This isn't feeling good so far...

[Lobstah]

So I placed my order online, got email confirmation from VOOM.
Then recieved email from Installs, Inc. with my confirmation for 12/4 saying the installer would be contacting me.
Yesterday, I sent them email asking for confirmation, no reply.
So now I call the number in the email from Installs, and I get voicemail from George at some other company???

I'm giving it 50/50 odds right now.

 

[tdillon]

I've asked several times to talk to the installer prior to their visit and it seems that they never do call back, but they have shown up for every appointment so far. I would put your odds more at 80 percent that he will show. Installs contracts with many different installers, so it doesn't surprise me that your guy is independent of Installs.

 

[Lobstah]

Hope you're right

Lob

 

[vurbano]

So I placed my order online, got email confirmation from VOOM.
Then recieved email from Installs, Inc. with my confirmation for 12/4 saying the installer would be contacting me.
Yesterday, I sent them email asking for confirmation, no reply.
So now I call the number in the email from Installs, and I get voicemail from George at some other company???

I'm giving it 50/50 odds right now.

George works for the company that installs inc has chosen to send out to you. There are generally 3 companies involved. Voom who contracts with a satellite installer clearing house Installs inc who picks the installation company near you. So its nothing unusual. Getting a call from the comapany that is actually coming to your house is what you should want.

 

[Lobstah]

Actually...George didn't show up, but another guy did that never heard of George, so the only thing I can think of is that I fat-fingered the number when I dialed and just happened to have dialed the number for another satellite installer. Pretty weird.

Anyway...the install is done, and I'm patiently waiting (sorta) for the updates and program info to be downloaded.

A few points of interest...the Wineguard antenna wasn't able to grab ANY local OTA stuff. The installer said he would have to come back...but before he climbed down from the roof, I had him use my good old standby Radio Shack $20 UHF antenna...and Bingo...it picked up all of the OTA's, and with no amplifier. So I think there was something "off" with the power to the Winegard? He used the same cable, just moved it to the other antenna.
There is also one bedroom that relies on old, internal/existing wiring in the house, that gets no OTA stuff at all. It wasn't critical to me, and the installer had already been here for about 5hrs, so I just made a note on the installation acceptance sheet that one room had no OTA and left it at that.

Now it's time to go do all the other stuff I was going to get done today, and then I can come back and play ...so far, the few channels I've hit have had exceptional PQ...but they've been HD channels, so no idea what the SD stuff looks like yet.

Lob

 

[vurbano]

no you just needed a directional antenna. I assume the radio shack antenna is a directional Yagi?

 

[Lobstah]

Yup...it is.
I wondered about some of the problems I'd seen on here about multi-switches not passing power up to the amp on the Wineguard though...

Lob

 

[vurbano]

Yup...it is.
I wondered about some of the problems I'd seen on here about multi-switches not passing power up to the amp on the Wineguard though...

Lob

I know the stealth antenna is omni directional and powered and doesnt work worth 2 cents for me. Im betting the winegard is the same way. The omni and multi directional antennas may look nice but, and I may get flamed for this, they usually do not work very well do to multipath issues. The rat shack 20 dollar Yagi works but is a little on the small side IMO. But if you have no issues with it then use it. The true test is using it for an entire year through the change of season, leaves filling out trees in the spring and falling in the fall, as well as temperature changes.

 

[Lobstah]

Ok...the software update helped a lot.
I'm still unable to tune some of the locals that were detected during the initial scan, so may try to rescan.

Also, on a few of the SD channels, I get small artifacts, for example, if CNN has a map of the mideast up, and Iraq is a different color, like orange, then the artifacts show up in the orange area of the screen. Is this because the DVI cable supplied by Voom is a cheapy? The HD channels look good, with no noticable artifacts yet.

Lob

 

[Lobstah]

I just rescanned the locals...there are locals that the scan picks up that I still can't tune to. Lowest signal strength was 86...

Anyone know what the minimum signal strength is?

Lob

 

[DarrellP]

Also, on a few of the SD channels, I get small artifacts, for example, if CNN has a map of the mideast up, and Iraq is a different color, like orange, then the artifacts show up in the orange area of the screen. Is this because the DVI cable supplied by Voom is a cheapy? The HD channels look good, with no noticable artifacts yet.
Lob

Some of the SD channels are not up to par. Are you seeing little red lines? Many SD channels exhibit these "sparklies" when text is displayed on screen.