Is my installer jerking me around ????

[sideshow11]

I had him come out to look at my setup (2 DirecTIVOs and 1 standard receiver, 4x8 powered multiswitch, triple LBN dish) but he didn't do it at the time because the equipment supplier neglected to send the standard receiver. Long story short - he wouldn't do the wiring the way I wanted it done anyway for reasons unknown and he indicated that the dish needed to be pole mounted to get reception. As a result, I have run all the wires needed into the house myself and I have set the post for the dish.

My question is this - should a standard insall that includes two advanced receivers and one standard receiver include him doing the following:

1 - install dish on post
2 - run wire from my existing cable hook up on my house to the post about 30 feet away - I will trench to bury the cable at the completion of the job myself
3 - attach multiswith which includes drilling though the well immediately behind multiswitch to get to the power source
4 - hook up all wires to my cable box which is adjacent to the new multiswitch
5 - set up receivers to ensure all work and satellite gets the proper signal
6 - anything else that comes with a standard install that I may have left out unknowingly

I feel that this should be considered a basic install and I should not be charged anything extra.

At one point, I believe he indicated that the wire that would be buried costs him like $2 a foot (2 coax 1 ground wire), but looking on the web this does not sound accurate) and he wanted to pass that along to me. My feeling is that if he had to mount the dish on my roof that the amount of cable needed to do it (which is included in the install) is the same amount that I would need to bury so I don't understand the charge.

What do you guys think? I need to call him back shortly to get my appointment set up so I can get the install done by the weekend.

The funny thing is, I would have paid the guy to do some of the wiring that was custom, but I thought it was strange that an installer doesn't even carry a wall fish or clips to nail wire into my concret slab with him when he does a job (he wanted to staple the wire to the siding or charge me extra to drill holes in the concrete so he could screw in wire holders)

Thanks for the help,
Sideshow

 

[PSB]

A lot of installers do not have ladders/ drill/ signal meter/ site survey tool/ I could go on : )
Check here for what you get with a basic install.....

www.basicinstall.com

and here for some tips on doing as much of the work your self.....

www.dbsinstall.com

 

[Tom Cahill]

Sideshow,
Where are you located and what is the name of the installation company that came out?
Some of the work you talk about is custom and would cost extra.BUT he SHOULD have had everything he needed to do the job on his truck.If I were you I would ask for a different installer for sure.

 

[WTT0001]

And...

(1) Yes*
(2) Yes* (Depending on what the "Existing Cable Hook Up" Is, Remember, He will need to run a total of 4 lines to the multi-switch from the dish).
(3) Possibly no but possibly yes, "Well"??? Basically the 4x8 should be powered using standard RG6 from the Wall outlet to the Multiswitch so again, standard installation rules apply
(4) Yes* (As long as by "Cable Box" you mean a box with all your cables in it) Again, remember that the Tivos need 2 lines run "directly" From the dish to them, the standard receivers need 1)
(5) Yes*, of course
(6) Yes*, of course

We actually can charge up to $3.50 per ft. for burying the cable, Its cheaper to do it yourself (Sounds like thats your plan anyway). Now if he is trying to charge you for the cable itself that is not right, you get up to 100 ft per run of standard RG6 Coax (2 per Tivo, 1 for the standard, actual cost is around $55 - $60 for a box of 500' Dual w/Ground).

I actually just picked up a wall fish, havn't carried one for a year (remember, Wall fishing is chargable @ $45+ per hour). As to running the cable on concrete, we have no way to do that either, The nail in clips don't hold and the screw in don't work very well (I would probably give it a shot if you wanted me too @ no extra charge, no promises though) thats more of a do it your self type thing. However, most of the time you can tuck the cables up under the siding, otherwise on the siding it goes

*Yes means he should do it at no extra charge