Install Friday - snow and winds forcast

[CTJon]

So I've waited 2 months for my HR20 and replacement dish install. It has been 50-65 and sunny all week - on Friday it is suppose to snow with strong winds. So what is the chance I'll actually get an install? I would predict 0% which is about 10% less than I've been expecting based upon forum comments. OH well:rolleyes:
:nono2:

[HDTVsportsfan]

It all depends on who it is. Isn't that a lovely middel of the road answer,
If it's a roof install, forget it. If all he has to do is mount the dish you might luck out. They get paid by the job. The more jobs they can squeeze in the more money they make. So you might be surprised.

Good luck to ya.

[brianct1972]

Hey CTJon, I had mine installed about 3 Monday's ago, the one Monday we had 3 inches of snow....installer showed up (I was surprised, thought he would cancel) and completed the install no problem. Hopefully yours goes well. Call D* and ask for the installer # and call them on Friday.Thats what I did...

[Louisville Slugger]

My dad is getting a dish hopefully installed on Saturday. This is the third attempt. It was in the 70s today . . . .

UGH!

This was the second time the DirecTV guy came and couldn't complete his job. The first guy couldn't have been over 20 years old, and he didn't have a long enough ladder. He wasn’t prepared and picked the highest point on the roof which wasn’t very bright.

The second guy came two days later and had the wrong work order. He had us down for a HD receiver and three regular receivers. This wasn’t his fault though. Whoever printed the order screwed up. My dad specifically ordered a HD DVR. The second guy also wanted to install the dish in a different place which made the wiring more convenient, but we still don't have anything installed!

When the second guy came my dad was at work while my mother (doesn’t work on Mondays) and I were home. If the first guy came prepared on the weekend while my dad was home everything would have worked out. My dad had to drive 30 miles home on Monday only arrive five minutes after the second guy left.


I guess my parents don't trust me to be home alone while the guy installs the dish.

[dwenn]

I bought my HR-20 in the store but had D* come in to install the 5lnb dish (for free)
The install was last Tuesday. The forecast was and ended up correct of a high tempature of 5 degrees with wind chills hitting -30.
The installer calls Monday night and I fully expected and would have understood if he was going to say that it would just be too cold to do the install.
But he actually was just confirming if I needed the receiver. So I said nothing about the forecast.
Next day he shows up on time and ends up with what should have been fairly simple being just a dish upgrade taking 3 hours with all new lines including one set run twice as there was a problem with one of the lines on a dual cable.
I offered him hot choclate or anything else but he refused and said it was no problem even as his jeans became frozen stiff. He said he couldn't complain as it is his job just as he can't complain when it is too hot in the summer.

So very pleased with the installer and dish.
Also in these conditions with the new dish my already excellent signal readings went from what typically were 92-96 to almot all 100s with a few 98s and 96s. Not really any difference in performance but I was a amazed at the accurracy given the conditions.

[Car1181]

My first install date was during a snowstorm with pretty heavy winds off the ocean. I didn't get a call but just assumed there was now way the installer would be showing up. He did however and the install went great. So I think there's a good chance you'll get your dish Friday. Good luck.

[waughoo]

So I've waited 2 months for my HR20 and replacement dish install. It has been 50-65 and sunny all week - on Friday it is suppose to snow with strong winds. So what is the chance I'll actually get an install? I would predict 0% which is about 10% less than I've been expecting based upon forum comments. OH well:rolleyes:
:nono2:

I upgraded to the 5lnb dish on March 1st and it took 4 attempts for me to get it installed. First appointment cancelled due to snow, second due to rain, third due to incompetent installer and finally on the fourth attempt they were able to get it in despite 40 mph winds. It really is the luck of the draw with who your install tech is. Hopefully you'll get installed soon, it's worth the wait.

[Louisville Slugger]

Okay, question for you guys.

My parents are going to have the dish installed on the roof of the deck. The roof of the deck is about 12 feet up on one end and about 14 feet up on the other end since the house sits on a slope. We're most likely going to have the dish installed on the 14 foot side.

My zip code is 01545. What are the chances the guy will complete the install considering the current weather situation.

It's most likely dependent on who shows right?

:nono2:

We plan on having the guy install this Saturday.

