Basic Installation Experiences?

[zeikka]

What level of professionalism should one expect from the free basic installation?

I recently bought an older 3-story house and was thinking of getting three room installation with one receiver in each floor. Can I expect them to snake the cables inside walls or will they be drilling holes allover and running exposed cables everywhere?

I know that they use local contractors to do the installations, but what level of cooperation can one expect?

--zeikka--

 

[boba]

The more you are willing to pay the more customized the install, basic installs call for penetrating 1 exterior wall per receiver no internal drops.

 

[PSB]

Wall fishing is NOT part of a basic install, even on the off chance the installer can/will do it, remember he has another 4-5 installs to do that day!

www.basicinstall.com

 

[zeikka]

Does "no internal drops" mean that all rooms have to be in the same floor level?

I am not too worried about finishing the walls after the installation -- I can do that myself, but I rather have the cables run out of sight.

--zeikka--

 

[SimpleSimon]

Welcome aboard!

No - the rooms can be on different levels - but going to the 3rd floor or the roof thereof might be beyond the reach of the average installer's ladders. It's time-consuming and a PITA to be working at 20 feet up. Note that if you're in snow country, you want the dish to be down where you can sweep the snow off of it.

Generally, the cables are routed down the outside of the wall to where you want the wallplate on the interior wall. If you're nice to him, you can probably convince him to do what he can to hide the cables next to trim boards, corners, and the like.

And PSB: Anybody that can do 5 installs in one day can NOT be doing quality work.

 

[PSB]

Well said Simon, it was a joke! I know there are "installers" doing these kind of numbers of installs per day, I do two installs a day as I have posted here MANY times, booking anymore than that is just not fair to the customer. The scum who are sending installers to 5-6 installs per day are just being greedy, and as we all know the hard to do installs and the last install of the day always seem to have "No line of sight" Wonder why : )

 

[SimpleSimon]

Sorry, Pete - thought you might've been one of those guys.

You CAN do 3 basics - if everything goes well - and it's summertime.

 

[Wayd Wolf]

And PSB: Anybody that can do 5 installs in one day can NOT be doing quality work.

Nonsense. I've worked outfits where four to six four-setters were expected PER DAY and had to be perfect and WERE QC'd, EVERY ONE.

The biggest thing is whether the installer has A) experience and B) confidence. Lack of the first will doom the entire enterprise as there are always unexpected conditions to adapt to and lack of the second will slow down the installer and cause the simplest but costliest mistakes to be consistantly made.

Like missing the use of an unfinished attic as a passage for cable from one gable end to another when the basement is finished end to end or that there's line of sight from the eaves on one end and instead thinking it has to be a post in the yard. Or of course, not grounding or waterproofing and having to go back later or not calling the local digging safety agency before trenching and hitting a gas line...

But five installs a day is easy to complete with experience and confidence.