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Indoor Saorview Aerial

  • 20-05-2012 9:02pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 712 ✭✭✭gaffmaster


    Hi there.

    Sorry if this topic is done to death, I had a quick search of this forum but didn't find what I was looking for.

    I was wondering if any of you could recommend an indoor Aerial for recieving saorview. The space is a fourth floor apartment in Dublin City Centre with no outdoor space - so no option for an outdoor aerial.

    Would one of these suffice?

    Thanks for any tips.


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 15,452 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    gaffmaster wrote: »
    Would one of these suffice?

    Maybe, depends on Saorview signal strength/quality in your apartment.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 129 ✭✭Galia


    Any good UHF aerial will do. No such thing as a digital/saorview aerial.
    That one will do just fine .:)
    However a good attic aerial is recommended.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,502 ✭✭✭zg3409


    You need to mount the antenna on the South Side of the apartment Facing Saandyford (3rock). It needs to be flat (horizontal) rather than vertical. If not have no Window facing South then you need to point it out any other Window and scan for a signal. The TV should stop at radio frequency 54 and show all the channels.

    Something like this is better value and will either work or not:
    http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Lloytron-A422-Indoor-Basic-Digital-HD-TV-Freeview-Radio-Antenna-Aerial-Black-New-/130601459464?pt=UK_ConElec_TVAerials_RL&hash=item1e68741f08

    Don't mind the hype on other makes. This one will work as good as any indoor unit.

    http://www.saorview.ie/make-the-switch/coverage-map/

    If a portable does not work consider hanging it outside the window, or using a small rooftop aerial, but mounted inside the apartment.

    Most apartment blacks should have some TV options. If your property company is only offering UPC/Sky, and they are not totally broke, consider asking them to offer Saorview and/or free satellite channels to all tenants. It's much simpler to set up yourself but if that does not work ask for an apartment wide system.

    If they are offering Sky, a Freesat box plugged into the Sky outlet may get you the UK channels free with no monthly bills.


  • Registered Users Posts: 362 ✭✭superleedsdub


    Try one of these:

    http://www.4ife.ie/dvbt50.html

    I think D.I.D. are stocking them, they are more discreet than the aerials in the links in this thread and should do the trick:-)


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,502 ✭✭✭zg3409


    Try one of these:

    http://www.4ife.ie/dvbt50.html

    I think D.I.D. are stocking them, they are more discreet than the aerials in the links in this thread and should do the trick:-)

    I would be hesitant to recommend a type like this. For an aerial to work well it needs to be directional. In this way it boosts the signal in the direction of the nearest mast, and blocks signals (noise) from the wrong direction.

    Built in boosters/amplifiers in 99.9% of cases do not help. The amplify the signal and noise an do nothing to make the aerial more directional. They generally just add to the price, so retailers can justify charging more.

    Retailers like to sell pretty things, like this one, that look space aged, but may work far worse than a basic model half the price.

    If the aerial is not directional, then it is not doing the job it should do. It's like buying a telescope that is not directional!

    Ideally aerials should list things like front to back gain, beamwidth etc. Gain without including the amplifier etc.

    For an idea of how to properly compare aerials see here:
    http://www.aerialsandtv.com/tvaerialtests.html
    The results are interesting to put it mildly, we rely on our own data now and more or less ignore manufacturers figures

    It might not help the original poster but it gives a good idea of hype vs reality.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 15,452 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    Try one of these:

    http://www.4ife.ie/dvbt50.html

    I think D.I.D. are stocking them, they are more discreet than the aerials in the links in this thread and should do the trick:-)

    It didn't work for this poster in his ground floor apt., might work in the OPs 4th floor apt but again will depend on Saorview signal strength/quality where the aerial is located.


  • Registered Users Posts: 362 ✭✭superleedsdub


    I was wondering if anyone else on boards had any experience with this aerial.
    I discovered it in my brothers house in Blessington and it works perfectly there. I borrowed his one as I was having problems with an old aerial I had bought a few years back, during the rugby world cup last year with bad signal etc...
    i`m in D15 and I believe the northside of the liffey is not well served by saorview.
    The results I got from the aerial were impressive, haven`t had any major probs with it myself (admittedly I don`t watch saorview that often) so bought one.

