OTA - Proving to Installs/Voom that antennaweb.org is not always right

patvr

Active SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Aug 24, 2004
17
0
I had Voom installed August 19, 2004. The installer did not want to even try to get the OTA working. He told me it's just not going to work. The antenna he installed was a Winegard Sensar GS-2200 (amplified - with internal pre-amp). He made sure he was right since the multiswitch utilized did not pass voltage from the STB to the OTA antenna. I purchased a Winegard power supply for $20. I installed it between the antenna and the multiswitch.

I got marginal results. I could receive WWL (CBS) out of New Orleans all the time. I could get WDSU (NBC) about 50% of the time. I could not get WGNO (ABC) or WVUE (FOX) at all.

I called Voom and Installs Inc. and had them schedule an OTA upgrade. This started in August. It was scheduled and canceled (at the last minute) many, many, times (I lost track but at least 7 and as many as 10).

In the meantime I started having complete loss due to rain on the sat. side. I called and scheduled to have the dish upgraded as well. These calls were combined (OTA u/g and Sat. u/g). DON'T DO THIS. It was used as an excuse multiple times (the installer has the OTA antenna but not the Sat. dish and visa versa). I asked them to check the ship date and tracking information on the shipments to the one installer in Louisiana. They told me they could not do this. I honestly feel the installer just didn't want to come back here (I live 20+ miles south of Houma in Cocodrie).

Although I stayed calm (on the phone anyway), I continued to call. I asked Installs for a supervisor and got the manager of customer service. He understood my issue and told me he would authorize the installer to purchase a dish locally. Still nothing 2-3 weeks later (except scheduled then canceled installs).

I started calling the Installs manager of customer service every day leaving him a calm but firm message "I'm going to continue to call you every day and leave you a message so you can get this corrected".

Well, I received a call last week and they scheduled it for the morning Monday October 18. At 10:30 on Monday I called Installs since the installer did not show up yet (and I suspected he was not going to show). They called the installer and he told them he still did not receive the dish. The CSR at Installs told me she did not believe him but she couldn't do anything except reschedule me. I asked to speak to the manager of customer service. I got his voice mail and explained the issue.

I then called VOOM customer service, asked for a supervisor and got one. I explained the whole issue to her. She kept me on hold for a while but came back about 5 - 10 minutes later and told me the the Installs customer service manager was already aware of the problem and was personally working on it.

He called me back Monday afternoon to let me know he has taking care of the issue. However, he stated that since antennaweb.org shows me in the violet area they will not be able to do anything about the OTA issue. I told him that antennaweb.org is fairly conservative and that the terrain between me and the stations in New Orleans is flat and mostly marsh/water. I also told him my house is on pilings and the ground floor is 20 feet above sea level. He said he had his supervisor of installs for this area look at it and it just wasn't going to work. Antennaweb.org shows the New Orleans stations from 52 to 60 miles from me. I said OK upgrade the dish for now (it's scheduled for tomorrow morning).

With regard to the OTA, yesterday I purchased a Winegard HD7084P (~ $130) and a Winegard AP-8275 pre-amp (~$80). I temporarily installed this antenna and pre-amp off the walkway to my deck. I hooked it up and did a scan. I now receive 16 OTA channels (some are .2, .3. etc.) from New Orleans.

It took pictures of the OTA scan and am going to e-mail them to the Installs manager of customer service (along with the invoice for the antenna and pre-amp). I am going to ask him to reimburse me for them.

We'll see what happens.
 

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Welcome to the forum, patvr!
Sorry to hear about all your problems. Not sure if VOOM will reimburse the cost of this big antenna (I believe their allowance is $70 or so, and only payable to the installer, as they don't authorize self-installs), but perhaps they can make an exception for you. In any case, I am glad you have found a solution to your OTA problems. 50-60 miles is rather far. Many of us cannot get stations that far away...
 
Good work patvr. I've given up on getting help from Voom and am going to try my own OTA antenna upgrade. Based on other research, your setup also looks like a good choice for me. Could you (or anyone else) help me figure out how to do it:

1.) The description on the Winegard HD7084P says its for the professional installer. The manual I found on line doesn't look like it includes assembly instructions. Was it hard to assemble/install/aim? Would I need any special tools other than a compass or GPS?

