Ball park aerial upgrade question

Posted by: Top Cat on 30 December 2004

Hi folks.

I wonder if anyone around here has upgraded their tv aerial recently and how much it cost. I ask because despite being able to see the TV transmitter (it's atop a nearby hill), our house currently has an aerial INSIDE the attic. Hardly ideal. We're not getting a good picture, and have had to resort to one of those booster boxes, which is fine and all but also amplifies some crap as well.

I'm thinking that perhaps the time has come for an external aerial, so that we can get the picture that we ought to be able to get. There's a possibility that it might have to point to another transmitter due to the 'shadow' of the hill that the transmitter mast sits atop, but in either case it's going to involve a bloke up a ladder attaching an aerial to a pole, plus around 10m of coax.

So that we don't get ripped off, does anyone know roughly how much to expect to pay for such a thing? House is two storey, access is easy and the installer can probably use the existing cable*.

John

* Or possibly not. Previous installer put the aerial on the inside, but then took the coax down the outside of the house and then back in. Probably to avoid having to drop it down the wall cavity (though that wall may well be solid stone - never opened it up to check).

** long winded way of asking "what's reasonable to pay"

Posted on: 30 December 2004 by Steve2701

John,
£45 - £75 should see that simple job done, inc new steel pole on the chimney, new cable down the outside of the buiding, and through to the inside. I would insist on the newer type of coax as used by the satalite fitting guys, as it is way better screened that the older sort.
While your at it.. two thoughts.
1) the 'analogue' transmitters will be switched off at sometime in the next two/three years I beleive, you may want to check if the transmitter you can see does or will be transmitting the new digital signal, and get an aerial that will do the job?

2) I had a new one fitted about a year ago, and discussed the digital stuff with the guy. The aerial now fitted c/w new coax provided a MUCH better signal. It was So much stronger than the old one that it literally blew the sky signal into oblivion. I didnt realise this at the time, and after a few weeks replaced the ageing sky box for a new one.. only for the problem to remain (ie a terrible picture on sky)
After much research I discovered that my incoming analogue signal was way to 'close' to the sky one ( chanel 28 & 30 if I remember correctly) and that it is possible via a 'hidden' sky menu to move the incoming signal to a much higher chanel.. Mine now is around the 100 mark, and no iterference from each other whatsoever.

Hope this helps.

Posted on: 30 December 2004 by Top Cat

Thanks, Steve. I'll go ahead with it - I expected it to cost a fair bit more than that. The transmitter nearby is the main one for Edinburgh I think (or one of them) and so I'd expect it to be transmitting the digital signal. I'll insist on the new style cable.

Ta,

John

Posted on: 03 January 2005 by manicatel

Just to confirm some of what steve said,about the cost.I payed out approx £120 for an external tv & radio aeriel set-up,using someone recommended to me by my local hi-fi dealer.Results are great with my nat03 tuner,& telly.I think that sort of dough is money well spent for the amount of enjoyment I get from the radio.Cheers, matt.