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I've bit the bullet and am getting Sky+ installed next week just a couple of questions?
How much work will the Sky engineer do? My existing dish is at the back of the bungalow on a pole fixed to the wall, cable(s) need to go through the "soffit?" Into the loft space, down a pipe run in the kitchen and then through wall into the lounge. Existing cable is plastered in and I want to avoid cutting a new channel if possible.
Am I asking too much of the engineer?
Also will I need a replacement dish and if so will this be included in the installation/box price.
I could try asking Sky but not sure the people in the call centre will be of much help?
TIA
it depends on whether you've got a dual run of cable or not. If you have, no extra work needed. If not, they won't go down through loft floor, only through a wall and directly to the box. There's no way they are going to be cutting into plasterwork to do it neatly / invisibly I'm afraid.
cable(s) need to go through the "soffit?" Into the loft space, down a pipe run in the kitchen and then through wall into the lounge
As above, they simply wont do it
Get some cable and diy it?
http://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-black-shotgun-coaxial-cable-sky-25m/99025
Shouldn't need a new dish unless it's ancient, they may well have to change the LNB though
They get 60 mins for an install.
The Sky engineers I've had round have been helpful. Worth plying him with tea and biscuits and if he's not in a rush I'm sure he'll accommodate your every desire...
The engineer will install the new LNB and run the cable in the most basic/easiest way. The last one we had done I let the engineer sort the dish out and then run the cable to a suitable point then left it loose as I said I'll be sorting the cable route myself.
He checked it all worked before he left me with the task of burrowing up in the loft and behind walls scrabbling for the cable for the next couple of hours.
To do mine (around routed floor boards, drop through ceiling, tuck behind shelves, broadband line connecting through another wall etc) I ran the cable myself and just said screw either end in please. They were only too pleased.
Sadly then then left the loft windows open in a thunderstorm and flooded the loft conversion / mid floor bedroom through the floor. Happly, their insurance paid out fully for a decorator to come in and fix, and it needed doing anyway!
Ours came and fitted a new dish (even though old one worked as we'd used it since we moved in) but used the old cables. Checked them and was happy with them. Box on and a quick chat about what was what.
Had a question for sky the other week and saw our engineer in the supermarket. Quick 2 min chat and i was sorted. Nice bloke and happy to help (i think) and was like this on the day of installation.
Sky installer will be happy as you're in a bungalow - that's the good news.
Everything else has been mentioned already. If you've got shotgun cable installed already (doubtful) you can just use that, otherwise get used to the idea of having an external cable.
TBH the cables are pretty thin and I reckon 95% of houses have eternal cabling.
Edit: new dish should be included in the installation
Right the best bet will be if you cable up from the tv with your own cable and see if you can poke it out of the soffit by the dish .can the engineer plonk his ladders directly under the dish no new pitched roofs or conservatory in the way? New dish is a must as is a new lnb . If it's hard to get the cable out of the soffit due to head hight inside the loft push it from the outside.
It my be a cow of cable run to do in one go from the tv to the dish.. If it is do the cable from your tv to loft hatch, dish to loft hatch leave plenty of slack so he can barrel the cables without going into the loft . Not best practice but fine as long as your cable run is under 30mts.
If the Sky box is not going to be against an outside wall, they are only permitted to tack the cable along the skirting.
That's the rules but as with a lot of things, they tend to do whatever is easiest for them and convince you that it's the best way.
Ok it looks like I need to run my own cable to be sure of getting the job done, anybody got recommendations for sky approved cable?
It's only 75 ohm shotgun coax, the screwfix link above is fine
Webro ct63 is sky's own.just make sure you get foam inner core