Inauspicious Start to a Cliffhanger Install: Suggestions?

[Penman]

Having dutifully read and printed out the Receiver Installation Tips PDF, I was feeling quite prepared for today's installation--my first Directv. :)

So far, not so good.

First, no day-before call.

Second, the installation was scheduled for 12 - 5p; he arrived at--I kid you not--4:59p.

After a quick recap of what I had and what I wanted, he looked at the roof and eaves (2-story house) and said he'd need a special arm to mount the dish.

He said the arm would cost me $75 extra. I said ok.

And he didn't have an arm with him, so he'd need to go to the "satellite store" to pick one up. During rush hour. In Sacramento. So he left.

Needless to say, he called at 6pm, telling me the store was closed, and asking if he could do the install first thing in the morning (tomorrow). I said fine. He said 8:30.

So, experts, and experienced installees: In my place, based on what he's done so far, what would you prepare for for tomorrow (beyond the Installation Tips)?

Any help appreciated. :)

- Tom

[K4SMX]

Make sure he's not trying to charge you $75 for using the standard dish mounting pole and bracket which ships with and is an integral part of every dish. The standard pole and mounting bracket, when attached to a vertical surface, supplies about a 15" offset, mast to wall surface, for dish clearance.

If he is actually intending to use some special mounting pole because of your roof/eaves, make sure that it is well-secured to the house at two extra points with the additional adjustable mounting struts which are used for this purpose. This dish has a much large windload than earlier dishes, and must be totally secure to prevent signal variations due to movement in windy conditions.

Welcome to DBSTalk.com!

[Penman]

Thanks, K4SMX. I will make sure the dish is properly secured. :)

And I do think the mount is special because it's bolted to beams in the eaves under the roof overhang (as the installer described it), and not to a vertical surface.

[joe diamond]

There was a time when it was possible for the tech.......who also may have been the owner of the installation company...to call the night before to make an appointment. Those days are gone.

Buying parts retail...........hmmmmmmmm! California has it all.

Joe

[carl6]

The fact that he showed up during the quoted time window is a big plus. The time window is the estimate of when he will arrive, not when the job will be completed. If your his first stop, he should be there fairly early.

Carl

[glennb]

What's wrong with showing up at 4:59 ?

Most of the time a 1-5 install window means they arrive at 7pm or call to re-schedule for another day.

[ironwood]

Make sure you write check in his company name and not cash. We used to provide those under eve mounts for free as long as we had them in stock. But it probably varies by the company/contractor.

[TigersFanJJ]

Make sure you write check in his company name and not cash. We used to provide those under eve mounts for free as long as we had them in stock. But it probably varies by the company/contractor.

Yes, it does vary because I have to purchase things like that myself. BTW, for any special items or custom work that I perform, the check or cash is paid to tigersfanjj. We (both myself and the customer) let the HSP know how much I charged but they never see the money. That also varies between the different HSPs.

[BattleZone]

Make sure you write check in his company name and not cash. We used to provide those under eve mounts for free as long as we had them in stock. But it probably varies by the company/contractor.

They definitely aren't free to anyone working for DirecTV in the Sacramento area (most of which is in fact serviced by Ironwood). Ka/Ku undereave mounts are NOT cheap, and contractors have to buy them retail if they can get them at all.

[ironwood]

thats a shame. directv should provide them together with regular mounts. would cut service calls significantly and save us lots of time. those are wonderful i think the best solution for Ka Ku, saves time, damage claims a lot of benefits. and probably cost pennies. how much a piece of bent pipe cost?

[BattleZone]

It's not like the under-eave mounts are even a standard mount. They are custom-made by a number of different shops across the country (and differ in design as a result). These are small companies using local (i.e., American) labor. Trying to compare prices to what most people are used to paying for things isn't realistic, since in order to get those prices down, the mounts would have to be made in China. That would get the prices down, but would also put plenty of US small business out of work, just so people wouldn't have to pay a one-time installation cost for their premium entertainment...