Don't try this at home!

[DQDick]

If any of you were wondering I didn't post a follow up to my great Dish TV idea last Thursday as promised, it's because it wasn't a great idea. Also, my apologies to the folks I was supposed to name as referents, buy the time a week of fighting etc was over somehow that got lost in the shuffle. It all started because I'm an old dog and didn't want to learn the satellite TV tricks. Just come out here and install it. Dish wouldn't do it. RV's are only done by third parties (dish had them 50 miles away on all compass points) all of whom refused to come out here to the boonies. They have a Dish installer who lives 10 miles away, however, and I had the schematic. Here's some of the things I learned. Don't try to call Dish and get a supervisor, that just plain won't work. Later when they have totally screwed up you can send an email and then maybe a supervisor will respond. In my case it was really screwed up and I did finally get a supervisor who did finally get it fixed, but not until yesterday. Don't expect a Dish installer to be able to read a schematic. Not only can't they, they don't even want to learn or even look at it. You can get Dish to come to an RV and install if you have a street address and you order by talking to someone on a chat. You tell them three different times that the install involves a Winegard Antenna and give them the model number each time and insist that the system must work with that antenna. They will ignore it. They haven't a clue about antenna's and don't care. Print the chat, I believe they can look those chats back up, but it helps to be able to show the installer and tell the supervisor you have it in writing. The installer will come and hook everything up to their antenna and it will all work and they will leave. You will unhook their antenna and hook it to your's and it won't work. Receiver and the Winegard will be incompatible. After talking to Winegard, you have to be called back, but they will call back. Then send the email explaining it all, be sure to mention the promises you have in writing. Installer will then be coming back with two receivers and if you wanted DVR's then you will have to learn about external hard drives and buy some. You may at this point get some discounts including the fees for external hard drives, but by now it's really not worth it. Then the installer will set you up again, it won't work right again when you switch antenna's but by now Dish will have assigned an RV guy to you and he will walk you thru setting it up right. My skill set is now improved and like it or not I have learned satellite TV in a Monty, but like I said, avoid this process.

[bncinwv]

Sounds like I had better stick to Directv. Here is the tribulations I went through: Had dealer install Winegard Travler, grab receiver from house, plug up magic auto-seek box, press power button twice, hook up receiver (one HD in LR and one in BR), turn sets on and (again magic), have Directv in HD. The really magic part that I still cannot figure out, is satellite works, cable works and on-air works, all at the same time, in any combination on any set (except outside connection that I wired for satellite only, gotta work on that one). And I attribute all of this hi-tech inter-connectivity to......MAGIC!!!!
bingo

[CATCRAW]

Sounds like a nightmare. Like bncinwv our Wingard Trav'ler with Directv just works - if there are no trees. Just got a really good deal on a Carryout (SD only) for those times when trees just don't cooperate. Took it out and connected it to the Montana, plugged it in, disconnected the coax from the receiver and connected a coax from the SAT connection to receiver and instantly perfect signal. I love it when things just work...

[DQDick]

Yup, I'd hoped for that. That's how it works now, but I might as well become an RV dealer for them since I had to learn how to make it work.

[bigmurf]

My wife will not allow me to comment on Directv or Winegard Carryout. My blood pressure goes up and I think my ICD will go off anytime.

Before you ask, ICD =Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator

[Sheepdog]

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

Yup, I'd hoped for that. That's how it works now, but I might as well become an RV dealer for them since I had to learn how to make it work.

Dick,
I have recently gone thru a similar experience, so I feel your pain. I could probably do Dish installs now after my leaning experience. I have been using a Wingard Carryout with a Dish 722 reciever for a year and half, but when we got to WA I thought I'd set up the Sat Dish, had problems and called the local installer. He found problems with the LBN eyes and finally got everything working. He said the Carryout was not compatable with my 722 reciever; said I needed the 211 and ext harddrive if I wanted to keep DVR. Emailed Dish about this and they said same thing! Called Winegard and they said no problem with my reciever and that the Dish techs don't know what they're talking about! Now running off the Sat Dish so I can run both tvs independently. I guess we can now be MOC authorities now. Call me anytime.
Chuck