[redsox14]

I live in a condo and cannot have a 34 x 22 dish. I contacted Directv
about the SL3 20 x18 dish but they no longer carry it. It seems
to me that Directv is going back in time by making thier HD dishes bigger.
Do I have any options? Got HD tv but no HD...................................


Jay

 

[66stang351]

I live in a condo and cannot have a 34 x 22 dish. I contacted Directv
about the SL3 20 x18 dish but they no longer carry it. It seems
to me that Directv is going back in time by making thier HD dishes bigger.
Do I have any options? Got HD tv but no HD...................................

Jay

Sorry, but the Slimline 32x22 dish is the only way to get HD from DIRECTV. The old Phase 3 dish cannot see the new satellites that added the bandwidth needed to carry HD in any significant amounts.

 

[veryoldschool]

The current 5 LNB dish complies with the FCC law of less than 1 meter, which means you can't be told you can't use it legally.
While the management may not like it, there is nothing they can do [legally] to stop you, if you mount it in accordance with where a dish can be mounted in your condo.

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/consumerdish.html

 

[ProfLonghair]

It's not the size of your dish, it's all in how you use it

sorry, someone was going to say it, might as well be me

 

[crashHD]

The current 5 LNB dish complies with the FCC law of less than 1 meter, which means you can't be told you can't use it legally.

I think that just means things like HOA's, and local governments can't forbid you from using it. In the case of a condo, I would think if the property owner says no, that still stands.

 

[ajtmcse]

From http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/consumerdish.html

What Types of Properties Are Covered?

Under the OTARD rules, an owner or a tenant has the right to install an antenna (that meets size limitations) on property that he owns or over which he has exclusive use or control. This includes single family homes, condominiums, cooperatives, town homes, and manufactured homes. In the case of condominiums, cooperatives, and rental properties, the rules apply to "exclusive use" areas, like terraces, balconies, or patios.

 

[Matman]

It's not the size of your dish, it's all in how you use it

sorry, someone was going to say it, might as well be me

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You beat me to it, that was my first thought as soon as I saw the thread title!!!!

 

[Matman]

And for the Op, if you are arguing with your homeowners association, I had the exact same issue with mine, which I was able to overcome with a nice letter to them using that link posted earlier. PM me, I can email it to you if you want. Bottom line, if the dish is under a meter and follows the mounting rules listed by the FCC, you are fine, the HOA can't say a thing to you. Keep in mind, there are mounting restictions, make sure you read the whole thing!

 

[harsh]

It seems to me that Directv is going back in time by making thier HD dishes bigger.

Actually, the dishes are as big now as they have ever been. The single Ku dish looks like a serving spoon in comparison with the Slimline.

DIRECTV chose to go the Ka route and that demands the larger surface area to insure a consistently usable signal.

 

[kd4ao]

One other thought to use when negotiating with Condo Assoc. is, the law says you can put it on any area you have exclusive use of but for asthetics reasons it might look better if it is out of sight on some common area such above an elevator or something like that. And you might put together a proposal that would include a multiswitch to allow more than one Apt. to use the same dish. I did just that and we are now setting up 4 users on SWMs which I and a neighbor purchased and installed ourselves, people hooking up to our SWMs pay their share of the cost and everyone gets $50 back from D*. No one can see anything and everyone is happy.

 

[evan_s]

Yup OTARD is the key here. Assuming you have an exclusive access area like a balcony that has the correct line of sight the Condo can not prevent you from putting up a Slimline dish. I'd definitely try to work it out with them by pointing them at OTARD rather than just doing it with out their permission. Getting something like kd4ao described setup would be even better.

 

[rudeney]

One other thought to use when negotiating with Condo Assoc. is, the law says you can put it on any area you have exclusive use of but for asthetics reasons it might look better if it is out of sight on some common area such above an elevator or something like that. And you might put together a proposal that would include a multiswitch to allow more than one Apt. to use the same dish. I did just that and we are now setting up 4 users on SWMs which I and a neighbor purchased and installed ourselves, people hooking up to our SWMs pay their share of the cost and everyone gets $50 back from D*. No one can see anything and everyone is happy.

That is an excellent idea. The only thing I would say as a caution is that some condos and apartments have become "smart". The OTARD rules apply to "exclusive use" areas and that is defined as, "an area of the property that only the renter and people allowed by the renter may enter and use. If the area is shared with others or accessible without the renter's permission, it is not considered to be an exclusive use area." Our beach condo deed and rules specifically state that our balcony is not an exclusive use area because the association has the right to enter it, modify it, alter it, etc. This is how they prevent owners from adding dishes there. We do have D* and E* available, but they charge a ridiculous amount for access. Since TV is not a big deal at the beach, well, we have cable, which is very inexpensive when bundled with Internet.

