All posts by Ian
Below are all of Ian's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Hi All,
I'm an electrical contractor in west mids and can do aerial installations, I have picked up a job that requires an communal system on 11 apartments each apartment has 2no sky cables the building is wired back to a riser cupboard and all it requires is an aerial and satelite.
I thought I will get the materials and pay someone a fair days pay plus fuel costs, after phoning around for quotes it's become apparent that the installers are asking for footballers wages for one days work which they would get done in half a day, quotes I had was £800 £1000 £700 qualified skilled electricians struggle to get £150 a day and they have done 4 yrs at college
Not a 10 week course.
So Question!! Why are these prices so high?
Also we have customers!! Not victims! Thanks all for your comments,
I suppose your all right in some way as we are all out to earn a living, we can wire a hse in a day as we are highly skilled in what we do!
We don't use that scenario to ask for more money per day though, any install we do in your field we use the correct materials for best results.
We do the new hses and wire internally and leave cables in loft but most developers don't ask for aerials as they have bad experiences with the costs so
purchasers take this on when they move in.
After your comments I take onboard and think as a company should get involved with the switch over as we have the skills to do the installs but lack the knowledge of what the meter is saying maybe it will become more clear after the course. Guys your trade should be regulated properly like Niceic registered contractors,
I have had aerial installers in the past go to my clients and I end up with having calls complaining about the aerial installer.
I ask y? And the responses are!!!
He was in a rush! Workmanship is shocking! Very ignorant as he just wanted the money and be gone, had no respect for our hse as his client! He was originally asked to connect new tv equipment and left half of it saying don't have time but he quoted for it,, but stil wanted full payment! ( cowboy)!!
We started doing the aerials ourselves just to stop having these complaints which has been successful.
Mazbar i used 2 riggers and had quotes for some other work from another 2 different riggers and all had attitude and wanted the big bucks!!!
we recently did an installation in coventry putting up the lashing kit and it was better installed than the neighbours who had a rigger do theres 2 weeks prior to us doing ours.
we dont do a poor job pal always a good job you seem a bit oblivious to the fact that other trades CAN do your job as you wouldnt know where to start doing the likes of electrical work oohh unless you have done a part p course to allow you to put a socket in the loft for an amp.
i have always said the hardest thing in wire-ing is electrical work its sure to be true,also we are insured for working from height.
you say a (trained rigger)im assuming this is a rigger with experience of doing the job!!! so in your mind any one wanting to get into aerials and have the (RIGGER) title must get someone trained?? KB, we are the professional don't claim to know everything but we don't re-visit our work that's the difference, we have done aerials in dodgy areas with poor reception and had to introduce a mast head amp to boost reception. I don't think I will be calling you one day either unless you want to come and work for me and run a new business nationally:)
I was at an hse and could only get BBC channels and wondered why!! And realised you can pick that up down a strand which was the issue noticed exhisting cable was damaged after replacing it it all worked fine.
We also have the test meters which we use and we walk away from our installs working with happy customers.
I'm not whinging about the riggers just stating a fact to mazbars previous comments,I don't doubt you know more than I about aerials as we are constantly asked to do them that's why we started doin aerials you don't turn work down in a recession pal. Dont, Try Electrical work guys 8 til 3 doesn't happen you wouldn't want to be checking your watch at 2:30 trying to sort a problem out (no lights/ power etc)at a customers house thinking got to do the school run!
Solar pv is the way forward but you still need electrical qualifications to do it.
More time to re-train more technical more money more Paperwork! Too hard for you riggers I guess. Ian (rigger)
Very sharp comments I must say!!
There was no argument other than opinionated comments from all party's putting there point forward.
You obviously have missed out this fundamental part of the debate to have a go back.
I agree Brian is working tirelessly on this site and all free advice is in goodwill, but you have become insulting with your comments and abuse, your attitude is exactly what I have been talking about to other
riggers.
