No line of sight FIVE YEARS AGO, installed gen 4 dish anyway!

[47robby]

When we switched from Wildblue several years ago, the original Hughesnet installer used the same pole we already had and simply swapped out the old dish for the new.  Unfortunately, that installer's laziness meant that our Hughesnet dish was pointed straight at a 50 foot tall grove of trees, giving us less than half the signal strength required to pass.  But we didn't realize that, and of course, connection to the net to goes down a hundred times a day.  We only found out these facts recently, and now feel we've been CHEATED all these years, since the repair tech they finally sent out claims there's no line of sight anywhere on our property that will give adequate passable signal for gen 4.  So apparently we can only have proper internet service if we upgrade to gen 5 and sign a new contract!  Being forced into a new contract like that does NOT seem fair at all, to me; what do you all think?  I mean, we paid fees in good faith and already fulfilled our contract years ago, but only got spotty service at best! 

I really wish Hughesnet would shoulder their responsibility for this shameful situation and make it right, not by roping me into yet another committment, but by providing the decent internet access I should have had all these years.  

With NO new committment.  

Any thoughts?

[C0RR0SIVE]

47robby,

When a terminal goes through activation and sign-off, it downloads a file that contains parameters that dictate what the minimum required signal strength in your area is.  The terminal will not activate unless it meets that signal for a period of time during install, there is no way for an installer to activate or bypass this..  It's more likely that the trees have grown into line of sight over the years if LOS actually is the issue.

[47robby]

Thanks for the reply, but there's no way the trees could've grown 30 feet since the original installation.

The repair tech said he couldn't believe we had ANY internet connection at all, with the signal strength so low.

[C0RR0SIVE]

Doesn't take 30 feet of growth to become an issue (and there are trees that can and do in fact grow upwards of 15 to 30 feet PER YEAR till they hit maturity).  Would only take a few feet before it starts to become an issue, add on a few more feet and it could become a serious problem that impacts service.

That aside, what GabeU said is correct, while the dish may be appearing to point at a certain height, it's actually reflecting the signal and the pointing is much higher than you could think.

[GabeU]

In reality, the signal the dish receives is actually coming from a higher position than where it looks like the dish is pointing.  

I wouldn't doubt that the trees weren't in the way in the beginning and they grew to become a problem.  

[47robby]

I wasn't using my eyes to determine line of sight, and neither was the repair tech.

[47robby]

Hughesnet's "service" hasn't gotten worse over the years, it has ALWAYS been shoddy and spotty.  It's an issue that began at day one and has continued to this day.

[C0RR0SIVE]

As stated earlier, OVT (Onsite Validation Test) will NOT pass an install that doesn't have adequate signal strength, and the system will not be functional, and the installer wouldn't get paid.  Installers do not have the ability to ignore the tests the modem performs during it's activation.

If LOS is an issue now, it is because of growth of the trees, if you want to stay on Gen4 then you will probably have to top the trees or cut them down, that is IF LOS is actually your issue.

What does your modem report the SQF (Satellite Receive Signal Strength) as at http://192.168.0.1/#!/home/status  ???

[maratsade]

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@47robby wrote:

Hughesnet's "service" hasn't gotten worse over the years, it has ALWAYS been shoddy and spotty.  It's an issue that began at day one and has continued to this day.

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It has actually improved considerably over the years, though clearly you are having issues with it. 

[BirdDog]

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@maratsade wrote:

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@47robby wrote:

Hughesnet's "service" hasn't gotten worse over the years, it has ALWAYS been shoddy and spotty.  It's an issue that began at day one and has continued to this day.

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It has actually improved considerably over the years, though clearly you are having issues with it. 

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I long for the 4000 and 7000 days.

[maratsade]

I think my first modem was a 7000.  Before Hughes I had AOL, and of course Hughes was a huge improvement over dialup! There were some issues, especially with bad weather. Back then the signal didn't seem to like rain, wind, ice, or flurries. It has improved SO much since then, and continues to do so steadily.

[maratsade]

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@47robby wrote:

When we switched from Wildblue several years ago, the original Hughesnet installer used the same pole we already had and simply swapped out the old dish for the new.  Unfortunately, that installer's laziness meant that our Hughesnet dish was pointed straight at a 50 foot tall grove of trees, giving us less than half the signal strength required to pass.

Was Wildblue working back then, or did you also have a line of sight issue with them? 

[gokartergo24]

I install for Hughes.  This is how I feel about it. If the line of sight was good. I would use the Wild blue pole if it was done right. Do you really want to see Dishes and poles all over your yard. If there was NLOS. then yes. I would put in a new pole. At the time of install it has to pass OVT.  Onsite validation tool. It gets a average signal level in that area at the time of install.. You must meet or exceed that to go ahead.  If it does not pass OVT we do not get paid. So at the time of install.. It passed. Hughes guarantees Line of site for 6 months after install.  On the spotty service..  That is on you for not calling in for the last 5 years to get it fixed. There could be something else wrong with your service. But since there is No line of site now.. He couldn't tell. In this area we have a lot of Redwood trees.. They grow and average of 4 to 6 ft every year..  When I install in these areas.. I try to get at least a few years of growth for the customer. But that is not always possible.

[maratsade]

@gokartergo24, Will the dishes get small enough at some point that they could be mounted on a roof?

[gokartergo24]

I'm just a installer not a engineer.  Most of my installs are on roofs.

[maratsade]

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@gokartergo24 wrote:

I'm just a installer not a engineer.  Most of my installs are on roofs.

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OK. I guess some dishes are installed on roofs, then. Thanks.

[gokartergo24]

Better the 90% of our jobs are roof mounts. We just can't do Tile or metal roofs.

[BirdDog]

Got a ground pole mount when moved into new house and really happy I did. Like the easier access to everything. Can understand in some places the easier access could be a negative.

Was joking in the 4000/7000 comment above BTW.

[gokartergo24]

Around here. We have a lot of problems with deer,cattle, horses and goats hitting the dish. For some reason deer jump up at the radio.. I've witnessed it. Guess they think it some kind of food.   Cattle and horses and goats. That's a placement issue. But not much can be done about the deer.

[BirdDog]

Can see where deer could be a problem. Mine is close enough to a pine tree that they probably stay away. Was also thinking younger children could be a problem although a low fence might work there.

[GabeU]

Pole mount here, too, at least for my HughesNet, anyway.  My DirecTV was a pole mount at first,  but the very next year the trees became a problem, so they moved it to my roof.  

I like the fact that my HughesNet dish is easy to clear of snow in the winter, and it's actually situated in such a way that I can reach out my bedroom window with an extended pole and give it a light tap, or even attach a broom end on it and get to it in such a way that I can brush it off without having to go outside an trudge through two feet or more of snow to do so.  The DirecTV dish, OTOH....what a pain in the rump!!!   

Started with a DW6000 here.  It was a good modem and one heck of an improvement over dialup.  I've never had a major problem with HughesNet, and have only ever had two small ones that were fairly easily fixed...one, inadvertently, with time and the other with a new radio.