Action line 81201 - satellite dish

  • Published
  • By Anonymous
  • 39th Air Base Wing pubic affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint: 

I reside in Phantom Housing. During my initial move into my unit, I was advised by Housing Inspectors that drilling inside the house was permitted as long as it was on hard concrete and not on wood or fixtures. 

My question is: Why are we not allowed to install satellite dishes on the outside of the house in order to have satellite reception when it's the same wall that is being drilled on the inside for personal home use? 

I live surrounded by tall trees preventing me from receiving satellite reception unless the satellite dish is mounted on the wall/back part of the house. I had three professional installers come and take a look at the set-up and installation and they both were unable to install the dish on the wooded fence or on any other lower areas of the housing unit. I also had the 39th Civil Engineer Squadron take a look at the tall trees to see if they could trim but their evaluation resulted in a denial of the work-order.

I would like to find out if there is any other option or possibility of installing a satellite dish on the outside/back portion of the house or any other avenue I might have in order to be able to acquire satellite reception.

Response: 

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to explain our rules for satellite dishes. We set these standards to balance an individual's desire for additional television channels against community appearance, damage to housing units and safety.

Since satellite dishes are considered by many to be eyesores, we require they be positioned inconspicuously in order to blend in with the existing surroundings. We also require the dishes not exceed 48 inches in diameter. Finally, we do not allow trees to be trimmed or removed solely for satellite reception.

Installation can not damage the privacy fences or quarters. The houses have an exterior weatherproof coating that resists rain and other environmental conditions. Any drilling into the exterior of the house, to include the roof, no matter how well sealed, will compromise the weather proofing and shorten the life of the structure. 

Last and most importantly, there is the issue of safety. We require cables connecting the dish to the house be buried below ground or mounted to avoid any hazards. We require a Housing Inspector approve the location prior to the installation to ensure there are no additional safety concerns. 

Unfortunately, the location/orientation of your house may prohibit the use of your satellite dish. However, we currently provide eighteen channels of satellite television for free in our housing units. We periodically look for more channels and will continue to add variety to the programs we provide. I have also asked our Communications Squadron to look into possibilities of partnering with an off base cable company to see if there may be options for us through cable. 

Thanks for the call.