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DirectTV can not be installed - what to do?
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Guys,
I live in a wonderful old growth oak forest. My house is surrounded on the South side by these huge trees. the DirectTV installer tried installation at a high point on top of my single-story house - he couldn't get signal strength enough (through the trees) to say the install was done, so he took the gear away and they refunded my money.
I really want satellite.
Has anyone ever heard of a person building a tower on their house or beside their house for installing a dish? Can it be done? Does anyone know of any resources on the web which might offer stuff for this?
Thanks in advance!
chewy
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
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That is one of the major weakness of satellite tv - the dish needs line of site. Weather is the other major weakness.
I have direct-tv and found that it can be some what finicky when we get rain showers. Once my contract expires, I'll be going to cable or FIOS.
I'd not want to build a tower just for a dish, seems it would be an eye sore to me. I've seen them on trees and such but not a tower.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Union County, NJ
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Why do you want satellite? We're getting rid of ours. No HD TiVo on DirecTV = adios.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Hampton Roads, VA
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If he lives in those conditions there is a possibility that cable is not available to him.
You can install the satellite dish on a tower of some sort. Many people have small aluminum poles they affix theirs to, but only because they don't want to put it on their house. You may want to look into something like an artificial tree if you are concerned about the aesthetics...
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All glory to the hypnotoad.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Manhattan, NY
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My Mom has it installed atop an aluminum tower right next to the house. It goes up about a hundred feet and kinda makes her home look like a radio station. Though, there are plenty of large trees around also so it doesn't matter.
It looks exactly like one of these:
TV Antenna Towers - Stallions Satellite and Antenna
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Louisiana
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*I swear I'm just kidding.
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: FL Cape
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Well, I am a DirecTV installer, for another 8 days until my 2 weeks runs out. In any case, yes a dish can be installed atop a tower. Where do you live? The primary satellite for DirecTV is fairly "high" in the sky at most location across the US, over 50 degrees elevation in the South. You may be able to get it without a very tall tower at all, or it may end up being quite complicated depending on just how close/tall the trees are. In a worst case scenario, that you have to use a very tall self supporting tower, you'll also run into a couple of other issues.
Your typical DirecTV installer won't have the safety/climbing equipment necessary to install atop such a tower. Further, depending on where it needs to be placed there could be issues with cable distance, as the maximum cable run between dish/receiver is about 200 feet before additional amplification and voltage regulation equipment is required.
Step 1 needs to be to find a local independent retailer for DirecTV. A mom and pop shop that has been doing satellite installs since the C-band days and has moved on to Dish and DirecTV will almost certainly be better suited to your needs than a DirecTV HSP employee or subcontractor that you'll get when you just call DirecTV up. You will get charged more in this situation, but have a much better chance of actually getting it completed. It doesn't sound like you stand much of a chance of qualifying for a "free" install anyway.
You should also go to DBStalk.com where you'll find many other knowledgeable people about satellite service in general who will be better able to answer your questions.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Yorktown, VA
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Get Fios. That's what I did. I miss Sci-Fi HD, but Fios is very nice and I get to use TiVo.
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"I'm virtually bursting with adequatulence!" - Bill McNeal, NewsRadio
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Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Polwaristan
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What about running it north into a clearing then onto a pole? This would put it in a better position relative to azimuth and elevation. You'd be limited by however far the coax can run from dish to receiver/house. Not sure what that length is.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: In the South
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Having gone through this and getting the install anyway, I advise against it. 6 months later, the growth on and above the trees ruined the signal and it just got worse over time. I miss DirecTV, but not the hassle of the damn trees interfering with signal.
Funny, I could "tivo" HD shows. Not sure about that comment.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
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Can you climb up one of the trees and mount it onto the tree?
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: FL Cape
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Originally Posted by Buckaroo
Can you climb up one of the trees and mount it onto the tree?
While I've seen this done, it is generally not a good idea. The satellite dish has to be aimed fairly precisely, and as the tree grows the dish will twist and move off target.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Yorktown, VA
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Originally Posted by KeriVit
Funny, I could "tivo" HD shows. Not sure about that comment.
