Cost to replace a TV aerial
 

On 23/07/2020 20:15, bert wrote:

However I did note that many aerial fitters seem to be operating through
national franchises which bumps up the cost. You can always tell from
the web site as they emphasise that they have local companies to do the
job. A stand alone local business just says "Here we are".

Some of these firms are absolutely dreadful. Unbelievable rip-offs in
some cases. I have a large amount of evidence.

Bill

Cost to replace a TV aerial
 

On 23/07/2020 20:39, Grumps wrote:

Of the five companies I contacted via the web, one replied and said they
were too busy to do work like that(!), one replied and said he could
have a look in a fortnight, one said £85, and two haven't replied yet.

Most aerial firms will shy away from customers with specialised
requirements. After all, why bother? From the aerial man's point of view
radio amateurs can be an absolute nightmare. They are often extremely
certain of technical facts but wrong.

Bill

Cost to replace a TV aerial
 

On 23/07/2020 22:58, williamwright wrote:
On 23/07/2020 20:39, Grumps wrote:

Of the five companies I contacted via the web, one replied and said
they were too busy to do work like that(!), one replied and said he
could have a look in a fortnight, one said £85, and two haven't
replied yet.

Most aerial firms will shy away from customers with specialised
requirements. After all, why bother? From the aerial man's point of view
radio amateurs can be an absolute nightmare. They are often extremely
certain of technical facts but wrong.

Bill

It's not really specialised putting up a very simple antenna - which
they didn't even ask about. All I'm essentially looking for is a man on
the end of a long stick. A stick I'm not sure I want to climb.
Maybe all I need to find is a handyman with a ladder instead.

And I'm sure you're right about PITA radio amateurs. I'm on the amateur
end of the radio amateur scale, and wouldn't dare try to inform a
professional installer like yourself.

Cost to replace a TV aerial
 

In article , Grumps wrote:
On 23/07/2020 22:58, williamwright wrote:
On 23/07/2020 20:39, Grumps wrote:

Of the five companies I contacted via the web, one replied and said
they were too busy to do work like that(!), one replied and said he
could have a look in a fortnight, one said £85, and two haven't
replied yet.

Most aerial firms will shy away from customers with specialised
requirements. After all, why bother? From the aerial man's point of
view radio amateurs can be an absolute nightmare. They are often
extremely certain of technical facts but wrong.

Bill

It's not really specialised putting up a very simple antenna - which
they didn't even ask about. All I'm essentially looking for is a man on
the end of a long stick. A stick I'm not sure I want to climb. Maybe all
I need to find is a handyman with a ladder instead.

it used to be said that many aerial riggers were former window cleaners who
still had theri ladder.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

Cost to replace a TV aerial
 

On 24/07/2020 08:33, Grumps wrote:

Most aerial firms will shy away from customers with specialised
requirements. After all, why bother? From the aerial man's point of
view radio amateurs can be an absolute nightmare. They are often
extremely certain of technical facts but wrong.

Bill

It's not really specialised putting up a very simple antenna - which
they didn't even ask about. All I'm essentially looking for is a man on
the end of a long stick. A stick I'm not sure I want to climb.

I used a wrong word:'Specialised'. I should have said, "Anything he
hasn't done a million times before." Many low-end domestic aerial
installers want to cram in as many jobs as possible in the day. They
don't want to waste time reading instructions, or even discussing the
job with the customers. So they don't risk anything other than, "Please
come and fix a telly aerial on my roof."

Because I had an actual interest in RF and a lot of curiosity, I
generally accepted odd-ball jobs (although I might leg it later if I
didn't like what I saw!) It paid off in my case because I ended up doing
all sorts of jobs where one thing led to another, and some became very
profitable.

Maybe all I need to find is a handyman with a ladder instead.

Yes. Although fixing anything new to old masts and brackets is a bit
dodgy sometimes.


And I'm sure you're right about PITA radio amateurs. I'm on the amateur
end of the radio amateur scale, and wouldn't dare try to inform a
professional installer like yourself.

Not all of them of course. But I did have a few bad experiences. There
again I had some good ones, and I learnt a lot.

My most common interaction with 'hams' was the result of me being used
by a local council as TVI tracer, after the Radio Regulatory Dept
effectively threw the towel in. Most were dead reasonable and between us
we usually found a solution. There was one guy, though €” I think he had
a screw loose €” who used to deliberately wipe out my nearby system. In
the end he lost his tenancy.

Bill

Cost to replace a TV aerial
 

On 24/07/2020 09:29, charles wrote:


it used to be said that many aerial riggers were former window cleaners who
still had theri ladder.


I've seem aerial riggers with wooden deathtrap ladders €” missing rungs,
the lot. And of course no roof ladder.

Bill