Replacing Aerial cable

[Miker]

About five years ago my old TV aerial blew down in a storm. I ignored the aerial installer's advice and kept a long run of 30 year old cable routed inside the house instead of having a complete replacement down the outside of of the house. The TV signal is weak but aceptable apart from the inability of using the PDC facility in my recorder which can be a bit of a B** when a programme overruns. I am now thinking of rerouting a new aeraial cable within the house and am wondering whether I would get a good signal just by replacing the 30 year old cable and connecting it to the new cable in the loft. Or should I go the whole hog and replace all the cable which would mean employing an aerial installer.

Also, are the bog standard aerial cables OK for HD TV, not that I am likely to persuade my wife that the old CRT TV should be replaced.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Any gains you achieve by shortening the run may well be offset by the losses in the 'joint' in the loft. I'd get the cable replaced back to the aerial masthead connector.

If and when the Freeview terrestrial service starts standard aerials and cables should be fine, based on my very limited knowledge gained during the time we were running one of the BBC's Freeview London HD trial boxes.

 

[Miker]

Thanks Andrew. I'll follow your advice and have the job done properly while I am about it.