24 inch dish install

[BigTVSteve]

Obstructed View of VOOM Satellite Signal

Crash,

Trees, bushes and other semi solid objects will play havoc with your signal strength. Do you have any other dish mounting locations that would give you a clear view of the satellite? If so, your installer should have chosen a different mounting location and VOOM should correct the situation at no charge to you.

Assuming you actually have a feasible mounting location, I would take a about three signal strength readings on your receiver. Use one hour intervals between the readings. Document these readings in a reasonable email to VOOM service or in a registered letter to Voom and state that the clear weather signal quality of 84, 86, or whatever you measure is not satisfactory for your 24 inch dish installation and that you have erratic reception under any type of non-clear weather. I would demand they correct the installation or state that you will be terminating their service without further payments due to an incomplete/unsatisfactory installation.

If you don't have any feasible dish mounting locations at your house, then you will just have to play the termination card, too, as the installation should have never been attempted through the trees.

Perhaps some experienced installers or site administrators here will weigh in on how to best document this situation to VOOM and get it corrected. As you observed, your situation will only get worse as plants get larger/fuller with the summer weather. If you have an obstructed view, a larger dish is not going to help you much, either. Personally, I have only heard of 18 and 24 inch dishes being used by VOOM.

 

[crash331]

if the dish is mounted higher ont he roof near the peak (not practically hanging off the eave as it is now) then it will have a clear view.

 

[Vicki]

(snip) Trees, bushes and other semi solid objects will play havoc with your signal strength. Do you have any other dish mounting locations that would give you a clear view of the satellite? If so, your installer should have chosen a different mounting location and VOOM should correct the situation at no charge to you. (snip)

MY emphasis...not his...

BigTVSteve (or anyone), would your opinion here also hold true for OTA?

My particular re-install might be in line for a "re-exam" regarding to the location of the dish/OTA. Currently (still there from my prior subscription last summer) they are both on the peak of my roof.

I have been insistent upon have both the 24" dish and an upgraded multi-directional OTA with pre-amp installed the first time, this time...(based on the prior upgrade approvals and experience on the OTA plus current understanding and approval for the dish upgrade needed for folks in my area during the rainy season). OTA was more of a problem then than the dish, but I experienced occasional signal loss with the original 18" dish as well, even though it was good weather then.

It cost me $150 last summer to repair broken roof tiles due to a couple of failed attempts to upgrade my OTA...so I want to make darn sure it goes off properly this time...don't want that expense again...and I won't let anyone even start on my roof... unless they have all the right stuff!

In my last conversation with the person who may be my installer come 3/18, he said that if an eve mount would be better (and I told him my eves are very deep)...that I would have to pay for the eve mount necessary. He estimated it would be about $60 or so. Needless, to say...I don't want to shell that out if I don't have to, but I also don't want to risk more roof repairs if it isn't necessary.

Any references you can give me to the "at no cost" part basis of your post...if you do feel it carries to both the dish and OTA, would be sincerely and deeply appreciated. I like to line up my ducks, if at all possible!

It didn't sound right to me when the installer told me what he did, but at this point, I was thinking about buying it anyway....

Thanks for any help, to one and all! Vicki

 

[BigTVSteve]

Crash, since you have an unobstructed view and your installer did not use it, I would call VOOM, tell them of your view and signal findings, and request that a different installer be dispatched to correct your faulty installation.

Vicki, OTA reception has a lot of "gray" areas to it, while the expected signal strength and aim point for the VOOM satellite signal is black and white. In other words, there are definite parameters for a correct dish installation, but there are many variables for the OTA installation.

Adding to your OTA problems is the probable need for two OTA antennas, since you have TV transmitters in different directions from your house. VOOM can guarantee to provide a quality satellite signal; they can't do this for OTA and can only make a best attempt at the installation. I also don't think VOOM is on the hook for multiple antenna installations, unless you had some very clear discussions (and preferably some emails) on this subject prior to your installation.

Rather than messing with VOOM on your OTA installation, I think I would check in the Yellow Pages for antenna installers in your area and give them a call. Also use recommendations from friends and neighbors. A good local installer should be pretty familiar with the transmitter locations, terrain, relative OTA signal strengths, good antennas for your area, etc. He should be able to give you a rough cost estimate over the phone and then provide a free cost estimate for the work once he have seen your location. As you already noted, repairing your roof after a rookie installer has damaged it is no fun and is not cheap, either.

