Old digital viewers

wrote in message
...
You
can get Freeview through a shared communal arial .

Important typo in my original there - it should have read "You CAN'T get
Freeview through a shared communal arial".

Well they just get a freeview box like the rest of us or a new TV set
with
digital built in.

Problem is, there's no individual arials on the individual flats / houses
to
receive Freeview, just a cable to a central communal arial. It may be
against the sheltered agency's policy to allow individual arials
(fuddy-duddyness, etc).

I think at something like 75 years old they do get Government help.
Maybe you should read one of your leaflets.

Let's hope so. I'm just thinking about my Nan - I got her a Freeview box
before only to discover that the commnal arial wasn't up to receiving
Freeview. So, what's going to happen when the analog signal gets switched
off?

Is it va private system, or run by a housing association or other public
body. If the latter they should have a plan...

A bunch of old people moaning that their telly doesn't work any
more....

"David Wade" wrote in message
...

Is it va private system, or run by a housing association or other public
body. If the latter they should have a plan...

Many so-called "housing associations" (including mine) are essentially just
renamed former council housing depts run by exactly the same people. Their
chief concern is to keep expenditure as low as possible so their plan is to
"do nothing".

(kim)

lid wrote:
You
can get Freeview through a shared communal arial .

Important typo in my original there - it should have read "You CAN'T get
Freeview through a shared communal arial".

Except you CAN get Freeview through a shared communal aerial (note
spelling - "arial" is a font)

In the ondigital days I used to travel a lot, staying in travel inns
here there and everywhere. I always used to pack my ondigital box so at
least there'd be something to watch on the telly. It worked fine in many
places, as will a freeview box. Travel Inns all have a communal aerial
system.


So, what's going to happen when the analog signal gets switched
off? A bunch of old people moaning that their telly doesn't work any
more....


Old people moaning? Well I never, whatever next!!!

kim wrote:

There are bungalows on the same site still occupied by elderly people. When
they were first built there was an alarm system consisting of a flashing
light on the front of each bungalow but that was disabled when the old
people's home was closed. Each of the bungalows requires a separate TV mast
which is fairly ineffective as the signal is screened by neighbouring three
storey buildings. http://www.sponend.org.uk/info/virtl...r/wellgton.jpg

Is that roofing material made from copper? That must have an interesting
effect on people's signal, never mind being worth a bob or 2!

In article ,
etillet wrote:
kim wrote:

There are bungalows on the same site still occupied by elderly people.
When they were first built there was an alarm system consisting of a
flashing light on the front of each bungalow but that was disabled when
the old people's home was closed. Each of the bungalows requires a
separate TV mast which is fairly ineffective as the signal is screened
by neighbouring three storey buildings.
http://www.sponend.org.uk/info/virtl...r/wellgton.jpg

Is that roofing material made from copper? That must have an interesting
effect on people's signal, never mind being worth a bob or 2!

Doesn't need copper to create a screen. Red roofing tiles made of concrete
use iron oxide as the colourant. Quite a good screen for loft aerials and,
in masses, lift the local earth plane up quite a few metres.

--
From KT24 - in "Leafy Surrey"

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.11

"etillet" wrote in message
...
lid wrote:
You
can get Freeview through a shared communal arial .

Important typo in my original there - it should have read "You CAN'T get
Freeview through a shared communal arial".

Except you CAN get Freeview through a shared communal aerial (note
spelling - "arial" is a font)

Not if a channel filter is fitted, as they are to most larger systems. We
couldn't even get Channel 5 here until they offered a £50 to upgrade the
system with an extra channel filter.

(kim)

"etillet" wrote in message
...
kim wrote:

There are bungalows on the same site still occupied by elderly people.
When
they were first built there was an alarm system consisting of a flashing
light on the front of each bungalow but that was disabled when the old
people's home was closed. Each of the bungalows requires a separate TV
mast
which is fairly ineffective as the signal is screened by neighbouring
three
storey buildings.
http://www.sponend.org.uk/info/virtl...r/wellgton.jpg

Is that roofing material made from copper? That must have an interesting
effect on people's signal, never mind being worth a bob or 2!

Indeed it is. The bungalows, maisonettes, old people's home, surgery and a
pub on the same site were all built with copper roofs which turned bright
green with age. The pub roof was stripped by a gang of thieves posing as
workmen a couple of years back. It was valued at £20,000.

(kim)

kim wrote:

"David Wade" wrote in message
...

Is it va private system, or run by a housing association or other public
body. If the latter they should have a plan...

Many so-called "housing associations" (including mine) are essentially just
renamed former council housing depts run by exactly the same people. Their
chief concern is to keep expenditure as low as possible so their plan is to
"do nothing".

To keep expenditure as low as possible they should do something NOW.
Leaving it until analogue switchoff is going to cost a fortune in
riggers' bills.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

On 1 Feb, 11:52, "kim" wrote:

In my case they already know the situation. The communal system was
installed in 1969 under a fixed price contract and for as long as the sytem
remains in use the aerial contractors are forced to maintain it at 1969
prices. There is no incentive for the landlord/housing association to
upgrade the system in any way. The stock reply to anyone complaining about
the quality of signal is that they should install a Sky dish or cable TV.

So they've given you 2 options, and the third is to move.

Depending on the building, there might even be a fourth solution,
which is that you play with the thing yourself.


I'm not justifying the situation - I think it stinks - but I've rented
places with little to no TV reception myself - I've known this before
I moved in. I had a choice. I could have rented somewhere better (in
every respect!), apart from the obvious reason.

Many years ago the residents association collected signatures for a petition
demanding that the communal system be at least made reliable. It works no
better today than it did back then.

Could you club together and get it done in spite of the management
company?

Cheers,
David.

wrote in message
oups.com...
On 1 Feb, 11:52, "kim" wrote:

In my case they already know the situation. The communal system was
installed in 1969 under a fixed price contract and for as long as the
sytem
remains in use the aerial contractors are forced to maintain it at 1969
prices. There is no incentive for the landlord/housing association to
upgrade the system in any way. The stock reply to anyone complaining
about
the quality of signal is that they should install a Sky dish or cable
TV.

So they've given you 2 options, and the third is to move.

Not really and option. I'm a "secured tennant" which gives me certain rights
which I would lose if I moved somewhere else.

Depending on the building, there might even be a fourth solution,
which is that you play with the thing yourself.

Do you think I haven't already tried? )

No joy there. I'm willing to pay to have an external aerial erected but the
maisonette above me is currently occupied and it is unlikely the current
tennant would co-operate with the installation process. If it suddenly
becomes vacant that's a different matter.

I'm not justifying the situation - I think it stinks - but I've rented
places with little to no TV reception myself - I've known this before
I moved in. I had a choice. I could have rented somewhere better (in
every respect!), apart from the obvious reason.

Many years ago the residents association collected signatures for a
petition
demanding that the communal system be at least made reliable. It works
no
better today than it did back then.

Could you club together and get it done in spite of the management
company?

Not a chance. The so-called "housing association" owns the freehold. Added
to that, some two thirds of tennants already have Sky dishes so they
couldn't care less about the rest of us.

(kim)