119 Sat- 110 Sat- 61.5 Sat if you understand this terminology you have just entered the mind of a satellite Installer. But what does it take to be a Satellite Installer? Will the PC with it Satellite Software for TV eventually make inroads into the Satellite Installers realm? In answer to the first question I can sum it up in one word...Courage!...The job requires a great deal of courage and manual dexterity. A Satellite Installer must be able to climb with no fear. Thus he or she should have no fear of heights. It requires that you be in good physical conditioning.

The days can be long, however they are exciting. The reason that the days are exciting is because you never know who or what will transpire in that day. It can range from an easy install or repair to a near miss.When it comes to Pc satellite TV software for the real installer there is no excitement because it just a click of down load away. So will PC Satellite Software destroy the work of the installer? No not by any means, there is enough work to go around with Satellite Internet and commercial work. However enough about downloads. Let's get back to the excitement that comes with being a Satellite Installer

Near Miss is the term that I use when you almost go off a roof. Near miss means you live to tell about it another day! It is adrenaline rush like you would not believe. To illustrate I can remember going up on a roof, tripod in hand because the house did not have a clear line of sight. In order to install a satellite dish you need a clear line of sight. No obstruction should be blocking the signal from the Direct Broadcasting Satellite to the antenna you are mounting. As I made my ascent I recall taking a heavy duty tie wrap and securing my ladder to the gutter as a safety precaution. The roof as remember was very steep and dangerous. I needed something out my van as I turned around I lost my footing. So I rapidly sat on my rear hoping that it would slow me down. It did not slow me down. As my body began to pick up momentum, I saw the ladder just ahead of me and to my right.

I knew if I were going to live to tell about this I would have to make a last ditch effort to hit the ladder and hope that the tie wrap hold. So with all my effort I twisted my body all 270lbs of me and thrust it towards the ladder it held! Whew you talk about exciting. When satellite installers come back to the depot we share these types of near miss situations with one another. We are close knit bunch of guys that share a common respect and admiration for one another.

I personally had a rule about near misses. That rule I called 3 and out. If I had three near misses I would get out of the business. It is rule that I respected and abide by. It is like a soldier who keeps having tours of duty, eventually you know that something tragic will happen. My second near miss as Satellite Installer was when I was training a new guy. The roof was very nice and safe looking with a moderate pitch. It had morning dew on it and I began to slide. I could hear the training saying Oh my God! Oh my God! However for some unexplained reason as I was about to go off the roof my shoes griped as I twisted and came to the edge of the roof. I looked at the trainee and said everything that you just saw me do. Do the opposite! He busts out laughing hysterically. I laughed with him because I knew I would live to tell about it another day.

My third and final near miss as Satellite Installer came on a roof that I had no business climbing. We are trained professionals who have the right to make a determination of what to do and what not to do. I was on a mansion and in order to get to the peak of the roof it required using guide wire. Guide wire is used on roof where footing can be lost easily. Guess what the mansion was a five story mansion and the guide wire pulled away from the roof. As I see the wire comes out of the roof. I knew I was in serious trouble. At point I was near a window so I grabbed the window and wedged myself against it. The LNBF (Low Noise Blocking Feed Horn) was bad. However that was my third and final near miss. I respected my 3 and out rule and soon left the business.

I still have Satellite at my house; I have had several cable companies make very nice offers to upgrade however. I have not accepted those offers. Some of the cable sales representatives do not understand why. There are personal reasons like picture quality etc., but most importantly it is because I still have the mind of a Satellite Installer. Yes a Satellite Installer who still has a mutual respect for the Industry. With Advent of PC Satellite Software The way of the good old Satellite Installer might be a thing of the past. Please look for my upcoming articles on PC Satellite Software my upcoming articles. Where I evaluated some to the latest Satellite software.

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