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GarDav25
join:2012-09-03
Fosters, AL

GarDav25

Member

[Exede] Exede 12 Installation recommendations, Please

I am considering leaving HN for Exede after 12+ years. I have been reading, intensely, all remarks and am in need of the cumulative wisdom gained through your pain!

I am located in 35463, West Alabama. What directions would you recommend that I may provide to the installer that will result in a satisfactory install. Examples are specific beam, length of R6 cable... Are there more? Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
ExSatUser
join:2012-05-10
Fresno, OH

ExSatUser

Member

I can't tell you alot. He might be able to use the existing cable and mount that you have now for the dish. But make sure he checks the cable (he should have a meter to do that with). Also, make sure your existing dish mount is solid (mine wasn't have 6 years..lol).

Probably the best recommendation I can make is who you buy from. IF you can get Exede through Dish or the NRTC, you can get a 10GB package for $50. If you get it from Viasat, you only get 7.5 GB for $50. 25% more of the same price...not a bad deal! If you need more data during prime time, the 15 and 25GB packages are priced the same. However, IMHO the 25GB package is very overpriced. In fact, I would probably go with Hughesnet Gen4 before the Exede 25GB package.

wm4bama
join:2012-05-10
Goodwater, AL

wm4bama to GarDav25

Member

to GarDav25
First of all I'd recommend you use a local dealer for your install..the nearest to you looks like:

5697 Reform-Gordo Rd.
Gordo, AL 35466
Dealer: Skylink Entertainment
Phone: 205-364-0394
E-mail: skylincent@yahoo.com

The first decision you and him will decide is what type of dish mount can be used and where to locate it...I personally favor a pole mount, but that will cost you extra, it's not part of a standard installation but I think you will benefit from it in the long run...a side mount is second choice and roof mount is 3rd choice.

You want your dish installed as close to where you want the modem as possible...the shorter the coax run the better..30' or no more than 50-60' if line-of-site to the satellite allows the dish to be installed that close to your house entry point....

He will use approved coax...you can't dictate that, but you should be there during the installation and watch the entire process closely...write down the info on the coax he uses..this will demonstrate to him you may check out the quality of his work with others.

You also can't specify a beam..this is fixed for your geographical location and you have no choice...it will all be on his work order.

The next, and most critical procedure of the installation process is his expertise in pointing and peaking the dish alignment...stand close to the dish while he does this and listen to the tones coming from the Tria (on end of Dish)...after he peaks the signal and torques the fasteners he should do a push-pull lightly on all 4 quadrants of the dish and listen for the beeps to indicate a slight push or pull weakens the signal and the strong signal returns when he releases the push/pull..he may have to re-point and or re-peak the dish more than once to get the "perfect" alignment, but this is the most critical step of the installation.

He should install the ground wire from your Tria to the pole (if pole mount used) and from the mount to a ground block and from the ground block to your house ground. (a ground block is just a bracket with a barrel coax connector that allows the coax to be connected on either side and a ground wire attached from the dish/pole and to your house ground.

Your zip code says you will get Exede12 service, the fastest..

After he provisions your system and turns it over to you ask him to standby and watch you for a few seconds...make sure your computer is hardwired to the modem (not wireless for this test) and open your brower and go to this site...

First, run a download test and select the 12mB file size...you should get close to 12mbs...then go back and run an upload test and use the 5.8mB file size...you should get =>2mbs...do not use the smart test..run a separate download and upload test.

Good luck...

»testmy.net/

bak2sat
@pioneer.com

bak2sat

Anon

DO NOT USE Dishnetwork.... they are not honoring the Late Night Free Zone!!! and I heard that they had not implemented the Buy more (where you purchase more data). But I could be wrong. I have my Exede through Dish and it works great but I do not get my LNFZ!!!

Just my 2 cents

wm4bama
join:2012-05-10
Goodwater, AL

wm4bama

Member

According to the Exede moderators on the wildblueworld forum it's just a matter of time before Dish announces the LNFZ and buy-more capability for their customers...a couple of existing Dish customers claim the LNFZ is already working for them..

