My first GloryStar install!

[Pepper]

Thursday afternoon I did my first install of a GloryStar system. I'm not a satellite tech per se, but I did install all of my own Dish and FTA stuff and am constantly tweaking something.

The customer, a nice retired lady who lives with her elderly mother, found me on the installer referral link at Glorystar Christian Satellite Systems - Free Christian Satellite TV and Radio - Glorystar.tv - Glorystar Christian Satellite Systems. The system was the Fortec Mercury package. I spent a couple of hours putting the dish together and mounting it on the house in place of the dish500 (former SkyAngel lifetimer). With a portable TV outside, I was able to get good signal on both satellites in just a few minutes and the customer was happy. Since it became too dark to see, I will go back next week and finish tidying up and making sure everything is grounded and sealed against weather. The dish500 pole was the same size as the new one so I used that, I need to go back and put the struts on before any high winds grab hold of it.

It looks like $175 is the going rate for a "professional" install based on GloryStar's pricing for the package with and without installation, so I guess the $100 she paid me is reasonable. I usually base my labor charges on what the customer can afford and whether I have to risk my life on a ladder (not this time thankfully!) and would do them for free if I had the time. I offered to haul away the dish500 and 301 receiver as well as she said she had no use for them.

Overall it was a good experience. The instructions provided by GloryStar were quite good and the preloaded channel list saved quite a bit of time vs doing a blindscan and then deleting all the channels the customer would not want.

Two issues for which I am sure the answers are already in this forum somewhere: (1) how to program the remote to control the customer's TV and other equipment, and (2) the best way to add new channels when they are available. I may already need to do this because I count 39 TV channels on the website and I think the receiver was preloaded with around 27 or so, maybe it was 36, I don't really remember.

 

[rv1pop]

There is a pdf download of the remote somewhere on the site. I will look for it, but you or someone else probably will find it quicker, as my search skills lack!

For adding, I use what I believe is called transponder edit or scan, then use the pid option and that scans in only a couple of channels so it its easy to delete the extras.

I LOVE the Mercury II
POP

 

[Wescopc]

Attached is the Manual for the remote.
Bob

 

[elder]

I need to go back and put the struts on before any high winds grab hold of it.

Where do the struts attach and what do they anchor to?

 

[Pepper]

they attach to the mast, as close to the top as feasible, and would be bolted to the same wall the mast itself is bolted to.

wescopc, thanks for the remote guide. that is helpful.

 

[iceturkee]

Thursday afternoon I did my first install of a GloryStar system. I'm not a satellite tech per se, but I did install all of my own Dish and FTA stuff and am constantly tweaking something.

The customer, a nice retired lady who lives with her elderly mother, found me on the installer referral link at Glorystar Christian Satellite Systems - Free Christian Satellite TV and Radio - Glorystar.tv - Glorystar Christian Satellite Systems. The system was the Fortec Mercury package. I spent a couple of hours putting the dish together and mounting it on the house in place of the dish500 (former SkyAngel lifetimer). With a portable TV outside, I was able to get good signal on both satellites in just a few minutes and the customer was happy. Since it became too dark to see, I will go back next week and finish tidying up and making sure everything is grounded and sealed against weather. The dish500 pole was the same size as the new one so I used that, I need to go back and put the struts on before any high winds grab hold of it.

It looks like $175 is the going rate for a "professional" install based on GloryStar's pricing for the package with and without installation, so I guess the $100 she paid me is reasonable. I usually base my labor charges on what the customer can afford and whether I have to risk my life on a ladder (not this time thankfully!) and would do them for free if I had the time. I offered to haul away the dish500 and 301 receiver as well as she said she had no use for them.

Overall it was a good experience. The instructions provided by GloryStar were quite good and the preloaded channel list saved quite a bit of time vs doing a blindscan and then deleting all the channels the customer would not want.

Two issues for which I am sure the answers are already in this forum somewhere: (1) how to program the remote to control the customer's TV and other equipment, and (2) the best way to add new channels when they are available. I may already need to do this because I count 39 TV channels on the website and I think the receiver was preloaded with around 27 or so, maybe it was 36, I don't really remember.

pepper, i have found a Christian gentleman in my area who will install my system for $70.....$50 plus gas money. i found him on the fta installer reference site (or whatever you want to call it). it works well within my fixed income budget.

 

[Wescopc]

I found that when I touched a house (for any amount of money) the state required me to be licensed (as a specialty contractor). To get the license I had to take and pass 20 hours of class work. In addition I had buy insurance and a bond. So, when you go through these loops and the continuing overhead expense - $175 is a reasonable charge for 4 hours of time. There are folks that do it as a free service, they are not required to get the license.
Bob