Apartment Installation Questions

[pbanana]

I live in the Los Angeles area, and just moved back to an apartment building where I previously lived. When I lived there a couple years ago, we had DirecTV installed with the permission of the manager. Our system consisted of three HR20-700 HD DVRs, each with two cables (i.e. both tuners active).

The only stipulation from the apartment manager was that the satellite dish be mounted out-of-view from street level. The installer installed the satellite dish on a pipe on the roof (a vent pipe I think). During the several years we were there, we never had any problems with dish alignment.

Yesterday, a DirecTV installer came out to install our system. The request was the same from the manager. The only difference this time, is the install was scheduled to be SWiM. Before the installer came out, I went up to the roof to check out the possible installation locations of the satellite dish. There were now many dishes up there, and most of them on vent pipes.

The installer said that DirecTV no longer will do this, due to the pipes not being stable enough in strong winds with the HD dishes. He said the only option was to place a large metal (unmounted base) on the roof, which would be weighed down by large bricks.

While I normally wouldn't doubt the information, he didn't seem very interested in doing the install. First of all he tried mentioned that since the building was three stories, the cables would just hang loose over the roof on the upper story, as the ladder wouldn't reach. This is how all the rest of them are done, so while I appreciated the heads up, I don't understand why he would view this as a problem. Then, he said the weight of the unmounted roof base might be too much for the roof. He negatively talked about how the inside cables would be exposed as they went from room to room. Again, pretty standard. I asked about placing the dish on the exterior wall where the roof access staircase is (so it would be out-of-site from the street). He said it couldn't be done (due to distance) with the SWiM, but never offered converting the install to a different type of installation.

As the manager was not around, he did arrange for the installation to be pushed back a day.

Now, I am not sure about the unmounted roof installation. While I really don't think DirecTV would offer a solution that would be too heavy for the building, I do have doubts about the dish staying aligned. Also I would want some nutcase to be hurling the bricks or weights of the roof.

Does anyone know what the policies are and what options I have? I may be able to get the manager to agree to different terms.

Any recommendations?

Thanks!

[BattleZone]

The solution you were offered is a non-penetrating roof mount, and these are widely used (almost exclusively used in the commercial world, BTW), and work great. The downside is that they are a lot of work, and are normally a custom option (i.e., not free).

Mounting dishes on vent pipes is a violation of plumbing code, and as the installer correctly told you, wouldn't work with the Slimline dish anyway, due to it being much larger and heavier as well as needing much more accurate alignment. You won't have a problem with the non-pen.

[longrider]

The NPRM (Non Penetrating Roof Mount) is a very standard installation and work great. The weight is not an issue, for comparison you have 70-80 pounds spread out over 3 sq.ft. area vs a person standing on the roof which is 150-250 lbs over 2 sq ft at the most. I do not know about policies regarding the cables over the edge of the roof

[wildbill129]

If your landlord will let you do the non-pen roof mount, do it. Order one yourself and put it up there yourself. Take the blocks up there as well. When the installer comes back he can put it where he wants it and place the blocks. It will save you some money that way. Remember the post must be 2" OD for the DirecTV Slimline.

Here is one at Solid Signal:

http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?mc=03&p=FRM-200&d=VMP-FRM200-NonPenetrating-Roof-Mount--30-Mast-with-2-OD-(FRM200)&c=Mounting%20Supplies&sku=673853802000

[pbanana]

Thanks! After reading your replies, when DirecTV came back out, I decided to go ahead and do it. The installers they sent this time were fantastic! There was no need for any additional waiver. They did and exceptionally neat install, and my signal is stellar!

Thanks again!

[trainman]

...I do have doubts about the dish staying aligned.

I've had a non-penetrating roof mount on my building in the Valley for almost five years now, three with the old oval dish and now two with the Slimline. The alignment has been rock-solid through all the various Santa Ana wind events.

[DesertFlyer]

I have a non-pen mount for my apartment dish, and like everyone else has said, they're very good. We had a major storm come through with hurricane force winds a month after it was installed. Trees were down everywhere, but the dish didn't move. Signal is still solid almost two years later.

[Lee L]

I've had a non-penetrating roof mount on my building in the Valley for almost five years now, three with the old oval dish and now two with the Slimline. The alignment has been rock-solid through all the various Santa Ana wind events.

WHere I used to work, (contruciton manager for a large office complex) we had a tenant put a 10 foot dish on a non-pen pount on top of a five story building. It took a crap load of ballast (about 2500 pounds IIRC, which had to be carried from the fifth floor to the roof by hand) and an engineer to double check for loading, but it was nice and stable.