My mother in law lives in Suffolk, on her own (she's 90). With the
digital changeover soon, she's going to need a new TV aerial (at present
has has only a set top one, which is frankly not good).

I could put one in the loft, but I don't do roofs.

So, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to have a new aerial
supplied, fitted on roof, and feeder run to the living room?

The house is a 1960s end of terrace 3 bedroom council house.

Thanks
--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

In message , Bob Eager
writes
My mother in law lives in Suffolk, on her own (she's 90). With the
digital changeover soon, she's going to need a new TV aerial (at present
has has only a set top one, which is frankly not good).

I could put one in the loft, but I don't do roofs.

So, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to have a new aerial
supplied, fitted on roof, and feeder run to the living room?

The house is a 1960s end of terrace 3 bedroom council house.

Is she not old enough to get it done for free under the changeover
scheme?

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/

http://www.helpscheme.co.uk/
--
geoff

"Bob Eager" wrote in message
...
My mother in law lives in Suffolk, on her own (she's 90). With the
digital changeover soon, she's going to need a new TV aerial (at present
has has only a set top one, which is frankly not good).

I could put one in the loft, but I don't do roofs.

So, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to have a new aerial
supplied, fitted on roof, and feeder run to the living room?

The house is a 1960s end of terrace 3 bedroom council house.

Pure guess, these days I'd say £200.

On 20/02/2011 21:07, Bob Eager wrote:
My mother in law lives in Suffolk, on her own (she's 90). With the
digital changeover soon, she's going to need a new TV aerial (at present
has has only a set top one, which is frankly not good).

I could put one in the loft, but I don't do roofs.

So, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to have a new aerial
supplied, fitted on roof, and feeder run to the living room?

The house is a 1960s end of terrace 3 bedroom council house.

Thanks

Ask in uk.tech.digital-tv One of the main posters there is Bill Wright,
who does it for a living (but not in your m-i-l's area).
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

On Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:22:22 +0000, geoff wrote:

In message , Bob Eager
writes
My mother in law lives in Suffolk, on her own (she's 90). With the
digital changeover soon, she's going to need a new TV aerial (at present
has has only a set top one, which is frankly not good).

I could put one in the loft, but I don't do roofs.

So, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to have a new
aerial supplied, fitted on roof, and feeder run to the living room?

The house is a 1960s end of terrace 3 bedroom council house.

Is she not old enough to get it done for free under the changeover
scheme?

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/

http://www.helpscheme.co.uk/

Thanks, Geoff. Didn't know about that. She has a load of papers, but
nothing about that. We'll sort that out via the website.



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

On Feb 20, 9:07*pm, Bob Eager wrote:
My mother in law lives in Suffolk, on her own (she's 90). With the
digital changeover soon, she's going to need a new TV aerial (at present
has has only a set top one, which is frankly not good).

I could put one in the loft, but I don't do roofs.

So, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to have a new aerial
supplied, fitted on roof, and feeder run to the living room?

The house is a 1960s end of terrace 3 bedroom council house.

Thanks

If she can get any sginal at all on a set top aerial, you'll likely
find a good loft aerial & amplifier is sufficient.


NT

On Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:35:42 +0000, Roger Mills wrote:

Ask in uk.tech.digital-tv One of the main posters there is Bill Wright,
who does it for a living (but not in your m-i-l's area).

He also helped set up this site:

www.paras.org

Have a read before you shell out. Chances are if the set top aerial
delivers a picture now, it'll handle the digital just fine.

On 21/02/2011 01:42, John Rumm wrote:

If its a straight forward install (bog standard aerial and down lead, no
amps / splitters required etc) then anything from £160 - £250 probably.

If she uses the help scheme the £40 flat fee includes an aerial upgrade,
where required to receive the PSB muxes, at no additional cost.

--
Andy

On Mon, 21 Feb 2011 07:50:03 +0000, Andy Wade wrote:

On 21/02/2011 01:42, John Rumm wrote:

If its a straight forward install (bog standard aerial and down lead,
no amps / splitters required etc) then anything from £160 - £250
probably.

