Aerial riggers - I've found the cowboys! (Long post)
 

Where on earth does one find one the allegedly 20% of decent aerial
riggers?

Over time I have come across a number of the cowboys after going
through the local Yellow pages, one made great claims about his
contract with the local airport and various other companies and
educational institutions.

So booked them to fit a new aerial that they also supplied they
arrived as it was going dusk (they looked like a couple of school
leavers who were accompanied by a more mature gent whose job was to
drill the hole in the wall for the cable) and finished the job in the
dark, a miners helmet fitted with a lamp would not have gone amiss so
that they could see what they were doing, in daylight it did not
appear to be the greatest job I've seen!

This time around I decided to spend time lurking on this forum in
order to pick up some good advice, study the adverts in the local
papers, check the website of my Local Trading Standards office -
aerial riggers do not get a mention! - check the CAI and RDI websites
for installers in my area and finally pore over Yellow pages again!

There are some wonderful offers in the adverts in the local press, buy
one digital aerial and get another free, cheap aerials £25 plus plenty
of mobile phone numbers to ring.

Local Trading Standards website was a waste of time it did not list
aerial riggers at all, surely a wasted opportunity a list of recommend
firms would be a boone for consumers.

The CAI and RDI websites were not bad if trying to find one of their
approved and certified aerial riggers, but how many firms have one
qualified person with the appropriate certificate and which is used
in their Yellow pages adverts to cover everyone working in that firm.
The number of adverts with the words "Job applications Welcome" does
not exactly fill me with confidence.

For instance a number of adverts in my Local Yellow pages have a
"Digital Certification mark" listing them as a Registered Installer
although on checking the RDI website none of them are listed and a
quick email fired off to RDI pointing this out did not even warrant a
response.

Following advice on the forum to check out the quality of local aerial
installations has also proved to be a waste of time as I must live in
an area where the cowboys are in the ascendancy, so far have not seen
any what I would class as good quality installations.

I have also visited the Digital Spy forums to see whether I could
glean some information on decent aerials to buy cheaply off eBay and
get someone to fit.

So far I have ended up with a Televes DAT45 and Triax 52 bought cheap,
since buying the Televes and whilst on my travels I've seen a number
of these aerials with parts missing from the reflector, as I am not
far from the coast (Liverpool area) and it can get pretty windy it
might not be the most ideal aerial to use. Although either of the
aerials would no doubt make an ideal perch for our local pigeon
fanciers birds. Just wondering what is the most pigeons you could fit
on these aerials.

I have now decided to find a decent aerial rather than aerial rigger
and have decided on an Antiference Log Periodic (I don't think you can
get many pigeons on this aerial) but will be guided by the aerial
rigger in relation to local reception conditions.

This site was a great help in coming to this decision:-

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/atvstockaerialtests.html

Also for clueing me up on coaxial cables I am grateful to Bill
Wright's website-

http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/article...ty-hmdi-m.html

At least I can make sure that I get the best coaxial cable fitted.

There is a local Liverpool firm who has been in the business for
forty-years and sells and fits the Antiference range of aerials so
will give them a try, I have to get lucky sometime!

Sorry this post is so long but it is Sunday and most people like to
have a read on Sunday mornings. :-)

Cheers - Harryo

Aerial riggers - I've found the cowboys! (Long post)
 

"Agzee" wrote in message
...
Where on earth does one find one the allegedly 20% of decent aerial
riggers?

Over time I have come across a number of the cowboys after going
through the local Yellow pages, one made great claims about his
contract with the local airport and various other companies and
educational institutions.

So booked them to fit a new aerial that they also supplied they
arrived as it was going dusk (they looked like a couple of school
leavers who were accompanied by a more mature gent whose job was to
drill the hole in the wall for the cable) and finished the job in the
dark, a miners helmet fitted with a lamp would not have gone amiss so
that they could see what they were doing, in daylight it did not
appear to be the greatest job I've seen!

This time around I decided to spend time lurking on this forum in
order to pick up some good advice, study the adverts in the local
papers, check the website of my Local Trading Standards office -
aerial riggers do not get a mention! - check the CAI and RDI websites
for installers in my area and finally pore over Yellow pages again!

There are some wonderful offers in the adverts in the local press, buy
one digital aerial and get another free, cheap aerials £25 plus plenty
of mobile phone numbers to ring.

Local Trading Standards website was a waste of time it did not list
aerial riggers at all, surely a wasted opportunity a list of recommend
firms would be a boone for consumers.

