Install

[rsebolt]

The installers are here to hook up my 721.
They are trying to tell me they can't fish the additional line through my walls.
Yeah, right.
Maybe cuz it's 105 outside and the wires run through the attic, where it's probly 150 degrees.
I told the scheduler to schedule me for first thing am but they didn't believe me.
I know the wall can be fished because I did it myslef with a COAT HANGER for my surround sound system!
He wanted to put a whole seperate dish unit out the side of my house just for my 721, an poke a hole through the side of my house.
I said, NOT!
So, now they are getting up into the attic to check it out.
:shocked

 

[SimpleSimon]

Wall fishing is NOT considered part of a basic dish install.

Standard is to run the RG-6 down the outside wall and poke it through a new (or existing hole).

Any more than that is subject to an extra charge, or if the customer is an @$$, simply refusing to do it.

 

[korsjs]

i agree with simon, when my guy came a couple of weeks ago, it was hot. he was installing the 811 as a third receiver. I would have been happy with a second dish in the front of my yard since it would be a lot closer to the room to be installed. he chose to go up in the attic and run the wire through there. i was nice enought to provide plenty of refreshments. he was even nice enought to clean up the mess of wires i had outside. running through walls is not basic install.

 

[gpflepsen]

I disagree. Fishing one wall for an install is within the scope of a basic installation.

Is your idea of a basic installation this:

Dish screwed to wall, four wires stapled to siding going around one corner, two wires poked through wall and following baseboard moldings around one corner (stapled for security) and feeding 721, other two wires continuing along exterior siding and poked through into their respective rooms.

I would rate that a low quality installation. I can't count the number of exposed wire installs I've seen, tacky.

I'm sure all installers have a fish-tape in their toolbox. It's there for a reason, to be used. Fishing is extra work but is to be expected for a basic install. You can't cheapen every install just because E* doesn't pay enough for them. If you aren't getting paid enough, that's an issue between you and E*, not you and the customer.

 

[rsebolt]

I AM HAPPY!
They did install through the attic and the wall.
I ALWAYS provide water or soda to the installers.
They are great. The installer worked directly for Dish and has been with them for 4 years. He says that is an eternity in this business.
BUT, he told me my new Harmony SST-659 won't work with the 721.
My wife is not as thrilled. I have programmed the 721 remote to turn on everything (Tuner/TV/DVD).
They were asking me why I don't get the 811 or 921 since I have an HDTV and I told them if they gave me one for FREE like the new customers I would. Then E* would make money off me because I would have to subscribe to their HD package!

 

[rsebolt]

Well, after hunting around the Harmony site, I got the 721 to work with it!
AWESOME!
WE ARE IN HEAVEN!

 

[bcshields]

I agree Gerry. Tacky. Our installers are required to fish one wall per rcvr if asked, more than one is $$.

 

[SimpleSimon]

http://www.dbsinstall.com/FAQ/FAQ-9.htm

I've seen lots of other similar pages. If you get free fish, that's great, but the general public should NOT be expecting it without an upcharge.

 

[gpflepsen]

Promoting easiest and cheapest for the installer over most pleasing for the customer will only hurt satellite installation reputation. Doing it right also has to take into account the aesthetics of an install.

 

[SimpleSimon]

If I was paid by the hour, I'd agree with you 100%. However, the typical fish takes 45-60 minutes (plus attic hell) while a wall hole takes 10. And now, when a lot of installs are 4 boxes, well, do the math. How could the average installer afford to do it for free?

 

[gpflepsen]

Does Dish pay the same for a four receiver install as a one receiver install?

 

[maximum]

Installation and warranty service is one thing that makes Dish less desirable than the cable company I dropped. The cable co. installed a nice wall plate and did a much better job running the cables. The Dish installer did the cheap-o hole poke. It wouldn't be so bad for just one line but with two lines that are not very close to each other and are at different levels it looks pretty bad. I know he didn't get paid enough to take the time to do a more professional job. The cable guys must get paid the the hour because they stayed as long as it took and did a much better job.
Also, if I ever had trouble with my cable service I never had to worry about getting charged for a service call. Once my 90 days are up, it sounds like get to fork out $99 if I ever need a service call.

The only reason I'm paying less now than cable is because I'm subscribed to the lowest tier. I'd have to pay much more per month to get all the same channels that I used to, but then I already spend too much time in front of the tube. Besides, the cable co didn't offer a free DVR so guess I can't complain too much.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Does Dish pay the same for a four receiver install as a one receiver install?

Of course not. Basically, it looks like $30 a TV is the going rate - if you supply your own materials, which adds up pretty fast. In summary, if all goes well, you might come away with $15/hour - before taxes & travel expenses. So, if you've got to fish walls for free, you might just as well work at McDonald's.

maximum: I agree - raw holes in the wall is just wrong! Manager of an outfit I was going to work for would use a wall plate, but just use drywall screws to hold it on.

While I won't fish walls for free, I would at least cut a rectangular hiole and use a plate ring to hold it on.

 

[Stargazer]

The installers tend to get paid better for the first receiver than the rest. After the first receiver the amount they get paid drops a good bit. It depends on the person they are working for. Some may only pay as much for all the rest of the additional receivers as what they got paid for the first one, but the first receiver installation includes installation of the dish.

One also has to think about the future. If you install the wire in such a way as to where you cannot get to it easily if something happens to it, then that makes it harder to repair in the future, but in most cases there shoudl be no reason to have to go back to redo it, it should work for a long time.