If and when I get bored and have some time to kill I will pass through your town to see a d..k on a roof installing an aerial as I have never seen a d..k on a roof before. Each to there own yes quite right!! Tv shows don't give the correct info eg, we did a new house that a popular gran designs programme wanted to film but demanded to the client that if the presenter was filming elsewhere the build would have to slow down progress or stop and in all programmes there is a pitfall a major problem then an alternative conclusion so the programme can lift the show back up and it's all a big happy ending this is soleley for the programme and viewers,my client decided bad publicity wasn't what they were looking for as they live in a small village. The part p requirement states it's for self certification. The tv presenter you mentioned should not give that advice as the people in the programme would get a certificate for there work but it would have limitations on the installation. Kb,mazbar!!
Thinking back maybe yes I've been slightly ignorant to the fact the trade you do is somewhat skilled but we only started doing it cause of bad experiences with a couple of riggers and receiving complaints isn't what we are about.
Yes we do wire aerial points in new build hses just didn't have time and effort to lash an aerial up,
Until we were asked constantly then I had my experiences with some riggers and the complaints followed, this is when I thought it needs nipping in the bud.
Each to there own but was kind of forced not to use a rigger and do the work within our trade. Ron, this is a riggers site and not an electrical site to post comments, however the landlord who you rent the property from will have been informed about the lack of circuit protective conductors to the lighting circuit you the user use day in day out!! it is down to your landlord to authorise necessary works to upgrade your installation after all they are paying for it, not yourself! If you had metal light fittings and switches installed before the mentioned sparkys arrived they would have noted on certificate in the box ( comments on exhausting installation) no circuit protective conductor to the lighting circuit and all light fittings are metal!! This would be a code 1 immediate action neccesarry and your landlord should act on these findings before they end up in court through gross negligence.as you mentioned the orange flex if any connection outside is in a waterproof surrounding this is generally going to be fine no DIY installer reads the wiring regs 
Riggers "BE AWARE"
If you do an installation/alterations which has the solar pv on the roof the main DC volt cable looks very similair to your satelite cable if you do alterations where you join onto the exhisting aerial cabling make sure you have identified it as an aerial/sat cable.
however if you do happen to have an off day and cut a solar pv cable!!! best of luck you would be in a very uncomfortable position at that stage. Ha yeh great comment!!
Q. Have you come across a roofer doin an aerial then recently???
The roofers are fitting the solar panels but not having the technical knowledge of finishing the job off. Hi Ron,
There is a new green regs book 17 edition with all amendments in it ( money spinner) is my opinion
If you look in the regs book there is a paragraph about direct contact of electric shock you are at risk when you go to change a light bulb in your hse your landlord needs to be notified but they may demand you have them changed for pendant type lights at your cost as if it's an council authority they don't put metal light fittings in rented houses cause the Electrics are a mine field where this is concerned no circuit protective conductor etc, maybe if you get the landlord to get a periodic inspection carried out at the property you may have a chance of your lights get re wired and your installation updated!!
Q. Have you got the correct 10mm2 sized earths to your gas and water incoming services?? No problem i thought it was relative to your work. are you riggers busy or struggling to get a full working week? Ron
That's a result for you!
Forgot to mention great picture takes me back 30 yrs i found that a happy customer is related to 4 or more further jobs. Guys,
All clients are different!!
eg, people who phone you dont forget have phoned another 3 or 4 riggers before you and have a list of prices infront of them as you are probably the last call if there is around £10/£20 difference most wont bother phoning anyone else and will instruct you to do the work as they are on the phone to you already.
The more precautious clientel want to see you and what you turn up in to quote the work,eg turning up on a push bike is not going to win you the job or a clapped out old rusty car after all your a rigger and have ladders etc.
also other clientel are from recomendation and trust the friend who recomended you.
Also guys if work is going slack or slowing down and you enjoy your work maybe advertise more and get flyers posted if you use the people in your household to help you post them you would get more out there and its fun. just some info on my experiences we contract to developers and the public i had one paticular potential client i was phoning on a monthly basis for around almost 2 yrs.they had all my company info but were happy staying put with there regular contractor until 1 day i get the call ive been waiting for!!! we quote the work win the job then prove we can do what ive been telling them on my company info!! result is more work from them now and they have 2 contractors.
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