ocrts
04-01-09, 09:31 AM
Subscriber to DTV since 1997, looking to upgrade to HD.
Old system: Hughes HDVR2 (TiVO) in family room, Sony B55 in bedroom
New system: HR22-100 in family room, H23-600 in library, Sony B55 in bedroom
2/5/09: Called D* and ordered the upgrade, set installation date of 3/3/09 8-12.
3/3/09: Installer (14 years experience, so says his business card) arrives with a helper at 11:45am. Cutting it close, but inside the window. We survey the property and, just as I figure, the only good location is to bolt to the concrete on the side of the house. The current dish is on the opposite side on a not-so-sturdy fence, but only has LOS to 101, and that’s marginal to begin with. Installer states, “Oh, I can’t do this now, I don’t have the tools to do a concrete mount”. We look inside the house to show him how I want things run. I figure it’s going to be real easy, as everything is accessible from the unfinished basement except the Sony B55 in the 2nd floor bedroom, which could be hooked up by reconfiguring some of the existing runs. We’re small-talking as he’s looking around the basement and I mention the SWM system. Now, I know that a) I don’t need it with only 4 total tuners, and b) the B55 won’t work on it. But he says, “oh, I can do a SWM install for you if you want.” I think for a minute and say, yeah, that’d be great. One wire to a central location in the basement, and I can leave the B55 on the old dish until I get around to going to BB to pick up a new SD receiver and then hook that up myself. That way I’m set up for some expansion in the future. They pack up and leave with a new install date of 3/10/09, “first thing”. They leave the dish (the regular 3-LNB Slimline) on the ground next to the mounting location.
NIGHTMARE STARTING
3/10/09: Only the installer’s helper shows up at 12:15pm (so much for “first thing”). Apparently, the installer has the flu and can’t make it. He doesn’t have the SWM system with him. Huh?:confused: I call the installer and demand he install a SWM, since that’s what he promised. Can’t do it today. Let the helper install the non-SWM and he’ll come out next week to switch out the system. After some thought, I say ok. BIG MISTAKE. The helper proceeds to drill four mounting holes in the concrete and puts in the concrete inserts. Only 3 of them fit the mounting holes on the mast mount. The fourth he broke and is only halfway aligned with the fourth mounting hole. He mounts it anyway. I say “look at the lever arm here.” It’s not a rock-solid mount. It’ll do with little to no wind, but that’s not acceptable. Well, I think that the monopoles will take care of it. Nope, didn’t have monopoles to install. At the end of the install here’s what I’ve got: system works with excellent signal on all 101 transponders (90’s), ok (but unacceptable) signal on 99 and 103 (60’s and 70’s) and an unstable, non-grounded (helper: “You don’t need it grounded”) dish with no drip loops and extra unnecessary in-line connectors. Called back installer and set up for him to fix everything on 3/23/09.
3/23/09: Called installer at about 9am. Said he’d be there around noon. Called him back at 12:40 to find out where he is. Says the tech in on his way. I told him no way I want the same tech. He’s the one that did the piss-poor install the first time, why aren’t you coming? “Oh, I’m in a meeting.” I push, and he says he’ll be out at 2:30. Never shows, never calls, never answers voice mail (left 4 times after 2:30).:mad:
3/24/09: Called installer at 11:00am. I think he’s ignoring my messages, so I call from a different line. He calls back at 3pm, acts confused and gives some lame excuse for not showing up. Rescheduled for 3/25/09 at 2pm. He promises to be there at 2, as I’m taking off work again to meet him. We shall see.
3/25/09: Installer called at 11:00am saying he would be at my house at 2 as planned. I get home at 1:45 and wait. Installer again never shows up, never calls, never answers voice mail (left twice after 2:30). I left the house at 4:30 due to other obligations.:mad::mad::mad:
3/26/09: Called installer 3 times in the morning with no answer and no call-back, so I give up and send this long story to Ellen at DTV via email. Within 2 hours, I get a very apologetic call from DTV. Turns out this installer is not a DTV contractor, but a sub to the local installer!:eek2: A very nice woman at DTV sets me up with a first appointment on 3/31 with a lead installer from the actual DTV installation contractor.
3/31/09: Wow. It’s amazing what a surgically placed email can do! At 10:15am, here’s who shows up from DirectSat USA (the real DTV contractor): a tech, a lead tech AND a field supervisor. We go over what needs to be done and the field supervisor tells me several times that it will be fixed and the way I want it. Since I'm now not getting the SWM, they hook the old SD receiver to the new dish with a well hidden outside run. By 11:30, they are done. Everyone sticks around until the field supervisor personally checks the signal levels and functionality of all receivers. Sturdy mount (w/monopoles), drip loops, properly grounded, very good signal levels on all appropriate transponders, professional look. They even took down my old dish for me. If only it had been done that way in the first place…:nono2:
I can now go back to being happy with the DTV programming, now in stunning HD!!!:D
Two before and one after pictures below:
BEFORE
17962
17963
AFTER
17964
Old system: Hughes HDVR2 (TiVO) in family room, Sony B55 in bedroom
New system: HR22-100 in family room, H23-600 in library, Sony B55 in bedroom
2/5/09: Called D* and ordered the upgrade, set installation date of 3/3/09 8-12.
