This Sucks...Need Advice

[vismich]

Hi all...I'm new here. Anyway, I have been a DirecTV customer for years and years. This week I bought an LCD Tv specifically for HDTV programming.

So they came out, an d I figured It would be a quick swap out of the dishes and they would be in and out quick.

Not So

The "kid" putting in the dish said that a tree was in the way of the High Def Sattelite. Personally I think since today was Sunday, he was unwilling to look at other options...Like moving my whole set up to a new area and running new wire.

Anyway....They say I cant get High Def.

Can I call DirecTV and have a "second" opinion....Have a whole new company come out as a reinstall?


Also, Does Dish Network use the same sattelite, or are they in diffrent Directions? It would SUCK to lose the NFL ticket....But I paid a grand for this TV for High Def

 

[charper1]

Welcome; yes, this seems to be a trend. Rookies (maybe some pros) eyeballing up a job and deciding they don't want the trouble (they get paid per job/not per hour). I would look for a LOCAL brick & motor store that does their own installs and get a REAL site survey done. Unless you live in some sort of "forestry tube" like the Sequoia National Forest, I think they just know when a job is going to be long and arduous and cost them time; so they make up something to get out to there. Let us know your area and maybe there is a QUALITY install pro that visits here that can help you out. Good luck!

 

[vismich]

See, thats the thing, I live in a wide open development....HOWEVER, I have a huge tree in front of my house.

To me, I said put the thing on a pole and move it to the other side of my property...He claims the tree is still in the way.

He says I need to see two sattelites, and I can only see on from each are he would put it.

I had him run a line anyway from my old dish, because I needed tv on my new TV, and when I asked about working Sundays, he said something about today was supposed to be an easy day.

I think he came there thinking it would be an easy day, saw it was going to require a pole and moving the entire wiring, and just didnt want to spend the day there.

Anyway, to answer you question...I have a Tree real close to my house, that is very big....And thats it

 

[vismich]

Oh...I'm from Phillipsburg, NJ

 

[charper1]

Do you have a $10 compass (Wal-Mart outdoors area)? You can use the required DirecTV heading (azimuth) and step outside and do your own basic site survey.

 

[vismich]

yea, I could....But He said I had to hit more than one Sattelite, in two really diffrent areas....


What area is the DirecTV sat?

Also, if you know where Dish Networs is, I would appreciate that too

 

[charper1]

Depending on the HD setup you get, it will be either a 3 satellite or 5 satellite antenna (dish) and they are spaced very close together.

But the dish itself will point at a general "center point" and the reflective surface will direct the signals into the LNBs.

Post your zip code (is it 08865?) and some one can reply with the aiming heading (azimuth) for each of the two dishes; the PhaseIII (3 LNB) and the AT9 (5 LNB). Then with a compass you can eyeball your site. You will surely know if that tree is your issue; how tall is it as well? signals do not come at the dish in a direct line, but more from the top edge; they are called offset.

 

[kmcallis1]

I used 1-800-Sat-Pros. They are in Whitehouse Station, NJ. They came out and did the install after the DirecTech guy said he couldn't do it. It cost me a pretty penny but the guy was knowledgeable and it took about 4 hours to take my old dish off a pole mount and put up the AT-9 5 LNB.

It's a shame you have to go through that mess. The guy from DirectTEch that I dealt with was angry as soon as he got out of the truck. Said the AT-9 couldn't be pole mounted and I couldn't get a signal. These guys need charm school and Directv needs to change this part of the business model or else they are going to lose out on new customers especially when Verizon FIOS starts up in our area over the next two years.

As I said before, it will cost you to use them however.

 

[charper1]

They need to have some penalty system (pay dock / leading to firings) in effect for installers and their contract company that just eyeball and say "no way" IF you can actually get it done. 99% of consumers have no idea if they are right or wrong and just let them walk. Paying by the hour is a double edge sword.

 

[Doctor Bob]

yea, I could....But He said I had to hit more than one Sattelite, in two really diffrent areas....


What area is the DirecTV sat?

