Will Most (Any?) DirecTV Installers Install AT9 and HR20 in Rain?

[WinstonSmith]

The AT9 of course -- the HR20 will go indoors =]

I have an install scheduled for today and its basically the only day I can get off for about the next 12 weeks. I need the AT9, I've already set up the HR20.

The rain might be helping out my Cardinals, but how will it impact an installer and the AT9? He basically needs to swap out the 3-LNB dish for the AT9.

[wakajawaka]

Well, It's not just a simple swap out as the mast diameter is bigger for the AT-9, so it's bascially a whole new install. I suppose it's up to the installer, with safety being the major concern. (lightning, slippery roof etc.)

[LameLefty]

I think wakajawaka's right - if the install is onto a wall, for instance, it should be pretty straightforward. You do have to be concerned about water getting into the coax connections but as long as it's not a torrential downpour when he's making connections it can probably be done. That said, if the guy shows and does it, he's earned a good tip.

[satguy22]

What is a tip? People dont tip. Not here anway.

[WinstonSmith]

This would be a pole mount install.

[crabtrp]

You tip installers? I never have.

[WinstonSmith]

Also, what are the odds that if he won't install, he would leave the AT9 with me and I can install it myself?

[bonscott87]

Also, what are the odds that if he won't install, he would leave the AT9 with me and I can install it myself?

You can always ask.

If it's a pole mount, and your pole is already there and is 2" diameter it should be pretty straight forward. He can put it all together inside your house and you can hold an umbrella for him as he hooks up the cables to keep them (and him) dry. And definately a tip if he is willing to do it in the rain.

[bonscott87]

You tip installers? I never have.

I tipped my installer $10 for doing a great job but more importantly actually knowing what he was doing and not rushing to get out of there. He was more concerned with doing it right the first time then rushing to get it done.

[Slip Jigs]

The AT9 of course -- the HR20 will go indoors =]

I have an install scheduled for today and its basically the only day I can get off for about the next 12 weeks. I need the AT9, I've already set up the HR20.

The rain might be helping out my Cardinals, but how will it impact an installer and the AT9? He basically needs to swap out the 3-LNB dish for the AT9.

This is my exact situation. Install for today, HR already set up, etc. Light rain here at the moment.

The only difference - is that I'm in Detroit! (Now, how's that for a coincidence?)

Oh, and it will be a roof install.

(If we can pull this one out tongiht and bring it back home, you guys are in trouble! And if our pitchers stop screwing up so badly)

[qlanus]

The AT9 of course -- the HR20 will go indoors =]


What!?! The HR20 is supposed to go indoors?

[Guindalf]

Also, what are the odds that if he won't install, he would leave the AT9 with me and I can install it myself?

Slim to none, but it doesn't hurt to ask! If D* hears about it, they would seriously unhappy, but if the installer knows he'll get paid anyway, he may be willing to bend the rules.

After all, it's not 1984 any more!! :nono:

[LameLefty]

You tip installers? I never have.

I did this time. The installer took his time, asked my input about where I wanted the dish and cables run, did a precise and clean job running cables and was in no rush to hurry to his next TWO installs that afternoon. I gave him my thanks and a $20 bill as he was leaving.

[bwaldron]

What is a tip? People dont tip. Not here anway.

I'm in Florida, and I have always tipped installers for a job well done.

[bwaldron]

The AT9 of course -- the HR20 will go indoors =]

I have an install scheduled for today and its basically the only day I can get off for about the next 12 weeks. I need the AT9, I've already set up the HR20.

The rain might be helping out my Cardinals, but how will it impact an installer and the AT9? He basically needs to swap out the 3-LNB dish for the AT9.

Obviously rain will cause issues with the signal strength readings; if it's continuous and heavy it will be a problem.

[Greenbay4]

You tip installers? I never have.

My installer had a couple of beers with me and a neighbor who was over after he was done. I kid you not. He was probably the most unprofessional service guy I have ever met, but he was very knowledgeable and funny.

[bwaldron]

My installer had a couple of beers with me and a neighbor who was over after he was done.

Probably better than before he started :)

[F1Fan]

Forget all that! My installer refused to go up on the roof to install the AT-9. He said it's a waste of his time. Called D* to complain, I'd be surprised if he can keep his job. He tried to mislead me, tried to convince me to keep my 3LNB and buy his OTA for $99. When I asked about D* plan to move every channel to HD, then he said "no line of sight for the 5 LNB."

[Slip Jigs]

The AT9 of course -- the HR20 will go indoors =]

I have an install scheduled for today and its basically the only day I can get off for about the next 12 weeks. I need the AT9, I've already set up the HR20.