The CAI and RDI websites were not bad if trying to find one of their
approved and certified aerial riggers, but how many firms have one
qualified person with the appropriate certificate and which is used
in their Yellow pages adverts to cover everyone working in that firm.
The number of adverts with the words "Job applications Welcome" does
not exactly fill me with confidence.

For instance a number of adverts in my Local Yellow pages have a
"Digital Certification mark" listing them as a Registered Installer
although on checking the RDI website none of them are listed and a
quick email fired off to RDI pointing this out did not even warrant a
response.

Following advice on the forum to check out the quality of local aerial
installations has also proved to be a waste of time as I must live in
an area where the cowboys are in the ascendancy, so far have not seen
any what I would class as good quality installations.

I have also visited the Digital Spy forums to see whether I could
glean some information on decent aerials to buy cheaply off eBay and
get someone to fit.

So far I have ended up with a Televes DAT45 and Triax 52 bought cheap,
since buying the Televes and whilst on my travels I've seen a number
of these aerials with parts missing from the reflector, as I am not
far from the coast (Liverpool area) and it can get pretty windy it
might not be the most ideal aerial to use. Although either of the
aerials would no doubt make an ideal perch for our local pigeon
fanciers birds. Just wondering what is the most pigeons you could fit
on these aerials.

I have now decided to find a decent aerial rather than aerial rigger
and have decided on an Antiference Log Periodic (I don't think you can
get many pigeons on this aerial) but will be guided by the aerial
rigger in relation to local reception conditions.

This site was a great help in coming to this decision:-

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/atvstockaerialtests.html

Also for clueing me up on coaxial cables I am grateful to Bill
Wright's website-

http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/article...ty-hmdi-m.html

At least I can make sure that I get the best coaxial cable fitted.

There is a local Liverpool firm who has been in the business for
forty-years and sells and fits the Antiference range of aerials so
will give them a try, I have to get lucky sometime!

Sorry this post is so long but it is Sunday and most people like to
have a read on Sunday mornings. :-)

Cheers - Harryo

Hopefully most people would be able to see through the "aerials installed
for £25" adverts. I believe with the RDI scheme, only one in 5 installers in
the company has to actually have the full RDI status. If they meet this
ratio and the rest are ARDIs (associates) then they can use the logos etc.
I'm not signed up for the RDI or the CAI schemes but in reality I don't
think there's much to stop people falsely claiming membership in their
adverts if they are that way inclined.

The "digital certification mark" might just be a scam they are using because
most will confuse this with the RDI - "digital tick" scheme which is the
official one. Make up a trade organisation that sounds almost the same as a
real one. It's all a big con.

If you're sure a log periodic would be the best choice, then I personally
wouldn't use the Antiference one. I've tried them before, and they are
exactly the same as the Fracarro one. The design isn't great because the
elements tend to work loose, probably started off by being sent in the post
/ knocked etc. If you've already got it then just double check none of the
elements are loose / free to rotate.

You can get a strip of plastic spikes which sit along the aerial to stop any
birds resting on it, but I've never used these so can't comment on them any
further.

The Blake Logs are much sturdier.

Aerial riggers - I've found the cowboys! (Long post)
 

"Agzee" wrote in message
...
Sorry this post is so long but it is Sunday and most people like to
have a read on Sunday mornings. :-)

No no, dear boy. A very interesting post.

Bill

Aerial riggers - I've found the cowboys! (Long post)
 

"Agzee" wrote in message
...
Where on earth does one find one the allegedly 20% of decent aerial
riggers?


You have forgotten to say who the cowboys are. I found 80% were cowboys.
Don't bother with
Trading Standards or CAI as they have no power to control subcontractors.
CAI are a waste of
time too as they don't carry out many investigations.

Aerial riggers - I've found the cowboys! (Long post)
 

"-GB-Carpy" wrote in message
om...

"Agzee" wrote in message
...
Where on earth does one find one the allegedly 20% of decent aerial
riggers?

Over time I have come across a number of the cowboys after going
through the local Yellow pages, one made great claims about his
contract with the local airport and various other companies and
educational institutions.

So booked them to fit a new aerial that they also supplied they
arrived as it was going dusk (they looked like a couple of school
leavers who were accompanied by a more mature gent whose job was to
drill the hole in the wall for the cable) and finished the job in the
dark, a miners helmet fitted with a lamp would not have gone amiss so
that they could see what they were doing, in daylight it did not
appear to be the greatest job I've seen!