Also, if you know where Dish Networs is, I would appreciate that too

Here are most of the birds in your area, just make sure you are reading the AZ (M) for magnetic north, or you will have to calculate the Az (t) True North position...

Alpha, NJ 08865
Latitude 40° 41.568'N Longitude 75° 10.446'W


-------------------------------------------------------------
*** Of Particular Interest ***

Sat Name Sat Lng Az(t) Az(m) El Skew
EchoStar 3 61.5W 159.5 172.7 40.9 -15.4
EchoStar 6 110.0W 226.9 240.0 31.0 33.6
EchoStar 8 110.0W 226.9 240.0 31.0 33.6
EchoStar 7 119.0W 235.8 248.9 25.3 38.8
EchoStar 5 119.0W 235.8 248.9 25.3 38.8
EchoStar 9/Telstar 13 121.0W 237.6 250.8 23.9 39.8
EchoStar 1 148.0W 258.6 271.7 4.3 48.0
EchoStar 2 148.0W 258.6 271.7 4.3 48.0
EchoStar 4 157.0W 264.6 277.8 -2.5 49.0

DirecTV 3 81.8W 190.1 203.2 42.5 7.6
DirecTV 2 100.8W 216.3 229.5 36.1 26.7
DirecTV 1R 100.8W 216.3 229.5 36.1 26.7
DirecTV 1 101.0W 216.6 229.7 36.0 26.9 (Main Ku Bird)
DirecTV 4S 101.2W 216.8 230.0 35.9 27.0
DirecTV 6 109.8W 226.6 239.8 31.2 33.5
DirecTV 5 119.0W 235.8 248.9 25.3 38.8 (HD Bird for now)

 

[vismich]

Does that mean the sattelite is in the North West sky?

Do you know where Dish Network's is?

 

[IndyTech]

Maybe i have a Solution, Maybe i don't. i dunno. If you can find out who came out (directTech,Northeast), you can get the main wharehouse for them and ask for the "HAT" explain your situation, he will call the "WTL". usually if a Tech Line of Sights a Job it goes back on the route a couple few days later, or it goes to the WTL and he goes to see if there is a LOS problem, if there isn't then he will set up another appointment. Guys the installation is supposed to be free, don't throw your money away to get installed.Make the guys do their jobs.There is always a way.

 

[HCI]

Does that mean the sattelite is in the North West sky?

Do you know where Dish Network's is?

South west sky.

Sounds like you had a major dumbass as an installer.

 

[hobojoe]

: doctor bob! where did you find that handy dandy sat pointing calculator that list every sat for you all at once? i like that! very cool!

 

[charper1]

http://www.arachnoid.com/satfinder/index.html

The satellite list is user editable as well.

 

[Doctor Bob]

Hey HoboJoe,

How the heck are you??? That is probably the last revision as well, because the guy that put it together, doesn't have the time to devote to it...

When you right click on the stats, it pops up with a "Copy" window, and all you have to do is click on that, then paste it in your word processor... I normally save those kind of files as TXT, so that I don't have to put with the formatting problems... Then I delete what ever Satellites that I don't need. You can even paste them into Excel, so that you can do what ever kind of formating that you want.... RONTGLMAO....

See Ya at SatelliteExpo2007...

 

[Doctor Bob]

Does that mean the sattelite is in the North West sky?

Do you know where Dish Network's is?

What kind of Compass do you have Vismich???

 

[vismich]

I actually dont have a compass...yet.....I have Dish Network coming today to take a look.


I will be honest, over the past year I have had so many problems with DirecTV that I am almost looking forward to switching (if Dish Network works).

Their customer service that they used to pride themselves on has gone down the toilet...Plus looking at Dish Network, it seems like their HD programming is far superior. Losing the NFL ticket will be a dagger to the heart though.

Who knows, I have this tree literall on top of my house that is 10 feet or more higer than my house. The tree is the entire length of the house...So mayb e I cant get it.

 

[Plywodstatebum]

I'd Try a tree trimer. Or a BIG AXE..... before I'd loose Sunday Ticket