No more installation tales and sagas?

2316 Views 17 Replies 12 Participants Last post by randyf, Nov 28, 2006

Slip Jigs

Discussion Starter · Nov 17, 2006

They have been good reads - apparently we grew tired of the stories or everyone finally got it sorted out?

Anyway, my install is finally due to arrive this coming sat, nov 18. It's scheduled between 4 and 6, which puts it in the middle of the UM/OSU game but hopefully we can config the box at half time. ( I already have the box in place and activated).

That's assuming they show up of course. Wish me luck!

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HDTVsportsfan

· #2 · Nov 17, 2006

Everybody must be numb from allof the horror stories.

However I must admit, my recent (2 months ago)install of two HR20's went O.K. One was DOA. The installer actually went on a his next couple of scheduled calls and met another installer in that same area and picked up a spare from him and brought it back later in the day and activated it.
So obviously I can't complain. I tipped him a $20. He deserved it. Showed up in a real DirecTV van.

It the quality of the installs/installers depends on which part of the country you live in. I had three different installs/upgrades over the last year w/ zero problems.

Edit: Good luck Slip Jigs

pgiralt

· #3 · Nov 17, 2006

I just hope MASTEC is not your installer. I am so fed up with them that D* offered to have them come out and clean up the mess they made last time and I told them I never want them on my property again. If they change install companies then they can send someone out. For now I'm going to just fix it myself.

HDTVsportsfan

· #4 · Nov 17, 2006

If I remember correctly, one of my upgrades was done by Advanced Technologies.

bwaldron

· #5 · Nov 17, 2006

pgiralt said:
I just hope MASTEC is not your installer. I am so fed up with them that D* offered to have them come out and clean up the mess they made last time and I told them I never want them on my property again. If they change install companies then they can send someone out. For now I'm going to just fix it myself.

I hear ya. Mastec will never touch any part of my system again, either.

Slip Jigs

Discussion Starter · #6 · Nov 17, 2006

It's Michigan Microtech in my neck of the woods - they haven't been getting good reviews, that's for sure. My biggest complaint so far is just the wait time (been over a month now). My first install was delayed a day - but that wasn't too bad as the installer himself called to make the arrangements because he was running behind.

Coastsider

· #7 · Nov 17, 2006

Two guys from Ironwood finally showed up on Tuesday to install my HR20. I only had to put up with one delay of about a month but got another $100 off the price for my trouble. Generic white van and pretty clueless installers. Nice guys but clueless and B (C?) Team for sure. I already have an H20 and AT-9 so we're not talking a tough install here. I had even moved my Sony SAT-T60 to an alternate location (where it will stay until my confidence level in the new DVR is high) and everything was ready - HDMI to DVI cable, audio cables, optical audio cable, phone line - everything. All they had to do was install a multiswitch, run cables from the wall to the switch, add two cables to the HR20 and plug in all of the stuff I had prepared. The pre-cut cables they had for the wall to switch run were too short to reach it where I wanted it mounted and all else they had was 6' and longer. No custom made cables with these two. I went and got the cable set I had used with my Spaun back in the pre-AT9 days when I had a GainMaster dish and they worked just fine. It went pretty smoothly after that until the main guy (?) finally gave up trying to get the remote to work with both the H20 and the HR20 and it was at that point (Hey guys, I've got to get back to work) that I just told him not to worry about it and they left. When I got home from work later I set up the remote and then cleaned up the pretty big mess that remained.

So far the only glitch has been bad 5.1 audio on the recording of last nights Letterman from my HD local. It chattered so bad my A/V receiver couldn't lock in. The conventional audio was O.K. and the "live" 5.1 is as well. I haven't recorded much HD yet so I'll have to do some more A/B testing this weekend with the Ku L.A. locals vs the Ka S.F. locals to see if there is any difference. In the meantime our Season's Passes are still set up on the Sony.

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clay_w

· #8 · Nov 17, 2006

Slip Jigs said:
It's Michigan Microtech in my neck of the woods - they haven't been getting good reviews, that's for sure. My biggest complaint so far is just the wait time (been over a month now). My first install was delayed a day - but that wasn't too bad as the installer himself called to make the arrangements because he was running behind.

