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, 16 July 2011
KB Aerials Sheffield
6:01 PM
6:01 PM
physically Installing an aerial getting a lashing wire terminated properly - using a decent mast and bracket and cai approved cable is easy!
Quiet a statement don't you think
Whats not so easy is getting it all to work - without the correct knowledge of signal loss and co channel interference signal strength - too strong too weak etc etc
thing with electricity (and im not an electrician so I am surmising )is the fact that it comes off the street at 240 volt and has to be 240 volt at all the sockets and that you distribute this 240v around the house
as far as each house goes the aerial reception may be good - or it may be poor - you may have 3 or 4 transmitters all fighting for space - without the correct equipment a decent analyser and knowledge of uhf reception - how the hell do you know if your doing a good job or a bad job- it all may look pretty and stand up against the wind but if it doesn't work its not an aerial but an ornament
Ian you may be lucky - the properties your working on may be in good line of sight of the transmitter - but you get a property that isnt - you go in with all the bravado of "yeah we can do this " you install everything as you did at the previous property but then all of a sudden the customer moves in and has no reception - this is when the Electrician who thinks he knows what hes doing crumbles and gets a PROFESSIONAL in to finish his job and expects to pay peanuts to save his bacon!
Ian if you really know what your doing then do it and don't whinge about us riggers ! - quietly get on with it - take the cash - and hopefully you wont have any hitches -
One day when you do - give us a call
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Mazbar9:36 PM
Ormskirk
Ian 6 months down the line when you are doing your main job your old job calls you back with a small problem with trees causing problems do you take half a day off and sort out the problem or do you file the call in the bin and never go back. Then a proper rigger has to go back a correct your problem. Being a good rigger doesnt mean getting it right straight away there can allways be problems a good rigger goes back when there is a problem and makes sure that every thing is right. Ian does your public insurance cover you for roof work i would check if i was you if it doesnt and you cause a problem iy could cost you a lot of money.
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Mazbar9:41 PM
Ormskirk
Ps ian i was trained by my father 30 years doing tv aerials until accident forced him to finish work myself i have been doing this for over 22 years from the age of 16 so i think i do know a lot more about doing tv aerials than you do.
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Sunday, 17 July 2011
I
Ian8:24 AM
KB, we are the professional don't claim to know everything but we don't re-visit our work that's the difference, we have done aerials in dodgy areas with poor reception and had to introduce a mast head amp to boost reception. I don't think I will be calling you one day either unless you want to come and work for me and run a new business nationally:)
I was at an hse and could only get BBC channels and wondered why!! And realised you can pick that up down a strand which was the issue noticed exhisting cable was damaged after replacing it it all worked fine.
We also have the test meters which we use and we walk away from our installs working with happy customers.
I'm not whinging about the riggers just stating a fact to mazbars previous comments,I don't doubt you know more than I about aerials as we are constantly asked to do them that's why we started doin aerials you don't turn work down in a recession pal.
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KB Aerials Sheffield
11:38 AM
11:38 AM
ok - you know what your doing - you have the equipment - you have the acumen to do the job and you don't seem to trust anyone else as the people you have come across have had attitudes.
Simple question - why did you try to out source your work?
Below is your original quote
I'm an electrical contractor in west mids and can do aerial installations, I have picked up a job that requires an communal system on 11 apartments each apartment has 2no sky cables the building is wired back to a riser cupboard and all it requires is an aerial and satelite.
I thought I will get the materials and pay someone a fair days pay plus fuel costs, after phoning around for quotes it's become apparent that the installers are asking for footballers wages for one days work which they would get done in half a day, quotes I had was £800 £1000 £700 qualified skilled electricians struggle to get £150 a day and they have done 4 yrs at college
Not a 10 week course.
So Question!! Why are these prices so high?
Also we have customers!! Not victims!
As for running a national company i probably don't have the will or desire to do that - don't want to be a millionaire - just want a happy comftable life and pick my kids up from school every night - which I do - I see and talk to these hungry for money work 24 hours a day guys - they have the big swish houses - several expensive cars and a family who wonder where daddy is - for now until my kids are much older i do 9-3 monday to friday and im dead happy with what I have so -- National company - Headaches - Staff - Wages - constant phone calls - no thanks
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Mazbar1:34 PM
Ormskirk
Kb a man after my own heart i work 7 days a week but only 8 am till 3 pm i wirk weekends for my customers who work in the week. While my daughter was at junior school i picked her up from school every day. I on the other hand dont over charge £85 for a log periodic fully installed £59 for a rx12 clip on to an extra room and if they need a very high gain like a unix 52 £ 130 i think very reasonable. A word of warning to all riggers out there when you transmitter changes to full digital yiu will get lots of work short term, tune in and a few new aerials but after that the work drys up. Here on the winter hill transmiter the signal is so strong even with an aerial that is broken in half and pointing the wrong way they still get great signal. This has problems gor our customers today went to a house that had water pouring down the coax for at least a year and they didnt know. My work has allmost halfed since the switchover all you can do is make the most of the work that comes in.
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KB Aerials Sheffield
2:50 PM
2:50 PM
yeah got 4 transmitter dates up here emley moor the main transmitter then sheffield belmont and waltham - belmont and sheffield went from group a to wideband - but they are both staying wideband - so whats next job for us guys? do I set up a removals are a house clearing company?
I reckon CCTV and Home Cinema installs may be the way to go - got to branch out and diversify sheffield is really hilly so hopefully I will get a steady stream of work - who knows whats in store - one of my friends is really worried about when they whack the transmitters up (now after your last statement im a little more apprehensive ).
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Mazbar3:25 PM
Ormskirk
All you can do is try to keep going and hope you last one month more than the other company down the road and you get any work that might have gone his way. At least your tax bill goes down. all we can hope for is a realy poor winter this year with no snow and 100 mph winds. I realy hated going on a roof with 6 inch of snow on it and -16 not fun. Out side it is teaming down with rain 5 years ago i would have had at least 3 to 4 calls even on a sunday not any more hopefuly monday will bring a few calls. Before the switchover i used to order stock every week or every other week last time i went 4 weeks between orders thats when you know you are quiet.
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Ian6:17 PM
Dont, Try Electrical work guys 8 til 3 doesn't happen you wouldn't want to be checking your watch at 2:30 trying to sort a problem out (no lights/ power etc)at a customers house thinking got to do the school run!
Solar pv is the way forward but you still need electrical qualifications to do it.
More time to re-train more technical more money more Paperwork! Too hard for you riggers I guess.
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KB Aerials Sheffield
6:27 PM
6:27 PM
Your right Ian - we have a tough old life don't we!
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