5 LNB dish install question

[Lowry666]

Hi,
Anyone out there been brave enough to do their own install of these yet? Were you able to do it without a meter @ the dish? I am having a heck of a time. Any tips/tricks?


Thanks,
Lowry

[PoitNarf]

Hi,
Anyone out there been brave enough to do their own install of these yet? Were you able to do it without a meter @ the dish? I am having a heck of a time. Any tips/tricks?


Thanks,
Lowry

Yes, some have installed it without a meter. You'll need someone to relay the signal strength #s to you as you adjust the dish. Not really possible to just eyeball it.

[litzdog911]

It's not a trivial installation process, especially if don't have the proper signal meter and have never installed satellite dishes before. Check out these installation videos and decide if you're up for the task ....
http://www.solidsignal.com/dtvkuka

[PoitNarf]

It's not a trivial installation process, especially if don't have the proper signal meter and have never installed satellite dishes before. Check out these installation videos and decide if you're up for the task ....
http://www.solidsignal.com/dtvkuka

I watched all those videos, and even though I've installed several 3LNB dishes myself, I left the 5LNB to an installer.

[TomF]

I've always installed my dishes since 1996, in two different houses, did friend's installs, ran all the cabling, etc. When I ordered my HR10-250 last year, it included a new Phase III dish. I told DirecTV just to send it to me and I'd install it. They insisted that I should take advantage of their free installation service, plus the fact that if there were any problems, someone would come back out and fix it.

That sounded like is was more than worth my time and trouble, so I had them do it. The installer did a great job. Because of the shorter length of the LNB feeds, he had to create four patch cables, which would have been a tedious job for me to do it.

After I looked at the AT9 installation instructions, why bother doing it yourself?

[pilotbob3]

I just installed mine last week. Not the simplest install, but definetly possible.

I brought a small monitor up to my roof top to see the HR20-700 satellite meter remotely. I also have a cheapie sat meter.

I used a simple satellite meter for finding the 101 satellite, then course peaked it with the HR20-700 signal meter. Peaked the tilt using the 119 signal as reported from the HR20-700.

Did the fine tuning of elevation and azimuth as per the manual. The tricky part for me was adjusting the dither, it was hard for me to understand what they were shooting for. However, once I got it the setting was even for both sides of the offset.

The readings of all the satellites appear very high with most in the upper 90's.

If you have experience setting up multiple LNB dishes I would not hesitate to recommend DIY here.

[WinstonSmith]

Pilotbob,

How did you obtain the AT9? Did you purchase it from DirecTV? How about the HR20? Did you get that from DirecTV or a retailer?

[glennb]

After I looked at the AT9 installation instructions, why bother doing it yourself?

I'm considering doing it myself so I don't have to wait around for an installer and possibly a quick and dirty install job. I've read about bad installer stories around here. I've also read about good self install stories. I'd hate to have to have a 2nd or 3rd visit just to get it right.

It might take me longer to do, but I can do it when I want and I'll learn about the system in the process of setting it up.

If I just can't get it aligned right I can call a local installer to come out for an alignment.

I think I'll buy the HR20 locally in case I have problems during the warranty period I can get it replaced at the store quicker than sending it to DIRECTV. I found the AT9 dish available online for $100.

[dsanbo]

Pilotbob,

How did you obtain the AT9? Did you purchase it from DirecTV? How about the HR20? Did you get that from DirecTV or a retailer?

The AT-9 can be purchased from:
http://www.solidsignal.com
This is the Wistron model (uses small coax jumpers/connectors from the 110/119 LNBs to the 99/101/103 assembly)....
The HR20 CAN be ordered from (some...?) Best Buy (price unknown)
Good luck!

[jtrain73]

Good topic, I have some questions about how to get the new dish installed.

I did a self-install of my 3-LNB dish when we moved into our current home 3 years ago. Didn't find it very "easy" but we got the job done. The hardest part is that it had to be on my slanted roof, so I had to stand on the top of a 30 foot extension ladder the whole time.

Having looked at the install instructions for the AT-9 dish, there is no way I want to do this myself.

Some questions for the DirecTV installation service:

1) Will the installer balk at installing on the roof as I have now? Only other option would be a really long cable run to have a ground level install on the other side of the house. Should I not even worry about this?

2) I have 4 runs of coax run to my install point - is that enough coax for the AT-9 dish? I currently have a multi-switch in my house that takes those 4 and makes 8 outputs (we have 3 Tivos and 2 regular receivers - total of 8 lines). Assuming we will need a new multi-switch too?

3) What is my best way to get free installation? Upgrade equipment to the new HD-DVR?

