Direct Tv , Att Satellites, and general BS help !

[RStech]

Hello all !
A little Background. I am a home owner, I had DirecTV at this location from 2010 - 2014. Recently I signed up with ATT part of an attractive bundle involved signing on with DirecTV so I decided to go for it. First crew shows up and says the signal is to weak it wont work here to many trees. I mention I had the service before never an issue. He makes a call 2 more guys come and explain that there are to many trees. They say it just can not be done and cancel the order. I later get a call from DirecTV main office? asking me how it all went, I explain what happened.

They ask if it is ok to send out a supervisor I agree, next day 2 guys show up and tell me trees are the issue. So I again mentioned I had the service here before NEVER an issue, I also ask if it would it be possible to check for signal on the roof where the dish was previously located. I was than told that DirecTV techs are not allowed to go on the roof without the proper safety authorities on site and (this is the best part) DirecTV now uses ATT satellites and they are in a different portion of the southern sky. Lower on the horizon and that is why it worked before and not now.

I just said if there is nothing you can do , there is nothing you can do and than they canceled the order and left.
The thing is this and correct me if I am wrong , If the system is now on "ATT sats" wouldn't every single existing dish need to be realigned ? As far as the not going on the roof, how does one install a dish on a roof without going on the roof ?

 

[directv newb]

I am NO expert at all, but is there any chance that the trees have grown over time and now interfere with LOS.

 

[twizt3dsist3r]

So the part about att sats is bull, but everything else is correct sounds like you have nlos. Tough luck on your part. Sorry bud

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[RStech]

Thanks for the fast replies. In regards to the trees yes I am sure they have grown in the last 2 years but these are old oaks that have been around a lot longer than I have. So they were huge before when I had DirecTV at this location. I am going to wait a few days and try a local installer that can come on site if trees are the issue I own the property, I can remove said trees. All someone has to do is point out what ones are effecting los. What about a mast on the roof for additional height does such a thing exist and would it help ?

 

[Jimbo]

Thanks for the fast replies. In regards to the trees yes I am sure they have grown in the last 2 years but these are old oaks that have been around a lot longer than I have. So they were huge before when I had DirecTV at this location. I am going to wait a few days and try a local installer that can come on site if trees are the issue I own the property, I can remove said trees. All someone has to do is point out what ones are effecting los. What about a mast on the roof for additional height does such a thing exist and would it help ?

Directv/Att
T techs can no longer go on the roof as in up to your peak (where your probably thinking) they are required to do the work within the reach of the ladder .... safety first.

 

[RStech]

Directv/Att
T techs can no longer go on the roof as in up to your peak (where your probably thinking) they are required to do the work within the reach of the ladder .... safety first.

Interesting, What about self install or 3rd party installers who can and will go on the roof. My roof is easy to work / walk on minimal angle. I have never installed a dish, but as a Licensed ham radio operator I know a thing or 2 about antennas masts etc. So I guess now the question is how does one do a self install ?

 

[raoul5788]

to Satelliteguys RStech!
If the area on your roof can be reached without getting off the ladder, they can install it, but not if they have to go onto the roof. You may find a local independant installer that will install it on the roof, but Directv techs wouldn't be able to do any service on it. If you have a smartphone you can download apps that are reasonably accurate in locating the satellites. Maybe there is a spot where it will work that hasn't been found yet.

 

[RStech]

to Satelliteguys RStech!
If the area on your roof can be reached without getting off the ladder, they can install it, but not if they have to go onto the roof. You may find a local independant installer that will install it on the roof, but Directv techs wouldn't be able to do any service on it. If you have a smartphone you can download apps that are reasonably accurate in locating the satellites. Maybe there is a spot where it will work that hasn't been found yet.

I am just going to put the dish where it was when I had service back in 2014 , I guess back than they had no issues of going on the roof. As stated I used to have DirecTV at this exact location. I found a local guy that said he had no problem going on the roof. Thanks for all the help.

 

[maestro7]

Regarding the alleged, "new" "AT&T satellites," yes, that is completely untrue. Of course, as you mentioned, if it were true, then folks such as myself would have lost all signaling and would have had to have our dish redirected to new transponders.

While I'm all for DirecTV, they were providing an excuse to get out of the job, because apparently they thought you weren't buying the tree growth story.

On a personal level, my proverbial soap box on this is that an educated consumer is the best customer. Don't feed the customer BS when Google exists, and if that customer cares even the slightest about what you're claiming, it'd be very easy to google your story and immediately discount what you've just claimed.

Instead, they should have simply stuck with the story that the trees had grown too tall and that they're not able to climb to a sufficiently high-enough point on the roof due to safety reasons. No reason to go beyond those issues. If the customer has an issue, refer them to escalation (it turns out that's what ultimately happened, but they didn't have to lie about DirecTV's birds).

 

[raoul5788]

It may not have been a lie, many of the csrs are woefully uninformed.

 

[RStech]

Regarding the alleged, "new" "AT&T satellites," yes, that is completely untrue. Of course, as you mentioned, if it were true, then folks such as myself would have lost all signaling and would have had to have our dish redirected to new transponders.

While I'm all for DirecTV, they were providing an excuse to get out of the job, because apparently they thought you weren't buying the tree growth story.

On a personal level, my proverbial soap box on this is that an educated consumer is the best customer. Don't feed the customer BS when Google exists, and if that customer cares even the slightest about what you're claiming, it'd be very easy to google your story and immediately discount what you've just claimed.

Instead, they should have simply stuck with the story that the trees had grown too tall and that they're not able to climb to a sufficiently high-enough point on the roof due to safety reasons. No reason to go beyond those issues. If the customer has an issue, refer them to escalation (it turns out that's what ultimately happened, but they didn't have to lie about DirecTV's birds).

I couldn't agree more. It's not like the old days where people did not have Google. I found this local DirecTV affiliate i did my homework on them before I called 20 years in the sat business A+ rating and I spoke with the owner himself, he seemed like a no Bullsh!t kind of a guy, He laughed and confirmed what was said here about the sat story. He claims he can get me set up and going no problem, and is willing and able to do roof work. He even called me a second time later in the day to see how things turned out with the original order cancellation etc. I have learned a lot in the last 2 days , I am going to sleep on it and make a decision in the morning if I want to do business with DirecTV or not. Thanks guys.

 

[twizt3dsist3r]

Just so you know he may say he can get you setup, but if your house has nlos, he's not gonna do anything either when he gets there. The difference is he has techs that are allowed to climb up your roof.

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[CSM]

What about the older dishes mounted on the roof if the LNB needs to be fixed or replaced?

 

[alnielsen]

Some of us have had Directv so long we remember the days when we all self installed the system. I've only had a serviceman out to my house once in 17 years. I've gone through 3 different dishes and I'm currently changing over from a legasy lnb with swm16 to a rb swm lnb.

What about the older dishes mounted on the roof if the LNB needs to be fixed or replaced?

If it's not accessible by a ladder, I would guess they would put up a new dish that they could access and the removal of the original one would be your responsibility.

 

[twizt3dsist3r]

If it's not accessible by a ladder, I would guess they would put up a new dish that they could access and the removal of the original one would be your responsibility.

You are correct

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[CSM]

How are they installing the dishes now?

 

[whitewolf8214]

to SatelliteGuys RStech!

 

[twizt3dsist3r]

How are they installing the dishes now?

On the edge of a roofline while staying safely on their ladders. Or pole mount or siding.

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[Jimbo]

How are they installing the dishes now?

What do you mean How ?

 

[CSM]

What do you mean How ?

Twizt3dkity's post answered it.