That is the company that did my installation and it was pretty much a nightmare. The guy called the morning of the installation and said "Uh, do I need a big ladder because I don't have one.." I should have knows what was in store.

He came, installed the dish and said I had a bad lnb and he was going to "try" to run back to the office and get another one and come back the same day.

Three days later and still no word.....I started calling on the third day and of course the order was closed and no one knew nothing about....

After at least 20 calls, many supervisors and being put on hold for more minutes than I care to remember (yes, really...) the guy finally came out and replaced it on the sixth day.

This is the shortened version of the story - I was actually told on the third, fourth & fifth days that someone was coming on each of those days and then he did not show up and no phone calls to say why.

Dave_S

· #9 · Nov 17, 2006

My installer showed up on time, but he kind of freaked when he saw where my dish is (at the peak of my two story house). It was a little wet and kind of windy, and I thought he was going to bail on me, but he ventured up on the roof to check it out, and seemed ok with it. The install went smooth after the initial shock of of the dish location thing, and he set up my dish, dialed it in, replaced my multiswitch and set up my units. All sats were 95+ signal strength. All in all I was impressed, and gave him a good cash tip. He gave me his local number (he lives in town) if I had any problems after he left. Probably one of the best experiences I have had with Dtv installers.

Slip Jigs

Discussion Starter · #10 · Nov 18, 2006

Today's the day. T-minus <6 hours and counting. Looks like a favorable day for an installation, slightly brisk with no rain in the forecast. If installer gets here by 4 there will be plently of light, but after that, daylight burns fast. If he gets here later, that's going to be his problem to work in the dark. If he doesn't get here at all, then that will be my problem again.

Slip Jigs

Discussion Starter · #11 · Nov 18, 2006

The Good News: The tech came earlt

The Bad News: Work order for a service call, not an upgrade install. Delay of 30 min getting that straightened out.

The good news: Has equipment, proceeding with the install. (He has 8 HR20's in the truck, although I don't need one)

More to come.

patfan64

· #12 · Nov 18, 2006

My install went smoothly on Thursday. Took the day off from work (after confirming twice with D* and the install company.) My 3-year-old decided to start up chucking at 4:30AM so I had that to deal with as well as the install.

Got a phone call at 8:30AM verifying address. He showed up by himself 20 minutes later. Looked the job over. Had an issue with the weather (rainy and windy) but went up on the roof anyway.

Installed new 5LNB, hooked up the HR20-750, showed me how to use it and he was gone in under 3 hours.

Halsted was the company. I was told this morning that he left my house and went down the street to my neighbors house and did the same thing in about 2.5 hours.

Both of us are happy.

randyf

· #13 · Nov 20, 2006

I haven't read the earlier travails, but here's my HR20 install saga. Let me start with the good news: Had three very nice guys come to the house, they provided an HDMI-to-DVI cable free of charge, and they set me up with a new Slimline dish. The bad news: An install scheduled for last Friday morphed into 8 hours over Saturday-Sunday, and the job still isn't done! Here are some details, and I'd be interested to know if others have experienced my latest (I so much want to say "last") hangup:

- HR20 and an International Dish scheduled for Friday install. I had been holding off on the International so it could be installed at the same time as the Slimline. I'd only have to stay home once, and they could do all the cabling, digging (two poles), and pointing at the same time. I was told the International was readily available, and whenever the HR20 came in, they'd have the International as well. Well, Friday PM I get a call from the installer: Good news, they're coming with the HR20, but the International is out of stock! I say B.S. They say OK, they're getting more Internationals "tonight" and they can do the install Saturday. OK.

- The first installer comes Saturday, installs both dishes, and after 2 hours can't get a signal on anything. Promises to come back first thing Sunday with two friends. OK.

- The trio come Sunday, and take another 6 hours to get HD and International reception on the HR20. OK.

- Leftover business #1: I have 2 other receivers that now cannot receive International channels from the new dish (fine on old dish). No one caught this in making the order. If anyone checked, they would've known my other 2 receivers were incompatible with the new dish. Called C.S. and they're sending out two receivers free-of-charge. OK.