[bobnielsen]

1. That seems to depend somewhat on the installer. Mine was mounted on a roof with a fairly shallow slope.

2. Four runs of cable is fine. You will need a new multiswitch, which should be included with the instllation.

3. Unless you have a MPEG4 receiver (H20 or HR20) there is no reason to upgrade the dish, but if you upgrade your receiver DTV will install a new dish and multiswitch.

[jtrain73]

3. Unless you have a MPEG4 receiver (H20 or HR20) there is no reason to upgrade the dish, but if you upgrade your receiver DTV will install a new dish and multiswitch.

Well, technically the reason would be to get HD locals via satellite now, which is not a draw since I get for free OTA.

I am anticipating the need if (when?) they add more national HD channels. I will be putting this off until then probably. Content is king.

[randyk47]

I've come to pretty much the same conclusion as Jtrain. I get my local stations in HD through my OTA and watch those stations in my media room through my H20. I don't see any burning issue or pressure to go out and replace my 3LNB dish as long as I'm getting good OTA for locals and HD off the satellite for other channels. D* has got to make me a darn good offer to replace my other setup which is an H10 that supports my "casual" TV in the family room.

[fullcourt81]

I did my own install of the AT 9 dish. I own a sports bar, and DirecTV won't do free installations for commercial accounts. I purchased a Accutrac Pro signal meter from Solid Signal ($130.00) because I could use it at my house and other friends houses also.
I did get a dish and multiswitch for free from DirecTV because we order so many sports packages.
First I had to move our 3 LNB dish that is mounted on a 3 1/2" diameter pole on our roof that previously had a C band dish on it (known as a BUD, a Big Ugly Dish), so you know that it is a solid pole. I had to swing the 3 LNB dish around the pole to make room for the 5 LNB. The Accutrac Pro was very helpful in moving the 3 LNB.
Next I u-bolted the 5 LNB post to the big pole. I made sure that the mounting post was plumb.
I not only viewed the videos from Solid Signal, but this .pdf from Perfect 10, the maker of the Accutrac, was helpful:
https://www.perfect-10.tv/EquipManuals/EquipManuals.aspx
When I first mounted the 5 LNB dish and tried to tune it, the readings were low. The next day I realized that when I put the dish on the post, it leaned out of plumb, so I swung the post around the pole so it would not lean. I also realized that I needed to hook up a line from a receiver to the Accutrac Pro, which was not spelled out in the videos. I was pleased to see my readings increase to acceptable levels after these changes.
I have had experience installing the 3 LNB, and I was working on a flat roof with a hatch access panel from our office. It was much easier because of these factors.

I think that anyone who can get someone to install and tune this new dish for free would be crazy to try and do it themselves, especially without a Accutrac Pro. The tuning is critical, and even a little variation will be exposed in heavy rain, long cable runs, or other signal loss situations.
At home I checked my 3 LNB mounted on a facia on my roof. I realized as soon as I climbed up there and wiggled the dish that the facia was loose, due to poor supports, and a phone line drop from the street that was pulling the board the wrong way. I firmed up the facia and used the Accutrac to tune the 3 LNB.
Now at home I don't see as many signal blips when watching TV.
Next my neighbor might need a little help with his 3 LNB dish.

[carl6]

Yes, the training pdf you linked is excellent. Thanks for the link.

Carl

[Malibu13]

Sorry to change the subject guys, but do either of you know whether the AT9's mount will clamp down securely on an 1 7/8 OD pipe? I realize it is suppose to take a 2" but have been unable to find one without having to pay a small fortune. I have an 8ft. pole laying around and would like to use it, if i can. Even shimming would work, but i'm not crazy about going that route.

thanks guys :)

[carl6]

I've heard a couple of places sell adapters to go from 1-7/8 to 2". You might check solidsignal, value-electronics, etc.

Carl

[Sherlocc]

I am a 70 year old retired computer systems developer/executive.

I recently purchased the ATS-9, WB68, and HR20-700 from Value Electronics at a very fair price. I successfully installed them myself (replacing a 3 LNB dish), now receiving Seattle MPEG 4 as well as MPEG 2 channels from all 5 birds with signals at least as strong as with the 3 lnb dish. I then secured a $250 credit from DirecTv Customer Retention for my efforts. It did take three phone calls, but only because I was cut off the first two times.!

After installation, I contacted DirecTV to have an installer come in to "tweak" the sensitive alignment of the Dish. He was very experienced and enthusiastic. We checked my readings and he was very impressed and needed to adjust nothing and charged me nothing.

Notes:

1. I was stuck with having to rely on 70 odd feet of steel core RG6-Quad cables installed at my condo 9 years ago and totally inaccessible today (fortunately, I had installed 4 of them originally).
2. I modulate the composite output of my receivers so I could go to ch 119 on any TV and see the satellite signal. I ran a coax out to my dish and used a 9 inch TV to see my H10-250 signal(rather than the HR20-700) as I could see the fluctuating bar graph. I had no special meter.
3. I installed no compression connectors.
4. I followed the detailed alignment instructions that came with the dish. The key is finding that first satellite and then the rest is easy.