To help find a good OTA installer, ask them on the phone what portable equipment they use to identify a good location for your antenna. A quality installer will have a portable RF Spectrometer with him. This device can actually measure the received signal strength for each channel as he moves its handheld antenna around at your location. Last November, my VOOM installer actually had one of these with him and it made all the difference in finding a good OTA antenna location at my house. I hope this helps you and good luck in your signal hunt.

 

[OHMS]

Did It Ourself

SANTA ANA, CA MIKE.

MY ORIGINAL SMALLISH VOOM DISH HAD BEEN MOUNTED TO A PIPE WHICH WAS FASTENED TO A CONCRETE BLOCK WALL BY SCREWS IN PLASTIC INSERTS. THEY PULLED OUT; AND THE DISH MOUNT BENT OVER KABLOEY.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HAS 'SANTANA' WINDS WHICH BLOW OFFSHORE, AND IF YOU'RE ACROSS THE STREET FROM A GLASS XEROX TOWER; IT ACTS LIKE AN AEROFOIL; INTENSIFYING THE WIND IN CERTAIN CHANGING AREAS DOWNWIND FROM IT. WE BE IN THOSE AREAS SOMETIMES. SOME OF OUR DROPOUTS; BLACK SCREENS, AND 75% VALUES MAY BE INFLUENCED BY MOVEMENT OF THE DISH AS WELL AS BY RAIN; MIST,EARTHQUAKES, ETC.

VOOM/SATELLITE FOR 92705/DO IT YOURSELF PAGE?(YES=>"LYNGSAT.COM/TRACKER/RAIN1.HTML"

FOUND A SITE BY GOOGLEofSAT.GUYS "LYNGSAT.COM/TRACKER/RAIN1.HTML"" WHERE YOU CRUDELY MOVE A POINTER TO APPROXIMATE YOUR LAT/LON AND THE SITE PROVIDES THE AZIMUTH AND ELEVATION TO RAINBOW 1 @ 61.5ºW. I MOVED THE FALLEN DISH TOWARD CENTER OF THE ROOF; DUCT TAPED IT TO A PIPE STANDARD, AND GOT A 90s READING ON THE SET. FINE UNTIL AN AFTERSHOCK, BUT NOW I'VE GOT A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE INSTALLED.

SAT.GUYS' SISTER SITE 'SATELLITERETAILER' OR SUCH; LED TO PAGES OF INSTRUMENTATION TO HELP ACHIEVE DISH ALIGNMENT ACCURATELY. NOW TO MINIMIZE WIND DEFLECTION. (THAT'S WHY THOSE BIG UGLY DISHES WERE MORE OPEN HOLES THAN SOLID SECTIONS) LIGHTER WEIGHT, TOO.

MIKE IN SANTA ANA

*

 

[OHMS]

Rf Spectrometer ?

Rather than messing with VOOM on your OTA installation, I think I would check in the Yellow Pages for antenna installers in your area and give them a call.
To help find a good OTA installer, ask them on the phone what portable equipment they use to identify a good location for your antenna. A quality installer will have a portable RF Spectrometer with him. This device can actually measure the received signal strength for each channel as he moves its handheld antenna around at your location. Last November, my VOOM installer actually had one of these with him and it made all the difference in finding a good OTA antenna location at my house.

IN SANTA ANA, CA THE OTA TRANSMITTERS SIT ATOP A MOUNTAIN. OUR INSTALLER (FROM LONG BEACH, WHO USE THE SAME MOUNTAIN) PUT THE ZOOM DISH AND OTA STEALTH ON THE SIDE OF OUR ROOF WHICH THE OTA WOULD HAVE TO PASS THROUGH THE NEIGHBOR's REINFORCED CONCRETE GARAGE.

DO INSTALLS INC. NOT SPECIFY USE OF THE RF SPECTROMETER ?

MIKE

 

[dankgus]

My story about how I perfected my Voom setup:

My story about how I perfected my Voom setup:

I had an 18" dish for probably a couple months before I just couldn't take the rain fade. I called and requested a 24" Dish.

The 24" dish was installed and signal strength went up, however the rain fade persisted.

I noticed one day, after a rain storm, that the signal was STILL low even with clear skies. So, I climbed up on the roof and checked it out. The wind had blown the dish ever so slightly away from the sat. I aligned it, tightened the loose bolts and was happy.

However, days later we had another storm and I could notice that when I heard a big gust of wind my picture would break up. I realized that the WIND was now causing my problems. If I couldn't hear the wind so easily, I never would have known. I made a trip to the hardware store and picked up some 1/16" stainless steel cable, some turnbuckles, some little aluminum ferrules, and an eye bolt. I used the above hardware to stabilize the dish so that wind couldn't move it. I just screwed the eye bolt into the house (sealed it too), then cabled the dish to the eye bolt and tightened the turnbuckles.

