Connecting an existing but disconnected Arial up?

[eveares]

I am getting rid of my Sky TV package as they have just put the prices up again and it is becoming unaffordable for me and so I am going to get a Humax DTR-T2000 YouView Box as a replacement.

While I know I could get a FreeSat box, I have chosen YouView as I watch a lot of Dave and Home.

I have an existing Arial as shown by the photos what has not been used for about 4 years, and a couple of years ago I stupidly cut the Arial lead very short with a long pair of garden shears thinking that I would never need to use it again.

The other day I disconnected one of the leads from the Octo LBN on the Satellite dish (see coiled lead in Photo 2), that now needs connecting to the lead dangling down from the Arial. The coiled lead will feed the YouView box from a wall point.

I would do this my self, but I don't have a roofing Cat ladder and would not be sure how to safely position my tripple extension ladder against the chimney.

Do you think I could get this simple job done by a local Arial fitter for £30-£35? I live in Redhill, Surrey.

Also, I don't know how old my Arial is as it was here when I moved in in 2012; but will it have a high enough gain level to receive HD Youview services?

General View:

Arial 1

• eveares
• 14 May 2016

Coiled wire to be connected to Arial:

Arial 2

• eveares
• 14 May 2016

Regards: Elliott.

 

[winston1]

All those questions can be answered by your local aerial installer who will have local knowledge of the signal strength in your area. He/she will also be able to quote you a price.

 

[winston1]

Also bear in mind your cutoff cable may be no good, water in it, so he will have to go direct to the aerial.

 

[Lucid]

I wouldn't hold out much hope of getting anyone professional to turn out for £30-£35. I know I wouldn't because that amount of money wouldn't even cover costs; besides, I'd rather have the time free or go on a proper paying job. Don't worry though, you could quite easily tackle this as a DIY job if you have some tools and a marker pen.

Winston is right about the possibility of water in the cable. You probably should think about either using one of the cables still connected to the LNB if that's at all possible, or at least wrapping the end of that loose cable so that no more water can get in to it until you're ready to start the job.

To tackle the job start by putting an alignment mark on the bracket and pole. Then use some WD40 or similar on the nuts before loosening them with a spanner. Lower the pole down and you'll be able to reach the aerial to remove the old cable. Fit some new WF100, replace the water cover cap then hoist the aerial pole back in to position. Use the alignment mark you made earlier to get the aerial pointing in the same direction as before. You should now have a length of unterminated coax long enough and with a bit extra to join to the satellite cable. Fit an F plug and then connect this to the satellite cable using an T-type back-to-back connector. Finish off with a wrap of self amalgamating tape as water-proofing.

Aerials don't need to be especially "high gain" just to receive HD.

 

[james_help]

You can continue using your sky box as a Freeview alternative.... You do not need to pay for SkyTV to watch the free channels.

 

[eveares]

I wouldn't hold out much hope of getting anyone professional to turn out for £30-£35.

Well I have found one local company with a flashy website who advertises Arial installs from £39 and Service & repairs from £15.

What sort of ladder do I need to access the Arial bracket. Would it just be easier for me to install a indoor loft Arial, it's a dormer bungalow though and not very high.

You can continue using your sky box as a Freeview alternative.... You do not need to pay for SkyTV to watch the free channels.

But I would loose the PVR capabilitys, and would not get Dave. Freesat from sky is not a PVR service.

 

[Lucid]

Well I have found one local company with a flashy website who advertises Arial installs from £39 and Service & repairs from £15.

Please tell me you're not that dumb. Look at the clues; a flashy web site and unrealistically low prices. Christ on a bike, do you believe those emails too that tell you the Nigerian Finance Minister has $100,000 sitting in an account just for you and all you have to do is send him your bank details and a processing fee? No self-respecting business can afford to survive on £15 repairs so you can bet your bottom dollar that the bill at the end will be substantially higher. But if you are that dumb then by all means go ahead.

A loft aerial would be a bad idea. You clearly haven't much in the way of common sense if you already cut the aerial wire and disconnected the LNB cable without good cause. You have what looks like a perfectly serviceable aerial, it just needs to be reconnected. The parts for reconnecting it will cost less than a tenner. You're trying to do things on the cheap so at least do it right rather than bodging something with a loft install when you clearly haven't the skill to do it right, and for God sake don't get involved with the scam artists.

Oh, and the word is spelled aerial... A E R I A L.... do you get it now? The way your're spelling it the word means type face (font).

 

[james_help]

You can continue using your sky box as a Freeview alternative.... You do not need to pay for SkyTV to watch the free channels.

But I would loose the PVR capabilitys, and would not get Dave. Freesat from sky is not a PVR service.[/QUOTE]

But for one channel you could save money... Dave doesn't show anything interesting to be fair mate.

 

[DaveHerns]

Isn't that a large load for one small but tall chimney with an aerial and a Sky dish?

 

[eveares]

Dave doesn't show anything interesting to be fair mate.

American Pickers - One of my favourite programs! At least you get Really on Freesat what shows Most Haunted.

Isn't that a large load for one small but tall chimney with an aerial and a Sky dish?

May be, but a satellite dish and a Aerial are not that heavy in the whole scheme of things. This is the company I found.

 

[flameport]

American Pickers - One of my favourite programs!

That can be viewed here: http://uktvplay.uktv.co.uk/shows/american-pickers/watch-online/

 

[eveares]

That can be viewed here: http://uktvplay.uktv.co.uk/shows/american-pickers/watch-online/

I know. Keep meaning to ask; do you play the organ John as it is in the background of your videos.

 

[eveares]

Ok, I think I may have just been ripped off?

The company that I linked to (that I ended up using) ended up costing £166 as a new aerial with a 4G filter built in had to be fitted according to the guy who came round. He said the old aerial had water and grime in it.

This is the aerial that was fitted. The guy also said that the plug-in style 4G filters that you can buy often break down and are no good. Also said the aerials from TLC are no good.

New Areial

• eveares
• 23 May 2016

Oh, and this is the junction box of the old aerial. The old aerial was a 32 element aerial.

Old Areial Junction Box

• eveares
• 23 May 2016

 

[winston1]

I can't see any water in the junction box of the old aerial, but the connections and cable look pretty grotty. It was an 18 element aerial by the way as is your new one. Count them, remembering that the reflector at the back counts as one element.

In most cases 4G filters are not required but if built into an aerial will do no harm. Don't agree that plug in ones break down, but do agree that some of the aerials on the TLC site are poorly made bacofoil types and are also misdescribed regarding number of elements.

But at the end of the day £166 for a new 18 element aerial installation is not a ripoff. Hopefully you have learnt not to go around cutting cables just because you are not currently using them.

 

[eveares]

Hopefully you have learnt not to go around cutting cables just because you are not currently using them.

I only cut 2 foot of the cable, it was already hanging in the breeze.

It was an 18 element aerial by the way as is your new one.

I oddly counted each section of the long horizontal square pole on each side as a element. i.e. I counted 2 elements per row.