Help with possible NY apartment install (with pictures)

[vandeley88]

Need help with possible installation in New York apartment

Hey all,

Looks like I'm one of the "5,000" baseball fans getting shut out of EI. I live in an apartment in Queens, NY and I'm a diehard Dodgers fan.

I live on the top floor of a 6 story building. I already know my landlord won't give me permission to put the dish on the roof. I have a number of southwest facing windows. So I'm hoping to somehow attach the dish to the window. The major problem is that about 25-30 feet away from the window is another 6 story building. So I can see plenty of sky but I don't know if I can see enough of it. If I'm allowed to post images here, would it be helpful to post a pic of the view from my window? I know I am facing the right way because I can see a dish on the roof of the building next door. Very frustrating.

As far as mounting it. I did see one dish in the neighborhood that was mounted on top of a window air conditioner. Has anybody else heard of this working? I can also post a picture of that.

Is anybody or can anybody recommend an installer in New York City? I'd love for someone to come by and give me some realistic options.

Lastly, and this is just because I'm frustrated. My landlord does nothing to upkeep the building unless she is forced to. We didn't have a handicap access ramp until someone threatened to sue. The lobby is completely uninviting. She doesn't send up heat. She rents apartments to people who sell drugs, leave trash everywhere and have virtually no respect for the other tenants. But she won't let me, who's lived in the building for 9 years, put a little frickin dish on the frickin roof that no one will ever see? Oy. If anybody has any hints on how to convince an unreasonable landlord to let me install a dish, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[mtsz52784]

there are a few questions that might help you here, scroll down a little. http://www.fcc.gov/mb/facts/otard.html
give us pictures too.

 

[vandeley88]

Thanks for the link. Unfortunately, I have no exclusive use area outside my apartment. That's why I'm thinking of attaching it to the air conditioner. If its still light out when I get home I will take and post some pictures of my window view. If not, I'll post them tomorrow.

thanks,
ryan

 

[jimisham]

You can try this and see if the satellites can be seen from your window.
http://perso.numericable.fr/~gjullien/satellite3.htm
Entering your latitude and longitude, you can tell if you'll be able to see the satellites by using the position of the sun in the afternoon. It looks like your latitude is approximately 40.39 and your Longitude is about 73.47.

 

[chazcbh]

If you can see the dish on the roof next door you should have the angle you need to hit the sats. I assume you are not looking for HD because it would be tough to mount that dish on a window. But it should work fine with the SD service. Call DTV and scheduled an install. Worst case they come and can't do the install.

 

[vandeley88]

I'm really sorry. I tried to post this in the original thread but it will not show up. Hopefully this will work and if this is a dupe post I'm really sorry.

The following are pictures of the view out my southwest facing windows. You can see the dish on the roof of the neighboring building pretty clearly. So, do you guys think I see enough of the sky? Or am I in trouble. Thanks for all the help.

ryan

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/132/416536216_40e50ae84f.jpg?v=0

 

[vandeley88]

Hey all,

The forum won't let me post messages with links or pictures. Am I doing something wrong? I have pictures of the view from my windows that I'd like to share.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[JamesJ]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/127/416536372_454f65f4a0.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/132/416536216_40e50ae84f.jpg?v=0
there ya go. cleaning up multiples posts now

Ryan and everyone else I have included the pictures in my link----also ryan to the forums!

I am not from the New York area so I can not recommend an installer! it seems as though you are in a tough position, I am going to let others look at those pictures and see, remember this when dealing with satellite-look at the dish that is currently there, the satellite look angle is I believe 22 degrees, so depending on position you should have enough Sky, but again I am not an expert in this area...hoping one of our resident installers can help here.

 

[JamesJ]

treads merged.

 

[vandeley88]

Stuart,

Thanks for you help with getting my pictures/messages up on the site. I appreciate it.

So if anybody is or can recommend a New York City-based installer I'd be most grateful. I called directv and they wouldn't give me the names of any of their installers. I really love someone to come by and say "yes, you can do this" or "no, this won't work". Well, I'd much rather the "yes" answer but its the not knowing that's really driving me crazy.

Thanks so much.

Ryan

 

[Claude Greiner]

There is a Dish on the building right in front of your window, it needs to face the same direction!