I have not had a serious rain issue since I did this, and I HAVE had some serious rain!

--Dan

 

[SeattleVoomer1]

Similar problem here. Service person (I don't do 2 story roofs anymore) found the original installer hadn't tightened down the LNB which would move in the wind and there went the sat lock.

Still enjoying HDTV under mostly cloudy but rainless Seattle skies, Gill

 

[OHMS]

Voom Cheaped Out; And The Rain Is Back

IN SANTA ANA, CA THE OTA TRANSMITTERS SIT ATOP A MOUNTAIN. OUR INSTALLER (FROM LONG BEACH, WHO USE THE SAME MOUNTAIN) PUT THE ZOOM DISH AND OTA STEALTH ON THE SIDE OF OUR ROOF WHICH THE OTA WOULD HAVE TO PASS THROUGH THE NEIGHBOR's REINFORCED CONCRETE GARAGE.
DO INSTALLS INC. NOT SPECIFY USE OF THE RF SPECTROMETER ?
MIKE

THE INSTALLS INC. LOCAL AFFILIATE SCHEDULED DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY ABOUT NOON FOR ANTENNAE & DISH UPGRADES. I CALLED THEIR DISPATCHER WHEN NOBODY SHOWED OR CALLED AFTER 3 PM. HE SAID THEY WERE LATE; AND HE'D HAVE TO TAKE THE EQUIPMENT TO THEIR TRUCK IN NORTHWEST LOS ANGELES. OK. AN HOUR LATER HE CALLED TO SAY THEY WOULDN'T BE HRERE UNTIL 6"30 PM. SO HE RESCHEDULED FOR THE NEXT MORNING. THE INSTALLER BROUGHT A TRAINEE 'STEVE' WHO KEPT HELPING BY NOT TIGHTENING THE CABLE NUTS, ETC. I TOLD THEM I'D PAID A LOCAL SATELLITE EXPERT TO CHECK MY SITE. THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE HIS OPINIONS; SO THEY MOUNTED THEIR RADIO SHACK U-75 R UHF ON THE SAME POLE AS THE DISH; AND THEY GOT ZERO OTA. THE 30in. DISH VOOM SUGGESTED WAS NOT WHAT THEY BROUGHT. THEY HAD A 24in. ORIGINALLY DESTINED FOR "THOMAS J. KANGAS 1492 CASPIAN AVE., LONG BEACH CA.". THAT DISH CAME FROM RAINBOW DBA CABLEVISION IN SPARKS, NEVADA ON 22 FEB. 05.
THEY MOUNTED AND POINTED IT USING MY TV USING VOOM SETUP SCREEN.
WE GOT UP TO 98 SIGNAL QUALITY; BUT SIGNAL POWER NEVER EXCEEDED 83; FOR JUST BELOW 17 SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO. THEY DIDN'T HAVE ROOF PATCH TO FILL THE HOLES MADE BY THE ORIGINAL INSTALLER; NOR COULD THEY CORRECTLY REATTACH THE ELECTRICAL CONDUIT WHICH WAS PULLED OFF THE ROOF WHEN THE ORIGINAL INSTALLER'S GROUND WIRES WERE JERKED AWAY BY THE FALLING DISH. AFTER WE MOUNTED THE OTA WHERE THE LOCAL HAD SUGGESTED; THAT SIGNAL WENT UP TO 99. THEN THEY DUMPED THE DI-PLEXERs AND RAN SEPARATE CABLES INTO THE HOUSE.
THE INSTALLER CAME INSIDE TO ATTACH & VERIFY THE THREE RECEIVERS, BUT HE SUFFERED AN ALLERGY ATTACK FROM EXPOSURE TO OUR CATS. HE WENT OUTSIDE AND MADE SOME LONGER COAX RUNS; WHILE THE TRAINEE SHOWED WHY HE IS CALLED THAT. I GOT SOME MEDS FOR THE INSTALLER, AND HE TRIED TO CONTINUE; BUT HE GAVE UP AND HAD STEVE COPY ALL THE SERIAL NUMBERS FROM OUR EQUIPMENT ON THE WORKORDER. THEY DID NOT HAVE ALL THE CABLES MISSING FROM THE ORIGINAL INSTALL, AND MADE NO ATTEMPT TO GROUND THE ANTENNAS. WHEN I PROTESTED; THEY SAID I COULD SCREW THE SPLITTER UNITS TO THE FRAME OF THE ELECTRICAL PANEL INSIDE THE HOUSE. I PROTESTED AGAIN WHEN THE 'AGREEMENT' FORM SPECIFIED THAT THE GROUNDING HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. THEY DIDN'T HAVE CARBON PAPER (NOR NCR FORMS) SO THEY PROMISED TO SEND ME A COPY LATER. I GAVE THEM A NICE TIP FOR THEIR EFFORTS, BUT IT WENT INTO INSTALLER'S POCKET SO FAST STEVE MAY NOT BE SHARING IT.

