High Rise Flats Communal Aerial Supply.

Hi, I have been asked to meet an aerial engineer at one of our 7 storey flats on Monday, the 43 flats share a communal aerial system on the roof. The old community room has now been converted in to two ground floor flats, we need to connect these properties to the communal system. Can this be done by tapping in to one of the adjacent flats aerial system or do we have to run new cables direct to the roof areas main aerial hub. This cannot be done externally as the block has been thermally wrapped ( no external cables, aerials or sat dishes are allowed ) and would mean drilling through seven stories of reinforced concrete floors. I have an electrical background but no little about aerial systems.

thank you.

Start drilling!!!

Well if you are meet,ing the "aerial engineer" ( my quotation marks as he is more likely to be an aerial fitter, but may think of himself as an engineer)...... Surely it is his problem?

just saying.......

Are there any service ducts?

It will be down to the aerial company to install the new aerial supplies to the two flats including the drilling works. The existing service ducts are full. What I wanted to no is it possible to "tap off" an adjacent flats aerial input supply or is the only way to run cables up to the roof aerial. The aerial company have already said the latter is he only way this can be done but I was looking for a second opinion from people in the know if this is actually correct before I authorise this and the cost involved to our organisation.

thanks.

normally its single link to aerial on roof then big distribution gadget located within building, with flats distributed from this point (s). Something like below, These can normally be daisy chained to provide more take-offs.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-hdu681-s-home-distribution-unit-8-way/69457?kpid=69457&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&gclid=CMigv96N87kCFY7LtAodtiQAMg#

I was waiting for other replies but...................... its not 'the norm' to tap off an adjacent  flat for an aerial connection but your 'engineer' should be able to test the signal to confirm whether this is possible. The other downside is the first flat occupier doing some works (even as simple as decorating)   and cutting off the others.

^^ didn't someone on here do that recently!?

Also is it not the responsibility of the aerial "engineer" ? the last aerial engineer i met couldn't even get a cable clip into a wall or measure the correct length of cable ?

when you say thermally wrapped do you mean wrapped in polystyrine ? could you use adhesive ? lol

SLIPSHOD AND SLAPDASH said:

I was waiting for other replies but...................... its not 'the norm' to tap off an adjacent  flat for an aerial connection but your 'engineer' should be able to test the signal to confirm whether this is possible. The other downside is the first flat occupier doing some works (even as simple as decorating)   and cutting off the others.

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Blue Duck said:

^^ didn't someone on here do that recently!?

Click to expand...

You are correct, this thread I believe. http://talk.electricianforum.co.uk/topic/23933-basic-question-on-fm-tv-faceplates/?hl=aerial

Doc H.