HR20 installation scheduled in Denver area

[skodises]

I just got my call from Ironwood: my HR20 installation is now scheduled for the aftyernoon of September 5. No wait list here- I just ordered the hardware on the DirecTV web site. I also confirmed with them they they are indeed bringing the HR20 and the KaKu dish, and not an HR10 or anything else they happen to have laying around.

I'm well south of Denver, basially midway between there and Colorado Springs (and only about 7 miles away from DirecTV's uplink station), way out in the countryside. So here's a report of an impending installation somewhere other than California.

It'll be interesting to finally retire the venerable old DTC100...

[1adam12]

Really? I live in the Denver Area and called last week and they said there was no way I'd get the HR20 at this time... I'm getting the 5LNB and the HR10 installed on Sept 4th. (I am on the waiting list for HR20) D* said they would call and I would be able to upgrade for cheap when it's available... Please reply after your install and let me know if indeed you did get the HR20.. I may need to make some calls and see whats up with Ironwood and if they can bring the new box..

[rogue]

Hi
I live up in Conifer, west of Denver.
you ordered the new DirectTV HR20 on the website? and Ironwood is installing it?

I can only find reference to the 250GB RCa/Tivo HD-DVR.
Where did you find a spot to order it?

thanks R


I just got my call from Ironwood: my HR20 installation is now scheduled for the aftyernoon of September 5. No wait list here- I just ordered the hardware on the DirecTV web site.

[Earl Bonovich]

If you ordered via the WebSite... 99% chance you ordered the HR10-250...
I would double check your order.

The HR20 still isn't fully up on the DirecTV website, and is only available in the LA area...

[skodises]

No- it definitely was the HR20: I would not have bothered going through the order process had it been for the HR10, which was also listed under the HD DVR tab. However, going back to their website today, I see that the HR20 is no longer present under the HD DVR tab under "equipment and services". It certainly was there long enough for me to enter the order on this past Thursday: that was not a hallucination. I must have been looking at the web site at just the right time as they hacked in the new item, and before they pulled it off again when they realized that orders were coming in from areas other than SoCal. Interestingly, when I now try to pull up the order via the order number on the web site, I now get a message indicating that "there was an error completing the last action". But they've already hit my credit card for the $399 acquisition fee, and issued the install order.

When Ironwood called, I specifically asked them if there was any confusion between the older HR10 and the brand new HR20, and pointed out that the order entered was for the HR20- and they acknowledged that the install order indicated that it was, and that they would have one available to install at that time. I went so far as to have them note on the account to not bother driving all the way out here if they didn't have the correct hardware available on the install date. But I have now spoken twice with the local Ironwood folks over in Commerce City, confirmed that the work order does call out the HR20, confirmed that they know what it is and how it differs from the HR10, and confirmed that they will be installing that unit.

Now, everything could go downhill fast if the 5th rolls around and they have no HR20s in the warehouse- but that is indeed what I ordered. I wish I'd kept a couple of screen shots: I was amazed to just cruise right up to the web site, see it listed, and be able to order it...

[Earl Bonovich]

Skodises...

Well kudos to you, especially for your followup with them.
A few moments of making some phone calls and stuff.... save a lot of headahes on installation day...

[skodises]

Well kudos to you, especially for your followup with them.
A few moments of making some phone calls and stuff.... save a lot of headahes on installation day...

I've learned from reading the posts here that verification is the only way to keep from getting fried. Initially, I just wanted to make sure that they brought two monopoles for the dish, because it gets very, very windy hereabouts. I just put in a third call to them, but their warehouse people have left for the day- I'll try them again tomorrow.

I'm also tempted to go back through the CSR wringer at DirecTV, to try to get someone there to confirm what is going on from their side. I suspect (but will never be able to prove) that they put the new version of the website that listed the HR20 online, and quickly reverted to the older version when they started getting orders from outside their release areas. It sure isn't there now...

[bobnielsen]

I've learned from reading the posts here that verification is the only way to keep from getting fried. Initially, I just wanted to make sure that they brought two monopoles for the dish, because it gets very, very windy hereabouts. I just put in a third call to them, but their warehouse people have left for the day- I'll try them again tomorrow.

I'm also tempted to go back through the CSR wringer at DirecTV, to try to get someone there to confirm what is going on from their side. I suspect (but will never be able to prove) that they put the new version of the website that listed the HR20 online, and quickly reverted to the older version when they started getting orders from outside their release areas. It sure isn't there now...

Regarding the monopoles--the installer (Ironwood) who did mine put the monopoles practically in line with the center mount. This gives it a lot of rigidity side-to-side, but doesn't really help with wind hitting the dish head-on. Since I don't have a lot of wind and the AT-9 is pretty solid I don't plan to change it, but I would recommend checking that they use more of a triangular footprint:

O
/ \
o o

not

o----O----o

[skodises]

Finally got through to the CSR folks at D*, who also confirmed that my order as recorded in their system was for the HR20 and that the install was indeed going to be that unit. So, it's all over but the waiting to see if it will actually arrive here as scheduled on the 5th, or if they bring an HR10 instead in the vain hope that it will meet the customer's expectations...

Now, as to the other Denver-area folks who have been getting differing stories from the CSRs: all I can say is that I feel extremely fortunate to have been looking at the web site at what looks like the right instant. It would probably be worth keeping after them, because if they can ship one unit out here, they can certainly ship more than one. But I have no idea who you should ask for to get past the "not available" party line.

[AstroDad]

your story jives with what a friend told me today. He claimed that he was able to get all the way to the final stage of ordering an HR20 this morning, but decided to wait until he could confirm that it was an HR20 and not an HR10.

When we went back to look again it was gone.

[PoitNarf]

Now how many people are going to be reloading the directv webpages until it appears there again? Sadly, I must say I am guilty of doing it several times in the past 10 minutes, haha.

[Reggie3]

Now how many people are going to be reloading the directv webpages until it appears there again? Sadly, I must say I am guilty of doing it several times in the past 10 minutes, haha.

According to the posting here - we are in the market to get the HR20:
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=63201

Now I wonder if we are able to get it for US$20 including the AT9 dish.

[skodises]

I just got my call from Ironwood: my HR20 installation is now scheduled for the aftyernoon of September 5. No wait list here- I just ordered the hardware on the DirecTV web site. I also confirmed with them they they are indeed bringing the HR20 and the KaKu dish, and not an HR10 or anything else they happen to have laying around.

Just talked to Ironwood, and the HR20s have not yet arrived. So the install is off until they can actually get them in, which is supposed to be "any ay now". I'll bet a beer that that means the 13th or so. I'll reschedule with them when they actually have the hardware in hand.