What price for an aerial installation?
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV In responses to the guideline I posted about how much having a new aerial fitted should cost, Ian Grice posted: "£40-£50? Every aerial fitter I contacted wants at least £150+VAT considering you can get a class 3 aerial for under £10 and a class 2 for under £15 and cable is 40p a metre why are they charging so much for 30 minutes work?"
OK, for some places putting up a TV aerial is hard work, such as multi-story properties. As many people will simply be exchanging a Group A, B, C/D, E or K aerial for a wideband type, often without changing the supporting pole or cable, a high price cannot be justified.
I am concerned that some companies will exploit vulnerable groups (such as the elderly).
So, I what prices have you been quoted for aerial installations? What price have you paid for installation?
Do you know of any companies to avoid? Do you know of any companies that are good value for money?
Or do you work for a great aerial installation company?
Help with TV/radio stations?
Saturday, 22 January 2011
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Tom Fletcher12:49 AM
Ian
Im not a fan of the CAI I think they are getting to big for there boots. been on some of there courses no comment''they mite ring me up and have a pop at me I think we need some kind of regulation to a degree may be like plumbers or electricians have a card sort of government run thing it mite cost a bit though. Tom Fletcher Alpha Aerials Sheffield.
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Ian8:37 PM
Hey Tom I would love to have a proper card that we could show to the elderly people and schools with our details and back grounds cos at the moment I have to fax off my driving leicence and my crb plus insurance details. to some people just to work on sight.
New business idea there for you a???
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Tom Fletcher9:57 PM
Hi Ian
I think the CAI card is like that.
dont like to say to much about the CIA as you always get some flak from some one in the trade who thinks they are the b all and end all of the trade .just dont like the way they do
business done some contract work for a few big firms here 20,mil insurance health and safety gone mad 3 months before you get money of them holding back 5% of your money stuff that I would sooner work for percy public any time OAPs heare are not daft and its always me that seems to get doneover I think Im to soft' Tom Fletcher Alpha Aerials Sheffield.
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shazza11:16 PM
Help - can anyone tell me the most sensible thing to do. I currently have sky+ but want to cancel monthly subscription. So do I, 1 get a freesat+ box and connect to dish - outlay a bit high or 2. get a new aerial fitted on top of the house? and buy freeview+ box?????? Not sure whats the best for long term.
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Tom Fletcher11:54 PM
Shazza.
Freesat + is the best Humax make a good range of box,s just plug in and go your sky dish will not need any adjustments at all there are some cheaper box,s look at argos they have some low cost ones
Tom Fletcher Alpha Aerials Sheffield.
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Sunday, 23 January 2011
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Ian8:30 PM
Yeh I agree humax by far the best box but I had a problem with one and to do with the tv not being compatible.
It went green on the screen an know matter how many times I did research on it could not fix
Basically if you have a full hd tv then you should be fine if not you might (up to you) like to try one of the cheaper boxes. They are just as good
Best of luck Ian 123 aerials
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Les Nicol
9:09 PM
9:09 PM
Shazza - If your on a budget. The Technisat HDFS has only a single tuner but has PVR functionality either with a pen drive or external Laptop HDD. It's priced just £130. but you need to factor in the pen drive or HDD. It's still makes it more affordable than the Humax. I have both and the two are quality products. The Technisat actually gives a three year warranty and can stream to your PC also formats an HDD to give media and photo partions similarly to the Humax. Performance is excellant - what it doesn't do is record "two" while watching another as it's a single tuner but has pause and series record capability. It's down to how much recording you do. Both Humax (except the 500GB drive special edition) and the Technisat have DiseQc control and have motor capablity for those who would wish make use of this. They also can function in mom-freesat mode.
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Monday, 24 January 2011
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steve2:35 PM
Live in Deepcut (bad reception are for freeview) Surrey.Need a new Aerial to be installed. Can anyone recommend a firm to install at a reasonable price.Why do they all want to run a new cable on the outside wall? Can they not attach the new cable to the old one they need to replace and pull it through?
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Robert9:19 PM
It looks like the two main bodies dealing with TV aerials will be tying up as the CAI (Confederation of Aerial Industries) is thought to be taking over the RDI-LB (Registered Digital Installers Licensing Body ).
Following meetings between Tim Jenks and Robert Oliver of the CAI with Martin Smith of the RDI, the CAI may take over the running of the RDI admin after Martin leaves later this year.
Sheila Cassells the RDI-LB chair has given the green light to discussions with the CAI to take over the administrative control of the RDI as an initial step.
Bearing in mind the recent problems the CAI has had with its own administration and the protracted problems regarding its executive, this could come as a shock to those RDIs who chose to opt for the RDI-LB as a Government backed alternative to the CAI as they may find that they are being thrown back in with the old Guard
Discussions are rumoured to be quite advanced following an initial meeting last year, both organisations seemingly being concerned that after DSO (Digital Switch Over ) neither will be exactly overwhelmed with members and maybe a tie up between them both will ensure the continuation of both schemes. Albeit run and possibly controlled by the same people
Originally the CAI had expected to be the chosen ones for DSO but that was smashed with the creation of the RDI-LB and the early days saw some acrimony between the two competing organisations, the onset of DSO saw both benefit from a large influx of paying members especially the RDI-LB who went from nothing in 2006 to a potent organisation able to offer a recognised qualification with the benefit of Government ( BERR ) backing, hundreds of installers signed up to the scheme, the CAI for its part introduced various modifications and enhancements including the CAI plus scheme to counter the attraction of the RDI-LB, although many felt the CAI was playing a game of catch up and always lagged behind the field, the CAI managed to increase its members and thanks in no small part to training fees and various benchmark fees greatly increased its income.
With the end of DSO in sight it is not surprising that both organisations are looking at the future with both a bleaker and more practical outlook, with no real prospect of any public funds, the only way to survive is to pool resources, although possibly not fees.
Both management teams will be carefully looking over the figures and working out a way to keep the schemes running and the revenue coming in from the less prosperous membership following DSO.
The CAI already run the admin of the SCTE so adding another tier shouldn't in theory pose any logistical problems, but how well that will go down with those RDIs who opted out of the CAI or were never prepared to join is another matter, the recent past of the CAIs management has hardly been plain sailing and there are many members who having been glad to be out of the clutches of the CAI, the news that they may be put straight back in without so much as a by your leave may not please and could even infuriate some.
It seems that both the CAI and the RDI are set on a path of unity at least as far as the administration goes, it may even be a done deal and that they are just waiting the right day for the announcement.
How that will be viewed by the Members, the authorities or the public is another matter, although they may have little choice.
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Tuesday, 25 January 2011
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snookums2:12 PM
Will it be worth staying in both ??
Mind you is it worth at the moment ??
without DSO or gov money no wonder they want to be friends now
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