Old Sky equipment

[Deleted User]

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

Wish we had more customers like that, you simply do not need a new dish nor lnb.

That might be easy for you to say.
I've seen the rust on the retaining brackets fixed to that chimney and I don't want the bloody thing failing in the Winter (when no one wants to get on the roof!)
I'm also having an Octo LNB installed (with an accompanying cable run) so that I easily have the option for another room.

Kurtis_Blue

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

I've seen the rust on the retaining brackets fixed to that chimney and I don't want the bloody thing failing in the Winter (when no one wants to get on the roof!)

Fair point, but if you are putting a new bracket on it as well then I would get them to strap the chimney and fix the dish on a short pole.

You don't want them drilling the chimney again nor using the old holes.

http://www.tvdigiview.co.uk/images/sat-dish.jpg

[Deleted User]

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

Fair point, but if you are putting a new bracket on it as well then I would get them to strap the chimney and fix the dish on a short pole.

You don't want them drilling the chimney again nor using the old holes.

http://www.tvdigiview.co.uk/images/sat-dish.jpg

They are CAI members, but I'll be sure to mention this..

[Deleted User]

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

Fair point, but if you are putting a new bracket on it as well then I would get them to strap the chimney and fix the dish on a short pole.

You don't want them drilling the chimney again nor using the old holes.

http://www.tvdigiview.co.uk/images/sat-dish.jpg

Well, they've been and gone. They fitted a new dish and LNB and added the extra cable runs I needed so that I can easily plug a Sky+HD into any of our bedrooms.
They checked the existing cables and said they didn't think they needed changing, but they did cut a few inches off before reconnecting with a more weather proof connector.

You should have seen the rust on the old dish!

Just waiting for Sky to come and "install" tomorrow.

spike7451

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Well, they've been and gone. They fitted a new dish and LNB and added the extra cable runs I needed so that I can easily plug a Sky+HD into any of our bedrooms.
They checked the existing cables and said they didn't think they needed changing, but they did cut a few inches off before reconnecting with a more weather proof connector.

You should have seen the rust on the old dish!

Just waiting for Sky to come and "install" tomorrow.

Make sure the Sky installer does the software update on the box before he leaves,this is something they often neglect to do on install!

[Deleted User]

spike7451 wrote: »

Make sure the Sky installer does the software update on the box before he leaves,this is something they often neglect to do on install!

Well, as his job should take all of two minutes (all wiring and connections already in place) I hope he makes some time for this.
How come new installs don't come pre-loaded with this software update? Is this the updated software for the new HD EPG?

spike7451

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

Well, as his job should take all of two minutes (all wiring and connections already in place) I hope he makes some time for this.
How come new installs don't come pre-loaded with this software update? Is this the updated software for the new HD EPG?

They do come pre loaded but they have probably sat in the warehouse for a couple six months before issue,so during that time an update could have been released,so the update is just to ensure the box is up to date.
When the installer fitted my neighbors & my aunt's,no update was done.

[Deleted User]

spike7451 wrote: »

When the installer fitted my neighbors & my aunt's,no update was done.

I've never seen an installer so happy as the Sky fella was this afternoon.
I removed the old Sky boxes before he arrived and left the dish connections and HDMI lead (as well as the telephone connection) hanging loose. On his arrival, all he had to do was connect up the new boxes, install the updated software and off he popped.

From a money saving perspective how do you think I did? New dish, new LNB (Octo), three new cable runs from dish, new digital aerial and cable.
£150 all in.

Sky+HD (x2), half price HD subscription for three months. £100 M&S voucher.
£55 per month.

spike7451

Moneyineptitude wrote: »

I've never seen an installer so happy as the Sky fella was this afternoon.
I removed the old Sky boxes before he arrived and left the dish connections and HDMI lead (as well as the telephone connection) hanging loose. On his arrival, all he had to do was connect up the new boxes, install the updated software and off he popped.

From a money saving perspective how do you think I did? New dish, new LNB (Octo), three new cable runs from dish, new digital aerial and cable.
£150 all in.

Bloody heck that's cheap!!!..A local aerial fitters here where I live charged my neighbours across from me £140 to fit a 'digital' aerial & a cable run of less than 30 feet.(they're in an upstairs flat so the aerial was on the soffet apex,with the cable tacked down & into the living room,I'd have done it for a liter bottle whisky plus parts,£30?...

[Deleted User]

spike7451 wrote: »

Bloody heck that's cheap!!!..

That's what I thought!

The ironic thing is that the guys who did it were the first company I rang, but who said they would probably be too busy to do it in the week I wanted (I've been on holiday this week).

I also rang another company who said they'd be out Thursday (weather permitting) and I arranged that based on an estimate of around £220.
On the Wednesday, I rang them back (to confirm they were coming) and asked them to add an Octo LNB to my original order. They never got back to me and when I rang to confirm they were coming they said they'd ring before 10am Thursday and that Octo was not a problem as they were local and could easily source one.


Well 9:30am Thursday the satellite dish fitters arrived and looked aghast that I'd requested an Octo LNB which wasn't on their job sheet. I insisted that I'd been told that it wasn't a problem and eventually he said he had one in the van, so I allowed him to start the job.


In the meantime (around 10:30am) I got a call from what I thought was the company already doing the job. "They're not our installers" said the secretary, "I've only rung to tell you it will be an extra £60 for the Octo and we can't make it until Friday".:D

Obviously, I cancelled the Friday appointment and went to see the guys already doing the job, They had finished their work for the week much earlier than expected and had called on me fully expecting me to chase them. That was why they looked so horrified when I mentioned Octo LNB!

Well, the final bill he gave me was £145 so I gave him an extra £5 as a "tip"

Was I money saving winner here, or was I a winner?:D