[waughoo]

I know it's a lame answer, but the truth is there are some lazy techs out there and some that actually want to get the job done right (nature of the beast when you sub-contract installers). You're better off waiting for the good tech since the 5lnb dish requires a little more skill to get aimed correctly otherwise your HD locals will drop.

[Louisville Slugger]

My dad asked for a supervisor to come on Saturday.

We'll see . .

Here are some pictures to give you guys an idea of where it's going to be installed.

http://mysite.verizon.net/nfriedman/DBS/1.jpg

12 foot side.

http://mysite.verizon.net/nfriedman/DBS/2.jpg

14 foot side.

[prushing]

My dad asked for a supervisor to come on Saturday.


I asked for a supervisor for a second opinion 2 times, both times they sent out a regular tech. I was on the phone with the company and they told me that he was a supervisor, I asked the guy if he was a supervisor and he said no. Then they said, oh he doesn't know, he is a supervisor.

[CTJon]

Update:
Installer called at 2:10 - he couldn't make it up the driveway, yes it is steep and now covered with maybe 3" of snow. Told me that his company would have to reschedule - this wasn't a surprise since it is bad at the moment, the worst storm of the winter and it is at full blast. The fact that they don't have snow capable vehicles in New England is strange.
So his company called me back in a few minutes and said that the next available install was 4/13 - 4 weeks from now. That is ridiculous, so it can't be shortage of dish or DVR it is a shortage of installers here.
I called D* and talked about canceling (haven't made up my mind I will talk to cable company first) - they checked and they couldn't give me a better installation date.
This is no way to run a business although maybe more problems with the HR20 will be fixed by then.

[AreBee]

Update:
Installer called at 2:10 - he couldn't make it up the driveway, yes it is steep and now covered with maybe 3" of snow. Told me that his company would have to reschedule - this wasn't a surprise since it is bad at the moment, the worst storm of the winter and it is at full blast. The fact that they don't have snow capable vehicles in New England is strange.
So his company called me back in a few minutes and said that the next available install was 4/13 - 4 weeks from now. That is ridiculous, so it can't be shortage of dish or DVR it is a shortage of installers here.
I called D* and talked about canceling (haven't made up my mind I will talk to cable company first) - they checked and they couldn't give me a better installation date.
This is no way to run a business although maybe more problems with the HR20 will be fixed by then.

The installer I had here in CT said guys were quitting because the owner was making them work mandatory 6 day weeks. In fact my installer picked up another install while he was at my house because someone walked off a job. Keep calling though. I ordered in late January and received an April install date. I called a week later and Got a March 3rd date.

I feel your pain though. I had to cancel multiple installs over the years because of Connecticut's whacked out weather.

Good luck!

[Louisville Slugger]

Yup mine was canceled as well.

They rescheduled for Saturday the 24th. It should be in the 50s . . .

[mtsz52784]

call D* i think that they should be able to give u a $100 credit for the hassle... check the threads and see.

[jimb726]

call D* i think that they should be able to give u a $100 credit for the hassle... check the threads and see.

They only give the credit if an appointment is missed by the installer, not if you appointment is too far in the future for your liking.

Jim

[scrappy 2000]

This is why I will not recomand D* to anyone new. The insstall in most cases is awful. D* has to do a lot better if they want people to switch to them. My case could have been solved so quickly but they would not do it the way I wanted. All I wanted was for them to ship me the HR 20 and let me plug it in to my three lnb dish and then when even I could get an installer to come out and put up the five lnb dish would be fine. I had two dates missed and caused me a lot of problems as it will with most people. Everyone I talked to said what I wanted was a good ideo but they could NOT do it. I did get credits but it took six weeks and two mised dates to get the unit set up. The installer I had was great and I love the HR 20 but going through what I did was really bad and so simple to solve if D* would only have done what I wanted. I even ask if they could have an installer just drop off a unit when he was in my area and was told that could not be done. I was told that if I had an HR 20 and it had gone bad they could ship but the first unit had to be given to me by an installer. Been with D* for over twelve years and pay about 150 a month. One of the retention people I talked to said that they had no athority at all except to follow the options they had even if what the customer ask made complete sence as it did in my case.