Pictures of my Voom Install

[Neutron]

Well, it took the guy about an hour to get it installed. He was VERY professional and was very nice to my wife and I. He was nice to our cats. He took the time to show me the remote. He made sure I had a picture before he left. He listen to my concerns about where I wanted to have the dish and antenna mounted. My dish is pointing East while the antenna is pointing west.

Even though he was from Kentuckiana Satellite the paperwork said Installs, Inc.

He told me it would take about 2 hours to get every channel that I should have. I don't think it took Directv that long though. I did watch the HDN and Equator channels for a bit. The sound is AMAZING in 5.1 Sounds just like my DVD movies. I have to tweak my picture some as my HDTV was set for every input to Vibrant. It's a little grainy but I'm working on that.

I have a signal strength on the dish at 92-94% and every OTA channel (and I mean every one, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, UPN, WB) all come in at 92-95%. It helps to be less than 15 miles from the towers though. I have the Winegard GS-2000a antenna.

So far very happy with the install and what I see so far on Voom.

Does anyone know if you can stretch a 4:3 channel (like some of the OTA during the day) to fit the screen? I have the picture format set to stretch on the stb.

Also, this one has the new software as I was able to scan for OTA stations. At least the screen said that on setup.

In the first picture you will see my Directv phase-3 dish in the background.

 

[sat4me]

Welcome aboard!

Just a few ?'s and concerns about the install I see.
The diplexer/combiner should not be "strapped" to the dish mount, it would be best if it were screwed to the post. Looks bad, won't really affect performance.
The other problems; he didn't service-loop the cables from the dish, (look at your DTV dish, see the big service loops?) or drip-loop the cables to the diplexer. That one could cause issues as rain/water will sit in the fitting areas and will eventually cause a problem. Can't tell if he used true weather-proof fittings, either way he should have installed the diplexer correctly and drip looped as required and used a weather-boot for the fittings or actual sealed "O-ring" fittings.

Did he ground the dish and cables? I can't see any indication of that at all. the dish is not grounded to code as there is no ground wire that I can see.

I used to QC installations and from the pics I see I would FAIL this install in a heart beat.

Call his supervisor back, send these pics and see what they say.

Just concerned.. this nice installer, didn't do a nice install that I can tell.

 

[jgantert]

Lucky you! Not many trees around there either.

Enjoy,
-John

 

[Neutron]

Thank goodness!! I was concerned about the power lines as you can see the tower in one of those pics, when I had Directv installed. No problem there.

I just wish the 4:3 OTA picture would stretch. Since this is hooked up through DVI I cannot use my TV's picture modes of stretching. I can on my component DVD player though.

Also, I've noticed on ESPN-HD there are two grey HD bars on either side of the picture me thinks ESPN is broadcasting with the picture.


I dont see any ground wire. I can do that myself though. Directv is grounded. It won't take much to ground this one.

As for the drip loop will that really hurt me when it rains? He did make the coax cable lengths himself.

 

[Sean Mota]

neutron,

ESPN-HD broadcasts with graybars. The 4:3 OTA will not be able to stretch from stb.

 

[PSB]

The dish mast is not grounded to local and NEC code, its not your job to do it, MAKE them return and do it right, if you touch and change the install any warranty is null and void and if there are any problems later it will be "your fault" The worst thing is the dish has been mounted to an unapproved surface, I guess your installer never bothered getting SBCA 1+2 certified! Contact the supervisor as soon as you can and don't put up putting your system at risk! You paid for the install get it done right, if you called out an electrician and he missed something or forgot to ground would you fix it for him? I know you are happy with your install but it has been done badly.

On closer inspection I see only three lag bolts used two at the top in oval holes, and one at the bottom (dish will move soon), I am sure if this installer were setting up his own dish he would not do it in this manner!

 

[Neutron]

PSB,

Can you point out which bolts you are talking about?

I did notice just now that when he took the one cable off my Directv dish (as I asked him to use the existing coax) it looks like he used a duplexor (the part that connects two cables together) to hook it into the cable for the Voom dish.

He did silicone seal it though.

 

[sat4me]

PSB is technically right all the way.

Why are your dishes on your fence anyway?

Personally I don't have a real problem with dishes being mounted on newer stable fence post which yours appears to be, it's ok as long as there is no other reasonable location for mounting on the house itself, even though SBCA rules say different as PSB stated. There's no harm in it and really doesn't cause any operation issues, as long as your signal and picture is meeting your satisfaction, then all is ok. Just my professional opinion.

However, this grounding issue is a biggie, and you should not do it yourself. PSB is totally on target, if you do it, it will void your warranty!
You paid for a service and it needs to be done correctly.
That diplexer being strapped is really bad and looks very unprofessional, and to answer your question, "will not having a drip loop hurt you"... well yes and no... no, it has no effect as to your signal or picture now, but it will when water "standing" on the cable and fittings cause corrosion, then you will lose all signal.. that needs to really be addressed.

Your installation was not completed per VOOM's or SBCA standards. You need a supervsior or Installs, inc supervisor to totally review and correct the installation to code and correct neatness.

 

[Neutron]

Called Voom back (because my installer's office was closed). She set me up a tech to come out. She admitted that I knew more about it than they did. Not very pleasing to hear that. I did ask if they use SBCA certified installers and she said yes, but said Installers, Inc. has many installers and isn't sure what their standards are.

Does this sound normal?

I had to tell the lady 3 times what I needed to be done.

 

[PSB]

The lag bolts are the three silver screws securing the mast to the fence post, seems a lot of antenna for three bolts, well done knowledge is power and you paid for a professional install even if you were told its free. All I.INC. contractors are SBCA certified but the problem seems to be the contractor sometimes hires someone else to go do the actual install for them, thats why everyone should remind the installer when you schedule you want a SBCA certified installer and you will be checking his card against a picture ID as its easy just to give 20 other installers your SBCA #, its not right there are too many legal installers sitting home on the computer when they should be installing satellite to local and NEC code! I have read two or three grounding horror stories this week alone, grounding correctly is a MUST not an optional extra! And even if a installer has a SBCA 1+2 card all it means is they sat in a class for 8 hrs, it does not mean that you will have a perfect install but its a start, and if a installer has not reached this base level its not a good sign, of course there are also non SBCA certified installers that do great work!

 

[Neutron]

I wish there were more installers like you PSB in my area.

Thanks for the info!! At least Voom knew what I meant by SBCA certified.