Where to place a DirecTv box in Isata 3 Profile

[caswelld]

Brian,

I'm still trying to find a place to put the DirecTv box.

On the front passenger side, below the TV mounting bracket, right at the small shelf it looks like there would be room to cut a hole in the cabinetry deep enough for our DirecTv receiver box.

Even though the Genie is a bit smaller, it would still require cutting. Here's the size of our H24 box:
Height: 2.8”
Width: 15.2″
Depth: 11.8″
[needs a little air circulation room]

What's behind the plywood shelf where I'm pointing below the TV mount? Is there any bracing that runs low there that would interfere with cutting a hole at shelf level 5" high and 10" deep, 16" wide?

I guess I'm asking just where the bracing for the TV mount runs. I tapped right at shelf level below the mount & really couldn't tell what was there. I don't want to mess up the TV mount, it works great.

Thanks Brian.

[Magnatudes]

Dave, have you considered positioning the sat receiver standing up on it's end on the left side of the TV mount closer to the front facing cabinet. I don't have my Isata 3 yet so I can't help with measurements.

[cavie]

Lay it across the swing are and secure it with a bungee cord.

[caswelld]

Originally Posted by Magnatudes

Dave, have you considered positioning the sat receiver standing up on it's end on the left side of the TV mount closer to the front facing cabinet.

Thanks Andy, not sure if there is room, but I'm going to look at that.

I guess the DVR will run face down okay.

A bracket would be easier to fabricate & it would be hidden by the TV.

[smithvilletx]

The tv mounts I have installed have accessory trays you can order and they attach to the bracket and locate right below the tv. Then the satellite/dvd box is facing the same direction as the tv.
Hope this helps,
Joe

[chroniekon]

I have something similar to this in my tool box. While these cheap ones are limited, they can be handy for looking around inside walls.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0748CLCSG/ref=dp_cerb_1

[Magnatudes]

Originally Posted by caswelld

Thanks Andy, not sure if there is room, but I'm going to look at that.

I guess the DVR will run face down okay.

A bracket would be easier to fabricate & it would be hidden by the TV.

I was thinking that you might be able to cut a vertical hole on the left of the mount and slide the sat receiver standing on its side into it. It appears that there is some depth in that area. Venting could be yet another hole with a vent cover, maybe on the inside of the open cabinet unless it's already open.

[bclemens]

We used to build those out of lumber/stiles and paneling. I think the guys found it easier just to build that whole front face out of balsa wood plywood. So what you are pointing to, should be a solid sheet of 1/2" balsa plywood. Nothing behind it, but I wouldn't go to deep with a blade in the even some wires are hanging down.

[Magnatudes]

Brian, a while ago you mentioned that your guys were working a design mod in this area to better accommodate these receivers. Has that been done and if so will it show up in my order?

[bclemens]

Not sure. I know that the depth has changed due to the depth of the jensen radio. As for the width, I gave engineering the dimensions of the largest receiver that we should see, but I am not 100% sure where they are in the process of that.

[mlmay12]

You can easily pull the speaker next to the door and look inside that entire area with a flashlight. I was even able to work inside there splicing and routing wiring and cables with one hand. Here is where I put my Direct TV Receiver. It may be a little smaller being standard definition. I have a carry out Dish.

[caswelld]

Originally Posted by bclemens

Not sure. I know that the depth has changed due to the depth of the jensen radio. As for the width, I gave engineering the dimensions of the largest receiver that we should see, but I am not 100% sure where they are in the process of that.

Engineering probably has a lot on their desk, but I am surprised the Winegard T4 antenna was ever offered as an option on an Isata 3 without providing a place to put the receiver box.

Width is an issue as you can see below, but the depth of the front shelf is even more of an issue. That shelf where you see my DVR needs to have dimensions of 16" wide and 13" deep. The DVR is 11.8" deep, we need an additional inch for connections. There is more than 5" of unused space between the end of the cabinet wall and the front cap insulation. That would allow room for the DVR to set on the shelf.

Milmay12 suggested looking behind the passenger side speaker. I did that and found lots of room that's not being used there. The picture shows that there is room on the side and even more up front. The entire front cabinet wall should have been designed to take advantage of the space allowed by the curving front cap. Had the cabinet wall been moved forward 5" at the base and angled upward paralleling the curve of the cap there would be room for any receiver.

The engineers could benefit from a trip to an RV show to see what the competition is doing with that wasted cap space.

Dave

[bclemens]

I think I posted somewhere else...maybe earlier in this thread. They have already pushed that front out. Is there room to the right or left of that opening? It is just plywood, so a nice fine router bit can cut the sides back farther to accommodate the width of that box. Then we just sand and paint black.

The Winegard being offered was likely premature on our part. It's one of those things where we are trying to accommodate customer requests. We frequently had people asking for a Winegard In-Motion, Winegard brought us a Wally to look at and it will fit anywhere. Dish is the only service that offers month to month subscriptions and we were trying to get it out quickly. So we proto-d one for a guy, his Wally worked out great so we offered it up on the price sheets. We did not do the homework we should have done in regards to the myriad of potential set ups that we would see. Lesson learned.

So in our eagerness to accommodate, we did not fully look at the user experience.

[Magnatudes]

Seems like the Jensen stereo should have been mounted higher where the open cabinet is located and an open area should have been at the bottom so that a sat receiver can sit flat on top cab ceiling platform. If there was a cutout at the bottom that is 16"+ and covered/overlapped with a 1/4" thick soft plastic, then the plastic cover could be cut out to fit any user sat receiver with possibly a stacked DVR, BlueRay, or whatever.

[caswelld]

Originally Posted by bclemens

So in our eagerness to accommodate, we did not fully look at the user experience.

Thanks for doing the extra things that you are, it makes a difference.

This is just part of continuous improvement!