expensive white box...have I been ripped off!!

[avocadinho]

Hi,

My roof-top aerial was giving not outputting any signal, so I got an aerial specialist in and was quoted £45 labour + £30 for replacement coax. fine. anyway, I get back from work and my wife tells me (i wasn't in when the aerial guy came) we got charged extra £60 for a white box that they've connected behind the TV!

It looks like an signal booster, as it's connected to the mains. it has a green LED. if I pull the plug on it, I lose all signal.

question: is this just an signal booster...and if so...why is it £60 when the most expensive thing I can find on google is £30. Also, any comment I can find on amplifiers seems to say they're useless unless connected at the mast head.

Have I been ripped off!?

Avo

[leon]

: i have one of them as well its a better way of powering the aerial .i dont think its a booster . some freeview boxes will send 9v up the coax (topfileld) so you would not need the box .they are around £45 to buy so you wasnt ripped of ... you should get a better pic from the digital aerial . have you also got a red box on the aerial ??

[avocadinho]

it was already dark when I got home, but I'll check out the aerial tomorrow.
One other thing...I'm getting regularly frequent glitches in the transmission: pauses and blockiness. Is this normal for freeview?

Ta!

[bob1]

Originally Posted by avocadinho

One other thing...I'm getting regularly frequent glitches in the transmission: pauses and blockiness. Is this normal for freeview?

Ta!

Only with a poor signal.

[leon]

im lucky as i live only 1 mile from our transmitter i get 100% on strenght and signal and i do get glitches every now and then .its due to Atmospherics and pulses .anly once or twice a night

[bob1]

Why do you have a mast head preamp when you live one mile from the transmitter?

[Resonance]

Originally Posted by leon

im lucky as i live only 1 mile from our transmitter i get 100% on strenght and signal and i do get glitches every now and then .its due to Atmospherics and pulses .anly once or twice a night

With this signal strength and quality I would have thought the interference is more likely due to mains interference in your house, such as your boiler. Also cheap coax picks up interference more than better coax, eg CT100.

Ian.

[leon]

when i moved in the aerial was facing alexandra palace with no freeview so i had a new hi gain aerial and now it faces blue bell hill .the red box was on it and the aerial company kept it installed .i have a mains condition isotek .but you do get a glitch now and then but i dont exept anything else seeing as its free--toview

[LV426]

Originally Posted by avocadinho

question: is this just an signal booster...and if so...why is it £60 when the most expensive thing I can find on google is £30. Also, any comment I can find on amplifiers seems to say they're useless unless connected at the mast head.

Have I been ripped off!?

Avo

Guess: Your "white box" is probably the power supply for a masthead amplifier which your man has also installed for you - presumably because he determined one was necessary for you.

Just to clarify:
a: masthead amps are always better than in-room amps, and they are almost always powered in this way
b: aerials are passive devices; they are never powered. Only amplifiers require power

[avocadinho]

well. I couldn't see any red box on the aerial. I had a good look at the coax - as far as I could without a ladder. I noticed that it's broken in at least one place, with a connection plastered in insulating tape...is this a cause for complaint? I did request single, un-broken coax from aerial to TV. Also, it's painted green for some reason!?

I also realised that the analogue signal is TERRIBLE! Absolutely un-watchable...maybe I'm in a weak signal area, despite living in the centre of Reading???

The digital signal is impecable...apart from the glitches...but I guess this is consistent with a weak digital signal.

[JayCee]

Originally Posted by avocadinho

well. I couldn't see any red box on the aerial. I had a good look at the coax - as far as I could without a ladder. I noticed that it's broken in at least one place, with a connection plastered in insulating tape...is this a cause for complaint? I did request single, un-broken coax from aerial to TV. Also, it's painted green for some reason!?

Not all masthead amps are red in colour.
When you say the coax is broken...are you sure?...it's common for aerial installers to tape the coax to the mounting pole to stop it flapping about in the wind....maybe that's what you've seen.

Originally Posted by avocadinho

I did request single, un-broken coax from aerial to TV. Also, it's painted green for some reason!?

What an odd request ...why would any aerial installer want to make a join in a new downlead?
What's green?

[avocadinho]

Originally Posted by JayCee

Not all masthead amps are red in colour.
When you say the coax is broken...are you sure?...it's common for aerial installers to tape the coax to the mounting pole to stop it flapping about in the wind....maybe that's what you've seen.

No, I can see the connection underneath the tape! It's the coax that's green...they've painted it. I actually suspect they've re-used what was there, and just extended it to because it's too short. btw they charged me £30 for coax!

I think I'm going to have words with them.

[Retain]

Originally Posted by avocadinho

I also realised that the analogue signal is TERRIBLE! Absolutely un-watchable...maybe I'm in a weak signal area, despite living in the centre of Reading???

Not sure about the centre of Reading, but I used to live in Caversham and I'm now in Lower Earley; in both places I had very, very poor signal despite having a external arieal. Cable TV all the way now :D

[thompma]

The simplest solution is to call up the contractor and ask them!

[per-Sony-fied]

Originally Posted by avocadinho

No, I can see the connection underneath the tape! It's the coax that's green...they've painted it.

The colour probably is unimportant they've probably painted it to stop tampering, voiding any warranty should they need to be called out again any time soon. Also helps to stop moisture entering the joint.