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June 9, 2008
Direct TV antenna
At the risk of triggering the usual greedy landlord versus bitter tenant brawl, here's my question:
We live in a 2-family house. Our tenants arranged for Direct TV to come out to put up a small dish, without consulting first. They are willing to work with us on dish placement but I don't know how flexible the DTV people can be while ensuring reception. I would rather not see the dish from the front or the backyard. I also don't want a bunch of new visible wires running down from the roof. Deos anyone know how easy it is to tuck one of these things away and out of sight? Wich way do they need to face to get reception (I know, up, but towards north, or south, etc.)? Have you been in this situation before as either a landlord or tenant? Should I just say no? Just allow it? Allow it only if DTV can put it in an agreeable location?
Comments
You need to supervise. Direct TV sub-contracts the installs. I am a landlord with a tenants as well. They recently sent an idiot who put black coax cable through the apt (with white walls) we made them come back and fix it. Also, the dish needs to point south. They can put it at the back of the house on the roof if they have a clear view of the southern sky. Cables will hang off back of house and they drill through wall into house. They charge a lot to 'hide' the cables.
ONLY let them do it if you are around to see it through. If you find they can only put it in a place that doesn't work for you, say 'no' .
p.s. I have Direct TV in my part of the house and the dish is in a great place out of sight.
Posted by: guest at June 9, 2008 10:23 PM
To amplify what 10:23 said, you REALLY need to supervise them. Left on their own, these boneheads will take the quickest and easiest path to accomplish the job no matter how destructive or ugly it is. I've seen them drill 1/2" holes through the most visible panel of hundred year-old wainscot, fasten dishes to cornices, loop cable across the front windows and staple 30 feet of cable to nicely finished baseboards rather than drill a hole through the adjoining wall. They don't bloody care.
I got Primestar satellite installed before DirecTV bought them. I planned the cable runs in advance and ran 2" conduit inside a closet for them to do their vertical runs. It took them half a day to get the job done but DirecTV is paying them to do the installation the customer wants, not what they want.
Plan how you want every foot of those cable runs and where you want the holes. As for the dish, I had them mount mine near the center of the roof so it's not visible from the street. It requires southwest exposure and a clear line of sight from 15-35 degrees.
Posted by: Steve at June 9, 2008 11:34 PM
One more comment: you can do the inside cable runs yourself. This way you can take your time tucking them behind baseboards and pulling them inside walls. DirecTV can work with standard RG-6 coax cable. (While you're at it, why not pull CAT6 and multi-mode fiber cables at the same time?)
Posted by: Steve at June 9, 2008 11:47 PM
Thanks everyone. When we renovated, we ran CAT5 and cable wire all through the rental, so there is no need for them to drill a single hole into the house, although your points are well taken to be there when the installer is there so that they don't drill where they don't ahve to. I believe all the inastaller needs to do is mount an antenna and run a wire to connect at the back of the house where we have provided a connection.
My concern is where reasonableness lies in the event the installer needs to put the antenna in a place where I don't want it. The roof would be ideal except that I don't want to have to be there every time it needs servicing or adjustment. But perhaps that is not a worry.
Posted by: slopefarm at June 10, 2008 9:33 AM
FWIW I had no trouble getting a DTV installer to attach my dish to a middle chimney where it can't be seen from either the front or back of my house. I've had it for 7 years and, so far, it hasn't had to be serviced.
Posted by: Bob Marvin at June 10, 2008 9:55 AM
The dish itself will rarely, if ever, require maintenance. In nine years I've had sat technicians on my roof three times, installing replacement dishes for expanded service.
Posted by: Steve at June 10, 2008 11:11 AM
DO NOT LET THEM INSTALL UNSUPERVISED!!!
I was a victim of a Direct TV installation and I came home in middle of a disaster, holes in door jams, window sills, loose wires, etc. I SENT HIM HOME ASAP. Cancelled installation and got Dish TV, much better install, two guys, wiring tight, minimal holes, etc.
Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 3:17 PM
Tell your tenant "NO."
Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 3:30 PM
You have no legal basis to allow installation of DirecTV.
Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 3:42 PM
I'm a renter and I have to tell you that I think your tenants were out of line. I live in an apartment building now, but for many years I rented a floor in a brownstone, and I asked permission before doing ANYTHING, including hooking up cable and getting a dog. My landlords were great and we had a terrific relationship, but I think that had a lot to do with the fact that i treated their home and them with respect, and they in turn treated me well. So you do have every right to say no if the installation or maintenance will cause you grief.
Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 4:20 PM
if you already have the cable wire installed behind all the walls I think you are worrying way too much here. Its very easy to have direct TV install the dish in a good spot for you and have it connected to the lines outside the house that you have already provided. Just tell the tenant as long as direct TV can put in it a spot you approve of (unfortunately you'll have to be there for this)and run the wires out of the way outside the house that they can have them. In the future if it needs to be serviced you won't need to be there, this would be the tenants problem to take care of and the repair tech can access it easily in the common space outside the house
Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 4:36 PM
There is a catch. In this day, when everyone wants DVR you will need two cables running to the back of the DTV box. So, if you have run only one cable in the wall, they will need to run a second cable.
I echo everyone else's sentiment regarding supervising them.
I also have the dish mounted on the middle chimney on the roof. Out of sight....out of mind.
Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 5:26 PM
If I may, as the owner you may tell the tech where and where not to put the satelite. Explain your worries and tell him/her BEFORE they drill you will must approve placement. All they need is an unblocked view of the southwestern sky. They can also plug into your existing lines with ease. Now for the plug, i have directv and it's great. Every NFL games, CraZy HD channels, and great customer support. :-)
Posted by: BIGD_at_BKNY at June 11, 2008 12:15 AM
Hi,
I would highly recommend you use Value Electronics an independent DirecTV installer based in Scarsdale. Their website is http://www.valueelectronics.com/
I have used them for two DirecTv installations (as a tenant). They are true professionals and much better than your run of the mill DirecTV contractors (who I twice recently threw out of my house due to the black cable/white wall issue above).
As for installation/reception issue, your DirecTV dish must have a clear view of the southern sky. (Their satellite is in stationary orbit above Texas).
Value Electronics can probably install the dish on your roof (so it wont be visible), and I would clarify this with them when you call to make an appointment (they will probably need to bring a ladder both to mount the dish and to run the wires). They do a great job of tacking the wire behind the gutter drains so you don't see it.
Anyway, I recommend them so give them a call. Best of luck.
PS DirecTV is the best TV out there, so you have some quality tenants!
Posted by: guest at June 11, 2008 1:24 PM
I may be too late to chime in, but.....definately supervise them. There were two dishes in our building when we moved in. One was fine, the other dish was drilled right into the roof!!!
Posted by: dollymibella at June 15, 2008 12:10 AM
The poster who said "Tell your tenant NO" is out of line.
Federal law, enforced by the FCC, allows TV antennas, and DBS (satellite) dishes up to 40" diameter, on almost any properties. There are few exclusions, such as where they would damage historic buildings.
The tenants can't damage your building (except with your permission...holes for bolts and wiring, etc), but they can place it anywhere that would be "exclusive use", i.e.: where they have control of people accessing it. That would include balconies and patios.
It's best to work with them to "do it right", rather than fight. You could even do a common system, with a single TV antenna and dish(es), to feed several units in a building...that keeps things nice and neat.
Posted by: guest at June 22, 2008 2:19 PM
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