Pole mount - custom installation????

[thomas.clancy1]

is a pole mount considered to be a custom installation? the installer is coming tomorrow and when I called direct tv to confirm the appointment they informed me that my request of pole mount may cost me additional dollars( he gave me an estimate of $75. Dish did it for free). I asked specifically the csr when I ordered direct tv regarding this and he told me (wrongly?) that it won't cost me anything even after I informed him of my request of pole mount.

any idea how much its going to cost me (ballpark?). would they waive it under any situation?

Thanks for your response.

 

[Joe Diamond]

is a pole mount considered to be a custom installation? the installer is coming tomorrow and when I called direct tv to confirm the appointment they informed me that my request of pole mount may cost me additional dollars( he gave me an estimate of $75. Dish did it for free). I asked specifically the csr when I ordered direct tv regarding this and he told me (wrongly?) that it won't cost me anything even after I informed him of my request of pole mount.

any idea how much its going to cost me (ballpark?). would they waive it under any situation?

Thanks for your response.

You would think a yes or a no would answer a simple question............NOT in DTV land.

The FREE basic installation does not include a pole mount...you pay. Or you could do it yourself..you pay. In the last year or so DTV has been routing most of their installation work to an in house installation network. The local manager MAY tell the installers to mount dishes on the buildings and only give FREE pole mounts if they are needed to get a Line of Sight (LOS).

You do want the dish accessible for service, near the ground bond and close to the cable entrance to the building. Other factors enter into how this is done.

So your answer is......don't know.

Joe

AFTERTHOUGHT: You are in MA where it is now cold. The ground will be frozen so no pole soon. Save the $75.00 for spring.

 

[jcrandall]

Generally the pole mount is charged unless it is the ONLY way to get service. If it can be mounted to something, the free install is that method as it is cheaper.

You can always request the pole mount and pay for it. $70 range is fair.

 

[JosephB]

You are eligible for a free pole mount if you cannot get a signal with it mounted on the house. Be very clear with them that you will not pay if that is the only way they can install it. If you just don't want it on the house then you'll have to pay.

 

[Voyager6]

Uh, can't you have the E* dish removed and use the same pole mount and cabling? This is, of course, if you have LOS to the D* sats from there.

 

[JosephB]

Uh, can't you have the E* dish removed and use the same pole mount and cabling? This is, of course, if you have LOS to the D* sats from there.

I don't know the details of a Dish install, but the pole must be a 2 inch outer diameter pole. If Dish uses a smaller pole, it won't work. Otherwise, it should work and I'd think the installer would probably prefer that route.

 

[rocket69]

If you have a dish net pole mount and the pole is nice and strong should be no problem for direct to use a quick pipe provided there is LOS. Also request a no pen so your tech won’t have to dig if the ground is frozen.

LOS might be an issue if there are trees around.

Best way to get what you want out of Direct TV is to go through a local retailer that will agree to provide a nopen for ka/ku or pole mount at no charge and also dose in-house installs... you could be up and running b4 today is over .

Retailers are willing to bend the rules some giving up to 100 or more in savings over direct... Why you ask???? When you call the office of a retailer they had no cost in acquiring you as a new customer no sales man/woman to pay no advertising cost. So an extra DVR/HD receiver is sometimes given at no extra cost to you other then the monthly from direct... Also you are keeping your money local supporting your community . Don’t push too hard like 1 extra HD-DVR and Free pole mount with a quad 5 lnb to a swm 8 switch , I know I wuldnot be doing that one for free

 

[wolfman]

The Dish Network pole I dealt with was 1 5/8" O.D.

 

[Piratefan98]

The answer to the OP is .... "it depends". It really does. It would be nice if questions like this could easily be answered yes or no .... but they can't.

When I signed on, I was hell-bent on getting a pole mount installation. In fact, it was a deal-breaker for me, and I said that to the CSR that when I signed up. She told me that if the installer wouldn't do what I wanted, that I could simply tell them to not go through with the install and my order would be cancelled.

When the installer showed up, he was able to get signal from my roof, but I didn't want to have to go up there for snow/ice clearing, and told him that I was only interested in a pole mount, and without one, I wasn't going to sign up. Luckily, I had a great installer, who was very willing to do so. I tipped him nicely for his work, but there was no install charge for a yard pole mount, and approx 100' run of cable.

It matters such as this, it really depends on who your installer is.

Jeff

 

[thomas.clancy1]

Thanks guys, lets see how the installation goes tomorrow.

This is a second floor apartment, so no digging involved. Also the dish pole is in my previous apartment (withing the same apartment complex). Couldn't get a local retailer in my area. So that option is out.

 

[Zynergi]

If its an apartment then yea a Non-Penetrating Pole mount will cost extra. They will use what Rocket69 posted a pic of or a tripod.

 

[thomas.clancy1]

Well, the installation over the weekend went very well. The installer and his super. were there, they both were very courteous and helpful. At first they didn't had the pole, they got one from their warehouse and did the mounting. Then had some problem with the receiver(HR22) and the installer worked diligently until he fixed everything. They didn't charge be anything extra and I was happy to generously tip the installer for his hard work.