View Full Version : neat freak wife worried about HD install
pouchgrab
10-25-07, 04:23 PM
I have been happy with my basic Direct TV 4 room satelite system. However, I have just bought a new plasma and I'm ready for HD to come into my life. My problem is that my house is only a year old and my wife does not want a mess made with another satelite installation. I installed the first basic 4-room system myself and made sure that all the R-6 cable was neatly manuvered throughout the basement ceiling and hidden when placed throughout the various rooms of the house. To receive the HD signal, I know the Direct TV Installer will have to take down my old dish and do away with the old duel LNB and multi-switch in my basement and install a new 5 LNB Dish. My question is this. After entering the basement with new cable from the new dish, can he simply hook into the R-6 cable that I already have distributed thoughout the house to the 4 TV's or will he have to run all new cable? I only have one TV that is HD capable and the other 3will remain with their basic receivers.
Tonedeaf
10-25-07, 04:30 PM
If I am reading correctly you are only getting an HD receiver(non DVR) and keeping the existing receivers you have for a total of 4 receivers.
So, you have 2 lines coming off of your sat dish currently(I assume a dual LNB), you will then have 4 coming off of the new dish. Those 4 can go directly to your current receivers with no need for a multi switch. If in the future you add receivers or DVR capabilities, then you would need a multi switch that would be placed between the dish and the runs to your receivers.
Only thing different is the 2 additional lines coming off of the new dish.
techrep
10-25-07, 04:35 PM
I have been happy with my basic Direct TV 4 room satelite system. However, I have just bought a new plasma and I'm ready for HD to come into my life. My problem is that my house is only a year old and my wife does not want a mess made with another satelite installation. I installed the first basic 4-room system myself and made sure that all the R-6 cable was neatly manuvered throughout the basement ceiling and hidden when placed throughout the various rooms of the house. To receive the HD signal, I know the Direct TV Installer will have to take down my old dish and do away with the old duel LNB and multi-switch in my basement and install a new 5 LNB Dish. My question is this. After entering the basement with new cable from the new dish, can he simply hook into the R-6 cable that I already have distributed thoughout the house to the 4 TV's or will he have to run all new cable? I only have one TV that is HD capable and the other 3will remain with their basic receivers.
If there is enough headroom in the basement, that's what he will do. If he doesn't want to go into a crawlspace, a couple of dead presidents can be very persuasive.
Canis Lupus
10-25-07, 04:40 PM
With the "neatfreakness" in play though, it might be best to continue to run to the multi-switch. This way as long as no more additional lines need to be run inside the house, only the 2 additional outside lines from the Dish to the Switch would have to be run.
This if course assumes no DVRs, as you mentioned.
BTW - if you do keep the switch in play, make sure it is a Zinwell WB68 (a D* approved) switch. You may need to add this to the order if you don't already have that model in place.
If I am reading correctly you are only getting an HD receiver(non DVR) and keeping the existing receivers you have for a total of 4 receivers.
So, you have 2 lines coming off of your sat dish currently(I assume a dual LNB), you will then have 4 coming off of the new dish. Those 4 can go directly to your current receivers with no need for a multi switch. If in the future you add receivers or DVR capabilities, then you would need a multi switch that would be placed between the dish and the runs to your receivers.
Only thing different is the 2 additional lines coming off of the new dish.
Stuart Sweet
10-25-07, 04:45 PM
Also worth mentioning, the installer should inspect the cables and only use them if they are still good.
chopperjc
10-25-07, 05:38 PM
You can always just hope she is blinded by the quality of the HD :D
kstefanec
11-19-07, 12:49 AM
Exactly what kind of mess does she think is going to be made?!? Couple of tools come to mind, broom, dustpan, vacuum...
You've already bought a new plasma but she wouldn't want you to have the best picture source? Did you buy her a dishwasher but no soap?
I have had a couple of jobs like this where the interior dictator almost screwed things up.
armophob
11-19-07, 02:04 AM
Just for a heads up, the installer may not remove the old dish depending on local policy and if the HD box you are getting is a dvr you will need a multiswitch installed to supply 5 lines instead of 4 to get you 2 to it.
BattleZone
11-19-07, 11:19 AM
The much larger, much heavier Slimline dish also requires full support on the mast foot as well as two support arms, so in many cases, it can't be mounted where your small 1-LNB dish was. Depending on your house's construction, it may require a custom mount, or some light wood-work and paint to enlarge or reinforce your facia. Many installers carry various custom mounts, but few will be equipped or willing to do "construction" work on your house, so anything you can do to prepare ahead of time will be helpful.
Also worth mentioning, the installer should inspect the cables and only use them if they are still good.
He said the house is only a year old, the cables are just fine.
armophob
11-19-07, 12:17 PM
Be sure the cables are terminated with compression fittings and not crimp connectors while he is there.
BkwSoft
11-19-07, 12:33 PM
There is nothing wrong with crimp fittings as long as they are done right. The problem is they are far too easy to get wrong. That's the main reason I use compression fittings myself. The compression fittings are far easier to get right.
I wouldn't replace the crimp fittings just for the sake of doing so. Unless there is a problem with them I would leave them alone.
armophob
11-19-07, 12:56 PM
I wouldn't replace the crimp fittings just for the sake of doing so. Unless there is a problem with them I would leave them alone.
I disagree, if he is there and it is free to get the best possible connections to avoid moisture issues later, why not?
