Satellite TV in a high-rise apartment? It can be done

This rumor just refuses to die. People say it’s impossible to get satellite TV in a high-rise apartment. Jake Buckler wrote about it less than a year ago. They say it can’t be done. That’s just not true.

If you live in a high-rise tower, or even if you have a business in a tall building, you absolutely can get satellite TV in most cases. It just takes a little more work. There’s one trick: you need a friend in the business.

It’s different from a home install

When you put satellite TV in a single-family home, it’s actually pretty easy. Our techs do it all the time. Put a dish up high on the roof or eave, run some cables and you’re done. In a high-rise it takes a little more work. The biggest limitation is distance. Satellite signals can run through about 200-300 feet of cable without a problem. That may not be enough to get from the roof to the room where the receiver is.

Another concern is the number of customers in the building. Most people don’t know that one dish can serve a virtually unlimited number of receivers. It’s very possible but it has to be done right. Apartment owners think that bringing in satellite means dozens of dishes on the roof. That isn’t true. One dish is all you need, although the installer will need access to electricity near the roof. That’s common practice in the high-rise market and is very rarely a problem.

Sometimes the building manager is plays hardball. They don’t want to let a satellite installer have access to the roof. They don’t have to. However, by law they have to let people put a satellite dish on a patio or other private area. The dish has be able to see the satellites which usually means a southern exposure. If you can see the southern sky from your patio, you can get satellite TV generally.

You need an expert

I know you’re going to be tempted. You’ll see those commercials and think, “Gotta Get Me Some DIRECTV.” I hear you. I know how exciting it can be when you’ve finally made the decision to switch over to the top entertainment provider in the world. You’ll want to call the number, get installation as quickly as possible. The problem is, that’s the slow way to get it done. Why? Because they’ll take your order and then the installer will get there and tell you it can’t be done. It’s very frustrating.

Lucky for you there’s a better way. Start by calling the smart folks at Signal Connect, our installation arm at Solid Signal. Call them at 888-233-7563 and they will set you up using the same systems that the corporate folks use, with the same offers. The difference is they’ll send an installer who knows what he’s talking about, someone who is qualified to work at your location. If there’s a building manager or required contractor that has to be in the mix, they’ll get all that done before the install date instead of having to come out after. They’ll do it once, and do it right. That’s what you want, right?

 

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.