 

[vandeley88]

Claude,

I guess my question is, if I install the dish on my window will it be able to see the satellite over the building next door (the one that has the dish)? Or will I have to mount it higher?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[Joe Diamond]

Ryan,
I've done a few tight ones like yours. Here is an approach. First you need a DTV mast or some 1.6 od pipe. This has to end up plumb and facing the LOS(line of sight) What has to be done is fabricating a clamp that will allow you to attach the mast to either that ladder or some other spot.

Know that you can put the dish INSIDE a clear glass window and it will work if the LOS is correct. Also there is a thing called a Non Penetrating Roof Mount; a skid that sits on a flat roof. A five gallon plastic bucked with concrete will work. There are adapter pipes that slide into vertical pipes to give a plumb mast. RV & boat folks use a tripod mast they assemble when they watch. If you can get access to another operating dish you could share it by providing a multiswitch and wiring to your receiver. There are companies (MDU contractors) that are in the business of wiring whole buildings for DTV, DISH or other systems.

Your AZ (azimuth /compass direction) is about 231 and your EL (elevation) is about 36.
An installer will find it from there. I used Edison, NJ 08837 because that zip is near you.
Got it from a magazine ad.

A source for an installer could be American Satellite & Entertainment..1 888 999 3151.
They are not DTV. They are a reseller and may have an installer in your area. Tell them if the guy can come buy and do a site survey and plan the installation you will order through him. He will get a sales commission and be paid for the basic installation. You may have to pay for the nonstandard aspects of the job.

From your pictures it looks close enough to try.

Good luck

Joe

 

[vandeley88]

Joe,

Thanks for all the great info. I will give American Satellite a call. Do you think they'd be open to doing something out of standard?

I have heard various things about putting the dish inside. I read somewhere that the signal does not travel very well through regular glass and that it helps to replace it with plexiglass. Is this true?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[raoul5788]

Joe,

Thanks for all the great info. I will give American Satellite a call. Do you think they'd be open to doing something out of standard?

I have heard various things about putting the dish inside. I read somewhere that the signal does not travel very well through regular glass and that it helps to replace it with plexiglass. Is this true?

Thanks,
Ryan

I think it is leaded glass that does not allow the signal to pass completely.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Ryan,
Like Chip said some special glass -tinted , maybe with lead , won't work. Some double glazed windows won't work. But I remember the smile on a little old lady's' face as she watched me bolt the mast to a picnic table in her living room and give the finger to a resident manager who said no satellite dishes in his project.
Regarding the American tech, they are independent contractors. They are paid to perform the basic installation. You can reject various free aspects of the free installation
and DTV will activate your equipment when the signal is established.
If you call DTV they will send one of their in-house techs. These Home Service Providers (HSP) are much more tightly controlled. Where I am they also have a high turn over rate so the guys don't know much by the time they quit. Most probably can't do your installation anyway.
Your deal will be tough; not hard work but skill required.
Here is one you may like and it is from your area. I saw a picture of a roof mount on a "tar beach". This was a mast in a bucket of concrete. After the second junkie raid to steal the dish the guy got a fiberglass rock.......sold to hide the dish in a garden.......and again installed a dish in the concrete bucket. Then he bolted it to the roof deck. The final touch was a mannequin head and torso at the edge of the rock and blood like stuff running to the roof drain. Rock from sky kills dish thief!
But I digress.

Joe

 

[vandeley88]

Chip and Joe, thanks for clarifying about the glass. I have no idea what kind of glass I have in my windows but it doesn't look like anything special.

I called American Satellite. They said they only sell equipment, don't do installations and just connected me over to directv. Directv gave me the names of some local installers. I called them but so far no one is willing to do something nonstandard. So I'm still looking for someone to help me with this job.

Joe, where do you live? Can I fly you out here?

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[RedWingsinHD]

Ryan,

I'm not sure how desperate you are for D* coverage, but you might want to consider their forthcoming Sat-Go product, which is touted as working indoors:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/08/directv-announces-sat-go-portable-satellite-tv-system/

The catch is that it costs between $1000 and $1300. But, considering how few options you have...

 

[Joe Diamond]

Ryan,
I'm near Baltimore. But before we fly me up to JFK let me look around on other sites, Someone around your area can do your deal. Let me look.

Things seem to be changing at American Satellite & Entertainment.

Hmmmmmm!.

Joe

 

[branchbouncer]

Vandeley88--Why not buy a triple LNB dish and try an through the glass install yourself. If you have LOS(line of sight) it is not that hard to lock on to a signal