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View Full Version : Installer: is there any truth to what he told me?


newsposter
10-24-07, 01:15 PM
We all have our horror stories and overall this isn't too bad but I cannot believe some of what he told me. Background: 2 saturdays ago had a totally new system put in. 5lnb dish plus 2 lines to the new dvr. had issues with the 110 so called for another visit. Second guy was a character. Admitted he had no clue why a transponder would be 100 then the next test it would be zero. Instead, i got him to install 2 more lines and a zinwell so that all 6 dvrs got the 5lnb signal (per the original work order). (and previously bad LOS to 119). he also realigned the dish.

One of his reasons for the lack of signal on some xponders was that they 'play around and move them around a lot'. Ok some truth to that but how, 30 seconds apart, could one xponder be zero then it be 100?

2nd thing: they switch around transponders a lot, could be hour by hour, because it thwarts piracy. HUH? he said year ago you could get a 'master card' that got in all the channels for dish so directv wants to avoid that.

3rd: they said they only have a few test channels and if you get those channels in, they deem your setup OK. he said they dont go through all the signal tests

4th: he said there is no list of what xponder has what channel (i believe that one though unfortunately)

He also mentioned that he did 13 jobs the previous day and worked 15 hours. he went through some of those stories and while i love stories, since he never gave me even any reasonable explanation as to why my new setup was so flakey, I wasn't super happy. And now actually for the first time ever i'm getting sub 90 readings on the 101 but i guess as long as they come in, it should be ok.

Earl Bonovich
10-24-07, 01:24 PM
1) While they do move them...it is normally at night... and they don't shut off the transponders... just move the content in them.. (for the most part)

2) They don't move the transponders around any where near that frequency... not even in ballpark... They do move content from transponder to transponder... but it certainly isn't hourly.

The "master card" that he is referring... had ZERO to do with the transponders

3) Yes and No... Yes... if you can get the test channels, things look good and properly installed... No.. your signal strengths do need to be at a minimal level for certain transponders... the most certainly do have to look at the signal strengths

4) Yes and No... there are some lists, that are maintained by 3rd party websites... but since stuff does move around... something are out of date.

newsposter
10-25-07, 07:30 AM
2. Ok if they move content, does that mean the vacant xponder goes to zero?

4. understood about the moving around but any idea why on the particular date i had trouble the 2nd tier tech didnt even know if a certain xponder was supposed to be on? Seems like it would help if she would have been able to say sorry sir, that one is not in use at all. (of course when i told her i had intermittant 100s on it she would probably be perplexed but that is another issue. )

Stuart Sweet
10-25-07, 08:55 AM
It's not 1 channel = 1 transponder. One transponder can have several in fact.

They move channels and content all the time and most people aren't affected.

Mark20
10-25-07, 09:04 AM
Moving stuff from transponder to transponder can be risky esspecially with the Advanced Program Guide. If the updates are not received (and unrecoverable data errors do happen) tuning channel X could give you channel Y.

Tying your authorizations to what channel number your tuned was long ago found not to work in the cable industry.

newsposter
10-25-07, 01:11 PM
understood what you all are saying. So can you guess why one minute a xponder would be 0 then the next 100? (is on 99 and 103a) I just want to ensure it's a 'legit' problem with the hr20 or something else. This installer had no clue and admitted such.

Also my signals on my 110 are always lower on tuner 2 (by 20 points sometimes) but since they are coming in, I guess in theory i cant complain (are mid 70s)

GutBomb
10-25-07, 02:07 PM
No, the guy was clueless. you losing signal on some transponders momentarily probably had something to do with a loose connection, a bad LNB, or poor alignment. It would not have anything to do with moving channels around in the transponders. He was an idiot that also thought you were an idiot, so he was trying to act smart.

newsposter
10-25-07, 02:17 PM
an "idiot" that was trying to network his tv to his PC and was asking ME how to do it. lol

Ext 721
10-25-07, 02:41 PM
15 hour days from overbooking....ah, I miss that.

Not.

Stuart Sweet
10-25-07, 03:15 PM
"He was an idiot that also thought you were an idiot, so he was trying to act smart."

I like that. Can I use that?

GutBomb
10-25-07, 03:32 PM
You'll have to ask the patent holders, aka "every salesman on the planet"

chopperjc
10-25-07, 03:40 PM
You'll have to ask the patent holders, aka "every salesman on the planet"


That is just comedy right there.:lol: