Install the dish...now leave me alone...

[peters4n6]

I have no desire to install a 5-LNB dish...I know I will screw it up, but I don't want an installer doing any of the other wiring. I'm planning to get my hands on a SWM-8, etc.. Can I get a dish installation done by directv and then be left alone to do the rest? That is to say, is there any way to measure signal strength with some sort of portable signal meter while he's on the roof and not have to hook up receivers in the house?

[Earl Bonovich]

Most installers have signal meter that they use right next to the dish when pointing.

Just have the 4 cables to a common spot outside... where the installer can run the 4 lines from the dish to the grounding block.

At a minimum the installer is going to want to ensure that you are getting a signal to your box.... as that is pretty much their final check that it was pointed and installed correctly.

I guess you could arrange with your installer company, an arrangement that if you don't let them in to verify, that you would be responsible for any costs associated with a re-sending of a tech for dish pointing issues.

[peters4n6]

Most installers have signal meter that they use right next to the dish when pointing.

Just have the 4 cables to a common spot outside... where the installer can run the 4 lines from the dish to the grounding block.

At a minimum the installer is going to want to ensure that you are getting a signal to your box.... as that is pretty much their final check that it was pointed and installed correctly.

I guess you could arrange with your installer company, an arrangement that if you don't let them in to verify, that you would be responsible for any costs associated with a re-sending of a tech for dish pointing issues.

Maybe I don't know as much as I think I know (re: grounding). AFAIK, my current dish doesn't go to any grounding block. I've got some thin wire coming from the dish to some pipe coming out of a AC compressor outside. Are you talking about grounding the dish, the SWM-8 or both? Looks like I've got some DBSTalk forum searching to do....

[peters4n6]

Link to proper grounding procedure:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=1422479&highlight=grounding+FAQ#post1422479

[akhicks]

whats wrong with haveing a technician come in to your home? thats sort of what there trained to do. did you have a bad experience?

[peters4n6]

whats wrong with haveing a technician come in to your home? thats sort of what there trained to do. did you have a bad experience?

I haven't had a bad experience with techs, but I'm afraid I'll know more about installing an SWM-8 than they will. With that said, you're probably right, I should just leave it up to them. :D

[Shake Well]

I had the same reservation as I have always done my own installs before this last one. However, the tech was knowledgeable, fairly quick, and did a first-rate job in tidying the cables.

However, my house has a single run to each bedroom, the loft, and the kitchen with only one dual run to the family room and he said that our area (Alta Loma CA) didn't have SWM's available yet.

So now I wait for D* to send me one "when they are available" unless I can get my hands on one first.

*btw* Cash is always king....

[peters4n6]

Maybe I don't know as much as I think I know (re: grounding). AFAIK, my current dish doesn't go to any grounding block. I've got some thin wire coming from the dish to some pipe coming out of a AC compressor outside. Are you talking about grounding the dish, the SWM-8 or both? Looks like I've got some DBSTalk forum searching to do....

Read this at the grounding FAQ:

Make sure that your satellite cables go through a ground block that is properly tied to your house ground just before they enter your home.

my cables enter my house through the middle of my roof and terminate in a central A/v closet. Where does a grounding block go for my situation?

[randyk47]

I kind of get a kick out of the proper grounding and placement of grounding block stuff. OK, I understand the requirements and they make sense. Problem is that no two situations are the same. To get LOS on my house the Slimline is a good 30 feet up. It's on the opposite side of the house from the main electrical service. So the tech goes on about it can't be more than 20 feet and it has to be grounded to the service ground and so on. Well, that simply isn't happening. The grounding block is under an eve where the cables enter the attic. The grounding wire runs down the side of the house, more than 30 feet, to an outside faucet. That's it, that's how it has to be or I don't have a dish. Is it totally by the book? No but it's as good as it gets.

[joe diamond]

If you are receiving new boxes the installer is going to have to make sure they are activated in his presence...........Tuning the dish is part of the installation. Anything the customer wants to do is probably ok with the installer. Less work is always ok as ling as it doesn't kill a lot of time.

Joe

[jhillestad]

I haven't had a bad experience with techs, but I'm afraid I'll know more about installing an SWM-8 than they will. With that said, you're probably right, I should just leave it up to them. :D

WTF ?

If you know so much about this stuff then do the WHOLE install......

The dish is not that hard to align! In fact I would rather setup a dish than run cable through someones attic anyday of the week.... your actually doing them a huge favor.