Installing a roof aeriel Value your opinions :)

larmy16

I have NTL but want to eventually replace it with Freeview. My ds has one box in his room disconnected and we have one in front room, family package I think £8.50. We also have the phone and their £17.99 broadband but would eventually like to switch back to BT, not sure, just one step at a time for now!

I have looked through various threads and tried different combinations to get this freeview to work - no luck. We have no roof aeriel which is why we had NTL when we moved here. I tried with the adaptor on the end of the ntl cable - no luck and there is some connection with a portable aeriel but freezing of picture so thats no good either.

If I want to save money in the long run, I have to pay out to get an aeriel. I have been quoted £155. approx (inc. VAT) + approx £70 for any additional boxes (sorry cant think what you call them). Ideally would like one downstairs and one in sons room.

Opinions regarding the price. This company came recommended from a v. good electrician through a friend.

Ken68

Depends how near you are to the signal, Larmy.
I have my terrestrial aerial in the loft.
Local roofers charge £ 25 minimum for small jobs, so you should be able to work out the labour costs. Sounds dear to me.

irnbru_2

larmy16 wrote:

I tried with the adaptor on the end of the ntl cable - no luck and there is some connection with a portable aeriel but freezing of picture so thats no good either.

Yes, your NTL cable connected to a freeview box won't work! Good try though

I'd confirm first if you can officially receive Freeview in your area.

larmy16 wrote:

If I want to save money in the long run, I have to pay out to get an aeriel. I have been quoted £155. approx (inc. VAT) + approx £70 for any additional boxes (sorry cant think what you call them). Ideally would like one downstairs and one in sons room.

Do you mean £70 for each additional aerial socket fitted? If they're fitting and tacking the cable to the external wall drilling through and providing you with a wall socket then that sounds reasonable.

The only thing to add is to specify CT100 cable as the connection.

larmy16

irnbru wrote:

Yes, your NTL cable connected to a freeview box won't work! Good try though

I'd confirm first if you can officially receive Freeview in your area.



Do you mean £70 for each additional aerial socket fitted? If they're fitting and tacking the cable to the external wall drilling through and providing you with a wall socket then that sounds reasonable.

The only thing to add is to specify CT100 cable as the connection.

Irnbru someone on another thread said they got theirs to work with this adaptor! I bought it specially from Maplins - it was worth a try tho I guess - it was a very long thread about the best value box, but some others reckoned they got it perfectly with indoor aeriel, so I tried all those but no luck. I already have the freeview recommended Echostar T101 and I managed to work out (in fact it did it itself), so I was a bit proud to get even that far. It was all tuned in etc. however no signal!

Yes I did mean for the installation on the roof plus two sockets and thank you for the mention of CT100 - it means nothing to my scrambled female brain, but I will write it down. I have checked on that website that the service is available in my area. Anyway when the engineer comes he will surely be au fait with all that won't he???

They said the work was guaranteed for a year etc. so they would hardly install if there was no signal would they? Sorry I am a complete dumbo about this stuff Thanks so much for your advice tho

economiser

Its important to get the aerial set up properly. Direction seems very critical with freeview. We have a loft aerial which served us well with analogue for years but wouldn't work with freeview and after much frustration trying to adjust it myself I eventually despaired and got in a local aerial specialst. I expected to be told I would need an external aerial on a mast similar to those our neighbours have but he with the gadgets he had he set it up and it now works fine.

irnbru_2

larmy16 wrote:

Irnbru someone on another thread said they got theirs to work with this adaptor! I bought it specially from Maplins - it was worth a try tho I guess

More than likely they were in a strong signal area to begin with.

Sarahjovi

We are in a non receiving area (Milton Keynes), However, we bought an aerial from Argos for £40 and hubby installed it in the loft and whilst he swivelled it around, I let him know when we got a picture. We have also bought a signal booster which helps alot. We live approx 23 miles from our nearest transmitter at Sandy Heath.

Also Milton Keynes is supposed to be a non Aerial area, however I've noticed quite a few popping up and all pointing in the same direction, which is towards Sandy Heath. So have a look where other peoples aerials are pointing to give you an idea of the direction.

Sarah

robnye

i can see the transmitter from my house, but there is a blooming great tree in the way, plus i live in the valley between two hills.

so unfortunately i cant receive the signal (cos the signal dont bend like the old analogue signals), so i will have to wait until they improve the signal strength..... boo hoo .... i wanted to save money on NTL......:(

irnbru_2

robnye wrote:

so unfortunately i cant receive the signal (cos the signal dont bend like the old analogue signals)

What!?

rchddap1

When the fitter did our aerial he told us that the chances of receiving freeview are slim as its pointing directly at a stone wall....didn't matter though, as we receive it fine

robnye

irnbru wrote:

What!?

sorry should have added a smiley......

cos the tv signal is always worse when its windy..... :rotfl: