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?
Thursday, 20 January 2011
D
David12:38 PM
123 aerials Oxford done exactly what they mention above as so bad not replacinc cable then wanted 60 in cash only to replace it And underneath it another comment from ian who is the same person if you look at there web page there lots of great comments from himself never any contact details to confirm they have no qualifications and if you ask a few technical questions you will not get a straight answer as they don't know them someone should try it and see I have and he just tries to talk his way out of it
| link to this comment |
A
Andre12:51 PM
Seeing you're comment on 123 aerials brings back sush bad memorys I called Reading aerials and who turned up our friend ian of 123 aerials don't know how he managed it but I called Reading aerials as he was still at my house they had never heard of him .he then proceeded to tell me how bad everybody except himself is and my installation would be £340 bud he says usually it's £99 but do you know anyone got £99 installation anyway he hastily left when another no. he gave me he said had sent him I said I will call them .the only mention of 123 aerials was on his van very strange person I don't think I would like in my house
| link to this comment |
T
Tom Fletcher5:23 PM
cass.
some flats have strange fittings in the aerial systems but it should be a male coax push in fly lead that fits into it . or it mite have been broken at some time. go to B&Q and get one of those
universal packs of coax and cables there should be something in it that fits.
Tom Fletcher Alpha Aerials Sheffield.
| link to this comment |
Friday, 21 January 2011
D
Dave2:31 AM
After reading all these posts, mainly from the north of the country,I get the impression that its a cut throat business up there, much like Bristol southwest was 30 years ago, i really dont know how some of the business are staying afloat.
Im one of the oldest astablished radio and TV business down here in the southwest,We been doing satellite equipment long before sky was even thought of, and we have always been fair on my prices, not the cheapest but all the kit we use is good spec and all works carrys a 2 year parts and labour.
I must have got it right because most of the time im turning work away due to workload, although most my old customers are willing to wait until i can find a slot to book them in.
I myself have seen so many changes within the trade from when I was serving my time as a Radio TV engineer which was all valve VHF 405 lines later moving to UHF 625 lines Which meant you had to have a dual standard TV which you needed for BBC2, Most TV by then were hybride which means valve/ transistor, then of course we moved to colour TV which again needed to be dual standard because BBC2 was the only channel transmitted in colour... Wow i remember the first western in colour was the High chaperal.I remember it well because i had to go on alot of manufacturing courses to be able to repair them. Anyway along time after that we had the VCRs come out,So back on so many course i lost count,Us TV engineers had to really move with the times otherwise you were left on the shelf, Not one but 3 formats, are main sellers were the Grundig SVR system and later the Thorn VHS format,I personaly didnt like the sony betamax system, but saying that if they hadnt been knocked out of the market by big rental companys like radio rentals and granda, then it proberly would have progressed.
After that we had the start of Laser, they were playback only large discs the same size as the standard 78rpm record aprox, 2 formats, Hitachi CED which worked similar to a record player but worked on capacitance emmiting diodes the other was the philips laser, Need i say it was more courses with hitachi, i spent alot of time with different manufactures back then, like most TV engineers had to.
It was in the late seventys early 80s that me and my dad desided there was a good untouched business to be had within the satellite industrie within what we thought would be just the southwest of England, at that time we had opened are second Tv shop out in the country.
I was sent off to Luxor which was based in swindon for 2 months on a training course which was later to become salora then ITT Nokia.
First install i ever did was above are first shop which was a 1.2m prime focus dish with a 4ghz LNC, 220 west for the russian satelite Gorizont.
The following day which was VE day we had some of the main stream media turn up at are shop to see the russians parade live on russian TV, By the way, the actuall satellite receiver was built into there TVs even back then.
Soon after that we were able to offer polsat RAI for the italians, we were installing equipment all over England, it took off quite fast, you must bare in mind the dishes for 10-13-and 16 east+ 220 west were 2M primefocus fiber glass, and just the LNCs were £600 a time, it was all hand made, the satellites them selfs were only kicking out 5Watts hence the big dishes, we also took on some very large projects and for distribution we had most of it made to order, again handmade.
