View Full Version : Activation required to check signal strength?
jefbal99
12-14-07, 07:07 AM
I'm having a slimline installed for my sister and bro-in-law today. I will be giving the H20 (hopefully an h20 and not h21) to them on Christmas day. I'm guessing the installer will need to hook up the receiver to check signal strengths after the dish swap (currently a 3lnb), but I don't want to activate the receiver until Christmas.
They currently have a Samsung receiver that they own and may move that or may just deactivate it for awhile.
Can the installer hook up the receiver and check the signals without activating the receiver?
davring
12-14-07, 07:09 AM
If their current receiver is HD than yes, he should have no problem. I would double check the 99/103 sats after the H20 is installed as their old tuner cannot see those.
Can the installer hook up the receiver and check the signals without activating the receiver?Do you really want them to peak a Ka dish without the benefit of a Ka receiver? :nono:
IIRC, you don't need to activate to peak the dish.
davring
12-14-07, 07:18 AM
Do you really want them to peak a Ka dish without the benefit of a Ka receiver? :nono:
IIRC, you don't need to activate to peak the dish.
Good point Harsh. If you could take the new tuner over there during the dish upgrade would be ideal.
jefbal99
12-14-07, 08:28 AM
The isntaller will be bringing the new receiver when the dish is installed. I just don't want them to have to activate it, pay for the extra receiver for two weeks, then go through the hassle of deactivating the other samsung receiver.
Hence my question, can an unactivated H2X be hooked up to a slimline, without activation, and still get to the signal test screen to check signal strengths?
Sirshagg
12-14-07, 08:32 AM
Hence my question, can an unactivated H2X be hooked up to a slimline, without activation, and still get to the signal test screen to check signal strengths?
HR20 - YES (I've done it)
Anything else - I don't know
It would really be to everyone's advantage to let the installer use the H20 or H21 to peak the 103(b) signal. And it really is no hassle to activate/deactivate a receiver. Just a phone call. But as it has been pointed out by Harsh, the installer can use the H20 to peak the signal without activating it, and then give it to you to give to them, while they continue to use their old receiver. Just don't make the installer try to peak without using the H20.
jefbal99
12-14-07, 08:42 AM
HR20 - YES (I've done it)
Anything else - I don't know
If an HR20 works, then an H2X should work as well
Thanks
jb
Bill Broderick
12-14-07, 09:57 AM
The new receiver can definitely be used to verify the signal strength without activating it. However, I'm not sure if the installer will be willing to do that. He's getting paid by DirecTV to install both the dish and the receiver.
Is there any reason that you can't just give your sister & brother in law their Christmas present early? You're already giving them the dish early, why not the receiver?
jefbal99
12-14-07, 11:25 AM
The new receiver can definitely be used to verify the signal strength without activating it. However, I'm not sure if the installer will be willing to do that. He's getting paid by DirecTV to install both the dish and the receiver.
Is there any reason that you can't just give your sister & brother in law their Christmas present early? You're already giving them the dish early, why not the receiver?
Surprise for the Bro-in-law. When I placed the order, i specified all this with D* and they said it was fine and we could activate the receiver whenever needed.
The dish is in a spot that is not very viewable, he doesn't look at it ever.
He is a person that is very hard to buy for and I'd really like to have a surprise for him to open at Christmas
RobertE
12-14-07, 01:27 PM
Depending on your installers HSPs rules he may have to activate the reciever to get paid.
I for one will NOT leave a reciever that has not been activated. Until it gets activated, I'm liable for chargebacks on it. So, if it's not getting activated, its not leaving my truck, sorry.
If an HR20 works, then an H2X should work as wellAssuming that the H20 is in all ways like the HR20 is generally not a good idea. In this case, as I said earlier, none of the receivers have to be activated to peak the dish, but as Mr. Broderick points out, the installer MUST complete the installation and that includes activation.
Have the installer activate the receiver and then take it home and wrap it for X-mas.
It will cost about $2 to have the extra receiver for 11 days and then de activate the old receiver on X-mas day
TigersFanJJ
12-14-07, 08:27 PM
Depending on your installers HSPs rules he may have to activate the reciever to get paid.
I for one will NOT leave a reciever that has not been activated. Until it gets activated, I'm liable for chargebacks on it. So, if it's not getting activated, its not leaving my truck, sorry.
+1.
I have to tell customers all the time that I have to activate the receiver or I can't install it. I'm not going to risk having to pay for receiver that I can't use.
jefbal99
12-17-07, 10:44 AM
Well, after having such a good install by Mid Michigan Micro Tech, I'm sorry to say that my Sister got one of the bad installs...
First, MMMT called to see if a later install window would be ok, moving from 12-5, to 4-8. She said fine as long as the installer was out of the neighborhood by 8pm because her husband would be home and this is a surprise for him on christmas.
The installer got there around 4:30 and my sis asked about the receiver model. We had requested an H20 if in stock for the OTA tuner (quick note, i had planned on buying the h20 at a local big box store, but D* constantly gave me the run around about getting the slimline installed, that I just ordered it all off their website, to make sure the install was included and completed), he replied that D* is no longer making any MPEG4 receivers with OTA tuners in them any longer, only the 21s are being manufactured.
I told my sister that this was untrue, however, he may not have anything else available to him and it could be mis information from the installation company.
She accepted the install, as their TV has an ATSC tuner.
He got on the roof and did a few things, about 30 mins later he comes back down and says he doesn't have the "stuff" he needs and has to go across town to get it. She told him that he had to be done by 8pm because her husband would be home.
My sis was unsure what he didn't have, she thought he mentioned no receivers on the truck, but when he came back, he dragged the dish box out of his truck.
I honestly don't know how you run short on dishes or receivers for installs. I would think that you would stock for the number of installs that you have, then include 2-3 extra of each receiver, in case a customer wants an upgrade or you have a failed receiver.
He got back about an hour later and finally installed the new dish and left the receiver.
She mentioned he was rude and did very little to reassure her that the install would get done or try to explain what the delays were, etc.
He got out of there around 7:00ish.
DirecTV called her the next day to ask about the install and if she was happy. She said, she was glad to get the upgrade, but did make many notes about the installer.
As always, there are great installers (like i had) and not so great installers
This is not over yet. You don't yet know what kind of alignment she got...
jefbal99
12-17-07, 01:21 PM
This is not over yet. You don't yet know what kind of alignment she got...
Screw calling MMMT back out, I will get up there and align the dish myself
techrep
12-17-07, 01:40 PM
Screw calling MMMT back out, I will get up there and align the dish myself
That will probably be the best present of all. ;)
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