Upgrading to AU9

[AntAltMike]

An infrequent customer of mine just called to say he is having trouble with his Sony HD-200. It is connected to an old, triple LNB dish. It is time for him to get an HR20. He has been a DirecTV customer since 2000.

As far as I know, DirecTV will ship him an HR20 DVR for $299. Is that still the present offer? He will need a Ka antenna. What will DirecTV charge him for one if he buys it from them for "self-installation"? Is the shipping cost included or fixed? I might buy an AU9 off eBay for him if they are cheaper. I can get NIB AU9s on eBay for $49 plus $20 shipping.

His triple LNB dish is mounted on a non-pen mount. Do the bolt holes on the mounting plate match those on the smaller oval antenna's mounting plate? If not, then is there a 1.66" to 2" adaptor I can use to keep the same mast? I can readily jury-rig a couple of support struts to keep it from over-flexing.

I don't really care about making any money on this job, but it is probably most practical for me to do the physical antenna installation because it is on top of a high-rise and the management company prefers that I be the only one who works on the roof.

 

[raoul5788]

An infrequent customer of mine just called to say he is having trouble with his Sony HD-200. It is connected to an old, triple LNB dish. It is time for him to get an HR20. He has been a DirecTV customer since 2000.

As far as I know, DirecTV will ship him an HR20 DVR for $299. Is that still the present offer? He will need a Ka antenna. What will DirecTV charge him for one if he buys it from them for "self-installation"? Is the shipping cost included or fixed? I might buy an AU9 off eBay for him if they are cheaper. I can get NIB AU9s on eBay for $49 plus $20 shipping.

His triple LNB dish is mounted on a non-pen mount. Do the bolt holes on the mounting plate match those on the smaller oval antenna's mounting plate? If not, then is there a 1.66" to 2" adaptor I can use to keep the same mast? I can readily jury-rig a couple of support struts to keep it from over-flexing.

I don't really care about making any money on this job, but it is probably most practical for me to do the physical antenna installation because it is on top of a high-rise and the management company prefers that I be the only one who works on the roof.

The mounting plates are different. The pole size is different. I would let D*do the install. The dish and installation is included in the price of the receiver.

 

[AntAltMike]

Realistically, they probably can't do the installation and possibly won't attempt to do so. This is in a highrise condominium. Unit owners are not ordinarily allowed to have their own dishes. This init owner and one other are "grandfathered" because they moved into the building before the cable TV system was made operational, so a lot of employees in maintenance and security don't even know that a customer-owned dish is already on this building.

The other thing is, many installers, upon seeing that an installation is at a highrise, immediately find a way to cancel the job, since condo installations can easily turn into all day fiascos or, worse, they can blow several hours of time before they determine that the job cannot be done. In fact, Meyer Emco, a substantial local consumer electronics chain, had actually blacklisted this building for DirecTV installations because they had so many failed attempted installations there.

I just want to get this customer the receiver and dish antenna as cheaply and expediently as possible. If he has to pay for the antenna, he can afford it. His unit is worth about $3,000,000.

 

[Jimbo]

Realistically, they probably can't do the installation and possibly won't attempt to do so. This is in a highrise condominium. Unit owners are not ordinarily allowed to have their own dishes. This one, and one other, are "grandfathered" because they moved into the building before the cable TV system was made operational, so a lot of employees in maintenance and security don't even know that a customer-owned dish is already on this building.

The other thing is, many installers, upon seeing that an installation is at a highrise, immediately find a way to cancel the job, since condo installations can easily turn into all day fiascos or, worse, they can blow several hours of time before they determine that the job cannot be done. In fact, Meyer Emco, a substantial local consumer electronics chain, had actually blacklisted this building for DirecTV installations because they had so many failed attempted installations there.

I just want to get this customer tha receiver and dish antenna as cheaply and expediently as possible. If he has to pay for the antenna, he can afford it. His unit is worth about $3,000,000.

Here's what you do,
Have him order it from D*to be installed, then when the D* installer gets there, tell him that you are willing to go up there to do the job, if you are there and willing to go up there then the installer will too, he won't be able to say, it's to high or can't get to it, if you are there and going with him.

If he still refuses, have him sign off on the equipment, tell him you will go up and do it when he leaves, but paperwork has to be signed in order for him to leave the equipment, if he'll do that, sometime they won't but if he doesn't want to do it and you will, chances are he'll go with you to do it, or at the very least sign off the equipment.

Jimbo

 

[Bob Nielsen]

Another possibility would be to call Directv and explain the situation (you may need to ask for installation support). They sometimes will reimburseda customer for having an independent do the installation. Hopefully you or he could get the receiver from CC or BB and the dish on e-bay. Any reimbursement would probably come in the way of credits against the monthly bill for a period of time.