To record all of the new HD channels on DirecTV, you need to use their own DVR. It's actually pretty good, but it's no TiVo.
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"I'm virtually bursting with adequatulence!" - Bill McNeal, NewsRadio
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Professional Poster
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Hampton Roads, VA
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Originally Posted by lavar78
Get Fios. That's what I did. I miss Sci-Fi HD, but Fios is very nice and I get to use TiVo.
What heavily wooded area do you know of that has Fios available???
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All glory to the hypnotoad.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Union County, NJ
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Originally Posted by lavar78
To record all of the new HD channels on DirecTV, you need to use their own DVR. It's actually pretty good, but it's no TiVo.
Nothing is TiVo and the DirecTV DVRs are sh*t.
If it doesn't work with a TiVo Series 3, I don't want the service.
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Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Lansing, MI
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Originally Posted by starman
Why do you want satellite? We're getting rid of ours. No HD TiVo on DirecTV = adios.
DirecTV HD DVR FTW. It is actually pretty good.
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In a barrier free world, who needs Windows™ and Gates?
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Yorktown, VA
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Originally Posted by Heavy Fluid
DirecTV HD DVR FTW. It is actually pretty good.
Agreed. It took a little time to get used to it, but it's not bad by any stretch. That being said, I'm happy to have TiVo again.
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"I'm virtually bursting with adequatulence!" - Bill McNeal, NewsRadio
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
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I don't have HD service with my direct-tv but overall I've been satisfied with their DVR. That's not to say that I've been happy with their service which I'm not and I'll be dropping them. as I mentioned as soon as the contract expires.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: In the South
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I have to say I like the DirecTV DVR MUCH better than Comcast. But, I've never had a Tivo.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Union County, NJ
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Originally Posted by KeriVit
I have to say I like the DirecTV DVR MUCH better than Comcast. But, I've never had a Tivo.
Well, there ya go.
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Madison, WI
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Heh, there are large groups of people that hate every individual cable provider, and every individual satellite provider.
So when threads like this fill up with people ragging on them, I always find it rather silly.
-Owl
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Banned
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Indy.
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Originally Posted by starman
Well, there ya go.
One of the few things starman and I agree on. Well, there ya go.
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Banned
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Indy.
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Originally Posted by OwlBoy
Heh, there are large groups of people that hate every individual cable provider, and every individual satellite provider.
So when threads like this fill up with people ragging on them, I always find it rather silly.
-Owl
True, but no one hate TiVo. I have yet to hear of a single person who has ever had a bad thing to say about TiVo other than it seems a bit high priced at first, but then you understand after you have used it a while.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jun 2008
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So no, I'm not cutting down a tree, yes I'm buying one of the tall tv towers (thanks for the link) and I'll report back how the install goes. <giggling> I'll tell you guys how the install goes.
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
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45/47
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
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Having also been a DTV installer before, one other thing not mentioned is the length of the cable run. If it's more than 200 feet or so between the dish and the receiver, you're going to run into problems with signal loss.
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Al MB 2.4GHz 2GB DDR3
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Madison, WI
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Originally Posted by hokie17
Having also been a DTV installer before, one other thing not mentioned is the length of the cable run. If it's more than 200 feet or so between the dish and the receiver, you're going to run into problems with signal loss.
Originally Posted by Teronzhul
issues with cable distance, as the maximum cable run between dish/receiver is about 200 feet before additional amplification and voltage regulation equipment is required.
It was in that long post, too long to read I guess.
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Copenhagen
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Originally Posted by Jawbone54
Well hoo da hell axed you anyways?!
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Winston-Salem, NC
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Heheh guess I missed that post.
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Al MB 2.4GHz 2GB DDR3
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: FL Cape
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Eh, I'm used to people ignoring me. I also mentioned DBSTalk.com 18 posts before Chongo. I suppose I'm just not very interesting.
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Banned
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Indy.
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Originally Posted by Teronzhul
Eh, I'm used to people ignoring me. I also mentioned DBSTalk.com 18 posts before Chongo. I suppose I'm just not very interesting.
Is this the part where I say: "But I like you Teronzhul" and then you say: "Nobody good likes me"?
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