TODAY IS FRIDAY. IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA..UNTIL THIS YEAR! IT IS RAINING LIGHTLY, AND PIXELLATION AND DROPOUTS HAVE BEGUN. HOW DO WE UTILIZE THAT SYSTEM STATUS REPORT BACK ON THE LAST SCREEN OF THE SYSTEM STATUS SCREEN? THE 24in DISH LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD HAVE BOLTED RIGHT ONTO THE ORIGINAL ? 20 in. er. Is the 30 in. DISH ALSO A BOLT-ON UTILIZING THE SAME FRAME ARM? WHAT IS THE COST OF THE 30in DISH (IF IT CAN BE RETROFITTED), AND HOW MUCH IS THE WHOLE THING IF IT CANNOT ? HAPPY WEEKEND MIKE

 

[Ronald_Jeremy]

God Damn dude. Quit f**king shouting. Is the caps lock key on your keyboard stuck or are you just f**king lazy? If your keyboard is broke pm me your address. I have some extra ones laying around and I will send you one for free. Hell, I'll pay the shipping.

I am not even hung over and your post hurts.

THE INSTALLS INC. LOCAL AFFILIATE SCHEDULED DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY ABOUT NOON FOR ANTENNAE & DISH UPGRADES. I CALLED THEIR DISPATCHER WHEN NOBODY SHOWED OR CALLED AFTER 3 PM. HE SAID THEY WERE LATE; AND HE'D HAVE TO TAKE THE EQUIPMENT TO THEIR TRUCK IN NORTHWEST LOS ANGELES. OK. AN HOUR LATER HE CALLED TO SAY THEY WOULDN'T BE HRERE UNTIL 6"30 PM. SO HE RESCHEDULED FOR THE NEXT MORNING. THE INSTALLER BROUGHT A TRAINEE 'STEVE' WHO KEPT HELPING BY NOT TIGHTENING THE CABLE NUTS, ETC. I TOLD THEM I'D PAID A LOCAL SATELLITE EXPERT TO CHECK MY SITE. THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE HIS OPINIONS; SO THEY MOUNTED THEIR RADIO SHACK U-75 R UHF ON THE SAME POLE AS THE DISH; AND THEY GOT ZERO OTA. THE 30in. DISH VOOM SUGGESTED WAS NOT WHAT THEY BROUGHT. THEY HAD A 24in. ORIGINALLY DESTINED FOR "THOMAS J. KANGAS 1492 CASPIAN AVE., LONG BEACH CA.". THAT DISH CAME FROM RAINBOW DBA CABLEVISION IN SPARKS, NEVADA ON 22 FEB. 05.
THEY MOUNTED AND POINTED IT USING MY TV USING VOOM SETUP SCREEN.
WE GOT UP TO 98 SIGNAL QUALITY; BUT SIGNAL POWER NEVER EXCEEDED 83; FOR JUST BELOW 17 SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO. THEY DIDN'T HAVE ROOF PATCH TO FILL THE HOLES MADE BY THE ORIGINAL INSTALLER; NOR COULD THEY CORRECTLY REATTACH THE ELECTRICAL CONDUIT WHICH WAS PULLED OFF THE ROOF WHEN THE ORIGINAL INSTALLER'S GROUND WIRES WERE JERKED AWAY BY THE FALLING DISH. AFTER WE MOUNTED THE OTA WHERE THE LOCAL HAD SUGGESTED; THAT SIGNAL WENT UP TO 99. THEN THEY DUMPED THE DI-PLEXERs AND RAN SEPARATE CABLES INTO THE HOUSE.
THE INSTALLER CAME INSIDE TO ATTACH & VERIFY THE THREE RECEIVERS, BUT HE SUFFERED AN ALLERGY ATTACK FROM EXPOSURE TO OUR CATS. HE WENT OUTSIDE AND MADE SOME LONGER COAX RUNS; WHILE THE TRAINEE SHOWED WHY HE IS CALLED THAT. I GOT SOME MEDS FOR THE INSTALLER, AND HE TRIED TO CONTINUE; BUT HE GAVE UP AND HAD STEVE COPY ALL THE SERIAL NUMBERS FROM OUR EQUIPMENT ON THE WORKORDER. THEY DID NOT HAVE ALL THE CABLES MISSING FROM THE ORIGINAL INSTALL, AND MADE NO ATTEMPT TO GROUND THE ANTENNAS. WHEN I PROTESTED; THEY SAID I COULD SCREW THE SPLITTER UNITS TO THE FRAME OF THE ELECTRICAL PANEL INSIDE THE HOUSE. I PROTESTED AGAIN WHEN THE 'AGREEMENT' FORM SPECIFIED THAT THE GROUNDING HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. THEY DIDN'T HAVE CARBON PAPER (NOR NCR FORMS) SO THEY PROMISED TO SEND ME A COPY LATER. I GAVE THEM A NICE TIP FOR THEIR EFFORTS, BUT IT WENT INTO INSTALLER'S POCKET SO FAST STEVE MAY NOT BE SHARING IT.