 

[evan_s]

Our beach condo deed and rules specifically state that our balcony is not an exclusive use area because the association has the right to enter it, modify it, alter it, etc. This is how they prevent owners from adding dishes there.

I don't think that would actually hold water.

From http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html

Q: Does the fact that management or the association has the right to enter these areas mean that the resident does not have exclusive use?

A: No. The fact that the building management or the association may enter an area for the purpose of inspection and/or repair does not mean that the resident does not have exclusive use of that area. Likewise, if the landlord or association regulates other uses of the exclusive use area (e.g., banning grills on balconies), that does not affect the viewer's rights under the Commission's rule. This rule permits persons to install antennas on property over which the person has either exclusive use or exclusive control. Note, too, that nothing in this rule changes the landlord's or association's right to regulate use of exclusive use areas for other purposes. For example, if the lease prohibits antennas and flags on balconies, only the prohibition of antennas is eliminated by this rule; flags would still be prohibited.

The HOA can't redefine Exclusive access to be something other than what OTARD says it is.

 

[P Smith]

I think that just means things like HOA's, and local governments can't forbid you from using it. In the case of a condo, I would think if the property owner says no, that still stands.

Then read more and think again !

 

[crashHD]

Then read more and think again !

I did. The key thing seems to be the "property you own" clause, which would seem to mean if you rent, it's still up to the landlord. But then again, it is written in legalese, and they intentionally write those things so they can have multiple interpretations.

 

[texasbrit]

I did. The key thing seems to be the "property you own" clause, which would seem to mean if you rent, it's still up to the landlord. But then again, it is written in legalese, and they intentionally write those things so they can have multiple interpretations.

Read it again. You don't have to own the area where the dish is installed, it just has to be for your exclusive use. Access by the owners of the condo for maintenance and so on does not count. So if you have a balcony (or a patio) you can install a dish there. However it can't protrude outside the balcony area without the owner's permission, and the condo owners can also prevent you drilling holes in the wall to get the cables to the inside of the apartment/condo.
Just about every situation where a condo/apartment owner or an HOA has tried to prevent someone installing a dish on an "exclusive use" area has resulted in the owner/HOA losing the case and having to pay legal costs.

 

[rudeney]

The beach condo building has just about 80 units. We do not own the balcony areas, although we do have exclusive use, but the association controls all maintenance there and has very strict rules. I suppose we could fight this in court but it’s not worth it. Besides that, I personally don’t want to see dishes and other stuff hanging off the balconies (oh, towels, chimes, hanging plants, etc. are also not allowed). This is a non-rental building and most all owners do want to see it remain very consistent. My biggest gripe is that they charge about half what it costs for cable to connect to the roof-mounted MDU satellite dish.

 

[P Smith]

rudeney, seems to me you stuck in your minds ;
would be simple to 'test' the stake - install a dish inside of your balcony, print OTARD paper, highlight relevant phrases and politely talk to visitors.

 

[rudeney]

rudeney, seems to me you stuck in your minds ;
would be simple to 'test' the stake - install a dish inside of your balcony, print OTARD paper, highlight relevant phrases and politely talk to visitors.

If we spent more than a few weeks and assorted weekends a year there, it might be worth pushing the envelope. As it is, TV at the beach is not a big concern. We go there mostly to relax and get away from the daily routine. We do like to keep up with the news and weather while there, but we spend very little time actually watching TV. If we spend more than 15 minutes watching TV there, it's probably because we brought a movie to watch on DVD. Also, this is a family unit so I'd have to get others involved to be willing to fight the battle, and honestly, I don't think any of us feel passionately enough to deal with it.
It would definitely have to be a portable unit as there is no way to secure anything to the balcony (that's strictly prohibited - no holes at all may be drilled into the walls, rails, floors, etc.).

I guess my whole point in this is that even with OTARD on "our" side, condo and apartment buildings can still make it difficult, if practically impossible. I don't have a huge problem with this situation given that I have easy and very inexpensive access to cable, and if I really wanted satellite TV, I could pay to connect to their MDU's.

 

[Shades228]

I would find out some system operators in your area and make sure the condo board, a long with a few non board residents, review to make sure that you're getting what you deserve. In many cases you get discounts based on MDU. I know that some cable operators have been getting a lot of flack from the FCC about their marketing practices with MDU's. Such as giving a certain number of "gift" services with their licensing and it always happens that the amount of gift subs are the same as the board members for the area. Basically them saying "Stick with us and you all who make the decisions get free service."

Check to see if a Sat MDU would be more competitive for your condo association then the current Cable one that you have.