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View Full Version : Dish pointed at house

codemstr
09-21-2006, 03:16 PM
So the installed came out today and installed my sat's....he put in 2 dishes....I told my wife to tell him to put them on poles....so I come home after work, and one dish is pointed at the sky, and the other is pointed AT MY HOUSE.....What the hell gives?
everything works fine, but its not even remotely pointing up, just straight and level with my house.
And he charged me $160 to use the poles.....Is that resonable for installation?
Its my initial install. He made my wife write out the check to HIM. Kinda odd.
Lee L
09-21-2006, 03:29 PM
The satellite signal comes down at a higher angle than the arm holding the LNBF and then bounces off the dish and into the LNBF.
John T Smith
09-21-2006, 03:47 PM
>one dish is pointed at the sky, and the other is pointed AT MY HOUSE

Not being there I may only GUESS... but my guess is the installer did not properly tighten the nuts at the base of the arm, and the arm holding the dish sank under the weight
litzdog911
09-21-2006, 03:54 PM
So the installed came out today and installed my sat's....he put in 2 dishes....I told my wife to tell him to put them on poles....so I come home after work, and one dish is pointed at the sky, and the other is pointed AT MY HOUSE.....What the hell gives?
everything works fine, but its not even remotely pointing up, just straight and level with my house.
And he charged me $160 to use the poles.....Is that resonable for installation?
Its my initial install. He made my wife write out the check to HIM. Kinda odd.

If you're getting all of your channels, then obviously it's working fine. The dish aim can be misleading because the dish actually reflects the satellite signals from a higher angle.

I'm wondering why you have two dishes, though? What type of dishes are they? Are they combined together, or does each dish serve different Receivers/DVRs?
Mavrick22
09-21-2006, 04:05 PM
If it is Directv the second dish is probably for 72.5° for locals or 95° for international channels.

If it is Dishnetwork then the second dish is probably 61.5° for HD
litzdog911
09-21-2006, 04:11 PM
If it is Directv the second dish is probably for 72.5° for locals or 95° for international channels.

If it is Dishnetwork then the second dish is probably 61.5° for HD


Silly me, of course. That second dish is probably aimed at 72.5-deg W, which is why it's so low in the sky.
rlj5242
09-21-2006, 04:19 PM
And he charged me $160 to use the poles.....Is that resonable for installation?
Its my initial install. He made my wife write out the check to HIM. Kinda odd. $160 seems like a lot. He probably pocketed $140 and gave the install company $20 for the poles. I'd call DirecTV and let them know that he requested the check be made out to him. I'd also call his supervisor at the install company and see what a pole install really costs.

-Robert
codemstr
09-21-2006, 04:32 PM
Yeah $160 is kinda high......hmmmm I think I will call them
JimSpence
09-21-2006, 05:14 PM
Silly me, of course. That second dish is probably aimed at 72.5-deg W, which is why it's so low in the sky.That would be true if he's on the west coast. I'd say 119 if he's on the east coast, and assuming DirecTV.

What is your location? And, what programming are you subscribed to?
codemstr
09-21-2006, 05:34 PM
East Coast with Basic package, no HD
dishrich
09-21-2006, 05:44 PM
East Coast with Basic package, no HD

Uh, can you narrow it down to a CITY, since there's only umpteen different TV markets on the "east coast". :rolleyes:
(you have to help us to help you...)
Different local markets use different dish configurations.
codemstr
09-21-2006, 06:19 PM
Sorry
Charleston SC 29485 is the zip
here these may help
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/2385/blah2002fn8.jpg
http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/1990/blah2001vx3.jpg
http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/5236/blah2003qd4.jpg

Notice how the one on the left is looking at my house....kinda creapy
rlj5242
09-21-2006, 07:02 PM
Notice how the one on the left is looking at my house....kinda creapy Not creepy at all. The signal comes down like a bank shot in basketball. The signal is coming over the house and reflecting directly into the LNB.

-Robert
tvl76
09-21-2006, 07:05 PM
Sorry, but I think it would be "crappy" to have those dishes in the middle of my back yard. Pointed at or away from the house., Could'nt a better spot be off to the side of your yard or something ?
dishrich
09-21-2006, 07:25 PM
OK, my observations... (some of these the OP may not like)

-I noticed you have a neighbor that has a dish in the backyard, so I'm assuming people probably DON'T want dishes in the front yard. (most people don't) Since YOUR dish(es) have to look at the birds in the sky in a particular direction, there's not much you can do about this. Also, do you guys have tall trees in the front of your homes - maybe that's why they have to be put back in the yards in those particular spots. And/or, do you guys have steep roofs, which would make it difficult to mount the dishes on the roof?
-If I had done this, BOTH dishes could have been put on ONE pipe very easily (& YES, you need BOTH dishes w/D*, since your local channels are on a different satellite which requires the 2nd dish - our's do, too... ;) ) Obviously, the "installer" you had doesn't realize this
-I assume the reason why yours are SO close to the house, is because your installer didn't want to have to trench the cables a long distance, like he would have had to do if they were put more in the back of your yard

Since I was not there & there are too many unanswered questions, I don't think I can totally blame your installer for the job he did - HOWEVER...

Now for the part you won't like hearing...
I have NEVER understood why people bitch & complain about their installs AFTER the work is all done. Didn't either of you ask the installer where he was planning on putting the dishes, or how he was running the wire into YOUR house BEFORE he started installing. Weren't either of your around at all while he was there?

Don't people ask ANY questions when they invite people (installers) into their homes, particulary when they have NOT even MET them before. Not to mention the fact those same people will be drilling holes, running wires, putting things up on or around your house you DIDN'T have before? I guess what I don't understand is - you were smart enough to come to us NOW on this board & ask these questions, but where were your questions BEFORE the tech started taking tools out of his truck?

Again, I don't mean to offend you, but I ALWAYS ask questions before ANYONE does ANYKIND of work in MY house... ;) ;) And, being a satellite dealer/installer myself, I ALWAYS, COMPLETELY discuss what will & what WON'T be done on an install, PARTICULARY where the dishes go. I don't just assume the customer will like where they go. If nothing else, I explain the reasoning the placement of the dishes & in some cases, if they want satellite, there's not much choice.
codemstr
09-21-2006, 07:26 PM
Not my choice, I was at work while my wife was present :(
litzdog911
09-21-2006, 07:29 PM
Looks like the neighbor has a dish in their back yard too. I agree it's not the most aesthetic location.
codemstr
09-21-2006, 07:45 PM
Get this, I did a little inspecting on the dish, you know just to see what he did.....

The "Installer" didn't install the bolts that hold the LNB to the arm, on BOTH dishes!! I called his ass up and told him to come back and do it.

You can pull the damn thing right out of the arm....Maby even a bad storm could pull it right out. Thats high quality!
JimSpence
09-21-2006, 10:21 PM
From a technical point of view. The dish with the single white coax is the locals dish pointing at 72.5. And being on the east coast this will point higher in the sky. The other one is for the 101 sat. Because of geometry of the dish it just looks like it is pointing at the house. But, as mentioned earlier, the signal comes down higher.