If she uses the help scheme the £40 flat fee includes an aerial upgrade,
where required to receive the PSB muxes, at no additional cost.

Thanks. Just jhope that includes an upgrade from a set top to a rooftop
if necessary!



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

On 21/02/2011 07:51, Bob Eager wrote:

Thanks. Just jhope that includes an upgrade from a set top to a rooftop
if necessary!

The guide book says "fitting a new dish or aerial, where we can, if it
is needed to make the new equipment work." It doesn't run to upgrading
signal distribution systems in care homes though :~)

http://www.helpscheme.co.uk/files/he...V8%2011-10.pdf

--
Andy

Bob Eager wrote:
My mother in law lives in Suffolk, on her own (she's 90). With the
digital changeover soon, she's going to need a new TV aerial (at present
has has only a set top one, which is frankly not good).

I could put one in the loft, but I don't do roofs.

So, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to have a new aerial
supplied, fitted on roof, and feeder run to the living room?

The house is a 1960s end of terrace 3 bedroom council house.

If she is high up loft is actually a possibility.

I am and it works for me within about 10 miles of Sudbury..


No idea about typical cowboy roof installer - i'd guess at £150-£250 -
the aerials are cheap, its the labour.



Thanks

brass monkey wrote:
"Bob Eager" wrote in message
...
My mother in law lives in Suffolk, on her own (she's 90). With the
digital changeover soon, she's going to need a new TV aerial (at
present has has only a set top one, which is frankly not good).

I could put one in the loft, but I don't do roofs.

So, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to have a new
aerial supplied, fitted on roof, and feeder run to the living room?

The house is a 1960s end of terrace 3 bedroom council house.

Pure guess, these days I'd say £200.

Had one done the other day for £200 including pole and masthead amp.



--
Murphy's ultimate law is that if something that could go wrong doesn't,
it turns out that it would have been better if it had gone wrong.

In message on 20 Feb 2011 21:07:58 GMT
Bob Eager wrote:

My mother in law lives in Suffolk, on her own (she's 90). With the
digital changeover soon, she's going to need a new TV aerial (at present
has has only a set top one, which is frankly not good).

I could put one in the loft, but I don't do roofs.

So, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to have a new aerial
supplied, fitted on roof, and feeder run to the living room?

The house is a 1960s end of terrace 3 bedroom council house.


Suffolk is a bit of a generalisation!

Presumably, from the use of a set top aerial, she is close to a transmitter - but which
one?

It isn't just price you need to worry about, it is finding someone who isn't a cowboy to
do it.

We visited some of my wife's friends in Southwold last year. While we were there, I
noticed a lot of new/newish installations which had obviously been done by the same
firm/person. No cheap contract aerials, no plastic bird food aerials [1] and very neatly
done with masts and fixings which won't buckle in the first gale!

All in all, I got the impression that the work had been done by somebody who took a pride
in his work and didn't skimp on materials (as most of the cost is labour, as others have
said, that is a very important point!)

If she is anywhere near the Southwold area, I might be able to trace this firm/person if
it would help.

If you are not sure which transmitter she is using, you may find this site useful:

http://www.macfh.co.uk/JavaJive/Audi...Calculator.php

and it would be helpful to give her PostCode in any further posts (there's no need to
provide the full PostCode - the first part should suffice for urban areas but may need
more of the code in rural areas where PostCodes tend to cover much larger areas.)


[1] Aerials with lots of plastic bits which some birds take great delight in pecking to
pieces!

--

Terry

and it would be helpful to give her PostCode in any further posts
(there's no need to provide the full PostCode - the first part should
suffice for urban areas but may need more of the code in rural areas
where PostCodes tend to cover much larger areas.)

Even in London just the first part of the post code could mislead
terribly. There are such things as tower blocks which cast long
shadows. And even some hills.

IMLE there are even some hills in Suffolk which can militate for a
longer mast.

