Hey ejfiii, welcome aboard. I don't know if you have visited the AVS forum before but here is a link to a DC OTA thread. These guys are way into OTA HD and can give you some very good pointers.
Washington D.C. Metro area Voomers
- Thread starter wasch_24
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ejfiii said:
E.J.,
I am in Arlington, and was in a similar position -- I got good digital OTA reception with DirecTV using an antenna and rotor. I switched to Voom, and the installer was very happy to leave up my old OTA antenna and just replace the sat dish and stb (less work for him!). The Voom box gets as good or better OTA reception than the old Directv box did. The only downside is the loss of Baltimore, because Voom doesn't map those to the receiver. Its no great loss in my opinion -- the only Baltimore station I could really get was channel 2 (ABC), and I got a more reliable signal on DC's ABC affiliate, channel 7, anyway.
Hope you like Voom.
Mike
well i got screwed again.....the installer came over shot a azimuth and said that a tree (the same tree my Direct TV points at and works) would block the signal, he didn't even try and see if it would work, he just told me that he was not going to do it because he wont get paid if it does not work(which i find hard to believe) so now i have missed 2 days of work with no service. The installer was rude from the moment he called me on the phone, he didn't give a S**T if i wanted to try another angle(IE in the yard etc.) man i want Voom something fierce but for right now it look like i will keep watching my direct tv (which is still pointing at a tree)
yea voom is 160 and dtv is like 240, but there is the same amount of tree coverage in both directions. Voom is sending out another installer but its not untill the 17th.They said that i will get free service for the first month so if i get a signal i will be very happy!!!!!!
Just beware of a guy named William Hinkle from Datalink, he's a real POS. Hope for Tod Reinholtz.
wasch_24 said:
I've had two POS's from Datalink.
Now I'm using Stellar Satellite. So far, the guy they sent over seems fine. Didn't fix my problem, be he definately fixed some issues.
Next up is installing a pre-amp, and if that doesnt work, the SquareShooter.
-John
wasch_24 said:
Turns out the previous installer incorrectly wired that box. This new installer replaced the box with a regular splitter, and instantly the OTA antenna power went from 0 to 65.
Now, I just need to get the signal quality up from 13-17 or so.I think I'm going to hook the antenna up into an analog tuner, and see what happens.
-John
Mike528 and Wasch 24 - thanks for the info. I have been a member at AVS for some time and have participated in the DC OTA thread a lot. But it doesn't seem like anyone over there on the DC thread has Voom. So I found this site and have been reading for the past two days.
Mike528 - the real reason I want the Balt. channels is for the ABC affiliate - they pass a 5.1 audio signal - Channel 7 here doesn't. Plus, its nice to have an option when undoubtedly one of the DC stations screws something up.
But now I am worried by the poster said installer wouldn't do the install due to blockage. I know I cant get DirecTV due to trees. I am hoping Voom shoots through a clear space I have in the yard. I need to get a compass so I can check it.
Can anyone explain the elevation for me. The finder says 45 degrees of elevation at my zipcode. To me, that means it shoots down. I figure 0 degrees is pointing straight down and 180 would be straight up. What am I missing on this?
Thanks again.
E. J.
Edit: Just got the voom get ready for install email. This is the company doing the install:
Company: Datalink Communications
Phone Number: (410) 266-3964
E-mail Address: SUPPORT@DATALINKINSTALLS.COM
Should I worry?
Mike528 - the real reason I want the Balt. channels is for the ABC affiliate - they pass a 5.1 audio signal - Channel 7 here doesn't. Plus, its nice to have an option when undoubtedly one of the DC stations screws something up.
But now I am worried by the poster said installer wouldn't do the install due to blockage. I know I cant get DirecTV due to trees. I am hoping Voom shoots through a clear space I have in the yard. I need to get a compass so I can check it.
Can anyone explain the elevation for me. The finder says 45 degrees of elevation at my zipcode. To me, that means it shoots down. I figure 0 degrees is pointing straight down and 180 would be straight up. What am I missing on this?
Thanks again.
E. J.
Edit: Just got the voom get ready for install email. This is the company doing the install:
Company: Datalink Communications
Phone Number: (410) 266-3964
E-mail Address: SUPPORT@DATALINKINSTALLS.COM
Should I worry?
Elevation is measured relative to the horizon, not the center of the earth. So 90 degrees would be straight up, not 180 degrees.ejfiii said:
Still not receiving local program information for locals in Baltimore
I've just found this site recently - tons of info! But I still have a problem I can't resolve. The local channels all display "no info".
I've reset the box numerous times, unplugged it and Voom has sent a hit twice. Still no program guide data for locals. All other channels are fine.
Any suggestions?
The local program info is coming from the sat and not the off-air antenna, correct?
TIA!
I've just found this site recently - tons of info! But I still have a problem I can't resolve. The local channels all display "no info".
I've reset the box numerous times, unplugged it and Voom has sent a hit twice. Still no program guide data for locals. All other channels are fine.
Any suggestions?
The local program info is coming from the sat and not the off-air antenna, correct?
TIA!
I would seriously suggest you call and ask who the installer is. If they ask why tell them it has been reccomended to you that you avoid having William Hinkle come to your home at all costs. Request Tod Reinholtz, he actually gives two-sh**s about doing a good job.ejfiii said:
Send an email to Sean Mota (Sean_Mota@satelliteguys.us) and give him your story and your adress including the zip and he will help to resolve the issue. I did the unplug/replug thing several times with no results and then one day poof! There they were.joebob2 said:
Just requested Tod, but they can't guarantee it. Their schedules are made out the day before. Lady on the phone suggested I call back a day before the install and repeat the request.
Thanks for the tip.
E. J.
Thanks for the tip.
E. J.
OFG i just talked to data link and ask who my first installer was, and guess what i was o'l William. So i e-mailed the supervisor a link directly to the thread about what a A-hole he is.So perhaps it will be a wake up call for datalink to do some corrective training. The guy even lied to me and told me that he did not get paid for a install that does not get a signal. Voom needs all the subscribers it can get and dirt bag installers are not helping.
Just got a call from Tod informing me that he'll be here in 20 minutes to do my install! Woo-hoo!!!wasch_24 said:
Now Voomin'!
Tod just completed the installation about 30 minutes ago. Locals coming in perfectly, everything looks fantastic!
Tod just completed the installation about 30 minutes ago. Locals coming in perfectly, everything looks fantastic!
Great news. Did he show you how to get into the options and settings menu? If you don't already have software version *****5.68 you will want to leave the box off over night so that you can get the software upgrade. Amongst others things it makes the channels change quicker.brainiac said:
Now you can really start to enjoy your HDTV.
Yeah, he showed me everything that he could think of. I still have version 5.08, so I'll be hoping for the upgrade overnight. I was pleasantly surprised at the reception quality of the OTA channels.wasch_24 said:Great news. Did he show you how to get into the options and settings menu? If you don't already have software version *****5.68 you will want to leave the box off over night so that you can get the software upgrade. Amongst others things it makes the channels change quicker.
Now you can really start to enjoy your HDTV.
