No TV signal in basement flat

2280Claire

I moved into a Victorian house conversion last August (divided into 7 flats), and it does not have a communal TV aerial on the building. To be honest, I don't watch much TV anyway and have been so busy with decorating and doing the place up, it hasn't bothered me. However, I would quite like to have the TV now! I have tried an indoor aerial and booster, but it did not give any signal at all. Does anyone have any economical suggestions? Is the only solution to pay for someone to put an aerial on the roof, and install and outlet in my flat? I just feel a bit...annoyed that I'd pay for it, and then everyone else would just freeload off it by using it too!!

Kurtis_Blue

2280Claire wrote: »

Is the only solution to pay for someone to put an aerial on the roof, and install and outlet in my flat? I just feel a bit...annoyed that I'd pay for it, and then everyone else would just freeload off it by using it too!!

Unless you can get together with other tenants then that's pretty much your only option, no other property will "feeload" of your aerial installation, they have no right to touch it.

McKneff

Can you not watch on your computer.

2280Claire

I can watch on my laptop...but it's not really the same!
My Dad said something about getting a satelite dish on the side of the flat, and get freeview TV through that...is that a possibility??

penrhyn

Your dad is talking about freesat.

http://www.freesat.co.uk/


Its even got a couple of HD channels.

Kurtis_Blue

2280Claire wrote: »

I can watch on my laptop...but it's not really the same!
My Dad said something about getting a satelite dish on the side of the flat, and get freeview TV through that...is that a possibility??

Only if your basement flat has its own wall facing south..ish.

KimYeovil

I am not sure I understand the conundrum. Install an aerial on the roof or install a satellite dish. No-one has the right to tap on to your aerial.

If you like you can ask the neighbours above you on the side of your living room if they want to chip in for a more powerful aerial. If not they can not freeload - they still have to pay for their own separate aerial.

If they do steal from you prosecute them.

2280Claire

Thanks for all the advice...

I'm not sure if the garden is south facing, always very sunny, so it may well be...I'll have to check!

Has anyone had this type of installation recently? Any ideas on the price?
I'm a first time buyer, so trying to be economical.

birkee

My first question is, do you have any right to put an aerial on the roof? It's not your property to modify, and potentialy cause damage to.
(Installers damage via broken slates etc.)
An aerial has one lead down to your flat. How can anyone else share it? Are you allowed to drill holes in the wall?
What are the other flat dwellers using? Perhaps they have a communal aerial YOU can share. May have to pay for cables to be run to your flat.
(Perhaps you have a communal aerial, but just haven't recognised what the socket is for.)

2280Claire

The building is divided into 7 share of freehold flats, and I own one of them...I thought that provided I ran it past the other owners at a board meeting, it would have been ok to install an aerial??

I am not technically minded, but assumed that once an aerial is installed, other cables could be installed to run to other flats?? Just thinking of when my parents had an extra TV outlet installed in a bedroom once.

The majority of the flats here were bought to rent out, I am one of only 3 that are owner-occupiers, and they just use the internet to view TV. There is no communal aerial, and seeing as the building has alot of maintenance work to be done, I cannot forsee the next round of service charges being spent on a TV aerial.

birkee

No, they can't run extra cables from one aerial!
The signal from one aerial will not be strong enough if shared with several TV's, AND, if one TV gets an electrical fault that gets to the 'signal in' socket, (not likely, but has to be accounted for.) it could destroy everyone elses TV via the aerial lead.

To run multiple TV's, there is one lead from an aerial to an aerial amplifier, with feeds out for multiple televisions. (you need 7 o/p's. expensive device)

No matter whether bought or rented out, you will need the owners permission I should think, not the tenants, You will need the Tennants permission if their flat is affected, even if the owner says yes.