2.) My current setup uses the amplified Sensar II antenna with diplexers. The box outside the house is grounded and has a cable from the dish, and a cable from the antenna. It has two ports that are unused. A single cable runs from that box into the house where another box splits it into 2 cables that go into the receiver. I want to get rid of the diplexers for my new setup. Do I get rid of both boxes and use a different device for grounding? Or can i continue to use the outside box, and run another cable from one of the unused ports?

3.) Do I need to do anything with the Voom STB to turn off the DC voltage that was used to power the Sensar II antenna?

4.) How does the new pre-amp get connected?
 
1.) It's easy to install (just be careful around power lines, etc. per the instructions). No special tools needed and you can use the Voom installer menu OTA Aim function to properly aim it).

2.) I just disconnected the RG-6 from the Sensar II and connected it to the pre-amp. I have 3 Voom boxes so I left the diplexes connected behind each box. In my case the multiswitch did not pass voltage to the Sensar II antenna so I already had a Winegard pre-amp power supply connected between the Sensar II and the UHF/VHF input on the multiswitch .

3.) Not sure about this one. It wasn't a problem for me since the multiswitch Voom installed did not pass the power anyway.

4.) The pre-amp installs on the mast just under the antenna. You install a short RG-6 jumper from the antenna to the pre-amp "ant" input and connect the RG-6 that you disconnect from the Sensar II to the pre-amp "Power Supply" connector. Install the power supply inside (it requires 120 volts). The power supply has two connectors, one to the antenna and the other to your UHF/VHF input on the multiswitch.

Hope this helps.
 
Is it not great that this guy can do a better job then some of the installers for Voom(Installs,INC) with OTA,I wonder how many subs were lost because of bad antenna installs.
 
Voom would get alot of installs if they would let people do their own installations.

Some won't and that is ok, but alot of us would.

I find the 'wait a half day for installs to come out', a bit of a pain.

Waiting 4 hours for an lnb replacement is a pain.

Alot of the bad feeling is with the installation crews, etc. Most push you away from voom to dish or DTV. And not one of the installers sent to my house wanted to attempt the OTA stuff. One tried, when I got 2 channels he said, well thats all in this area, too many buildings.

I put up a DB-4, 21 OTA channels.!!!!!

VOOM - PLEASE MAKE SELF INSTALLATION AN OPTION! DTV and DISH DO IT THAT WAY and they have 23MILLION subscribers!
 
Voom will not pay anything but a service call to upgrade an antenna and only pays for its cost so you should be able to see why it is so hard to get one upgraded. Also if the installer upgrades the ant at time of install he doesn't even get the service call money all he gets is the cost of the antenna.(if he is lucky)

You are lucky since your upgraded antenna worked. My problems relate to customers demanding upgrades in areas where I have tried the largest antennas and know they will not work. I have found antenna web is wrong most of the time and list channels that can not be received.

If voom would send the proper antenna for the site to the installer and pay extra for its install you would not be having such problems.

If things do not improve you will soon see the install network fall apart because installers are fed up with the antenna upgrades.

For now if you want a antenna upgrade you might offer to pay your installer his labor since voom is not going to.
 
satmaster said:
I have found antenna web is wrong most of the time and list channels that can not be received.
Antenna web is very wrong for my address. It shows that I cannot receive any digital channels. Not only can I receive all 11 local (Phoenix, AZ) digital channels, but I can also receive 4 Tucson digital channels (125 miles away).
I am using a Winegard PR4400 4 bay bow-tie antenna with Winegard AP-8275 pre-amp.
 
Hi everyone, I'm had VOOM installed about 2 weeks ago here on Cape Cod, MA.
The installer was good but he did not even try with the OTA antenna. He came with a little Wingard Sensar i think but I only got one channel. He said that was what antennaweb said I would get....Needless to say I was not satisfied with this so I sent him on his way and went to Radio Shack and bought a VU-120. I installed the new antenna myself in about 1 1/2 hours.

I now get 25 OTA channels from 2 different areas......Boston and Providence, RI

ABC
NBC
CBS
FOX
UPN
PBS
PAX
and some others I haven't ID'd yet.


NT
 

Voom with a Dish dish pointed to 61.5?

Component video switch box

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