Packersrule
11-19-07, 01:13 PM
I disagree, if he is there and it is free to get the best possible connections to avoid moisture issues later, why not?
I agree - I had them replace all of mine. I don't have the $300 dollar tools and I am sure you don't either. The installer didn't seem happy and "forgot" to replace them twice.
You also need to two cable runs for any DVR. My wife is the same way but it's better for her to mad at the install then myself.
The mounting plate on the 5 LNB dish is roughly 6 x 8. But by far the most important consideration in your upcoming installation is that the installer do an excellent job aiming your new dish.
The mast needs to be absolutely plumb, and when he finishes you should carefully check your signal strengths on all 16 transponders on the 103(b) satellite, including both tuners if you ordered an HR20. You should be aware that most installers do not have equipment to directly measure the new satellite's signal strength, but you can measure it yourself at the receiver.
It is very important that these be maximized, because they are the first to go in a rain storm. You should not sign off on the installation until these signals are in the mid-80's and mostly 90's on all 16 103(b) tp's. If he doesn't get it right the first time, you may have to give him a hand through a cellphone in peaking one of the 103(b) tp's from the "signal meter" for that tp in your receiver's setup section. Do not accept any lame explanation for any failure to accomplish this task. Many have been given, and absolutely none are valid.
After you've satisfied yourself on this issue, make sure he's properly grounded your dish and installed and grounded the grounding blocks where your cables enter your home. If he's already run up a bunch of time aiming your dish properly, he'll probably be real antsy to get out of there at that point. Worst case scenario, make sure he actually installs the grounding blocks and runs a ground wire from the dish down the side of your house, and folks here will help you figure out how to properly ground these items yourself.
Holy smokes, kstefanec! Upon further review, the OP was on 10/25......
armophob
11-19-07, 11:29 PM
:lol: :lol: :lol: That still cracks me up when it happens.
Holy smokes, kstefanec! Upon further review, the OP was on 10/25......
Wowzers!
It took me a few to figure that one out!
pouchgrab
11-20-07, 07:56 AM
Anyway guys,
Thanks for all the replys. The installer actually came on Nov. 16 Friday and was one of my former students that I had taught in elementary school which was great. Travis spent about 3 hours on the job. He talked me into mounting the dish in an inconspicuous area on the rear roof of my house because of the grounding blocks that he was going to have to use. My old dish setup that I had mounted at the edge of my lawn was 125 feet away from the house and not even grounded. He said that he had to ground it to either the meterbox area or the air contioning unit area and if he buried the cables from the dish and ran them that distance to the ground block and then back to the area that I wanted the cables to enter the basement it would be way over the alloted distance and I would not have enough signal strength. He neatly went into the basement and tied into the old R-6 cables via the new zinwell multi-switch. No new holes had to be drilled and everything went great. I watched the movie CARS with my daughter that night in HD and couldn't believe the clarity. Very satisfied customer.
So you got your HD and were able to keep the wife. Good deal!
So you got your HD and were able to keep the wife. Good deal!
That is pretty funny. I can remember when the installer removed the Phase III dish from the corner on the eve on the rear of the house.
The installer said, the weight of the new HD MPEG4 dish cannot go there, so he mounted it on the half-wall that surrounds my pool filter.
My wife was, well sorta torked at the new location. I simply jested, well, while your inside watching the new HD signals, to keep another eye on the dish outside the house.
It made sense. Your in the house, do you really care where the dish is?
:)
I agree - I had them replace all of mine. I don't have the $300 dollar tools and I am sure you don't either. The installer didn't seem happy and "forgot" to replace them twice.
The "$300 tool" is not $300. I paid $40 or something like that for a good quality compression type connector tool at HomeDepot.
Even if it was $300 why are you so quick to say - I don't hav the $300 dollar tools and I am sure you don't either.
A former student for an installer....what a deal there, pouchgrab. Sounds like you got the full deluxe. You didn't say how you came out on the 103(b) signal strengths.
The nice thing is that now you know where to find your former student, if you need a quick telephone or on-site consult.
BkwSoft
11-21-07, 07:13 AM
The "$300 tool" is not $300. I paid $40 or something like that for a good quality compression type connector tool at HomeDepot.
Even if it was $300 why are you so quick to say - I am sure you don't either.
+1 on this. My Snap-N-Seal compression tool cost me $50 when I bought it 10 years ago.
Milominderbinder2
11-24-07, 07:54 PM
Anyway guys,
Thanks for all the replies. The installer actually came on Nov. 16 Friday and was one of my former students that I had taught in elementary school which was great. Travis spent about 3 hours on the job. He talked me into mounting the dish in an inconspicuous area on the rear roof of my house because of the grounding blocks that he was going to have to use. My old dish setup that I had mounted at the edge of my lawn was 125 feet away from the house and not even grounded. He said that he had to ground it to either the meterbox area or the air conditioning unit area and if he buried the cables from the dish and ran them that distance to the ground block and then back to the area that I wanted the cables to enter the basement it would be way over the alloted distance and I would not have enough signal strength. He neatly went into the basement and tied into the old R-6 cables via the new Zinwell multi-switch. No new holes had to be drilled and everything went great. I watched the movie CARS with my daughter that night in HD and couldn't believe the clarity. Very satisfied customer.Everything he said sounds perfect.
Congratulations!
- Craig
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