Terrified at the thought of installers messing with my house

[steve4810]

I've been with Dish since there was just one satellite location at 119 and I had to install everything myself. Now it is getting more and more likely that I will have a hopper & 3 joey setup.

But I've read so many threads that mention installers coming on like ICE Agents and ripping and moving stuff all around a customer's house and acting like they were the law that I can't bring myself to pickup the phone.

Right now my Dish1000 western arc is just where I want it on a very sound mounting pad I constructed on my roof and two leads enter the house from there.

What are the chances the Installers here in San Diego are going to cop an attitude and attempt to rip everything out and do it over the way they think best, regardless of my wishes? By the way my wishes are that the dish not be touched (other than to re-peak reception) and the two leads, if the cable is up to snuff, be left as they are.

I am going to have a second account created for my VIP612 RV receiver and it is essential that I be able to connect it to the Dish1000 in the house to record programs I end up taking with me on the road because when the trailer is on my site it is too tilted to work as a Dish mounting location. Not to mention that it being that tilted walking around inside it isn't any too fun.

I'm afraid I know the answer but perhaps I'm too cynical. Will I have to buy and install my own additional Dish500 after they leave?

If I make the call, what am I in store for?

And do they run RG6 to all the hopper locations within walls in and attic or staple them all over the outside of the house?

In the past all but one Dish employee has been great working around my house to fix problems and such but you read horror stories so often here that I am afraid I will end up telling the guys to leave.

 

[JSheridan]

Find a local retailer that does their own installs and upgrades and talk to them. See if they'll do what you want done. Good luck.

 

[tedb3rd]

I've been in much the same situation. I just ask the installer/tech what all they plan to do (once they've done their 'site survey'). If there's anything I don't like I just ask, "Would it be possible to __ so that __." [insert way I want it done/why] They've always been willing to do what I ask when it is possible. If it's not possible, I asked them to explain why and it made sense. I also always watch what/how they do the install/mod... Mainly because I'm a tech geek but also because I want to do quality control in case the installer is a dud.

If you start fearing for your house, you can always ask them to stop, discuss the situation with a supervisor (you, the installer, and the supervisor) before they proceed, etc., etc.

 

[steve4810]

The local installer is an angle I hadn't thought of. Being retired I'll check it out. I can go and ask for the owner and talk about my concerns This size area there ought to be several, I know I drive by at least two store fronts near by often.

If I do go this way, do I have to depend on him for service forever? It would be nice to keep the business in local folks hands but if they fall on hard times I hope I can fall back on the mother ship in Denver to get help in any case.

 

[Nova647]

( dish network installer answer

If you are honest with the tech and explain what you are trying to do he should have no problem doing what you are asking.

Tell him if the quality assurance guy shows up you will ask him to leave. That's our biggest fear. We love to use existing equipment as long as we don't get a trouble call within 12 days and you tell the quality guy to buzz off. You sound like you know whats going on and if it was me I would work with you. I'm not a local guy, I'm a dish network installer for the company.

 

[satnewb]

I 2nd that.

just keep in mind that the Hopper is going to require the use of both "leads" into the house from the dish, so if you plan on keeping the 612 on a separate account but still want to be able to use it in the house you will need a 3rd line from the dish run inside somewhere.

No reason to fear an installer tearing up the house if you tell him upfront what you need/want done.

 

[sca]

its really gonna depend on the tech you get. hopper is nice though. might be worth having some new cable run.

 

[3HaloODST]

I scheduled through DIRT but it ended up being a local installer. I took a day off of work and watched/helped the entire time. My installer (only one came for 2H/2J) was a pretty cool guy. He knew exactly what to do. I made everything easy for him to do and even helped him run lines. Transitioning from 2 722Ks to 2H/2J was pretty easy, other than having to run a third line from the dish. The most painful part was getting the H/Js activated and having to replace a Joey that wouldn't get done with the dreaded 1303 after 45 minutes of troubleshooting. It's crazy that the techs have to deal with the same mediocre tech support that the customers do. They gave him the runaround a lot with the malfunctioning Joey and they took forever to activate one of the Hoppers because they couldn't manage to get the receiver # correct.

Overall the installer was an A-, the updating of software and activation of receivers was a D, and the tech support at Dish was (as usual) an F.

