will direct work in my apt?

[heda_p]

searched a lot in this forum seems couldn't found anything on below...

I took the HD-DVR reciever + choice package with hd channels + international channel pack

Direct TV representative came today to install and say that signal would be through tree thus wont be good....while i think it might work just fine...what I was wondering is why they dont have a system through which they can confirm there guess in a better way?

My next apartment has Dish and it seems working quite fine...I want direct tv due to there better international package...


I was hoping there is any device through which they can check and confirm before doing full installation and bind me for 2 years of contract....

all the signal finder i found assumes u have a dish and wanna better align....

I am not good on directions so cant tell which side exactly I have to face...just looking for a device which just say from this point you can get direct tv signals or how many clear signals...


Prakash

 

[jdspencer]

At your location you need a southeastern view of the sky.

Go to Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com
Enter your address and select the appropriate satellite from the drop down menu.
This will display a satellite map with a line pointed in the direction of the satellites. If needed you can move the point to the side of the apartment and then check for obstacles.

 

[heda_p]

Thanks for the superfast response!!


I was trying to post the images result but it seems not allowed since I am a new member...

so line of sight shows 101W
D = 163
H = 144

My apt is on first floor....same as the other apt which has dish working, he got exactly the same line of sight results for direct tv...for dish the values are...

114.5W
D = 164
h = 169


Not sure how to judge it?


Prakash

 

[jdspencer]

You need to look at the azimuth and elevation values.

For Sunnyvale, CA I got these values:

Address: sunnyvale, ca
Latitude: 37.3692°
Longitude: -122.0368°

Satellite: DirecTV SL3 (99W, 101W, 103W)
Elevation: 41.4°
Azimuth (true): 147.7°
Azimuth (magn.): 133.3°

 

[twizt3dsist3r]

if a tech came out and did a site survey with an inc and said it was through the trees, its probably not gonna work, why do you think he was lieing? (not that techs never lie, but were paid by the job, so thats less money for him at the end of the week)

 

[iwc5893]

And while dishpointer gives you the settings for the individual sats, keep in mind that you need to check all of the orbital locations that you will be receiving.

Another tidbit is that you need an arc of approximately 30 degrees azimuth, and about 10 degrees elevation. So while your neighbor may be able to get a signal from Dish, it does not mean that you can automatically get one for DirecTV...especially once you consider that the DirecTV core satellite is at the 101 orbital slot, and not the 110/119 as Dish is.

 

[heda_p]

I got these values:

Address: 655 S fairoaks ave, sunnyvale ca
Latitude: 37.3666°
Longitude: -122.0248°

Satellite: DirecTV SL3 (99W, 101W, 103W)
Elevation: 41.4°
Azimuth (true): 147.7°
Azimuth (magn.): 133.3°
LNB Skew [?]: -25.2°

Dish Skew [?]: 115.2°

You need to look at the azimuth and elevation values.

For Sunnyvale, CA I got these values:

Address: sunnyvale, ca
Latitude: 37.3692°
Longitude: -122.0368°

Satellite: DirecTV SL3 (99W, 101W, 103W)
Elevation: 41.4°
Azimuth (true): 147.7°
Azimuth (magn.): 133.3°

 

[harshness]

There are devices that allow the user to spot satellites fairly quickly but they aren't widely available. What you could do is set up a protractor to 40 degrees and sweep out a horizon above which no trees should appear.

The conventional method involves knowing the height of the trees and the distance away and doing a little trig.

It is possible that the installers know something about the management of your apartment and they're letting you down easy. It is also possible that there is no reliable way to mount a rather large dish on what you have that faces SE.

 

[heda_p]

There are devices that allow the user to spot satellites fairly quickly but they aren't widely available. What you could do is set up a protractor to 40 degrees and sweep out a horizon above which no trees should appear.

The conventional method involves knowing the height of the trees and the distance away and doing a little trig.

It is possible that the installers know something about the management of your apartment and they're letting you down easy. It is also possible that there is no reliable way to mount a rather large dish on what you have that faces SE.

when i took that apartment I was fairly sure that satellight will work cause in my last apartment this was an issue and dish tv guy told what facing apt i need for satellight...I moved into this apt only for satellight...

with my previous and this apt i cover almost 80% of the clear joining both line of sight then why is the rest 20% is the one needed for line of sight...

the guy came for installation was having no clue initially thats where it should be pointing to so he went out and start looking for other installation to make sure its clear....now there are two directtv installation we found for first trees are coming on the way for second its not the case...

all in all it seems he is somehow worried about his $70 installation money he get...seems if it didn't work he does not get paid or something...


all in all dishtv is going to work just fine since other apartment has configured it with same line of sight...fight is for dtv which i like most due to international channels (south asian channels, not sure what is the orbit for that, this is the most imp channels i need dont care if i have to miss a lot of english channels)

why they did not have that devices which dishpointer.com is so easy to clarify? why he didnot use devices rather than running around to see whats the directions other disks are facing...and he initially said i will get problem in getting hd channels and then later he started saying it will just not work....and i did not have knowledge of dishpointer.com which i got it here after that incident...


So thats why I think I want to double check to confirm if he made a sensible decision or he had some preset mindset to make such decision...


Prakash

 

[JMikeH]

Call DirecTV back, explain that the installer said you might have line of sight problems, and ask for a second opinion.

Now if the second installer says you have no LOS, go with Dish.