This time around I decided to spend time lurking on this forum in
order to pick up some good advice, study the adverts in the local
papers, check the website of my Local Trading Standards office -
aerial riggers do not get a mention! - check the CAI and RDI websites
for installers in my area and finally pore over Yellow pages again!

There are some wonderful offers in the adverts in the local press, buy
one digital aerial and get another free, cheap aerials £25 plus plenty
of mobile phone numbers to ring.

Local Trading Standards website was a waste of time it did not list
aerial riggers at all, surely a wasted opportunity a list of recommend
firms would be a boone for consumers.

The CAI and RDI websites were not bad if trying to find one of their
approved and certified aerial riggers, but how many firms have one
qualified person with the appropriate certificate and which is used
in their Yellow pages adverts to cover everyone working in that firm.
The number of adverts with the words "Job applications Welcome" does
not exactly fill me with confidence.

For instance a number of adverts in my Local Yellow pages have a
"Digital Certification mark" listing them as a Registered Installer
although on checking the RDI website none of them are listed and a
quick email fired off to RDI pointing this out did not even warrant a
response.

Following advice on the forum to check out the quality of local aerial
installations has also proved to be a waste of time as I must live in
an area where the cowboys are in the ascendancy, so far have not seen
any what I would class as good quality installations.

I have also visited the Digital Spy forums to see whether I could
glean some information on decent aerials to buy cheaply off eBay and
get someone to fit.

So far I have ended up with a Televes DAT45 and Triax 52 bought cheap,
since buying the Televes and whilst on my travels I've seen a number
of these aerials with parts missing from the reflector, as I am not
far from the coast (Liverpool area) and it can get pretty windy it
might not be the most ideal aerial to use. Although either of the
aerials would no doubt make an ideal perch for our local pigeon
fanciers birds. Just wondering what is the most pigeons you could fit
on these aerials.

I have now decided to find a decent aerial rather than aerial rigger
and have decided on an Antiference Log Periodic (I don't think you can
get many pigeons on this aerial) but will be guided by the aerial
rigger in relation to local reception conditions.

This site was a great help in coming to this decision:-

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/atvstockaerialtests.html

Also for clueing me up on coaxial cables I am grateful to Bill
Wright's website-

http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/article...ty-hmdi-m.html

At least I can make sure that I get the best coaxial cable fitted.

There is a local Liverpool firm who has been in the business for
forty-years and sells and fits the Antiference range of aerials so
will give them a try, I have to get lucky sometime!

Sorry this post is so long but it is Sunday and most people like to
have a read on Sunday mornings. :-)

Cheers - Harryo

Hopefully most people would be able to see through the "aerials installed
for £25" adverts. I believe with the RDI scheme, only one in 5 installers
in the company has to actually have the full RDI status. If they meet this
ratio and the rest are ARDIs (associates) then they can use the logos etc.
I'm not signed up for the RDI or the CAI schemes but in reality I don't
think there's much to stop people falsely claiming membership in their
adverts if they are that way inclined.

The "digital certification mark" might just be a scam they are using
because most will confuse this with the RDI - "digital tick" scheme which
is the official one. Make up a trade organisation that sounds almost the
same as a real one. It's all a big con.

If you're sure a log periodic would be the best choice, then I personally
wouldn't use the Antiference one. I've tried them before, and they are
exactly the same as the Fracarro one. The design isn't great because the
elements tend to work loose, probably started off by being sent in the
post / knocked etc. If you've already got it then just double check none
of the elements are loose / free to rotate.

You can get a strip of plastic spikes which sit along the aerial to stop
any birds resting on it, but I've never used these so can't comment on
them any further.

The Blake Logs are much sturdier.


It depends on which part of Liverpool he is in. A log periodic would be no
use
for Winter Hill as it is using reduced power on some multiplexes. If he
used a
vertical pointing over to Storeton it might give better results if around
the area
of Allerton or high up towards the Albert Dock area.
You're talking of a distance of about 16miles from Winter Hill to Liverpool.
For Storeton it's a few miles but a far far lower TX power.

Aerial riggers - I've found the cowboys! (Long post)
 

On Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:04:44 GMT, "-GB-Carpy"
wrote:


The "digital certification mark" might just be a scam they are using because
most will confuse this with the RDI - "digital tick" scheme which is the
official one. Make up a trade organisation that sounds almost the same as a
real one. It's all a big con.