--
Robin
PM may be sent to rbw0{at}hotmail{dot}com

In article ,
Bob Eager wrote:
y mother in law lives in Suffolk, on her own (she's 90). With the
digital changeover soon, she's going to need a new TV aerial (at present
has has only a set top one, which is frankly not good).

I could put one in the loft, but I don't do roofs.

So, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to have a new
aerial supplied, fitted on roof, and feeder run to the living room?

If it sort of works on analogue with a set top aerial, the chances are
digital will be fine with a loft mounted one. Especially since the
transmitted power will increase when analogue is switched off.

--
*Save a tree, eat a beaver*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:14:11 -0000
Robin wrote:

and it would be helpful to give her PostCode in any further posts
(there's no need to provide the full PostCode - the first part should
suffice for urban areas but may need more of the code in rural areas
where PostCodes tend to cover much larger areas.)

Even in London just the first part of the post code could mislead
terribly. There are such things as tower blocks which cast long
shadows. And even some hills.


Agreed - but many people are reluctant to give their full PostCode these days. I don't
know why, particularly when they post under a pseudonym as, when discussing a subject
like this, accuracy can be important.

The funny thing is that, as maps show the centre of the PostCode area - which may well be
a field or park, even in London, the chances of revealing their precise location (which,
presumably, is what they want to hide) is pretty much unlikely.

My own full PostCode covers a row of nearly 30 houses. The terrain is level, broadside
onto the local transmitter and there are no tower blocks or tall trees, so it doesn't
make any difference which precise point you choose.

However, in an identical geographical area, half the houses might be on one side of a
hill and the the remainder on the other side. The precise location could then determine
the choice of transmitter or, if there is only one, just how easy or difficult it would
be to receive a decent signal.

So, even a full PostCode doesn't tell the whole story: we have to rely on the common
sense of posters to provide the other important imformation that only their eyes can
provide ...


IMLE there are even some hills in Suffolk which can militate for a
longer mast.

But the current use of a set top aerial suggest that no hills are involved in the current
scenario ...

As for hills, a quick glance at spot heights on the OS map suggests that a heath, at 64
metres aod, is pretty much what passes for 'high' in Suffolk ...

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/mendlesham/index.php

--

Terry

In article , lid says...
If she is high up loft is actually a possibility.

I am and it works for me within about 10 miles of Sudbury..

Works fine here - but then we're not far from The Wrekin - though I
didn't know that at the time I put the aerial up. It was murky weather
for a couple of weeks after we moved until one day it cleared and we saw
that we have a fine view of the hill and the transmitter from our
kitchen.

I did wonder why I'd had to fit an attenuator to get the telly to work
properly!

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

In article , says...
Even in London just the first part of the post code could mislead
terribly. There are such things as tower blocks which cast long
shadows. And even some hills

I remember putting a TV aerial on to of Marks and Sparks in Hammersmith
- very odd reception 'cos of the flyover. IIRC there was a tiny little
infill station bolted to the side of the flyover itself.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

On Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:14:50 +0000, Terry Casey wrote:

Suffolk is a bit of a generalisation!

I was describing the region for price purposes (e.g. as popposed to
London), rather than for signal strength purposes or to ask for a
particular installer.

Presumably, from the use of a set top aerial, she is close to a
transmitter - but which one?

Sudbury.

It isn't just price you need to worry about, it is finding someone who
isn't a cowboy to do it.

Agreed. But this was the starting point...

If she is anywhere near the Southwold area, I might be able to trace
this firm/person if it would help.

Probably too far away.

I know which transmitter - Sudbury! But the signal is weak - she's just
the wrong side of a hill.

--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

*lightning protection* - a w_tom conductor

IMLE there are even some hills in Suffolk which can militate for a
longer mast.

But the current use of a set top aerial suggest that no hills are involved in
the current
scenario ...

As for hills, a quick glance at spot heights on the OS map suggests that a
heath, at 64
metres aod, is pretty much what passes for 'high' in Suffolk ...

