Starting a new installation crew for Satellite installations. Can you professionals please provide me with a summarized list of what tools you recommend for setting up some new installers and a couple of vans?

Thank you and always continue to enjoy your professionalism on these subjects.

send to: [email protected]

Here's what I came up with, it's a good start, and includes a bunch of stuff that your installers will love you for!!

1) Nice ladder racks for the vans, nothing beats a simple and easy to use ladder rack from www.weatherguard.com excellent products. The quick clamp ones are awesome.

2) Well equipped hardware bins. You'll find yourself running to the hardware store a ton of times if you don't go upfront with the hardware.

3) Invest in good drills like Hilti or simillar. Your life will depend upon your drill, get a nice TE5 or something for each van and then outfit it with the necessary complement of bits. Hammer bits for the brick and some 'regular' bits for the normal mounting. Hilti is a wonderful product, I have never had a single problem with any of their products, and now they sell in Home Depot! www.hilti.com I really like the QwickCon stuff from them for concrete applications, and they have a TON of stuff for mounting nearly anything in any type of material. I wouldn't use anything else.

4) Buy a 24' extension ladder, an 8' step, and a 4' step. I'm a pretty tall guy, so a 6' ladder is useless to me. In your case it may be better to go with 6' and 10'.

5) A nice Sat meter really makes the peaking go faster. I always like the DigiSat II. A great little meter that uses the receiver power to peak, you can also use a battery in the meter. Pick it up almost anywhere or here. www.orbitsat.com.

6) A good company for wire running products is Labor Saving Devices. www.laborsavingdevices.com. The creepzit is great for flexible applications, or the fishstix's for when you need a 'stiffer' rod. For pop ceilings, raceway and such.

Well, it's a good start, I thought this would be good info to share so I posted, and also sent you an email.

Unless your charging more than the rate DTV gives you, don't bother with doing just satellites.

We had a satellite install division for 3 years, and it almost bankrupt us. Either you care about the install, do great work, spend WAY more time at the job than you should, and lose or make no money, or you don't care and get in and get out of a job, to make little money.

And then have to deal with the degenerates who expect the install to be free, even though they wanted wires fished, backfeeds to other TVs, and the job required more parts and time way above the install rate.

I'm so glad we ditched the satellite only install business. It was nothing but a nightmare.

Just my 2 cents.

Ok, well lets say tools for a custom a/v job?
I understand the Sat business and how it can hurt you using extra parts, labor etc. - I am looking for a list of tools - a custom installer uses on a regular basis. ??? Any ideas???

I used to be an ops manager for a fairly large retail contract shop. We had about 20 subs running huge routes every week all over the region.

Number One: Dave Baker is right, you are headed into a major nightmare unless you set your company up as the product it will not be worth it (especially these days whith the dish companies giving the systems away)

Number Two: If you are still willing to go through with it after thinking about it, shoot me an email and I will compile a list of everything you will need to supply your trucks with (I just dont have the time at the moment and may forget later)

Chip

The "tools of the trade" has actually been covered in detail last year...

[Link: remotecentral.com]

you will never have every tool needed for custom a/v installs. The basics would be:
various ladder sizes 6ft, 10ft, extension.
cordless drills, DeWalt
Dikes
rhino rods
creepzit
flexible drillbits
basic tools
etc...