    So based I my experience I would recommend that aerial, however, it`s obvious from the thread the Cush linked to and zg`s info that this has not been the experience from other users and may not be suitable for the OP

    P.S. I bought mine for €14 so was worth experimenting with:-)


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,502 ✭✭✭zg3409


    Here is a good list of indoor aerials with recommendations:
    http://www.ricability-digitaltv.org.uk/pages/test-reports/indoor-aerials/recommendations.htm

    and here:
    http://www.ricability-digitaltv.org.uk/discontinued-products.asp

    Note the North Side of Dublin has a fairly strong signal. If you can see the Dublin mountains this is where the signal comes from.

    The signal is best in South East Dublin, Sandyford, and bad in very built up Dublin city centre. The worst spots are probably between christ church and the liffey and the ground rises then falls. The centre of Dublin is at sea level, but it rises again on the North side.

    It all depends on how far you are from the mast, and what is between you and the mast. In Sandyford a coathanger will work 100%, less so the further you travel.

    My main gripe is the amount charged, and the fact the most expensive ones often work less well than much cheaper models.

    It's a pity RTE's coverage checker does not show low, medium and high signal levels like some other countries coverage charts. I was even considering making such a map myself, as I have the software and data, but there arn't enough hours in the day.

    Here is a sort of a map showing signal strengths for Dublin. Red is strongest, then yellow, then green, then blue. Grey suggests no signal. It not exactly based on RTE's broadcasts but is similar:

    2390dublin.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,473 ✭✭✭blue note


    This is really annoying - I have a TV in my room with bunny ears, but I need to replace it now (or very soon). I don't have any cables in my room - does this mean that I'd either need an indoor ariel to get an electrician to route the wire from the roof to my room. I'm not sure if we have an ariel on the roof.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,502 ✭✭✭zg3409


    blue note wrote: »
    This is really annoying - I have a TV in my room with bunny ears, but I need to replace it now (or very soon). I don't have any cables in my room - does this mean that I'd either need an indoor ariel to get an electrician to route the wire from the roof to my room. I'm not sure if we have an ariel on the roof.

    Hi Blue Note,

    What channels do you get at the moment at what quality are they? If you get TG4 at the moment then your current "rabbit ears" are probably OK. If not then you may need an outside aerial. If your TV is not Saorview compatable then on Otctober 24th 2012 it will stop working. Before then you need do something.

    This thread is for indoor aerials. If your indoor aerial can get TG4 the aerial itself should be fine.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 712 ✭✭✭gaffmaster


    Thanks a million for all the replies. Very helpful.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,757 ✭✭✭lawhec


    That 4ife aerial looks like it's designed only for vertical polarised signals in mind, not the horizontal polarised transmissions for Saorview from Three Rock or Kippure in Dublin (though if Clermont Carn is strong, it might have a chance). More of a case of style over engineering and its gain almost certainly comes from the amp - there an argument that the built in amp in these aerials provide an active matching component to help transfer the received signal to the aerial lead better, but it's not likely to be worth much. That aerial looks like it's more designed for places where DTT transmissions are generally vertically polarised SFNs like in Switzerland or the Netherlands.

    If you have a rabbit ears aka bunny ears aerial, what you can do with it for Saorview reception is try and use it as a form of half-rhombic aerial. It's the simplest and easiest to do for horizontal polarised signals where the rabbit ears has both elements that can be turned almost 360 degrees on the horizontal plane (parallel to the ground) - it can be done with aerials where the elements can only be adjusted on its tilt and/or vertically polarised signals but it may be more of a hassle getting it fixed right. Take the aerial, extend both whip rod elements out 180 degrees from each other and then form a V shape with the two elements where the join of the V shape has an angle of between 60 and 120 degrees. Point the aerial where the tips of the rods are aimed at the transmitter, then experiment with the placing of the aerial and the gap between the two tips being widened and narrowed. Ideally both rods should be at least at least 9/10ths of wavelength long for the lowest frequency sought (for Three Rock & Kippure this will be approx 36cm. In the position the aerial should have an approximate figure of 8 reception pattern that will provide a little bit of gain and null of signals around 90 degrees from it. If space is a problem in some parts of a room (say a window sill), moving the aerial 180 degrees in the horizontal plane with the angle of the V formed by the rods can be closer to the transmitter than the tips of the rods if desired as in theory it shouldn't make much difference (though there might be some cases where it does, especially as we're talking indoor reception). Moving the tips of the rods in closer together with the angle of the V becoming more acute will slightly increase gain and directivity; I find a gap of 1/2 the wavelength of the lowest frequency wanted to work the best - making the gap much smaller than this will kill the gain and directivity especially below 1/4 the wavelength. Tipping the tips up slightly (so that it's no longer parallel to the ground) by up to say 20 or 30 degrees might also help in a few places. If you have an old pair of rabbit ears lying about, it's worth trying this first before splashing out on any money that'll probably work no better.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,473 ✭✭✭blue note


    zg3409 wrote: »
    Hi Blue Note,

    What channels do you get at the moment at what quality are they? If you get TG4 at the moment then your current "rabbit ears" are probably OK. If not then you may need an outside aerial. If your TV is not Saorview compatable then on Otctober 24th 2012 it will stop working. Before then you need do something.