I suggest that this is not rocket science and should be easy to do by the majority of the tech savvy people I detect in this forum.

Don't necessarily believe the stuff about solid coper core cables (use them if you are installing new however). I don't know what the cable length limit is on non solid coper core RG6 is, but my 70 to 75 feet is fine at this point. I had spoken with Robert at Value Electronics and he thought it would be good up to 100 feet. Anybody out there with successful experience greater than 70 feet?

I hope my experience is helpful.

[bobnielsen]

I AM a rocket scientist (retired) and I agree. If one understands and carefully follows the directions it will work. I didn't install my AT-9 (I would have had to pay for it), but after seeing the dish I would have no qualms doing so (I would use compression connectors, just because they are nicer). I probably would get an Accutrac meter because it would make the dither adjustment easier (I installed my old single-LNB dish by turning up the volume on one of the sets so I could hear the tone from the roof).

[hobodog]

I'm going to let an installer do the tech work. I already did the grunt work.
I dug a 38 inch hole, put in a pressure treated 10 foot 6 X 6, and finished it off with 4 60lb bags of concrete. Plumb (Plum?), vertical to 0.1 degrees.
Someone please tell me this is adequate. I would hate to re-do it. I'm getting too old for digging and cementing. Not to mention that pole is heavy. The installer will be here Monday.
Oh, I also would like to know if I have enough sky. It should be able to see from 185 degrees true to 110 degrees true. Where can I look up the requirements for Buckley, WA?

Regards,
Doug

[bobnielsen]

That should be adequate. I hope your installer agrees. Of course there is no place to install monopoles, but with eight lag screws it shouldn't move.

[litzdog911]

....
Oh, I also would like to know if I have enough sky. It should be able to see from 185 degrees true to 110 degrees true. Where can I look up the requirements for Buckley, WA?

Regards,
Doug


The 99-deg W satellite is at 150-deg AZ, 30.5-deg EL
The 101-deg W satellite is at 152.7-deg AZ, 31.2-deg EL
The 103-deg W satellite is at 155-deg AZ, 31.9-deg EL
The 110-deg W satellite is at 164-deg AZ, 33.6-deg EL
The 119-deg W satellite is at 176-deg AZ, 34.8-deg EL

These are based on true north. More info here ....
http://perso.numericable.fr/~gjullien/satellite3.htm

[JLucPicard]

I would have thought checking for enough sky would have come before the pole was installed, but I hope it's in the right place.

I have a deck that was made from treated wood, and over time there has been some warping of boards, etc. I hope you don't experience too much of that with your 6x6. Also, after mounting the dish, etc., on a wooden pole, I would still think there could be more movement of the dish due to wind than there would be with a metal pole, but I could be wrong. I don't have a handle on all the physics involved.

I hope it all works out for you, hobodog!!!

[hobodog]

Hello JLucPicard of the Starship Enterprise,
The sky was checked 5 months ago when an installer came out and told me I would not get local HD channels with the 3 LNB dish he had. I decided to wait for the 5 LNB and the HR-20. At that time he looked through his gadget and said put a pole here. After I put it there I got worried and decided I wanted to check it out myself to see if he was right. Turns out it will be OK. He also said the 6X6 should work but I still worry unless I have more than one opinion. He's not the one that is going to do the install on Monday or live with it.
I bet the winter in the Twin Cities could warp anything! I grew up in North Saint Paul.
Thanks for the reply,
Doug

[JLucPicard]

Whew - glad to hear pole placement was checked out first. Good Luck with it all!

Today was low 80's here. By this time next week they're saying we could experience freezing rain and snow flurries - good ole Minnesota! You know what I mean! :)

[paulman182]

"Oh, I also would like to know if I have enough sky. It should be able to see from 185 degrees true to 110 degrees true. "

Just wondering if this is a DTV rule? If so, that's probably why my installer would not put the AT9 where my PIII was. I am sure he could have gotten all 5 satellites, as the PIII was already getting the 119, and there are no obstructions to the east. Still, he said in my case it had to be moved.

I glad he did, because even though the old location would have worked, I can hit pretty much all the sats that target the east coast from the new location, so I should be ready for anything.

[hobodog]

"Oh, I also would like to know if I have enough sky. It should be able to see from 185 degrees true to 110 degrees true. "

By "it should be able" I meant the location I put it. It is not a requirement or suggestion from D*. The area of sky you need is dependant on your location. Using the info litzdog911 provided for me I need from 150 to 176 degrees true azimuth. This falls within the area "it should be able to see" so I'm OK.
The installer comes here tomorrow. :D

Regards,
Doug