I.R.S (Block of flats)

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,433
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We are having a IRS installed, the installers have done 8 flats so far, the IRS replaces a broken old daisy chained aerial system which was insatlled years ago...the new main face plate is in the lounge behind the TV it consists of an aerial socket for DTT, 2 Satelite sockets, and on DAB socket..this also has an extension into the spare bedroom...

The spare bedroom extension is really rubbish, we had to pay £25 for the bedroom extension I plugged the extention into a Humax 9300T the normal analogue reception is awful..it's like there is no aerial plugged in at all...the digital reception is dodgy too I get between 54 and 61% signal strength and it hovers between 90 and 100% signal quality on certain Multiplexes and I got picture break up..I've also noticed afer they installed the extension cable that they have stapled through the wire three times when attaching it to the skirting board..the wire is the expensive white cable stuff with F connectors..

when they installed the the wires they said we would have perfect reception on both analogue and digital..I complained when I told them the reception was crap, they came out with the excuse the system wasn't switched on and the power for the current freeview signal is too weak for the system at the moment and the system will only respond when Sutton Coldfield switches over in 2011 and ups the power...

There is an indoor aerial in this bedroom and it gives perfect reception on analogue and great reception on digital with signal strength between 71 and 77% and a constant signal quality at 100%..the indoor aerial is far superior to the outdoor IRS system...

what I want to know have they fobbed me off saying the system is switched off because the rest of the bulding hasn't been installed yet? could I use a booster on the extension cable..would it boost the signal I'm getting or would it just boost the crap in the signal???

any help would be nice from you in the know DSers

Ooo yeah if you don't know an IRS is an (Integrated Reception System) which mean all flats get the signal from one aerial, one dish, etc and is boosted around the building...:D

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 848
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    it is possible the system is switched off but if not you should be getting a perfect picture on everything if it works fine from a set top aerial , its also possible they have pointed the aerial to a different one that your set top is on (sorry dont know the area or what transmitters are around you)
    expensive white stuff cable ? whats it say on the outer casing should say a part no. somewhere on it
    As for the system not been switched on its poss that it will be once they have wired all the flats & balanced the system
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,916
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    CheekyTV wrote: »
    I've also noticed afer they installed the extension cable that they have stapled through the wire three times when attaching it to the skirting board.

    I'd be getting that checked out. It could be shorting out the aerial lead.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,433
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    Thanks for your responses...

    The white coax cable doesn't have any writting on it, but on the big roll it came off it had F125..it is quite strong cable!

    The reception in the lounge on analogue is terrible it's fuzzy with ghosting..the digital reception is ok...we watch TV in the lounge via Virgin+

    I'm not sure about the reception in the other 7 flats as I do not know which flats have had the aerial installations...

    I will have to get on the installers!!
  • IgniteIgnite Posts: 1,851
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    Are the installers CAI registered? If so, look here http://www.cai.org.uk/contact-us/complaints-procedure for the complaints procedure. Also, there is Consumer Direct, another place to complain.
  • ProDaveProDave Posts: 11,398
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    CheekyTV wrote: »
    The reception in the lounge on analogue is terrible it's fuzzy with ghosting

    That sounds like it's not switched on then.
    CheekyTV wrote: »
    ...the digital reception is ok...we watch TV in the lounge via Virgin+

    Now this is not making sense. Virgin is a CABLE tv service. So if you are watching with a V+ box, you are watching cable tv, NOT terrestrial tv. You will for certain find your v+ box connects somewhere else.

    Are you sure your tv does in fact have it's aerial lead connected to your newly provided wall plate?

    If you want to receive digital tv from this new system (when it's working) you will need a freeview box, not a virgin box.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,433
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    ProDave wrote: »
    That sounds like it's not switched on then.



    Now this is not making sense. Virgin is a CABLE tv service. So if you are watching with a V+ box, you are watching cable tv, NOT terrestrial tv. You will for certain find your v+ box connects somewhere else.

    Are you sure your tv does in fact have it's aerial lead connected to your newly provided wall plate?

    If you want to receive digital tv from this new system (when it's working) you will need a freeview box, not a virgin box.

    Yes...

    The TV in the lounge has both a analogue tuner and a freeview tuner the aerial goes from the wall plate straight to the TV...the V+ box goes to the TV via a HDMI lead...when I go to the TV's internal tuners the analogue is fuzzy and has ghosting and the internal freeview tuner is ok...but the extension from the wall plate into the bedroom is bad via my Humax box, TV internal tuner for analogue and freeview....
  • dragon-itdragon-it Posts: 465
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    CheekyTV wrote: »
    Yes...

