I have a problem that needs some tech geek help and general fix it handi-man/woman input

The manager of the apartment I live in just came here to say that the management company (who we all loathe and hate) has come up with a new rule for 2009: the satellite dish that most tenants have bolted onto the roof is now a liability if something like Katrina happens and has to be removed within one week. For reference, I live in Los Angeles California, so a Katrinalike event is apt to happen oh...never.

There are options instead of the roof setup, fir instance we are being allowed to have the dish on our balcony on a tripod, however, I live on the bottom floor of a three story building and I am in the worst possible area that has no access to the proper facing areas for a satellite dish. My balcony is buried in between two buildings and faces NE. Cable is a non happening issue - I had it for 10 years and it was out more than it was working. Help?!?!? Suggestions??!?! I envisage planting a steel post/pipe into the cement of the balcony and running the sucker up there on the top of the pole with the wires inside...am I nuts or is this viable? Are there some other options??? Please, I LIVE for TV, and in fact, it's sadly, my best friend. Please don't be judgmental, please come to my rescue. I am normally so bad at asking for help, and my shrink tells me that I need to get over it and start asking as pretending to always be capable is a detriment. Well ok, I am asking, there is no pretense needed on this one, I have no effing clue how to deal with it. (Moving is NOT an option either.). :(

hulu.com

Please, I LIVE for TV, and in fact, it's sadly, my best friend.

http://i43.tinypic.com/2hdy0qb.jpg

great thanks! How many of these pretty pills and what are they called and who can I buy them from, and in what combination do I take them to off myself?

I recognize the round pink one, it's a thyroid medicine that I take each day to supplement my thyroid.

could you get a feed off of somebody else's dish? split a wire somewhere and run it downstairs?

this sounds like a problem for the local dish contractor man. they can set up yr bldg with a signal splitter as jergins suggests or move the dish somewhere that's acceptable to the management company.

yeah if you're worried about liability you're not going to have much luck hanging a steel pipe off of your balcony.

you might want to reinvestigate cable, or look at something like u-verse fiber optic cable?

Co-ordinating with the other residents and getting a single dish (or as many as necessary) in as perfect a place as possible, in cahoots with the management company regarding safety etc, all done by a professional, and then splitting the costs, sounds like a plan to me.

Alternatively, in lieu of TV, spend more time on ILX

If you can't get one for the building then find a neighbour with a good view of the southeast sky, at about 50 degrees to the horizontal and get them to fit a dual LNB to their dish and run a cable

http://www.csgnetwork.com/antennasatelazposcalc.html

But onw dish installed for the building seems like best bet.

You peeps are the bestest! Thanks!!!

Just having a little drama in my otherwise completely perfect spinster-like life; even the idea of no TV and big fuzzy screen had the cat addled! She paced the bedroom floor and howled all last night. Don't worry - I threw a shoe at her in the dark, scored a direct hit, but her head is bandaged and healing nicely. My face too is healing nicely following her leap from the floor onto my head after shnow bandaged from her claws

gonna investigate the "group sat dish option" or "sneaky share with a neighbor" option...and would I just buy equipment the boxes outright from DirecTV if I share, or where/what do I ask for if I have to go somewhere like best buy or circuit city?

But wait, we just had a small EQ here and I flinched and clicked the mouse on submit post so part of my post was gibberish.....unlike my usual posts that are ALLLLLLL GIBBERISHHHHH.