Thanks Bernard,
The link says we have a good signal. I think I'll go for the 8 way splitter then get a guy to fit an Ariel and connect it.
I was thinking of something like this:
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/tv-an...0-full-hd-outdoor-tv-aerial-21128488-pdt.html
which I could fit myself but the reviews are not great and I wouldn't go near the chimney to fit a normal one.
There's no way on earth you need an aerial with 44dB of gain if you're picking up from the main N.West transmitter at Winter Hill. It'll blow the arse out of the signal (that's a technical term
) because there's too much amplification. The result is you'll get signal overload at the tuner and so you'll be lucky to get any channel reception at all.
Products like this are sold on fear. Folk are afraid what a proper aerial install might cost, and they're afraid that they might not get any signal with a DIY solution, so the huge gain figure seems like a "sure thing" guarantee. Sadly, a little ignorance goes a long way. I don't mean that in a nasty way, it's just that there's a bit more to getting a decent signal than just throwing a lot of amplified gain at an aerial. This kind of aerial might be classed as a DIY install, but its definitely not suitable for everyone. This is a case of dumbing down too far.
I suppose it goes with the territory, but what really irks me is the complete lack of any truly useful technical information on the product spec' page. It's full of pointless filler. Honestly, I'm surprised they didn't make a tick point for "Supplied in a cardboard box". This almost stinks of snake oil and I dread to think how many buyers have had their time wasted messing about with these.
My recommendation is don't buy it. You're just buying trouble.
Without a proper spec it's impossible to make any kind of educated guess whether it might work. I strongly suspect it'll be overkill, but can't confirm Currys 44dB gain claim as the One For All site spec is useless. The other problem is who you're going to get to fit it.
As a pro' I look at and weigh up the risks. Aerial installation is a low-profit business for an honest installer, so I don't want to risk losing the profit on an install by having to go back on a service call at my cost. For that reason I use really good gear, the best cable, proper brackets etc - it's all stuff I can rely on - and then do the job right. That's why I offer a 5 year warranty on the work.
There are risks in swapping out good reliable products for something unknown that the customer has bought retail. They range from it not being suitable for the install (so it's a waste of time and effort installing it only to pull it out and go back to a good aerial), or it going faulty sometime later. Let's face it, if you've got no picture on your tellies you're not bothered why there's a problem, you just want it fixed, and fast. That's fine, but if it is the amplified aerial then your contract is with the supplier (Currys/web retailer etc) and not the installer. You're going to get a bill for the call-out since it's something outside of what the installer supplied. For this reason it's simpler just to politely suggest it's not a good idea in the long run, or just to decline the job completely.
What that leaves then is the cowboy installers. They might agree to install, but you're going to going to be in an even worse position if you can actually manage to get them to come back.
Message me if you want a price for a proper outdoor aerial - one that'll see you right for the next 10-20 years - on a chimney bracket that won't wreck the pointing, and aligning for 100% signal quality, and all done on Saturday.
