T.V aerial installation

[Chris]

Hi,

I am rewiring a house in a couple weeks and the customer wants some coax ran in for t.v points, however there is no aerial in the property as the last owner didnt have a tv.

Is installing an aerial a pretty straightforward job or am i best telling him to get someone else in to do that?

Thanks

 

[telectrix]

youse best getting an aerial installer to install an aerial - coax into the attic. then you can fit an amp and wire from there to any points required.

 

[Spoon]

youse best getting an aerial installer to install an aerial - coax into the attic. then you can fit an amp and wire from there to any points required.

Well that saved me some typing..

 

[Octopus]

For the purposes of the rewire - agree with the client where he wants points and run coax from each point to the loft, where you'll need a socket .......then let the customer arrange for an aerial fitter to do the rest.

 

[telectrix]

Well that saved me some typing..

lazy sod.,

 

[Spoon]

lazy sod.,

and.....

 

[Octopus]

AND have you asked them about CAT 5 points ?

 

[telectrix]

AND have you asked them about CAT 5 points ?

maybe customer is like me--- allergic to cats.

 

[Chris]

AND have you asked them about CAT 5 points ?

Yes no CAT 5 wanted! May change his mind though..

 

[Chris]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Octopus]

Yes no CAT 5 wanted! May change his mind though..

That's a daft decision IMHO ........... at least he should have the cable runs in and blanked off.....

 

[Spoon]

That's a daft decision IMHO ........... at least he should have the cable runs in and blanked off.....

But that costs money and not many customers are forward thinking enough to know its a good idea.

 

[Octopus]

But that costs money and not many customers are forward thinking enough to know its a good idea.

I then point out how much more it would cost (assuming its practical) after the rewire, decorating and new carpets are down ..........

Then leave them to ponder.

I write a spec for such jobs, so the requirements are agreed room by room and for things they don't want, I list them at the bottom ....... so they can't say it wasn't discussed!

 

[suffolkspark]

If the property isn't stuck down in a valley then just stick a loft aerial in.

For a simple system like this there's no point getting an aerial company in?

Plenty of apps and websites to show you the direction of the nearest transmitter.

 

[AJshep]

For small jobs like this I generally fit an aerial in the loft. My insurance with Hiscox is quite specific and doesn't insure me to go onto roof to install an aerial.

This app is pretty good ( for Android)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.crazyhatter.aerialalign

 

[Spoon]

My insurance with Hiscox is quite specific and doesn't insure me to go onto roof to install an aerial.

If you tie helium balloons to yourself, then technically, you are not on the roof...

 

[Parker27]

never tried one myself, but a little tempted to buy one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outdoor-SL...&qid=1558256732&s=gateway&sr=8-12-spons&psc=1

 

[Parker27]

Never tried one myself, but have been tempted to buy one of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outdoor-SL...&qid=1558256732&s=gateway&sr=8-12-spons&psc=1

 

[GeorgeCooke]

Never tried one myself, but have been tempted to buy one of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outdoor-SL...&qid=1558256732&s=gateway&sr=8-12-spons&psc=1

Don't. It' s crap aerial. Aerials need to be directional so they don't pick up interference from elsewhere.

 

[GeorgeCooke]

For small jobs like this I generally fit an aerial in the loft. My insurance with Hiscox is quite specific and doesn't insure me to go onto roof to install an aerial.

This app is pretty good ( for Android)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.crazyhatter.aerialalign

Aerial installation is a specialist job and at the minimum requires a digital signal strength meter costing three figures. Lofts are often bad places for aerials especially if they have foil in the roof lining.

Leave it to the professionals but by all means run the coax. Don't use the cheap brown stuff, use type 100 satellite grade cable.

 

[James]

If you tie helium balloons to yourself, then technically, you are not on the roof...

It’s one of the few stipulations on mine too.
Must be considered quite risky for people to not insure you for it.

 

[DefyG]

Although a relatively straightforward job. like AJ's post below, our insurance does not cover that aspect of the work.

My insurance with Hiscox is quite specific and doesn't insure me to go onto roof to install an aerial.