Many customers claim that the LNFZ starts/ends at different times than midnight-5am...it looks like it was using GMT for everyone instead of their local time zone.

The Exede moderator said they are aware of this complaint and are working on it..
GarDav25
join:2012-09-03
Fosters, AL

GarDav25

Member

Thank you all for your advice. I will add my experience when we move forward on the install.

hdman
Flt Rider
Premium Member
join:2003-11-25
Appleton, WI

hdman to GarDav25

Premium Member

to GarDav25
I might suggest looking for an NRTC coop in your area who sells Exede. I truly like the NRTC model mainly because they are LOCAL people with LOCAL installers and there is a LOCAL office you can go to if you have problems. Just my 2 cents. I used my local NRTC for WB and now for Exede and I have been tickeld pink with the support.

HDMAN
marsh_0x
join:2006-04-25
Tomahawk, WI

marsh_0x

Member

I can't get an answer out of Dish Network when and if.
Tempted to pay the penalty and go with Viasat.
GarDav25
join:2012-09-03
Fosters, AL

GarDav25

Member

Talked with the local installer Friday afternoon. He answered my questions with patience. The installation is to take place Monday afternoon. I will update with details when we are up and running.
GarDav25

GarDav25

Member

Exede installed yesterday. Appointment was for 1:00 p.m. Installer arrived at 2:30 leaving at 6:00. Living remotely has a few disadvantages - he got lost twice before calling. New pole and cable run. Dish pointing attempted six times with the sixth being the charm. The installer had to call support and they walked him through the final dish pointing. First test 13.93. I am pleased with the speed!
ExSatUser
join:2012-05-10
Fresno, OH

ExSatUser

Member

Installer arrival times are tough because oftentimes an install doesn't go as planned. What is expected to take 90 minutes can end up being 150 minutes very easily.

I watched my installer do the dish pointing....not an easy task. They use the "tone" to assist with the pointing...but to me the old school way of using a signal meter would be a lot better and more exact. The installer agreed with me...old school way was better...lol.

Sounds like you are getting good speed. I only test mine now during the LNFZ because it takes a 20MB file to get a good reading. Don't want to download that much data for nothing!

wm4bama
join:2012-05-10
Goodwater, AL

wm4bama to GarDav25

Member

to GarDav25
Welcome to Exede12...Fosters, Al looks to be west of T-town and your spot-beam is in an area where 334, 341 and 342 have some overlap...but more than likely you're on the same spot-beam as me..

Hope you enjoy your new system and keep us posted on your observations..

bmc
@comcast.net

bmc to GarDav25

Anon

to GarDav25
you will be happy with the switch.try to keep the cable run over 20ft under 100ft make sure the tech is using solid copper cable. also make sure they use the 9 sweep method to tune in your dish and make sure the dish skew is to the speks of the workorder most techs leave it at 90 deg that is not correct
GarDav25
join:2012-09-03
Fosters, AL

GarDav25

Member

Again, thanks for the comments.

I am on beam 341.

Speed is just so impressive.

The cable run is about 50 feet. I overheard the WB support person tell the installer, while he was trouble shooting the install, that the cable run should be between 50 and 100 feet with solid copper cable.

On the sixth attempt at aiming the dish is when he skewed the dish which resulted in acquiring a good signal.

I do have an intermittent problem in that access to my Bellsouth email account is hit and miss using outlook.

Any recommendations with this item will be appreciated.
GarDav25

GarDav25

Member

Operational for one week now. Pleased with performance. Outlook looses connectivity at some point during the day. Same thing happened with HN. Still happy about the move.
Kaosfury
join:2011-06-27
Altavista, VA

Kaosfury to GarDav25

Member

to GarDav25
your tech had to try 6 times to find the signal?
GarDav25
join:2012-09-03
Fosters, AL

GarDav25

Member

Yes, six tries before he could obtain a signal lock. The sixth try was performed based on the recommendation of the Exede telephone support to "skew" the dish. He was getting a signal on each previous try, just not sufficient to lock in for installation. I was/am very pleased with the speed of the system since going live.