Satellite Dishes
Dave has decided to get himself SKY HD - but he's run into a problem...
"As my dish is located at the rear of the house (my area has a preservation order, so nothing on the front) the only access is over the roof.
It seems that Sky now have "Health & Safety" rules which prevents their engineers going on to roofs so I would like to know if any "Phantomites" know of a reliable installation company."
The Phantom finds it mildly surprising that a company specialising in dishes that go on roofs won't insure its employees to actually install them on one, but perhaps that shows more about the society we live in these days. (bring back the child chimney sweeps, that's what I say...)
I asked a pal who has just had an aerial installed where they went to and for the life of them they can't remember (though the most ringing endorsement they had for the company was "Well, it hasn't fallen down yet..." so perhaps you can do better.)
So I'm opening this one out to the floor. Have you had an aerial (or SKY dish) fitted recently? I know that erecting them in this area is often quite a bugger as we're the 'wrong' side of Greenwich Hill, so in order to get a clear signal from Crystal Palace, we need to have aerials almost as tall as the mast itself, so anyone who regularly works in this area must know how to secure things pretty darn well.
Happy HD Dave...
"As my dish is located at the rear of the house (my area has a preservation order, so nothing on the front) the only access is over the roof.
It seems that Sky now have "Health & Safety" rules which prevents their engineers going on to roofs so I would like to know if any "Phantomites" know of a reliable installation company."
The Phantom finds it mildly surprising that a company specialising in dishes that go on roofs won't insure its employees to actually install them on one, but perhaps that shows more about the society we live in these days. (bring back the child chimney sweeps, that's what I say...)
I asked a pal who has just had an aerial installed where they went to and for the life of them they can't remember (though the most ringing endorsement they had for the company was "Well, it hasn't fallen down yet..." so perhaps you can do better.)
So I'm opening this one out to the floor. Have you had an aerial (or SKY dish) fitted recently? I know that erecting them in this area is often quite a bugger as we're the 'wrong' side of Greenwich Hill, so in order to get a clear signal from Crystal Palace, we need to have aerials almost as tall as the mast itself, so anyone who regularly works in this area must know how to secure things pretty darn well.
Happy HD Dave...
Labels: Aerials Greenwich, Services, SKY dishes Greenwich
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
08:47
7 Comments:
I can't suggest a specific firm - but I used to sell sat-dishes many (many) years ago and as I lived in a conservation area, we had to come up with novel solutions for some customers.
Some who had gardens could mount the dish on a pole at the back of the garden and run the cable under the grass into the house. Then the dish could "see over the roof" to the satellite.
Another solution for some customers was to put the dish inside the roof space/attic. You will need a slightly larger dish, and it shouldn't be too close to a cold water tank, but the solution worked very well.
No idea if that would be an option for your writer, but it may be a reminder that sat-dishes do not necessarily have to go on the wall of the house.
I would recommend a company called "Aerials & Satellites". They are based in Kingston, but came to me in New Cross and did a brilliant job. Even though I'm high on Telegraph Hill the Crystal Palace transmitter was the wrong side... needed a lot of care to sort everything out, and the guy went over the roof like a monkey! Invoice has telephone 020 8949 8899. And I'm in no way related!
Many thanks Phantom for posting my request.
I've found a few companies via Google and have initially contacted them by either their website contact page or email. So far no answer from any even though one states a reply within the working day. To be fair this was done late yesterday (Friday) morning so I'll wait to see what happens on Monday.
I normally find that if the company in question is customer driven then they're only too happy to get back to you and, as far as I'm concerned, gives you an idea of how professional and reliable they might be. Lets face it behind some of these websites could be some bloke sitting in a garden shed.
I'll keep you posted.
Apologies to the previous posts....
IanVisits......I asked if the dish could be place on a pole at the back of the house when it was first fitted but I was told it would be safer secured on a rear chimney stack. This I think was done before the days of "Health & Safety" madness.
MLB.......Thanks, I'll make a note of the number.
About 1 year ago I had to have a dish repositioned from a back wall to a chimney stack.
I used "Steve's Colour Centre" (02088564214). I think they are based in Deptford. The job was cheaper and quicker than the quote from Sky
We had the exact same problem, but actually Sky DO have the ability to do this, you just need to book their Special Heights team (the team with the bigger ladders and better insurance presumably?)
Yes, I've heard of the "Special Heights" team (I have visions of Sky engineers dressed in black abseiling from a helicopter) but trying to sort that out with Sky's customers services is a waste of time. If you mention this to whoever you get on the telephone they just say the engineer will have to advise you when he visits and it seems Sky would rather send an engineer out on a wasted trip rather than take your word that the special height team is needed.
At the moment Sky are quoting the middle to late January before they can do anything, they are giving priority to new customers so it seems being a long standing customer is a disadvantage. With this in mind perhaps using an independent may get the work done quicker.
Anyway, thanks for the info.
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