Me vs. Apartments

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conwac

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Original poster
May 9, 2011
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Texas
Long time lurker, first time caller. Great site; it helped me greatly learning about dishes.

I received dish network service in Jan. 2011. All was good until the other day when my apartment decides my dish is outside of my exclusive area. I did lots of research and questioning to be sure it would be OK where it is at. If I knew I was going to have this problem, wouldn't have ordered.

Currently, I live on a second floor apartment and the dish is attached to the rail, by no means in a destructive way. Undo the bracket and back to normal. Simple. I have a 1000.4 dish and has to stick out and angle the correct way. I am not sure if this is outside my 'exclusive area' and balcony vs. patio is a bit confusing at first. Is the rail the balcony?

All of this was approved by management in January; but now we have different management (in case they try to argue that point). I was able to get the permission formed signed by the old management, but the contractor who installed the dish took it. I have not had this experience before, so I willingly gave him the form and did not get a copy of my own. I called dish and they are going to try and contact the contractor to get a copy of the form to me, if possible.

I have insurance. Putting the dish in a bucket or tripod is not possible because of the needed angle. If for some reason I'm on the losing end, Are there any other options? I like dish network, don't want to get rid of it and surely do not want to pay the cancellation fee in bulk (unless they allow me to pay that off).
 
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conwac said:
Long time lurker, first time caller. Great site; it helped me greatly learning about dishes.

I received dish network service in Jan. 2011. All was good until the other day when my apartment decides my dish is outside of my exclusive area. I did lots of research and questioning to be sure it would be OK where it is at. If I knew I was going to have this problem, wouldn't have ordered.

Currently, I live on a second floor apartment and the dish is attached to the rail, by no means in a destructive way. Undo the bracket and back to normal. Simple. I have a 1000.4 dish and has to stick out and angle the correct way. I am not sure if this is outside my 'exclusive area' and balcony vs. patio is a bit confusing at first. Is the rail the balcony?

All of this was approved by management in January; but now we have different management (in case they try to argue that point). I was able to get the permission formed signed by the old management, but the contractor who installed the dish took it. I have not had this experience before, so I willingly gave him the form and did not get a copy of my own. I called dish and they are going to try and contact the contractor to get a copy of the form to me, if possible.

I have insurance. Putting the dish in a bucket or tripod is not possible because of the needed angle. If for some reason I'm on the losing end, Are there any other options? I like dish network, don't want to get rid of it and surely do not want to pay the cancellation fee in bulk (unless they allow me to pay that off).
Click to expand...

:welcometo SatelliteGuys Conwac. OTARD says you are allowed by law to keep your Dish if it is in your exclusive area. I would think that the rail is your exclusive area. I wish you luck.
FCC Fact Sheet on Placement of Antennas
 
But outside the rail likely is not. You need to get that form if at all possible.

Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys
 
I would think the rail is within my exclusive area, too. There are other tenants who have dishes on rails; but the apt. did not specify exactly what is out of line.

Also drove around the complex and only saw two other dishes setup like mine. Others were within compliance, another was in a common area. At another complex, there were dishes connected to rails. If it's the wiring they don't like (which like other setups here, is nailed to the wall), I can change that.

I hope they can find that form; I feel like a bonehead for not getting a copy, but didn't know better at the time.
 
If the dish is on the inside of the railing with just the arm hanging out, you are fine.

If the entire dish is on the outside, they may be worried about it falling on someone or are just trying to satisfy insurance requirements.

Don't hold your breath on waiting for a copy of the consent form from a subcontractor.

If it has to be moved, you might be able to switch to a non-pen mount or a 1000.2 dish to point at a different angle.
 
dishphoto.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y119/thatsmypunk/dishphoto.jpg

I can get a better angle on it if need be.

It used to be on the ground. But due to lack of LOS, it had to be moved.
 
They are definitely worried about it falling on people or vehicles.

1000.2 is out.

You may be able to clamp a pole to the inside of the railing and still clear the roofline
 
I can see their concern. Is there a way to mount inside the railing using a longer arm?
 
Looks like you're screwed, unless you can find a copy of the previous management's permission to install the dish.

It pays to keep copies of all important documents.
 
If I follow, then probably not.

the dish is facing east; the rail is facing north.

If I were to go inside the railing, I would only hit 65 and not 72 and 77 birds.
 
Any other apts available in the complex with better southern exposure?

From your 2nd pic I am surprised you are getting 77 now, but there may not be anything you need on it.
 
