FAQ for self-installers?

[deniro]

I am moving soon into a new house and will need to get DirecTV. I have been trying to read up on it (previous Comcast customer), as it is a little more involved than cable.
I would like to install this myself, as I fell I can do it and I think I will need more done than that which is part of a standard installation. This is a new home, but only has 1 coax to each tv location, and all coaxes meet in a 3rd floor HVAC closet.
I have read various threads about installing a dish on a pole, using a multi-switch or diplexer, etc. but haven't found one good source of information about each step of the process.
Here are the types of things I am curious about, is there a FAQ somewhere for the uninitiated like myself?
--How is the dish mounted to a concrete block/brick foundation?
--Is a pole mount better? How to run coax from the dish/pole to the house?
--I guess I need to run 4 coax from the dish to the 3rd floor, where it goes into the multi-switch, then to each tv location.
--Can I simply run 4 coax through a hole drilled in the foundation to get under my house into the crawl space, then up an interior wall into the attic?
--What 'gotchas' are there to look out for?
???

I hope it doesn't sound like I'm too uninformed to do this myself, I just tend to ask lots of questions so I am overly sure of the answer. I'd rather ask a stupid question than not know the answer or be wrong.

Thanks for any help.

 

[TYORK]

I am moving soon into a new house and will need to get DirecTV. I have been trying to read up on it (previous Comcast customer), as it is a little more involved than cable.
I would like to install this myself, as I fell I can do it and I think I will need more done than that which is part of a standard installation. This is a new home, but only has 1 coax to each tv location, and all coaxes meet in a 3rd floor HVAC closet.
I have read various threads about installing a dish on a pole, using a multi-switch or diplexer, etc. but haven't found one good source of information about each step of the process.
Here are the types of things I am curious about, is there a FAQ somewhere for the uninitiated like myself?
--How is the dish mounted to a concrete block/brick foundation?
--Is a pole mount better? How to run coax from the dish/pole to the house?
--I guess I need to run 4 coax from the dish to the 3rd floor, where it goes into the multi-switch, then to each tv location.
--Can I simply run 4 coax through a hole drilled in the foundation to get under my house into the crawl space, then up an interior wall into the attic?
--What 'gotchas' are there to look out for?
???

I hope it doesn't sound like I'm too uninformed to do this myself, I just tend to ask lots of questions so I am overly sure of the answer. I'd rather ask a stupid question than not know the answer or be wrong.

Thanks for any help.

They have concrete bolts that you can use

either mount is good . You have to bury the cable from the pole to the house

if you have a oval dish then you will not need a multi-switch unless you need more than 4 lines.

yes you can go through a interior wall can be trick though trying to go up you might try go from attic to crawl space may be a little easier


But if it were me i would mount on the roof drill a hole in the eve and run straight into the attic and ground it in your box in the closet

 

[deniro]

Thanks for the info. It's hard for me to really go through this as I am not in the house yet and don't know the exact setup of wiring or locations to run coax into the house. Also, not being familiar with mounting a dish to a roof makes me less aware.
Would it possible and not a waste of the installer's time to do some of the work myself, like hooking up a multi-switch, and the installer can only mount the dish and run the 4 coax into the attic to the multi-switch? That way I can do the 'non-standard' stuff, and the installer can do the dish part.
I really just need to wait until I move in, so I can see where the dish would need to be mounted to get the proper view of the sky, and where the wiring would go if mounted to the roof. I guess I am just getting antsy and want it to be ready to go as soon as possible after I move in.

 

[SatinstallerhatesVOOM]

As an installer I would run the 4 lines for you and hook them up to the multiswitch. Then I would also hook up the 4 lines to your tv's. Thats all included in the free install. Fishing wires up from a crawl space 3 floors is not. It can also be very time consuming. My suggestion is to call a local installer and have them do a site survey to determine the best approach to take. If they are good they will go over all your concerns during the survey. We charge $45 dollars for the survey. It can save you time and headaches.