No wonder I am confused. I have since read the following on the RDI
website:


"12. I am a retailer and already use the `digital tick` - does that
not cover my installers also?

No. Where you have been given a licence to use the `digital tick` for
retailer services, it must not be used in connection with aerial
installation services. Any such use would breach the terms of your
licence agreement. RDI will be policing any misuse cases vigorously."

The adverts I have seen in Yellow Pages were for some aerial
installers who also had a retail outlet selling aerials and
accessories hence the 'digital tick' logo was in fact being used for
the 'retail side' of their business.



If you're sure a log periodic would be the best choice, then I personally
wouldn't use the Antiference one. I've tried them before, and they are
exactly the same as the Fracarro one. The design isn't great because the
elements tend to work loose, probably started off by being sent in the post
/ knocked etc. If you've already got it then just double check none of the
elements are loose / free to rotate.

You can get a strip of plastic spikes which sit along the aerial to stop any
birds resting on it, but I've never used these so can't comment on them any
further.

The Blake Logs are much sturdier.

Just call me "Confused of Liverpool!" I am not sure what aerial would
be ideal for my needs, just thought that due to some of the blustery
wind conditions that we get from time to time a 'log periodic' type
would offer least wind resistance.

Some months ago our chimney mounted mast with a rather large aerial
on it pointed at the Storeton transmitter and also an FM aerial
attached to the same mast came adrift in high winds.

In recent months my next door neighbours rather huge tree has had very
large branches come crashing down into his rear garden and also most
recently an even larger section fell across two other neighbours rear
gardens, the local housing association decided the tree was in a
dangerous condition and it has since been removed by a tree surgeon.

The only good thing is that it has improved our Sky reception!

In view of what you say about the Antiference range will check out the
Blakes.

Cheers - Agzee

Aerial riggers - I've found the cowboys! (Long post)
 

On Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:19:46 +0100, "Paul P" wrote:


It depends on which part of Liverpool he is in. A log periodic would be no
use
for Winter Hill as it is using reduced power on some multiplexes. If he
used a
vertical pointing over to Storeton it might give better results if around
the area
of Allerton or high up towards the Albert Dock area.
You're talking of a distance of about 16miles from Winter Hill to Liverpool.
For Storeton it's a few miles but a far far lower TX power.


I am not far from the 'Ford factory' and at present I use the Storeton
transmitter for TV reception, in the past I have used Winter Hill but
had problems with 'ghosting' and always had a transparent darkish
vertical band which covered about a third of the TV screen, one aerial
rigger said that this was due to reflected signals from the rather
large water cooling tower at the Ford factory.

At the moment both Storeton and Winter Hill have a couple of muxes on
reduced power so I am having problems receiving some TV programmes, I
receive Freeview on a couple of digital tuners which are run in
conjunction with my computer.

Storeton is is 7.5 miles and Winter Hill is 24.2 miles distance from
my house, most of my neighbours have their aerials aligned to the
Winter Hill transmitter so might get an aerial rigger to do a meter
test for me in relation to both transmitters.

Cheers - Agzee

Aerial riggers - I've found the cowboys! (Long post)
 

On Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:31:18 +0100, "Bill Wright"
wrote:


"Agzee" wrote in message
.. .
Sorry this post is so long but it is Sunday and most people like to
have a read on Sunday mornings. :-)

No no, dear boy. A very interesting post.

Bill


Thanks Bill, thought I had better stop 'lurking' and get posting.

Cheers - Agzee

Aerial riggers - I've found the cowboys! (Long post)
 

On Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:16:32 +0100, "Paul P" wrote:



You have forgotten to say who the cowboys are. I found 80% were cowboys.
Don't bother with
Trading Standards or CAI as they have no power to control subcontractors.
CAI are a waste of
time too as they don't carry out many investigations.


Over the years I've had a number of different types of aerial fitted
by so called aerial riggers who had glowing adverts in Yellow pages!

Their names have long since been forgotton, the only decent aerial
rigger that I ever came across was from the Widnes area and
unfortunately I mislaid his business card and with age the memory does
not improve.

Will have to do a search of the Widnes phone directory to see if I can
find him again.

I have been reading the CAI and RDI websites a lot latetly trying to
glean information from them but from an end users point of view they
are not outstanding although I have found out how much it costs to get
various certificates that aerial riggers can stick on their walls!

Cheers - Agzee