    The TV in the lounge has both a analogue tuner and a freeview tuner the aerial goes from the wall plate straight to the TV...the V+ box goes to the TV via a HDMI lead...when I go to the TV's internal tuners the analogue is fuzzy and has ghosting and the internal freeview tuner is ok...but the extension from the wall plate into the bedroom is bad via my Humax box, TV internal tuner for analogue and freeview....


    Where does the bedroom "extension" come from, i.e. attach to? Is this looped back out of the lounge, or a seperate feed into the flat from the distribution system?

    The most logical way to do it is to provide a return path from the lounge to the bedroom and then you can use remote extenders and RF out from a PVR say to watch the same program in the bedroom etc.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,433
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    The extension in the bedroom comes via the wall plate in the lounge there is no wall plate in the bedroom..the installers just drilled through the wall into the main bedroom then drilled throught to the spare bedroom then stapled the wires to the skirting board..the aerial in the bedroom is just a white coax wire with a sliver connection at the end...the wire used on all connections was the white strong coax cable it looked like the screened stuff to me..at the time when I asked for an extension into the bedroom the installers looked really pissed off..so I think they may have stapled through the wire to the bedroom on purpose..I may rewire it myself if I have to as the holes are already drilled they didnt even cover the holes with little plastic plugs either...shoddy or what!! I think I will advise other tenants not to have the aerial extended if they are considering it...
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 314
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    Sounds like the installers have screwed up. Point out to them that they can be taken to court for inappropriate standard of work and business practice if they do not rectfy poor workmanship to a standard of your approval. They should have, by law, had the work inspected and trialled the system before letting tennants/ occupiers use it. An aerial installer, an electrician, a computer tech installing any equipment MUST make rudimentary checks to see that the installation works, and show that it works. Inspectors are there to make sure regulations are adhered to. We need a return to the good old Clerk Of Works, if he said redo something YOU HAD TO! If we had that kind of inspectorate today we could see a lot of dubious practices vanish.
  • dragon-itdragon-it Posts: 465
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    CheekyTV wrote: »
    The extension in the bedroom comes via the wall plate in the lounge there is no wall plate in the bedroom..

    So presumably you have got a cable looping out of the wall plate then back into the "return" connection for the bedroo then...

    If you haven't re-tuned your analogue channels quite possible that they have the analogue channels on RF frequencies to the ones normally broadcast and/or pointing at a different transmitter if there is more than one around you to the ones you have stored? If analogue is snowy it is fairly unlikely that digital would be working well IMO.
  • ProDaveProDave Posts: 11,398
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    zaeon wrote: »
    They should have, by law, had the work inspected and trialled the system before letting tennants/ occupiers use it. An aerial installer, an electrician, a computer tech installing any equipment MUST make rudimentary checks to see that the installation works, and show that it works. Inspectors are there to make sure regulations are adhered to.

    Since WHEN has an aerial installer had to have his work inspected?

    Even a qualified electrician is allowed to self test and certify his own work without any requirement for independent inspection.

    I do agree they should have at least tested that it works, and if it doesn't they should come back to rectify the faults.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,433
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    dragon-it wrote: »
    So presumably you have got a cable looping out of the wall plate then back into the "return" connection for the bedroo then...

    If you haven't re-tuned your analogue channels quite possible that they have the analogue channels on RF frequencies to the ones normally broadcast and/or pointing at a different transmitter if there is more than one around you to the ones you have stored? If analogue is snowy it is fairly unlikely that digital would be working well IMO.

    yes I have a big piece of white wire in the bedroom curled up..lol

    The installers installed the wall plate in the lounge they tested it...and it picked up nothing..they went into the dry riser in the foyer to fiddle with some wires..(no sure what they were doing to be honest)...and still nothing..they then changed the wall plate coming to the conclusion it was faulty..they changed it...then the TV was retuned via analogue..and the picture was fuzzy and ghosting..the installer said oh that's because the system isn't up and running yet and all flats haven't been installed..but you should get freeview and we do ok...

    it's on the extentsion to the bedroom that freeview and analogue are rubbish..analogue is just a no go..freeview freezes as the quality isn't constant it keeps jumping up and down..the signal strength is between 54 and 60%, where on an indoor aerial it is 70 and 77% and a constant 100% 0n quality..and the analogue signal is great there is a slight ghost to the left but you have to look for it..all that off an indoor aerial..

    I feel I shouldn't have bothered with the extension now..lol!! they did test the bedroom TV and said basically the same thing about the system being not being switched on yet..plus the bedroom aerial would be worse has it has split the signal and becomes weaker...but should be ok when the DSO at Sutton Coldfield happens..:eek:
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