The rain might be helping out my Cardinals, but how will it impact an installer and the AT9? He basically needs to swap out the 3-LNB dish for the AT9.

Any luck? It's 5:15 here now, installer a no-show. The rain held off up intil the last hour, but it's still not heavy.

[bwaldron]

Forget all that! My installer refused to go up on the roof to install the AT-9. He said it's a waste of his time. Called D* to complain, I'd be surprised if he can keep his job. He tried to mislead me, tried to convince me to keep my 3LNB and buy his OTA for $99. When I asked about D* plan to move every channel to HD, then he said "no line of sight for the 5 LNB."

Lovely. Just lovely.

Somebody up there loves you...but down here, not so much.

[WinstonSmith]

Never had a chance to update this until now....

It basically was a steady downpour all afternoon, but the guy did show up at 1pm, just like was said.

He then told me that the pole mount I have my 3-LNB on will not work for the 5LNB because I wouldn't be able to get the 99 sat. So, he said he'd have to RIP UP all of the existing RG6 that has been trenched and buried and then rerun new wiring and put the dish out about an extra 20 feet from my house in order to get all 5 sats.

This really irritates me and I don't believe it to be honest. However, he offered to go ahead and do it that day. The guy was super nice, but there was no way I wanted to dig trenches and two foot deep holes in a downpour. Even more to the point, it had been raining nearly nonstop for two days, so the ground was very mushy.

We rescheduled for Tuesday of this week. I hate to tear up the yard again, but I guess this is the only way.

[carl6]

If 99 was his only concern, chances are pretty good that you will be able to get it at your old location. It is only slightly east of 101 which you are definately getting now.

If you want to gamble (and pay accordingly if you loose), put the dish at the original location and try it. If it doesn't work, then it will have to be moved, and given that the install was already done, it will be entirely at your expense to do so.

Depending on how long your existing system has been in service, getting all new coax would probably be a good idea anyway though.

Not sure which way I would go in your situation. I guess I'd have to see the yard, and know what effort I put into it, to better judge.

Carl

[bonscott87]

I would have him just put the dish on the current pole and see what happens. 99 is so close to 101 you'd have to have a big tree right on the edge of your 101 line of sight to cause an issue. Anyway, have him put it there. Save him a bunch of time and effort. If for some reason it doesn't work for 99 then he didn't waste much time because the dish is now already put together and he can go and do all that other work.

[satguy22]

I would have him just put the dish on the current pole and see what happens. 99 is so close to 101 you'd have to have a big tree right on the edge of your 101 line of sight to cause an issue. Anyway, have him put it there. Save him a bunch of time and effort. If for some reason it doesn't work for 99 then he didn't waste much time because the dish is now already put together and he can go and do all that other work.

WOW! A upgrade is only to take less than 2 hours and you want someone to try finding the signal in more than one place? If the installer knows what he is doing then it is his call. No one wants to move the dish on a up grade but if you know it is not going to work you need to do it and move on. Dont you think he knows it means more work for him if he has to move the dish than to just leave it there? I would want what is best for my signal strenght and be happy that this person is looking out for my best interest.

[bonscott87]

WOW! A upgrade is only to take less than 2 hours and you want someone to try finding the signal in more than one place? If the installer knows what he is doing then it is his call. No one wants to move the dish on a up grade but if you know it is not going to work you need to do it and move on. Dont you think he knows it means more work for him if he has to move the dish than to just leave it there? I would want what is best for my signal strenght and be happy that this person is looking out for my best interest.

At most the guy wastes 5 minutes of time (unhook the cables and slap the dish on the new pole....wow, lots of wasted time). At best he saves a couple hours of labor. But then if he's charging extra for the new pole and trench then I can see why he wants to do it.

Like many have said, unless there is truely a tree in the way just to the left of your 101 line of sight 99 will come in just fine. If that's the case then sure, have the guy do all that work if needed.

[taz291819]

My installer had a couple of beers with me and a neighbor who was over after he was done. I kid you not. He was probably the most unprofessional service guy I have ever met, but he was very knowledgeable and funny.

I didn't tip my last installer, but we had a couple of beers after he got done (his last job of the day on a Saturday).

Some may call that unprofessional, but here in the South, it's almost rude not to offer (or accept).

[WinstonSmith]

There is a big tree in my backyard, but I'm getting high 80s, low 90s on the 101 sat, so I'm not sure.