3/3/09: Installer (14 years experience, so says his business card) arrives with a helper at 11:45am. Cutting it close, but inside the window. We survey the property and, just as I figure, the only good location is to bolt to the concrete on the side of the house. The current dish is on the opposite side on a not-so-sturdy fence, but only has LOS to 101, and that’s marginal to begin with. Installer states, “Oh, I can’t do this now, I don’t have the tools to do a concrete mount”. We look inside the house to show him how I want things run. I figure it’s going to be real easy, as everything is accessible from the unfinished basement except the Sony B55 in the 2nd floor bedroom, which could be hooked up by reconfiguring some of the existing runs. We’re small-talking as he’s looking around the basement and I mention the SWM system. Now, I know that a) I don’t need it with only 4 total tuners, and b) the B55 won’t work on it. But he says, “oh, I can do a SWM install for you if you want.” I think for a minute and say, yeah, that’d be great. One wire to a central location in the basement, and I can leave the B55 on the old dish until I get around to going to BB to pick up a new SD receiver and then hook that up myself. That way I’m set up for some expansion in the future. They pack up and leave with a new install date of 3/10/09, “first thing”. They leave the dish (the regular 3-LNB Slimline) on the ground next to the mounting location.
NIGHTMARE STARTING
3/10/09: Only the installer’s helper shows up at 12:15pm (so much for “first thing”). Apparently, the installer has the flu and can’t make it. He doesn’t have the SWM system with him. Huh?:confused: I call the installer and demand he install a SWM, since that’s what he promised. Can’t do it today. Let the helper install the non-SWM and he’ll come out next week to switch out the system. After some thought, I say ok. BIG MISTAKE. The helper proceeds to drill four mounting holes in the concrete and puts in the concrete inserts. Only 3 of them fit the mounting holes on the mast mount. The fourth he broke and is only halfway aligned with the fourth mounting hole. He mounts it anyway. I say “look at the lever arm here.” It’s not a rock-solid mount. It’ll do with little to no wind, but that’s not acceptable. Well, I think that the monopoles will take care of it. Nope, didn’t have monopoles to install. At the end of the install here’s what I’ve got: system works with excellent signal on all 101 transponders (90’s), ok (but unacceptable) signal on 99 and 103 (60’s and 70’s) and an unstable, non-grounded (helper: “You don’t need it grounded”) dish with no drip loops and extra unnecessary in-line connectors. Called back installer and set up for him to fix everything on 3/23/09.
3/23/09: Called installer at about 9am. Said he’d be there around noon. Called him back at 12:40 to find out where he is. Says the tech in on his way. I told him no way I want the same tech. He’s the one that did the piss-poor install the first time, why aren’t you coming? “Oh, I’m in a meeting.” I push, and he says he’ll be out at 2:30. Never shows, never calls, never answers voice mail (left 4 times after 2:30).:mad:
3/24/09: Called installer at 11:00am. I think he’s ignoring my messages, so I call from a different line. He calls back at 3pm, acts confused and gives some lame excuse for not showing up. Rescheduled for 3/25/09 at 2pm. He promises to be there at 2, as I’m taking off work again to meet him. We shall see.
3/25/09: Installer called at 11:00am saying he would be at my house at 2 as planned. I get home at 1:45 and wait. Installer again never shows up, never calls, never answers voice mail (left twice after 2:30). I left the house at 4:30 due to other obligations.:mad::mad::mad:
3/26/09: Called installer 3 times in the morning with no answer and no call-back, so I give up and send this long story to Ellen at DTV via email. Within 2 hours, I get a very apologetic call from DTV. Turns out this installer is not a DTV contractor, but a sub to the local installer!:eek2: A very nice woman at DTV sets me up with a first appointment on 3/31 with a lead installer from the actual DTV installation contractor.
3/31/09: Wow. It’s amazing what a surgically placed email can do! At 10:15am, here’s who shows up from DirectSat USA (the real DTV contractor): a tech, a lead tech AND a field supervisor. We go over what needs to be done and the field supervisor tells me several times that it will be fixed and the way I want it. Since I'm now not getting the SWM, they hook the old SD receiver to the new dish with a well hidden outside run. By 11:30, they are done. Everyone sticks around until the field supervisor personally checks the signal levels and functionality of all receivers. Sturdy mount (w/monopoles), drip loops, properly grounded, very good signal levels on all appropriate transponders, professional look. They even took down my old dish for me. If only it had been done that way in the first place…:nono2:
I can now go back to being happy with the DTV programming, now in stunning HD!!!:D
Two before and one after pictures below:
BEFORE
17962
17963
AFTER
17964