pin/san confusion

I have read some posts in this forum that indicate you can call direcway and get a pin/san, I am trying to set up a dish and called them, they took my credit card number, no problem, but told me they don't give out pins/sans except to dealers only. By the way I got the dish pointed myself, but I think it won't communicate with the NOC to run the cross-pol in auto mode (it passes in manual) Am I correct in assuming that since I have no pin/san issued the transmitter won't communicate with noc ? Direcway never asked for any info about the modems as far as serial numbers/etc. I just told them I had used 4000's and could I still get them commissioned they said yes and set up an account.
And now I am supposed to have an installer come out to do the commissioning. My point is this: I want to make sure all is well on my end and the system will work, If an installer has to come out and I have to pay by the hour I just want him to have to do the commisioning only if it is not possible to do it myself.