 

[JSheridan]

The local installer is an angle I hadn't thought of. Being retired I'll check it out. I can go and ask for the owner and talk about my concerns This size area there ought to be several, I know I drive by at least two store fronts near by often.

If I do go this way, do I have to depend on him for service forever? It would be nice to keep the business in local folks hands but if they fall on hard times I hope I can fall back on the mother ship in Denver to get help in any case.

You can call the local guy for service after the fact or you can call chaos central in Denver, Manilla or where ever your call gets routed. You'll usually do better with the local guy.

 

[bookworm370]

If it's a service call I'll let Dirt or the call in techs dispatch someone as it's just normally a fix or equip replacement. If it's something new like upgrade the dish itself or when I decide to go to the Hoppers (my 2yr extension is up in July) I call the guy I have been using for 10 years now. He installed the original when the house was being built, knows every foot of where each cable is and besides, if I call him, then he claims it as an install on his ticket and makes a few more bucks.

 

[ekilgus]

I feel the same way. I built my house myself and have it wired the way I want it with the correct wire and I can install the hopper and joey’s without the need for any additional wiring. I can do a hopper install myself but I think the chances of Dish just sending me the equipment without demanding an installer come in to set it up are practically zero.

 

[steve4810]

What about this: Chaos Central gave me an fantastic deal since I have been with Dish so long, etc, etc. Will a local company be able or willing to match the deal?

Should I use an online chat again and save the transcript? Or will the local guy just tell me He doesn't get a discount for me so I don't get a discount from him?

Hopper is making a nervous wreck out of me.

 

[upsss]

I 2nd that.

just keep in mind that the Hopper is going to require the use of both "leads" into the house from the dish, so if you plan on keeping the 612 on a separate account but still want to be able to use it in the house you will need a 3rd line from the dish run inside somewhere.

No reason to fear an installer tearing up the house if you tell him upfront what you need/want done.

If he mounts the Node next to the Dish then you need only one coax cable and the 2nd coax can be used for the 612.

 

[KAB]

Hopper is making a nervous wreck out of me.

Actually, I'd say you are making a nervous wreck out of you.

 

[JSheridan]

What about this: Chaos Central gave me an fantastic deal since I have been with Dish so long, etc, etc. Will a local company be able or willing to match the deal?

Should I use an online chat again and save the transcript? Or will the local guy just tell me He doesn't get a discount for me so I don't get a discount from him?

Hopper is making a nervous wreck out of me.

Check with the local guy and see what he says. But if you want to treat the job like a rug bazaar and the lowest bidder gets the job, then you'll probably get what you pay for and you'll get what you get. Good luck.

 

[mike123abc]

When I had my initial Dish install, a long time ago, I simply ran all the coax myself and had it all ready for them. All they had to do was install the Dish and put the end connectors on the cables. That way they did not have to mess with my house. I have an old house and a very tricky way to get cable around given that I have 3 separate attics, a basement and crawlspace with only one way to route cables from the attic to the basement.

 

[Jimmerinwi]

When I had my initial Dish install, a long time ago, I simply ran all the coax myself and had it all ready for them. All they had to do was install the Dish and put the end connectors on the cables. That way they did not have to mess with my house. I have an old house and a very tricky way to get cable around given that I have 3 separate attics, a basement and crawlspace with only one way to route cables from the attic to the basement.

When you ran the cable to the Location where the dish went, did you run dual cable w/ a messenger used for ground?? If not it should have been replaced with the proper dual line with messenger per dns code. It's great that you pre-wired everything for the installer, but you have to remember, if the tech uses unapproved cable he risks being written up for that and may be back charged (sub) or fired (in house) by Dish if the quas nazi checks the job. Will he use existing cable and roll the dice, probably but don't be surprised if he won't!!

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[steve4810]

How can I find a listing of local installers? All the places I know of seem to be only retailers who let Dish techs do the installs.

 

[JSheridan]

How can I find a listing of local installers? All the places I know of seem to be only retailers who let Dish techs do the installs.

Have you tried this?

DISH - Support - Tools & Apps

 

[steve4810]

Are you saying that retailers are installers? I thought that a lot of them took orders but the install and service calls were done by Dish employees.