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/mendlesham/index.php


The highest bit of Suffolk according to our Terrain database is at 136
MAOD and is to be found near Rookery Farm just near the delightfully
named hamlet of Genesis Green!. This mast which is one of the old BT
microwave link sites is there, so called Wickhambrook I believe as it
was connected to some exchange equipment in Wickhambrook village!.


http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/wickhambrook.php

This marks it there, but there is a mound which is off the South East
corner of that site which is the highest bit!..

As Terry sez its not much help without knowing where the receiver is
located at all. If current reception is Almost OK then a loft installed
aerial I would expect will perform better and it may well be that the
serving TX is the Sudbury one, 'tho there are bits of that area,
id Suffolk, where Tacolneston comes in that bit better and in some ways
is less bother ...
--
Tony Sayer

In article , Skipweasel
scribeth thus
In article , says...
Even in London just the first part of the post code could mislead
terribly. There are such things as tower blocks which cast long
shadows. And even some hills

I remember putting a TV aerial on to of Marks and Sparks in Hammersmith
- very odd reception 'cos of the flyover. IIRC there was a tiny little
infill station bolted to the side of the flyover itself.



Wonder if that might have been a self help one? The only ones I know of
in that area is the relay at Worlds end which is a more grand affair tho
it was relocated from somewhere nearby if my memory serves well!..
--
Tony Sayer

In article , says...
I remember putting a TV aerial on to of Marks and Sparks in Hammersmith
- very odd reception 'cos of the flyover. IIRC there was a tiny little
infill station bolted to the side of the flyover itself.



Wonder if that might have been a self help one? The only ones I know of
in that area is the relay at Worlds end which is a more grand affair tho
it was relocated from somewhere nearby if my memory serves well!..


This was twenty-five years ago. Things may have changed since then.

later
Well, it's listed here...
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/recep...ew_transmitter
s.asp-itv_region_id=3.html

Located at TQ232786

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

In article , Skipweasel
scribeth thus
In article , says...
I remember putting a TV aerial on to of Marks and Sparks in Hammersmith
- very odd reception 'cos of the flyover. IIRC there was a tiny little
infill station bolted to the side of the flyover itself.



Wonder if that might have been a self help one? The only ones I know of
in that area is the relay at Worlds end which is a more grand affair tho
it was relocated from somewhere nearby if my memory serves well!..


This was twenty-five years ago. Things may have changed since then.

later
Well, it's listed here...
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/recep...ew_transmitter
s.asp-itv_region_id=3.html

Located at TQ232786



Yes your quite right.. Can't think of why I didna look that up;!..

Certainly moved off the flyover gone up in the world so it seems..

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/hammersmith.php
--
Tony Sayer

On 20 Feb 2011 21:07:58 GMT, Bob Eager gently
dipped his quill in the best Quink that money could buy:

My mother in law lives in Suffolk, on her own (she's 90). With the
digital changeover soon, she's going to need a new TV aerial (at present
has has only a set top one, which is frankly not good).

I could put one in the loft, but I don't do roofs.

So, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to have a new aerial
supplied, fitted on roof, and feeder run to the living room?

The house is a 1960s end of terrace 3 bedroom council house.

Thanks

We have just been quoted £140 for an areial and a point in the house.
N. Yorkshire

Mike P the 1st

In article , says...
Certainly moved off the flyover gone up in the world so it seems..


Well, it being on the flyover was only recollection.

What I do remember was the bloke I was working with falling off the lift
tower. Very thick snow that day and he landed like Wile-E Coyote
spreadeagled on his back. I couldn't see him from where I was and
thought he'd gone over the edge down a very much deeper drop of several
storeys. Bit of a worrying moment, there, until he emerged like a yeti.

I suppose this ties in nicely with several other current threads about
falling off things.

--
Skipweasel - never knowingly understood.

Tabby wrote:

If she can get any signal at all on a set top aerial, you'll likely
find a good loft aerial & amplifier is sufficient.

