TV AERIAL

[chrispriddyuk]

Hi

Our Aerial on our roof seems to have gone kerput and is giving out a very bad signal even with the booster I have attached, looking up it looks like quite a basic one and some of the spokes are bent.

Thinking about replacing, however we are an end terrace with a high gable end and the driveway alongside is not flat, so basically getting to it is not easy.

Am thinking about putting it inside the loft space, ive seen this in houses we've rented before. The cable would then just run down to the lounge where there is a booster and a freeview box and a tv. Pretty basic setup.

However

Are there any issues to be aware of when putting an aerial in a loft space? Is signal likely to be badly compromised? Is it a daft idea?
Our loft isnt used for anything, and I just thought that way it would also be protected from the birds!

Thanks all

chris

 

[rebuke]

There's nothing inherently wrong with it. It will get a slightly weaker signal then being outside, as the tiles (and any protective covering under them) will affect it to some extent, so I wouldn't recommend it if you're in a very weak signal area...

One thing that might be useful, is rather than having a booster in the lounge, it might be worth getting a masthead amplifier (little box that you put on the pole the aerial is mounted to, with a power supply you plug on at the other end). This way it is just the aerial that is being amplified, and not any noise the cable has picked up between the aerial and your booster.

 

[resq]

Hi

I have done exactly what you are suggesting last year,

Installed a loft ariel with a small mast head amp and ran the ariel lines down to the TV

Now have a good signal and great reception

Best buying an ariel that has some quality to it and not the cheapest option available

 

[chrispriddyuk]

Hi
Thanks for the replies

Was looking at Labgear LAB450W/S Professional High-Gain Digital Aerial
Which says it is high gain and has some good spec from looking around.
There is no power in the loft so I might try it without mast amp first.
The cable is prob only 8m max from mast to tv, just out of loft straight down front of house and in one wall to tv.
Its a 20db amp at tv end so should be ok. It used to work largely alright and the aerial looks quite basic so sounds like the upgrade should solve it.

Thanks for all your help

chris

 

[rebuke]

Just a note that a masthead amp doesn't need power in the loft, you plug a power supply in at the end in your living room, and that 'sends' the power up to the masthead amp through the aerial cable.

But yes, I'd suggest trying without it first, no point in buying something you don't need etc...

 

[chrispriddyuk]

oh right

wow

genuis, thanks for that info, invaluable


chris

 

[ericmark]

There are many types of aerial but we mainly use type designed by Yagi with these the wider the spacing between elements the wider the band width covered.
The analogue channels were carefully selected to let each area to have a different part of the band and aerials were colour coded according to what part of the band they are tuned for. This reduces their physical size.
But with digital TV until analogue is switched off the Multiplex's (Each broadcast has multiple programs) is slotted between the existing analogue and the 6 broadcasts are sometimes spread all over the band.
Because of this a wide band aerial is required in some areas. Winter Hill that I use does not need wide band but that's an odd one out.
These wide band aerials are often twice the length of the narrow band aerial with same gain. Stacking aerials can get gain without length but the phasing of the two aerials is critical and very few have the skill required.
This has resulted in the use of pre-amps mast head being the best to reduce the size of aerial required.
But as analogue gets switched off the frequencies used for the multiplex signals and the power used may change and I would advise to keep the expensive options until after change over as everything could change.
Eric

 

[imigix]

a aerial in the loft loses about 20% of available signal

the place for any aerial is outdoors

uhf aerials are in three groups A code red, B code yellow, C code green

for normal tv you choose the group to suit the frequency range for your area.

with digital freeview the channels may not be in the section of the band

i am lucky my transmitter Emley Moor they are all in group B

it is also worth noting that in order to prevent interference between the two systems the digital signal is only around 20% of what it will be after analog is turn off

this why some folk can get analog but not freeview hench freesat has been launched by the BBC and ITV from satalite

this gives a similar service to freeview with added advantage of some free HD content for those with HD ready sets

 

[ericmark]

Actually 6 groups
A Red C21 - C37
B Yellow C35 - C53
C/D Green C48 - C68
E Brown C35 - C68
K Grey C21 - 48
W Black C21 - C68
The narrower the band the smaller the aerial for same DB gain. Also of course the less wind resistance but try buying anything other than W and you will be doing well.

Careful with freesat there is that with card and you need UK address one off payment and without card and some TV stations can't be received you can only get about 500 stations instead to 505 with card it was Channel 4, More 4 etc but I think some changes.

 

[imigix]

Actually 6 groups
A Red C21 - C37
B Yellow C35 - C53
C/D Green C48 - C68
E Brown C35 - C68
K Grey C21 - 48
W Black C21 - C68
The narrower the band the smaller the aerial for same DB gain. Also of course the less wind resistance but try buying anything other than W and you will be doing well.

Careful with freesat there is that with card and you need UK address one off payment and without card and some TV stations can't be received you can only get about 500 stations instead to 505 with card it was Channel 4, More 4 etc but I think some changes.

Thank you for the full list of aerial types

Your comments on Freesat about having a card are you perhaps thinking about Sky freesat.

I am refereing to Freesat from the BBC and ITV buy the equipment and thats it no card or anything.

 

[radioredcat]

Have a look at this site there's a lot of info there.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/freeview/826100-freeview-f-q-s.html

andy

 

[ericmark]

Thinking no point in getting a freeview box as once I change TV it will be built in and already having in stock a quad LNB I got a free to sky box from Lidi for £40 about a year ago.
At that time I could not receive channel 4 and More 4 and a few others as they were free to view but not free to air and you needed a box with a slot and a card one off payment and UK address to receive them.
My son-in-laws dish box was aimed at Turksat and it stopped working as it needed updating which he could not do so since we used free to sky box so little we swapped.
I think now some of the encrypted channels have been changed and you can now view them but not re-tested.
Also the free to sky boxes you can re-order stations so all the good stations you can group together but with a sky box you can't reorder the stations and have to wade through all the encrypted stations to find the free one's every time.
Although the sat box I have now has a slot for a card and two slots like you get in lap tops for modems etc I have never fitted any type of card into them.
Its called a "GoldMaster" bought it in Birecik in Sanliurfa Turkey it says it has a Universal Satellites Automatic Location system etc. But I have no instructions even if I did I can't read Turkish any idea what slots are for?

 

[streetlighter]

they are called CI slots for Common Interface you can buy different CAMs to put viewing cards in for Euro pay tv stations. Some CAMs can be programmed via a PC to hack into encrypted channels.
The USALS function can be used to drive a motor that turns the dish to watch more than one satellite.

 

[ericmark]

Thanks I did try to find out more info but although everything written in English on unit google only finds Turkish sites so I will need to get son-in-law to read for me.