 

[Simon47]

Leave it to the professionals but by all means run the coax. Don't use the cheap brown stuff, use type 100 satellite grade cable.

And before you start, make sure it has a solid copper core, a copper foil, and a copper braid - there's plenty of stuff sold as "satellite" cable that I wouldn't use to hang the washing on.
Satellite, Television, FM, DAB, Aerial, Coaxial Cable, Plugs, Sockets, Connectors & Leads - https://aerialsandtv.com/cableandleads.html#3maincabletypes
The cost difference between a copper foil cable and something inferior is minimal in the grand scheme of things - it really isn't worth the saving.

 

[jcs8215248]

This is just a suggestion. It may go beyond your immediate requirements but I have installed a TV distribution system in my home that allows for an number of further options. It does require two (or three to support satellite) coaxial cables to be installed to the main TV location.

We bought a house which already had Coaxial cables wired to each room but the main room was wired to a satellite dish. These cables were nit connected anywhere,

I had a Freeview TV aerial installed by a professional installation company (we are in a fringe area and needed a very good aerial)

I installed a video distribution system as shown in the diagram. This requires at least 2 coaxial cables to the main TV location. the optional third cable is for a second satellite feed. This enables me to play programmes stored on the PVR in any room with full use of the PVR remote control in each room.

The TV signal goes into the PVR (Humax) and then via the HDMI cable to a FreeView encoder that adds a new Freeview channel (800) that is added to the broadcast signal and which goes via the uplink cable to the video distribution amplifier. Each of the TVs has a "magic eye" that takes the Infra Red signal from the PVR remote and sends it back to the PVR via the "return channel" where it replicates the IR signal to the PVR. It does need a video diplexor to feed the main TV.

The encoder model shown is the only one I found that worked properly. There is an Edimax equivalent but the encoding delay was unacceptably long and this made the remote control unusable in the other rooms.

I have had this working perfectly since early January.

If you install the additional coaxial cable(s) now and choose a video amplifier with a return path then you can add the extra features later. The expensive item is the encoder. The other items add little to the cost.

 

[pirate]

I watch TV in my living room.
Sometimes, if I am lazy, I watch it in my bedroom.
Mind you, I only watch BabeStation, so 1 channel is all I need.
It's not that difficult, unless you want to be able to watch/record/rewind everything.
It's why I don't understand why anyone would want to control their lighting from a phone...just get off your ar*e and use the wall switch...

 

[w0z]

This is just a suggestion. It may go beyond your immediate requirements but I have installed a TV distribution system in my home that allows for an number of further options. It does require two (or three to support satellite) coaxial cables to be installed to the main TV location.

We bought a house which already had Coaxial cables wired to each room but the main room was wired to a satellite dish. These cables were nit connected anywhere,

I had a Freeview TV aerial installed by a professional installation company (we are in a fringe area and needed a very good aerial)

I installed a video distribution system as shown in the diagram. This requires at least 2 coaxial cables to the main TV location. the optional third cable is for a second satellite feed. This enables me to play programmes stored on the PVR in any room with full use of the PVR remote control in each room.

The TV signal goes into the PVR (Humax) and then via the HDMI cable to a FreeView encoder that adds a new Freeview channel (800) that is added to the broadcast signal and which goes via the uplink cable to the video distribution amplifier. Each of the TVs has a "magic eye" that takes the Infra Red signal from the PVR remote and sends it back to the PVR via the "return channel" where it replicates the IR signal to the PVR. It does need a video diplexor to feed the main TV.

The encoder model shown is the only one I found that worked properly. There is an Edimax equivalent but the encoding delay was unacceptably long and this made the remote control unusable in the other rooms.

I have had this working perfectly since early January.

If you install the additional coaxial cable(s) now and choose a video amplifier with a return path then you can add the extra features later. The expensive item is the encoder. The other items add little to the cost.

View attachment 49555

I agree, you certainly need at least 2 uhf aerial connections/cables from each point where there is a receiver, to a central point (loft?) -one in, one out, (if lucky enough to have a uhf output or with your technomate), but I'd add that to future-proof further, cat6 between receiver and other viewing points that don't have a sat receiver, but where you may want to view and control HD other than Freeview HD, would enable an HDMI to cat5/6 to HDMI (plus IR) at a later stage.