I agree, fwiw. A good "digital aerial" (as the bloke who sold me mine,
a few weeks ago, described it) costs £30; plus you need a few meters of
good cable: definitely worth a go at DIY, in the loft, if she's getting
a signal off the set-top at the moment.

John

On Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:41:03 -0000, "GB"
wrote:

brass monkey wrote:
"Bob Eager" wrote in message
...
My mother in law lives in Suffolk, on her own (she's 90). With the
digital changeover soon, she's going to need a new TV aerial (at
present has has only a set top one, which is frankly not good).

I could put one in the loft, but I don't do roofs.

So, does anyone have any idea how much it would cost to have a new
aerial supplied, fitted on roof, and feeder run to the living room?

The house is a 1960s end of terrace 3 bedroom council house.

Pure guess, these days I'd say £200.

Had one done the other day for £200 including pole and masthead amp.

That's not bad. I paid £120 for a really crap £10 aerial just before
xmas.

Terry Casey wrote:
In message on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:14:11 -0000
Robin wrote:
and it would be helpful to give her PostCode in any further posts
(there's no need to provide the full PostCode - the first part should
suffice for urban areas but may need more of the code in rural areas
where PostCodes tend to cover much larger areas.)

Even in London just the first part of the post code could mislead
terribly. There are such things as tower blocks which cast long
shadows. And even some hills.


Agreed - but many people are reluctant to give their full PostCode these days. I don't
know why, particularly when they post under a pseudonym as, when discussing a subject
like this, accuracy can be important.

The funny thing is that, as maps show the centre of the PostCode area - which may well be
a field or park, even in London, the chances of revealing their precise location (which,
presumably, is what they want to hide) is pretty much unlikely.

My own full PostCode covers a row of nearly 30 houses. The terrain is level, broadside
onto the local transmitter and there are no tower blocks or tall trees, so it doesn't
make any difference which precise point you choose.

However, in an identical geographical area, half the houses might be on one side of a
hill and the the remainder on the other side. The precise location could then determine
the choice of transmitter or, if there is only one, just how easy or difficult it would
be to receive a decent signal.

So, even a full PostCode doesn't tell the whole story: we have to rely on the common
sense of posters to provide the other important imformation that only their eyes can
provide ...


IMLE there are even some hills in Suffolk which can militate for a
longer mast.

But the current use of a set top aerial suggest that no hills are involved in the current
scenario ...

As for hills, a quick glance at spot heights on the OS map suggests that a heath, at 64
metres aod, is pretty much what passes for 'high' in Suffolk ...

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/mendlesham/index.php

We are almost 100m ASL here. Nearly the highest point in Suffolk.
Suffolk is boulder Clay cut by river valleys,. and a lot of people live
in them.

Reception is not great there.

It's better on the coastal estuaries like Ipswich.

tony sayer wrote:
IMLE there are even some hills in Suffolk which can militate for a
longer mast.
But the current use of a set top aerial suggest that no hills are involved in
the current
scenario ...

As for hills, a quick glance at spot heights on the OS map suggests that a
heath, at 64
metres aod, is pretty much what passes for 'high' in Suffolk ...

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/mendlesham/index.php


The highest bit of Suffolk according to our Terrain database is at 136
MAOD and is to be found near Rookery Farm just near the delightfully
named hamlet of Genesis Green!. This mast which is one of the old BT
microwave link sites is there, so called Wickhambrook I believe as it
was connected to some exchange equipment in Wickhambrook village!.


Well actually Tony, I thought the higher point was at Depden, where that
other mast is..
...But as you know, I am less than half a moe from that tower..and if I
go back to the bathroom, can see it striding like some red lit Wellsian
Martian across the fields..its coming to get me, I tell you!


Oddly enough, one side of the high groud here, militates the use of
Sandy Heath, or sometimes Tacolneston, whereas sudbury is the place to
go once over the top. I can in theory receive both, or even al three,
but I decided to go for Sudbury as being closer.



http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/wickhambrook.php

This marks it there, but there is a mound which is off the South East
corner of that site which is the highest bit!..