Even of the dish is mounted to something INSIDE the exclusive use area, it cannot protrude OUTSIDE the exclusive use are. There are several OTARD rulings to that effect. You can quick-mount dishes to the railing, however if the dish (or even part of the dish) sticks out OUTSIDE the exclusive use area, OTARD does not apply.

As others have posted, you need to contact your installer and get a copy of that form!
 
Where in TX are you? If you are in Abilene, Beaumont, DFW, Houston, Waco,or Wichita Falls areas you don't need 77 unless you have Latino package. Pull that thing back as far N as the balcony will allow and clip it on the inside. Get it peaked up as much as possible for 61.5 & 72 and you are good to go. Here's all that is on 77 http://www.satelliteguys.us/thelist/index.php?search=dn77&sub=true. Notice with the exception of a few Latino programs the bird is a locals bird, none of which are in the Republic of TX.
 
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@Timberwolf: I specifically requested to the office an apt with a clear southern view to install a dish. Of the list of vacant apts the office guy gave me, this one had the best view for a dish; but for the eastern arc. I did my research and decided this position should be OK. However, after I had moved in and settled, the office guy said the apt behind me was vacant....which has a clear southern view. :(

When the tech initially came out, the satellite was on the ground on one of those metal slabs that are weighed down by bricks. During the winter, it was fine; but when spring came, the dish lost it's LOS and had to be moved. A tech came out and repositioned to where it is now on the rail. I have always had intentions of moving to a better positioned unit sometime this year. I get good reception from 61.5 (75 signal on a clear day; cloudy in DFW so now it's 50) and 50 from 72 and 77.

@whatchel1: I live in DFW and according to a long time family friend, I'm an honorary mexican, but I'm as white as they come lol. If 77 is not needed, then I can try to reposition myself. I have a tripod I can mount it to for the time being and fool around to see what I can get. The second tech that repositioned the dish on the rail said there was one bird it wasn't catching all the way, but didn't specify. I checked the angle map on saduon.com and the bird he's probably talking about is 77.

If I'm able to be within compliance, I'm sure the new management will have no problem filling out a new permission form. It's been a learning experience so far and hopefully not a costly one in the end.
 
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You have 6 more days to comply. If I were you, I'd call multiple times a day trying to get a copy of that original permission sheet. If you don't have any luck in a couple of days, I'd be demanding to know the phone number (& address if you can get it) of the installer.

Then you could hound him until he produces it. If you were lucky enough to get his address, I'd show up at his place and talk to him in person. People are usually more responsive in person.

That original permission sheet is still your best solution. Try hard to get it.

Cheers
 
After careful review of your second photo, there may be one possibility for you to get a clear line of sight.

You'd have to unt the dish on the shortest pole possible, meaning that it should be almost so short that, when the dish is fixed, the bottom edge of the pan would almost be touching the floor of the balcony. This would be using a 1000.4 pole with the mounting foot placed at the front of the dish.

The dish is then mounted inside the railing close to the floor in the corner shown at the front of the picture. It will not be fixed to the railing.

To see if there is line of dight clearance, you mght want to go to Sears and get this clinometer with laser pointer at Sears;

Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more

Then go to dishpointer.com, enter your figures for the 1000.4 EA dish, and tilt the laser to the elevation for each satellite in the angle of elevation and direction "parallel" to the same direction to wwhich your current dish is pointed at the corner of the balcony I mentioned about 20 inches in from each railing and 20 inches above the floor. If the red dot dot of the laser pointer does not hit the top under of the eave or the side of the building, you are free and clear, as long as there are no trees or other obstructions in the LOS.

You can also use the laser at night to see if distant obstructions are there. The red laser dot will show up on these obstructions.

You will have to mount it to a heavy concrete slab (a large patio block might do) to keep the dish from moving. With the mounting foot pointed in fron of the dish, it wll be pretty well balanced. When I did a lot of balcony installs, this was one method that I used as a "stealth" mounting and an install of last resort. If it works, it will fully comply with the OTARD rules.

One nice thing is that you can take the laser pointer clinometer back to Sears and get a full refund.

Hope this helps.
 
Railing is part of common space. Can only be placed on area you have "exclusive use and control (deck platform)" and cannot extend beyond railing. The Co. that did the install will have the original paperwork filed with contract, DHA form, etc. if not this could be your out from Dish.
 
Thanks for all of the input.

This will have to be a weekend project, so I haven't started anything yet.

I'll keep you guys updated.
 
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