a problem with that. someone wants 100ft of cable thats not included in the install, yah they're gonna get charged
i think we both Techs and CSRs are allowed to rant, i most certainly hope its not a finger pointing cursing battle. i rant enuf espeically warehouse guys but i wont say names. we got serveral warehouse guys and i can say one i hate right now and a manager up my ass about why i dont have equipmeent on my truck. I finger point back to the expert 21 year old warehouse guy who told me SWM will not work on H20s. My Manager was shocked and asked again, who said that????
lol
I would have no problem giving extra cable when it is needed, or if the customer wants to be able to move the tv from one corner of the room to another, what i would have a problem with is just handing someone 100' of cable that wasnt needed. and for a matter of 25' yea id give that away, the length that was originally mentioned is what i would personally refuse to give. and i wouldnt see not having to run cable, but having to donate cable as gaining money either, directv pays me what they pay me per install, it has nothing to do with how much wire i run, altho im a contractor, not an employee, so they dont really pay me anything. hope this cleared up some things. Also this is just an opinion, im not saying this is or what should be what other techs do, and im not trying to start a war.
No I personally dont think techs should have to do anything beyond standard. But anytime I ask them to I am ready to pay them something on the side.
Ahh ok, so you guys basically get one flat rate from DTV regardless of what you have to do? That's what I was getting at. I thought maybe they contract you out a job and say ok, you have to run two cables since he isnt getting SWM and, we give you x amount of dollars to cover two 125 ft lengths or, we are installing SWM to that one and only receiver this guy wants so we are only paying you for one cable.
Now that you cleared up how you get paid, I wouldn't even ask. I've read some of the stories around here and the things you guys have to go through for installs. My particular install, the tech is going to be smiling. He's gonna see a perfectly level pole, with a good line of sight. It's gonna have a grounding wire attached to the mast, to a ground rod, to the ground block. The ground block will be complete with drip loops on that cable as well. Two cables there just in case of no SWM. If there is SWM, no biggie. Inside he'll see those two cables where the receiver will be placed and a phone line ready to connect. It'll take me all of about 10 seconds to connect the HDMI cable. Arrive at the job, slap the dish on the pole, line it up. Move inside connect the rec. (heck I'll even do that if he wants) and head off to the next job. I've got a little experience with my C/KU dish (hence my username) so I doubt I'll have many questions. I'm very easy to deal with. I do realize most of your jobs aren't quite this easy.
If we got an upgrade to take a standard out and replace with a DVR. we do get paid for 2nd line misc labor... but believe me, its not worth the pay we get.
regardless we cant just hand you 125 ft of cable and expect free.
our policy is our cable is free UP to 150 ft on a New Install meaning for ALL rooms its going to. not ONE room 17 ft, then start 0 and go 30 ft to the next room.. its 17 plus 30 and so fourth.
anything after that is chargable. the tech will bring this up way before he starts doing what he needs to do.
for the price of us giving you 125 cable is gonna be more expensive than just going to walmart or Radio Shack... wait.. RS is a rip off... i mean Kmart and get a RG6 and run your own.
regardless we cant just hand you 125 ft of cable and expect free.
our policy is our cable is free UP to 150 ft on a New Install meaning for ALL rooms its going to. not ONE room 17 ft, then start 0 and go 30 ft to the next room.. its 17 plus 30 and so fourth.
anything after that is chargable. the tech will bring this up way before he starts doing what he needs to do.
for the price of us giving you 125 cable is gonna be more expensive than just going to walmart or Radio Shack... wait.. RS is a rip off... i mean Kmart and get a RG6 and run your own.
I go to this site , ( note this is my person recomendation not dtv's )
spend the 61 bucks for 1000 feet of solid copper direct bury or 55 for some that not rated for burial.
Well work the money and cheaper then the 20 dollsrs my girl friend spent on a cable at walmart once.
spend the 61 bucks for 1000 feet of solid copper direct bury or 55 for some that not rated for burial.
Well work the money and cheaper then the 20 dollsrs my girl friend spent on a cable at walmart once.
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