TODAY IS FRIDAY. IT NEVER RAINS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA..UNTIL THIS YEAR! IT IS RAINING LIGHTLY, AND PIXELLATION AND DROPOUTS HAVE BEGUN. HOW DO WE UTILIZE THAT SYSTEM STATUS REPORT BACK ON THE LAST SCREEN OF THE SYSTEM STATUS SCREEN? THE 24in DISH LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD HAVE BOLTED RIGHT ONTO THE ORIGINAL ? 20 in. er. Is the 30 in. DISH ALSO A BOLT-ON UTILIZING THE SAME FRAME ARM? WHAT IS THE COST OF THE 30in DISH (IF IT CAN BE RETROFITTED), AND HOW MUCH IS THE WHOLE THING IF IT CANNOT ? HAPPY WEEKEND MIKE

 

[screech]

Hello Moderators!!!!!

How about cleaning up this idiots post!

 

[mrhph]

MRHPH,
...
Be certain to call the installation company about 4 days before your sheduled installation date. Ask them what size dish they are planning to bring out to your installation and whether they have it in the shop right now. If you are in the western states, my advice would be to postpone the installation if they do not have the bigger dish ready for your installation.

Once the installation occurs, have the installer show you the receiver's signal strength for the satellite signal. If the system is properly set up and the dish is aimed correctly, the signal strength should be 98-99 for the 24 inch dish and 95-96 for the 18 inch dish. Good luck.

After one cancellation my dish upgrade finally happened without a hitch 4 days ago. The installer confirmed that the signal strength is now 97-98 (good enough I guess?); it was 95-96 before. We'll see how it holds up in the next big rainstorm. Thanks for the advice!

 

[BigTVSteve]

24 inch dish upgrade

Mrhph,

97-98 signal strength indicates you have a good aim point with your 24 inch dish. I have 98 on my 24 inch dish in San Diego, but only 96 on my 24 inch in Nevada. I tried improving the installer's original 96 reading by adjusting the antenna slightly, but it was very twitchy.

After putting 3 1/16 inch stainless guy wires with a turnbuckle on each wire, I get steady reception, even in heavy Nevada snow and wind storms. Before the guy wires, the antenna would vibrate in the winds and I would loose the satellite for long and short periods; eventually the wind caused the signal strength to drop to 69-70 and there was no satellite picture at all, even after the storm passed through. Now I have fluctuating mid-80's signal strength in bad weather, even in 40 mph winds with snow, fog, and rain. I still have a steady 96 signal strength in clear weather.

Let us know what your results are after the next storm in your area.

 

[mrhph]

Hi BigTVSteve,
Well, a rainstorm did come along with high wind a week ago, and just like yours my dish must have been knocked out of alignment as the signal dropped to the low 60's for several days. I had a technician come out couple of days ago to re-adjust it and I asked him to secure it tighter this time. Now the signal is back to 97-98, so again we'll see how it holds up during the next inclement weather.

 

[BigTVSteve]

If you are in a windy area, you are probably going to need guy wires

If your dish is on the standard 3 foot arm that swings out from a pivot mount, I doubt you can ever get things tight enough to prevent dish movement. Everything was tight as it could be and the adjustment would not hold in high winds (above 30 mph) on my installation. Guy wires were essential for me. Without the guy wires on the dish itself, the dish would also vibrate back and forth on the axis of the pole, losing the satellite signal.

VOOM thoughtfully provides 4 holes at the edge of the 24 inch dish for this guy wire treatment. Should the original installer have installed the guy wires at the time the dish was mounted in the Nevada mountains? Yes. Did he? No. Let us know what happens with your installation. Mine is still fine after a week of even higher winds.