Quality and Value
We install all types of aerial and believe that we offer quality and value. Unfortunately most people don't know what to look for in a quality aerial and buy solely on price. If there are a number of companies offering to install aerials they call round and find the lowest price. If people don't know what to look for in an aerial they might as well pick the lowest price. The companies competing only on price must cut their costs as much as possible, using the lowest cost materials and doing the job as quickly as possible. So I'd like to set out why our aerials are worth the little extra by describing our digital aerial installation.
A digital aerial to feed one point is comprised of an aerial, pole, brackets, fixings, and cable.
The Aerial
For quality reception a good aerial is required. We only use CAI benchmarked aerials. Before the CAI started benchmarking aerials we had little idea which aerials performed best, the manufacturers produced figures but we couldn't rely on these as they often seemed to be exaggerated and there were no independent checks on their validity. Of course from experience we did built up a knowledge of which aerials seemed to work better. However aerials that work well in some locations don't work so well in others and for digital much higher standards needed to be achieved. The CAI benchmarking scheme means that we know which aerials have come up to certain standards. To learn more about CAI benchmarked aerials visit CAI Benchmarked Aerials.
The cable
There is a huge range of qualities for coaxial cable and there are many factors that are difficult to assess that contribute to a good cable.
A poor cable:
Will have greater loss – could cause snow on analogue or picture break-up on some digital channels.
Poor screening - can allow interference to get picked up causing a degraded picture or on digital picture freezing or no digital.
Poor quality insulation - Causing the cable to wear through if abraded at all in windy conditions
Again the CAI has come to the rescue with their Cable Benchmarking scheme. There are a number of cables that have passed their stringent tests however we generally only use Webro H109F cable as it has the toughest outer insulation as well as being CAI benchmarked. To learn more about the CAI cable benchmarking click CAI Benchmarked Cables.
The Pole
The pole selected to support a given aerial must be strong enough to take the strain of the highest winds. After high winds we repair lots of aerials installed by other companies and it is generally the pole that has failed. We normally only use galvanized steel poles as they don't rust and are stronger than alloy for the same diameter. In situations where a cranked alloy pole is required we use a larger diameter alloy. We keep the poles we use as short as possible which improves the appearance of the installation and the shorter it is the stronger it is.
Brackets
Many aerial installers fit painted brackets to cut their costs. The painted brackets generally available always rust and in the future will be an unsightly mess with rust staining the wall. We only use fully galvanized brackets, they cost a little more but result in a job that will look good not just at the time of installation but also in many years time.
The picture shows brackets that were originally painted. There is now no paint left and rusty rainwater is staining the roughcast.
Installation
The quality of the materials is very important but so is how they are installed. We align the digital aerials we install with Rover Digital Terrestrial meters. By this method we achieve the optimum position for the aerial. Often the best position is lower rather than higher. On your receipt we also give the strength and carrier to noise figures measured before they connect to your receiver. This allows us or someone else to measure the signal possibly years later and compare them to the original readings.
Locating the aerial and cable as discretely as possible is a high priority. Before we begin we discuss the options with our customers of where we suggest locating the aerial and routing the cable, only when our cutomer is satisfied with our installation proposal will we begin the installation.