With todays tech far as aerials and satellite providing the person has the right meters and some common sence they can install a system.
Where most installers will come unstuck if there givin say a faulty multiswitcher, or even a bog standard distribution amp to repair apart from checking the fuse in the plug end they would be knackered.
Thats why im afraid i cant call a sky or ex sky person a engineer, the word engineer to me and many other, time served engineers is to loosly used like so many other trades.
They should be called either fitters or installers.
Theres nothing engineering about finding out whats wrong with someones satellite system all you need is the tools, spare receiver,LNB and a reel of cable.
If its the receiver at fault, and your not a engineer then you send it to someone who is a engineer.
Im sorry to harp on but it does get up my goat to think i did a stright 5 years city and guilds apprenticeship, plus umpteen courses with manufactures within the TV trade, then someone can go to colleage for 8 weeks or so, and be labled a engineer.
They will be calling window cleaners engineers soon lol, other countries must be laughing at us.
There must be other time served engineers on here, would love to here your opinions on the matter.
Warm regards
Dave
| link to this comment |
Dave: Thanks for that.
I do recall a college of mine, who had spent four years at university doing an engineering degree, and hence technically "an engineer" being generally annoyed by "technicians" (and other operatives) being called "engineers" when they had no engineering qualifications.
| link to this comment |
M
michael10:03 AM
As a mature student, I had to do Fourier transforms and advanced calculus to get my professional qualification. It is all too evident that dumbing-down has now spread way beyond GCSE...
| link to this comment |
T
Tom Fletcher7:47 PM
Dave
your life story sounds like mine I am in my late 50s and did the all the things you said working for a local sheffield firm wigfalls vhf -uhf black&white TVs BRW colour TVs. videos remember PYE 205s BRC 3500 PHILIPS g8s Decca bradfords on and on?
going self employed opening my fist shop selling ex rental TVs. we had a guy working for us fitting aerials full time but always was a side line to the TV job. we sort of drifted in to the aerial trade as big names came in selling cheap TVs giving credit to any one that walk in the place the aerial trade took of from that and the rest is history as they say. we worked for sky as subbs for a few years made a bit of money out of them but it was hard work' at the moment we seem to be making a living out of the aerial trade and that is what matters in this day and age. I dont know what is around the corner or the next thing after the digital rush is over we will have to go on more courses I bet. Tom Fletcher Alpha Aerials Sheffield
| link to this comment |
I
Ian8:33 PM
Cheers Andrea and Dave
Nice to see my beating others prices here in Oxford is upsetting people funny how they are logging on the same time on 2 separate days.
What u quote over the phone is £99 full install and that is what I stick to unless they need something bigger, I have been installing and working in the tv reception area since I was 17 and have never had another job so even though I don't pay CIA or do I pay rdi for a piece of paper each year I have done every heights and signal course needed with full nearly 15 years experience in my area and again cheers it's nice to know other people get upset when I undercut them they are upset.
Also any comment on my site is 1 hundred percent accurate and if any customer wishes to see written proof as it says on my site I will provide it.
Cheers again
Ian 123 aerials
| link to this comment |
I
Ian8:42 PM
Hey cas
Just a quick one for you, you didn't say if socket on wall was broken.
You might find it's really easy most flats that have a communal sky connection plate as well as aerial plate all built into on (triplex plate)
This will have a female socket and if you have brought an aerial lead it will have to male ends.
Go into a local retailer and ask for an rf lead it goes male to female. It's like the ones you used to run from old video players to the tv.
Hope this works for you
Ian 123 aerials Oxford
| link to this comment |
I
Ian9:25 PM
Oops I just noticed I put CIA instead if cai sorry
Hey Tom i bet your customer was well happy, I had a lady have a smeg at me for offering her oap discount, saying oap was an offensive word and then said she would call someone else because of it.
Now that's strange he he
| link to this comment |
Select more comments
Your comment please