- Leftover business #2: The 3 guys didn't setup the HR20's second line/tuner! This after staring for hours at a signal strength screen that clearly shows that both tuners need to be setup. Now they have to come back a third (I so much want to say "last") time. Has this kind of oversight been reported before?

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cybrsurfer

· #14 · Nov 20, 2006

randyf said:
I haven't read the earlier travails, but here's my HR20 install saga. Let me start with the good news: Had three very nice guys come to the house, they provided an HDMI-to-DVI cable free of charge, and they set me up with a new Slimline dish. The bad news: An install scheduled for last Friday morphed into 8 hours over Saturday-Sunday, and the job still isn't done! Here are some details, and I'd be interested to know if others have experienced my latest (I so much want to say "last") hangup:

- HR20 and an International Dish scheduled for Friday install. I had been holding off on the International so it could be installed at the same time as the Slimline. I'd only have to stay home once, and they could do all the cabling, digging (two poles), and pointing at the same time. I was told the International was readily available, and whenever the HR20 came in, they'd have the International as well. Well, Friday PM I get a call from the installer: Good news, they're coming with the HR20, but the International is out of stock! I say B.S. They say OK, they're getting more Internationals "tonight" and they can do the install Saturday. OK.

- The first installer comes Saturday, installs both dishes, and after 2 hours can't get a signal on anything. Promises to come back first thing Sunday with two friends. OK.

- The trio come Sunday, and take another 6 hours to get HD and International reception on the HR20. OK.

- Leftover business #1: I have 2 other receivers that now cannot receive International channels from the new dish (fine on old dish). No one caught this in making the order. If anyone checked, they would've known my other 2 receivers were incompatible with the new dish. Called C.S. and they're sending out two receivers free-of-charge. OK.

- Leftover business #2: The 3 guys didn't setup the HR20's second line/tuner! This after staring for hours at a signal strength screen that clearly shows that both tuners need to be setup. Now they have to come back a third (I so much want to say "last") time. Has this kind of oversight been reported before?

Boy, they should be put in the hall of shame.

randyf

· #15 · Nov 27, 2006

Anything I should watch out for as my installers come back today to connect my HR20's second tuner? For instance, my coax coming out of the wall already has a diplexer with one line going into SAT 1 and the other going into Off Air (which I know is not yet activated, but I had this line going into my previous receiver for OTA). Should the SAT 1 and SAT 2 be connected in a particular way? I ask because my installers totally missed the second tuner the first time around, and they may be equally clueless today. Thanks.

djstough

· #16 · Nov 27, 2006

randyf said:
Anything I should watch out for as my installers come back today to connect my HR20's second tuner? For instance, my coax coming out of the wall already has a diplexer with one line going into SAT 1 and the other going into Off Air (which I know is not yet activated, but I had this line going into my previous receiver for OTA). Should the SAT 1 and SAT 2 be connected in a particular way? I ask because my installers totally missed the second tuner the first time around, and they may be equally clueless today. Thanks.

First, the diplexer must go. If you still want OTA, you will need to run a separate cable. The new dish will use a B-Band converter, which means signals will be in the same frequency range as OTA, and will interfere with each other.

Meklos

· #17 · Nov 28, 2006

djstough said:
First, the diplexer must go. If you still want OTA, you will need to run a separate cable. The new dish will use a B-Band converter, which means signals will be in the same frequency range as OTA, and will interfere with each other.

Diplexer doesn't "have" to go, but it's highly recommended. There are posts on this forum outlining how to do a successful diplexer install, but it requires that the BBC be located 'upstream' of the first diplexer.

In other words:

Dish
Multiswitch
BBC
Diplexer (connected to antenna)
Diplexer (connected to OTA input on TV/receiver)
Sat In on Receiver

Also, this can/will end up with more loss on the Ka transponders. The output of the BBC is a much higher frequency, and coax loss goes up per foot as the frequency increases.

FYI, my installer basically said he wouldn't do a diplexer install, but the theory was sound. His basic take was that if it wasn't done exactly right, it was a plan for disaster.

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randyf

· #18 · Nov 28, 2006

Ah cr*p . . . now I've got to get them back for a 3rd time. They left the diplexer on and didn't run a new line. I think I'll wait till OTA is activated to make sure I'm getting signal. Thanks for the heads up djstough and Meklos.

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