Voom and Apartments

[Grudus]

I have been thinking about getting Voom for a while now, but I have a few questions, which I haven't been able to find an answer too. Most of my questions are related to apartment based installs and I figure there are a few others out there that have already done this. I hope this is the right forum to ask these questions.

My first question is since I live in an apartment I can't permanently attach the dish to the side of the building. So I will have to use a tripod or something similar. Will Voom provide this or would the burden be on me to get one. If I have to get one is there anything special that I need to know? Are there any better mounting solutions than a tripod out there? I noticed that a few buildings down from my a fellow clamped a metal pole to his railing and the dish is clamped onto the pole. Could I do something to that with the Voom Dish? I am not really for sure how the Voom Dish attaches to stuff. I am guessing it is just its just a plate with four holes in it.

Next question is I know that Voom provides an antenna for OTA channels. Does this antenna have to be outside or can you use an indoor antenna? I am pretty sure I can put the antenna inside provided I can get a strong enough signal.

Third thing is since I can't go drilling through my walls to run the cable inside I have to find a way to run the cable through the window or door. I found a possible solution to this through the use of a flat 8" Coax cable. Can I use a Flat Coax cable with the Voom setup?

My final question is while I have a clear view of the south/southeast from my apartment I am not for sure if I am blocked by the building across the street. I got the azimuth and elevation angles for my zip code and they turned out to be 122-azimuth, 32-elevation angle. The roofline of the building across the street seems to end around the 30 degrees mark. So I am not for sure if Voom will work for me. If Voom came out and couldn't get lock on the satellite would I be out a lot of money?

I guess the Voom people could answer most of these questions but I would like to know what to expect.

Thanks a bunch

 

[Seanb61]

I have been thinking about getting Voom for a while now, but I have a few questions, which I haven't been able to find an answer too. Most of my questions are related to apartment based installs and I figure there are a few others out there that have already done this. I hope this is the right forum to ask these questions.

My first question is since I live in an apartment I can't permanently attach the dish to the side of the building. So I will have to use a tripod or something similar. Will Voom provide this or would the burden be on me to get one. If I have to get one is there anything special that I need to know? Are there any better mounting solutions than a tripod out there? I noticed that a few buildings down from my a fellow clamped a metal pole to his railing and the dish is clamped onto the pole. Could I do something to that with the Voom Dish? I am not really for sure how the Voom Dish attaches to stuff. I am guessing it is just its just a plate with four holes in it.

Next question is I know that Voom provides an antenna for OTA channels. Does this antenna have to be outside or can you use an indoor antenna? I am pretty sure I can put the antenna inside provided I can get a strong enough signal.

Third thing is since I can't go drilling through my walls to run the cable inside I have to find a way to run the cable through the window or door. I found a possible solution to this through the use of a flat 8" Coax cable. Can I use a Flat Coax cable with the Voom setup?

My final question is while I have a clear view of the south/southeast from my apartment I am not for sure if I am blocked by the building across the street. I got the azimuth and elevation angles for my zip code and they turned out to be 122-azimuth, 32-elevation angle. The roofline of the building across the street seems to end around the 30 degrees mark. So I am not for sure if Voom will work for me. If Voom came out and couldn't get lock on the satellite would I be out a lot of money?

I guess the Voom people could answer most of these questions but I would like to know what to expect.

Thanks a bunch

If they come out and can't set you up you will not be charged

 

[squicken]

I live in an apartment and will answer what I can. I have a clear view and drilled though the wall, so I can't help you there. Voom originally installed a stealth antenna for me, but it didn't work. I went out and got a powered indoor antenna for $40, and it works great. Most of my stations are 5-8 miles away, one was 15 miles away. As far as installing outside. My installer said the unit didn't come with a pole, and I would have to pay him extra if I wanted one. I don't know if that is Voom policy or what, but my installer only had mounting brackets. I told him to attach my dish to the patio fencing since the patio isn't technically part of the building. Apt. mgmt hasn't seemed to care. Good luck.

 

[ricks]

I'm no expert, but I've been dealing with some similar situations as I own a townhouse and have some "exclusive use" limitations also.

A tripod should work, but you need to be able to anchor or weight it down. The railing clamp may be a better idea. One of my possible solutions is a tripod on my patio, but I need a 5' one as I have to clear a fence. There are many 3' tripods easily available. I am having a heck of a time finding a 5' one locally. I doubt the installer will provide it as part of the Voom package. You would need to get it on your own.

Try the indoor antenna first. If you are within 20 miles of your towers (and possibly even considerably farther), and you don't have any serious obstructions in the way, you should be able to get everything with an indoor antenna. Many people swear by one called the Silver Sensor. Go to antennaweb.com and you can find out all you need to know about your distance from the towers.

I have no answer on the flat coax. Didn't know such a thing exists. Need someone smarter than I on that one, but my guess would be it won't work. You need RG6 cable.

Lastly, if you think you have a line of sight problem to the sat because of the building, pay an installer to come out for a site survey. They can lock on the sat, or tell you it won't work. Cost between $25 and $50 depending on the installer.