On the other hand, you're right in the sense that he must be looking out for what's best or else he wouldn't want to do all that extra work. I just hate to rip up the yard -- again!

He's due to be here today and I can't wait to see if the install guy this time -- probably someone different, will do all of this.

I was told there would be no additional charge.

[bonscott87]

I was told there would be no additional charge.

And there is the key. If there is no extra charge and they want to relocate the dish and all that, more power to 'em. Grass will grow back and it's cheap.

But if there were to try and charge me, I'd tell them to "waste" 5-10 minutes of their time and try it at the current location.

[WinstonSmith]

Well, here is the outcome of yesterday's install....

Here is my latest (and hopefully last) update regarding me, my quest for HD, and DirecTV...

An installer from Premier, the STL area DirecTV contractor, came out to my house yesterday afternoon, around 3:00pm. I have previously been told by a Premier installer (who came to my house last Friday when it was pouring and my backyard was basically a swamp) that he would have to remove the current Triple LNB pole mount setup, rip up all the trenched wiring and start from scratch. However, the guy who came out yesterday said that was not necessary and that he could get a LoS for all the sats from my current pole and that he thought there was no need to do anything other than swap out the 3-LNB dish for the AT9.

Great, I though. Less destruction to the yard, easier install, and the guy gets out of here sooner. (I had already ran the RG6 to my new HR20 HD-DVR.) Well, he gets the dish assembled and gets a signal, but then determines the current pole is too small and he needs a new pole.

So, he cuts down the current pole, digs a hole (not a very deep one, probably one foot, if that) with a shovel. Then he stuck in concrete and the new pole. Mixed the cement, etc. Then he went into the house and installed the Zinwell multiswitch and terminated the lines into it nicely.

Then, we went back outside and he tried to put the dish on the pole in the concrete. Well, the concrete was not set, so the pole was swaying back and forth as he did it. Then, he had a hard time getting a signal lock on all of the sats. Probably because the pole was swaying forward and backward as he was aligning the dish.

Eventually, the concrete hardens up enough, he gets a lock. We go downstairs and he sets up the HR20. I'm not sure that my signal strength is all that great to be honest with you. 110 and 119 are very strong, but 101 and 103 aren't strong at all.

But, here's what concerns me the most. When I look at the 99 sat on my HR20, it says N/A. He told me that was not a problem because, "It always does that." So, I asked, does it matter? "No, there's nothing on there but international stuff anyway." Is this true?

Well, when we fired up the HR20, I do now have all my HD locals (well, KTVI, KMOV, KDSK, and KDNL -- no 11 or 9.) I did no comparisons of the OTA vs. Sat locals as I did not have time.

I am at work now, but tomorrow I will have pics of the final pole-mount installation and how .... unprofessional it was left.

Overall, I'm glad I have the AT9 now, I'm glad I have my HD locals through Sat (just in case) and I'm thrilled its over (I think.) However, the professionalism left a little something to be desired as the pics will show you. I also think he rushed the job way too much so he could get home to go w/ his children to trick or treat (which I understand, but if you have a job you have to do.....) and I'm not sure my signal strength is what it should be on 101 and 103.

But, I now have an HD-TiVo and an HR20 on the same TV.

[litzdog911]

...
But, here's what concerns me the most. When I look at the 99 sat on my HR20, it says N/A. He told me that was not a problem because, "It always does that." So, I asked, does it matter? "No, there's nothing on there but international stuff anyway." Is this true?

.....

This could be normal in St. Louis if none of the 99-deg Satellite's transponders are beamed at you.

[WinstonSmith]

Thanks. That makes me feel better =]

I know the lyngsat website is fantastic for telling us what is on what satellite, but it doens't have the new 99 and 103 up.... Do you know of another page that has that info, or is it just not available yet?

[litzdog911]

Thanks. That makes me feel better =]

I know the lyngsat website is fantastic for telling us what is on what satellite, but it doens't have the new 99 and 103 up.... Do you know of another page that has that info, or is it just not available yet?

Lyngsat does indeed have 99 and 103 ....
http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/directvusa99.html
http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/directvusa103.html

[wmschultz]

Lyngsat does indeed have 99 and 103 ....
http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/directvusa99.html
http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/directvusa103.html

It doesn't look like it has been updated in a while cuz STL isn't on the list.

[litzdog911]

It doesn't look like it has been updated in a while cuz STL isn't on the list.


STL is listed here from 103-deg W ....
http://www.dbstalk.com/hr20/html/DTV_LIL_CITY.html#S

[WinstonSmith]

Ah, thank you. Last time I checked it wasn't on there.