Developers probably aren’t typically known for their DIY ability in the home. I try to do a bit, but I know my limitations so these notes are mainly to remind me of what I’ve done and what I used to do the job.

TV Installation (DIY)

I’ve used the following items to install an aerial inside my loft space and then drop cables down in cavities or conduit buried in channels within the plaster.

• TV Aerial mounting kit - Wickes (code 205496) - I got mine for just £2 on clearance.
• CT100 coaxial cable - Toolstation (code 71027) - Cost me £38.
• F-Plug splitter - I got mine from Amazon, various places sell similar ones, get the one which offers enough ports and maybe 1 extra should you need to expand.

Coaxial cabling notes

Research tells me that the cheap rolls of wire from Argos or your local supermarket isn’t much good, so I looked at satellite cabling and there was 2 types - RG6 and PF100. RG6 is better than the cheap packs you can pick up with your groceries, but with aluminium shielding, it might not be ideal for long distances (general consensus online is no more than a 15 metre limit). PF100 is the better cabling, has copper shielding so is better over longer distances and is generally better quality overall - note that you may not find it as PF100, some places have it under WF100 or CT100 too. It seems to vary based on brand, but is identifiable by the copper shielding.

Aerial alignment

While I know where the local mast is (I can see it from my son’s bedroom window, especially at night when it’s lit up), I looked at aerials on neighbouring houses and used the compass app on my phone to get a rough idea of the direction. I then went back into the loft, placed my phone on the aerial and tweaked the positioning until it was the same direction.