 

[wasch_24]

The folks at 1-800-getvoom will definitely help you out.

It depends on the installer whether or not you will get any other needed hardware for your install. Most likely the installer will only be willing to use what's in the box without more $. Anything that works with other dishes will work with the Voom dish.


The antenna provided might not fit inside. It's about 40" wide. The installer may be able to clamp it to what ever you come up with as a mount for the dish.

The flat/thin rg6 cable does work. I have the really small diameter Monster rg6 cable connected to my box and it works even with the diplexed signal.

If the installer comes out and can't get the thing to work you have no obligation to keep anything. When I called the CSR said that if it gets all hooked up and I am not impressed then it comes down and I don't owe a thing.

I would call today, express your concerns and have them come out and try and install. Act fast though, the $0 deal isn't going to last forever. Also, if you you do call and decide to schedule the install get the info for the installer they are going to send out. He/she is not going to be a Voom employee, rather a contracted installer. Tell the installer your concerns and maybe they can suggest some items you can purchase to be ready. Just keep the receipts.

 

[squicken]

You don't need to pay them to check your line of sight. If installer can't get signal, he just takes the equipment back, you call Voom and say it didn't work, and Voom never bills you.

 

[compurocker]

My friend just got VOOM and he lives in an apartment. He used to have Dish Network mounted to his balcony railing but that was pointing Southwest. Southeast for VOOM is obstructed by the building. He ended up throwing some wood together and making a mount for the VOOM dish which he hung out his front window. The VOOM installer mounted the dish to that and it worked like a charm.

He's having a heck of a time getting the antenna to work. He's 33 miles away according to antennaweb.org but the installer told him it was more like 43. The stealth did not work. He just bought one at Radio Shack which he hasn't had time to try yet. He can't get one of the gigantic ones because they just plain won't fit on his patio. He might have to resort to getting Comcast for his locals.

 

[wasch_24]

I have no answer on the flat coax. Didn't know such a thing exists. Need someone smarter than I on that one, but my guess would be it won't work. You need RG6 cable.

Yeah, Ricks. Monster makes a cable that is only about 1/8" in diameter and I am using it to connect my STB to the wall outlet. It is even carrying the combination of my antenna and the dish feed. Wonderful thing, slides right under the baseboards.

 

[Grudus]

Thanks for all the prompt replies. Probably going to give them a call up this week and get the ball rolling. I attached a picture of what a Flat Coax looks like for those that haven't seen one.

 

[Grudus]

Is the Monster cable you are talking about?

Monster Video Mini

 

[PSB]

What about the grounding? How was that done in an apartment to the state + NEC electrical code? Running the cable through a satellite surge protector may work but it is not to code, this is a tough one for an installer, do you follow the law and walk away or do you break the law and take the money? Well most installers are not licensed or SBCA certified anyway so they have nothing to lose, I walk away to keep my license for another day : (
I would NOT plug an ungrounded system into a big $$$$$ HDTV system!

 

[Fargus]

i just went through everything you discussed. We had to pole mount the satelite in the grass area in back of my unit, the partments ok'd it since it wasn't viewable from the street. the satelite installers were going to charge me 90 bucks to dig a hole and pour some sement and plant the pole, so i did this myself for 7 bucks (pole was 5 bucks and the kwik crete was 2) Then they ran a wire all the way from the satelite to my receiver with no holes being drilled, and yes they used the flat coax. Just had opened my back patio screen door and ran it along the inside and then shut the door over it. Works perfectly! The SAtelite guy told me that if i had the right line of sight from my back patio, i could just get a bucket and pole mount it from my back porch with some concrete poured into the bucket with a pole in it. Another issue was the wire had to be underground, so the guy charged me like 40 bucks to dig a trench to put the wire in. Hope all this was helpful

 

[PSB]

Because you put the dish on a pole in the ground the system is not "Grounded to NEC code" But what do I know, if you are happy thats the main thing !

 

[digideal]

I live in an apartment and had Voom installed two weeks ago, i'll be happy to answer anything, feel free to e-mail me through the site, i will be busy the next few days so less time to check the forum...

Installed directly to my balcony railing, the complex suggested i get a 5 gallon paint jug and fill it with concrete with a poll in the middle and then attach the dish to the poll. but, it works fine on the railing.

For the line of site issue, go to Antenna web and print the map of your address. if you can see the line it creates, you should be okay, but if there are other apartments or buildings that are tall, you will have some interference. I have been without OTA for two weeks, hopefully the install on Friday will fix my issues. I called Joe at Installs, inc and am getting a squareshooter...

good luck amigo!

 

[wasch_24]

Is the Monster cable you are talking about?

Monster Video Mini

Yep, that's the one!

 

[digideal]

You might want to try a bucket mount, here's a link of how it is done and some pics. I am going to have to remount mine, apartment complex is pretty stern. Installer wants $75 to do it, i am going to do it for less than $20. http://www.bluedonkey.org/weblog/archives/000034.html