That way you distribute the uhf for any TV's that have built in DVB2 (freeview HD), but you could distribute for example HD HDMI from+IR to a Sat box with only one Sat box needed.
I wish I'd done it when I fitted my aerial cables but HDMI hadn't been invented....

Also and not really related to above, cat5/6 points for smart devices is a cheaper and more reliable solution in the long run than relying on wifi or "homeplug" network distribution.

My point is that if you're making the mess to put aerial/sat cables in you may as well put network cables in at the same time.

 

[Simon47]

Better still than trying to second guess what you'll need in future ...
Put a decent size conduit (I normally use the 38mm? wjite oval) in ans :

• Make sure the end of the conduit is in the box. You'll need to open out a hole for this since the larger sizes wont fit in the holes.
• Make sure you can get to the other end. It's worth making the effort to have a run direct from downstairs rooms to the attic - but that's not always practical and creates the issue of it not being in a safe zone in the upstairs room.you can get 4off WF100 coaxes down the widest white oval - or 2off plus some Cat5e/6 cables - or ...

 

[mattg4321]

To be fair, it's not the end of the world if a couple of cat6's aren't in safe zones!

 

[richy3333]

To be fair, it's not the end of the world if a couple of cat6's aren't in safe zones!

WHAT! Crazy talk

 

[Simon47]

To be fair, it's not the end of the world if a couple of cat6's aren't in safe zones!

I agree - but the BBB says otherwise.

 

[ferg]

I'm not sure if my insurance does cover me for going on a roof but I tell my customers it doesn't.

I always leave aerial installation to others and run decent coax, 2 of, to each point.

I advise cat5 also but mostly customers don't want it.

 

[ElectricSeamus]

A little nonsense here, but generally good stuff. Firstly, there's no such thing as 'satellite cable'. Secondly, the colour of cable is irrelevant and is not indicative of the quality or spec of it. I'd also add that if you end up heavily involved in this, be aware that Sky Q (in case the customer has it now or in the future) requires both cables to come directly from the dish and will not work via any 'loft box' or diplex/triplex plates.

 

[Simon47]

For those that might be tempted to install an aerial - get a decent one (see the aerials & tv site I linked to earlier). If you get the right aerial then you do not need a mast amplifier - if you see an amplifier on the mast (except in the most fringe of reception areas) then that's an admission that some numpty put an inadequate aerial up. People may laugh at you manhandling a 6' 6" Yagi 18 up, but it beats a "bacofoil" contract that needs an amplifier before the TV can see a signal and will fall apart in the first strong winds. It does need a very good bracket and pole though
Remember that an amplifier amplifies any noise as well as the TV signal, and it adds it's own noise. So a small aerial with amplifier WILL have a poorer signal/noise ratio (the most important parameter) than a decent aerial without an amplifier.

Lastly, if possible use a grouped aerial - a wideband will generally give less signal, especially down at the lower frequencies where TV is all moving to. In our case, we can use Winter Hill which currently needs a wideband, but we can also use Lancaster which is Group A - so I bought a Yagi18A* which gives more signal where needed than a wideband would from Winter Hill. In a few years it can be pointed at Winter Hill which is due to shift down to Group A before long. In the meantime I only lose out on a couple of DVB-T2 muxes that I don't have anything to tune into anyway.
See here on Aerials&TV to see just how much signal you can be missing out on using a wideband when a GroupA would be appropriate.
BTW - I have no affiliation with Aerials & TV other than as a satisfied customer. There's a lot of good information on their site, and they only sell quality aerials

* An XB14A gives even more signal, but while about 6" shorter, is one heck of a lot more aerial, and a lot more wind loading to withstand.

 

[ferg]

A little nonsense here, but generally good stuff. Firstly, there's no such thing as 'satellite cable'.

LOL I'll bear that in mind while I keep calling it satellite cable.

 

[Simon47]

And there's that other nonsense - the "digital aerial". No such thing, just a good aerial for the task - if it has enough gain then it doesn't care if it's analogue or digital TV (the latter still being an analogue waveform at the aerial.)