As Terry sez its not much help without knowing where the receiver is
located at all. If current reception is Almost OK then a loft installed
aerial I would expect will perform better and it may well be that the
serving TX is the Sudbury one, 'tho there are bits of that area,
id Suffolk, where Tacolneston comes in that bit better and in some ways
is less bother ...

its really down to a boring day op trying the ruddy lot out.

Or as the riggers seem to do, simply pointing it roughly the same way
everyone else in the street does...

snip

Now VM have restored connection I can belatedly say I accept all those
good points.

snip
We are almost 100m ASL here. Nearly the highest point in Suffolk.
Suffolk is boulder Clay cut by river valleys,. and a lot of people
live in them.

Yes thanks. I should probably have referred to cuts or banks rather
than hills.
--
Robin
PM may be sent to rbw0{at}hotmail{dot}com

The highest bit of Suffolk according to our Terrain database is at 136
MAOD and is to be found near Rookery Farm just near the delightfully
named hamlet of Genesis Green!. This mast which is one of the old BT
microwave link sites is there, so called Wickhambrook I believe as it
was connected to some exchange equipment in Wickhambrook village!.


Well actually Tony, I thought the higher point was at Depden, where that
other mast is..

Thats lower, the next highest bit is around a smidgen West of Rede
village!..


..But as you know, I am less than half a moe from that tower..and if I
go back to the bathroom, can see it striding like some red lit Wellsian
Martian across the fields..its coming to get me, I tell you!


Well if it does start movin around I suspect Mr P Pikey is on the
go;!...


Oddly enough, one side of the high groud here, militates the use of
Sandy Heath, or sometimes Tacolneston, whereas sudbury is the place to
go once over the top. I can in theory receive both, or even al three,
but I decided to go for Sudbury as being closer.

Fringe area for all of them...



http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/wickhambrook.php

This marks it there, but there is a mound which is off the South East
corner of that site which is the highest bit!..

As Terry sez its not much help without knowing where the receiver is
located at all. If current reception is Almost OK then a loft installed
aerial I would expect will perform better and it may well be that the
serving TX is the Sudbury one, 'tho there are bits of that area,
id Suffolk, where Tacolneston comes in that bit better and in some ways
is less bother ...

its really down to a boring day op trying the ruddy lot out.

Or as the riggers seem to do, simply pointing it roughly the same way
everyone else in the street does...

Thats the usual experience..
--
Tony Sayer

So, even a full PostCode doesn't tell the whole story: we have to rely on the
common
sense of posters to provide the other important imformation that only their
eyes can
provide ...


IMLE there are even some hills in Suffolk which can militate for a
longer mast.

But the current use of a set top aerial suggest that no hills are involved in
the current
scenario ...

As for hills, a quick glance at spot heights on the OS map suggests that a
heath, at 64
metres aod, is pretty much what passes for 'high' in Suffolk ...

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/mendlesham/index.php

We are almost 100m ASL here. Nearly the highest point in Suffolk.

107 +/- 1 M.A.O.D. for you Guv;!..

Suffolk is boulder Clay cut by river valleys,. and a lot of people live
in them.

Reception is not great there.

It's not a bad area really as witness the lack of relay stations.

Now the Welsh valley's are where thats at;!..


It's better on the coastal estuaries like Ipswich.

Where continental co-channel interference rules for a bit of the
year;!...
--
Tony Sayer

In message

, Another John wrote
Tabby wrote:

If she can get any signal at all on a set top aerial, you'll likely
find a good loft aerial & amplifier is sufficient.

I agree, fwiw. A good "digital aerial" (as the bloke who sold me mine,
a few weeks ago, described it) costs £30; plus you need a few meters of
good cable: definitely worth a go at DIY, in the loft, if she's getting
a signal off the set-top at the moment.


http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/article...sat-201007.pdf
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/article...-quality.shtml

--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk