Better Sky installation than standard

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alexisj

66 posts

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#136202 18-Nov-2013 18:21

Hi,

I am moving into a almost new house and want to get sky installed. However, in previous experience, getting a standard sky installation is pretty "quick & dirty". Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way to get the dish installed where it isn't just a cable poked through the wall.

I have thought about getting a freeview dish installed as I can tell the installer exactly what I want (ie: face plates etc) and where and then getting sky "installed".

I would appreciate your thoughts.

Regards,
Alexis

nickb800

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#936855 18-Nov-2013 19:09

If you are more concerned with the cabling than the dish, then you could install the interior faceplate and cable run yourself (or get a sparky to do it) and leave an extra say 10m of cable in the ceiling for the sky installer to use when he installs the dish. Just make sure you run the cable to the correct side of the roof, which you can usually guess based on neighbour's dishes

richms

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#937033 18-Nov-2013 22:23

Friend had a brand new house, with a coax distribution hub in the garage, decent RG6 to the tv location (2 runs) and 2 runs to the dish location on the end of a gable.

Sky installers came when they were out and the useless teenage son was home to let them in. They were advised that the house was fully pre-wired at the time the install was booked. the stupid son only moved far enough to open the door to let the installer in and then was back to whatever 15 year olds do on the internet these days.

Dish went on a grotty under-eave mount with 2 ugly stays back to 2 holes drilled in the now-cracked concrete tiles, cable run along the top of the spouting, down the downpipe and then along the wall, drilled thru the nice dark brick wall (it was a white cable) and then along a couple of interior walls above the skirting board - both the wall and skirting are dark so it stands out. The location was the worst possible with the dish overhanging a patio area where you could easily touch the mount and would be able to jump up and grab the LNB arm if you were able to jump and werent a total midget.

Sky wouldnt send someone back to put it in properly, wouldnt entertain the idea of paying a decorator to repair the damage to the internal walls, and someone to fix the mess going thru the cladding and exterior wall. In the end he paid an antenna installer to put the dish where it was supposed to go, and hook it up thru the structured cabling, and got the worst of the cable clip damage to the internal wall put right on the goodwill of the decorator who was back remedying some other areas of concern.

So if you do get an install done, be there and dont take any crap from the installers about things. And dont let them screw with your phone wiring either.

Richard rich.ms

mattwnz

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#937043 18-Nov-2013 23:05

I would have thought the installers would be covered by insurance, if they made an error.

wellygary

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#937150 19-Nov-2013 09:06

mattwnz: I would have thought the installers would be covered by insurance, if they made an error.

From the installer's point of view there was no error,

They would have been told to install sky at the location, which is what they did

(whether they were even told about the existing wiring installation would be an interesting inquiry)

andrewNZ

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#937183 19-Nov-2013 10:07

Doing the cable and faceplate's yourself is probably a good option.

What about contacting a professional aerial installer? perhaps they can do the whole job...

Or talk to sky, and make it clear that the "standard" install is not an option, and ask them what the alternatives are.
If they come up with an acceptable solution, make them put it in writing so that if the installer does a standard job, it's their issue to fix.