    This thread is for indoor aerials. If your indoor aerial can get TG4 the aerial itself should be fine.

    Thanks a million. I get the four Irish channels on the rabbit ears - TG4 is okish reception. A little fuzzy, but it's not difficult to make out or anything.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,502 ✭✭✭zg3409


    Then there is a good chance if you get a Saorview set top box or new Saorview compatable TV then you will get the new stations. Do something before the end of October, possibly by August, in case it does not work, so you can get a different aerial, ideally rooftop, if the old one does not work.

    Consider borrowing a Saorview TV or box from someone to test.


  • Registered Users Posts: 12 jameseyf


    do you think this aerial would work indoors in dublin city in an area of good strength?

    http://www.peats.com/cgi-bin/catalog_v2.cgi?type=product&id=28832

    cheers


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,452 ✭✭✭✭The Cush


    jameseyf wrote: »
    do you think this aerial would work indoors in dublin city in an area of good strength?

    http://www.peats.com/cgi-bin/catalog_v2.cgi?type=product&id=28832

    If the signal strength/quality is good enough inside your house, where you locate the aerial, it should work.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,684 ✭✭✭winston_1


    jameseyf wrote: »
    do you think this aerial would work indoors in dublin city in an area of good strength?

    http://www.peats.com/cgi-bin/catalog_v2.cgi?type=product&id=28832

    cheers

    Absolute crap. For a start it is vertically polarised and I believe Dublin signals are horizontal. Amplifiers on indoor aerials are a waste of space, money, and electricity. You cannot amplify what is not there, all that is amplified is the background noise. Amplifiers are meant to overcome a long cable loss.

    If you must use an indoor aerial get one that looks like an aerial.

    http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&cp=7&gs_id=2&xhr=t&q=telecam+tce2000&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4DVXE_enGB333GB333&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=572&ion=1&wrapid=tljp134014334521802&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=10790813410702251978&sa=X&ei=7PbgT9O1GYeN0AW93bjZDA&sqi=2&ved=0CHoQ8wIwAA


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,178 ✭✭✭STB


    I have tested lots and lots and lots of them, most are crap.

    The one I found the best is a Funke DSC 210-45T (now discontinued).

    The most important thing about indoor aerials is positioning them. They wont work on top of the TV! The need to be near a window to be stable.


  • Registered Users Posts: 235 ✭✭eddiej


    Sorry to bump thread, but is an attic aerial the only indoor option for ratoath in meath


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,515 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    Just for general info im a few miles from the tower spur hill tower in cork , and im getting a great signal with a really old crappy, indoor (rabbits ears) aerial , it will barely pick up the analogue signal but it picks up saorview perfectly :D

    I would reccomend people get a box and just try out how good their signal is before commiting to getting a proper aerial installed.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 571 ✭✭✭PacMan


    I am receiving saorview perfectly on an indoor aerial. It is a "One for All" brand. My location is Cashel, in Tipperary.


  • Registered Users Posts: 235 ✭✭eddiej


    Just turned rabbits ears on the horizontal (parralell to the ground) and bingo perfect saorview here in ratoath. Prob buy an attic aerial now for a tenner or so online dont think the rabbits ear falling over will be too populat but works fine for now. Just pointed aerial roughly south east thanks to those who replied to previous posters all helped


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,285 ✭✭✭Peter Rhea


    Just for general info im a few miles from the tower spur hill tower in cork , and im getting a great signal with a really old crappy, indoor (rabbits ears) aerial , it will barely pick up the analogue signal but it picks up saorview perfectly

    The Saorview transmissions from Spur Hill are massively more powerful than analogue, same with Three Rock in Dublin.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,684 ✭✭✭winston_1


    PacMan wrote: »
    I am receiving saorview perfectly on an indoor aerial. It is a "One for All" brand. My location is Cashel, in Tipperary.

    Meaningless, it all depends where you are and which side of the building you are on. The "one for All" is about as crummy an aerial as you can get. Zero gain and little directivity. Any built in amplifier is a waste of time and electricity as it will only amplify local noise, not improve signal to noise ratio.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    winston_1 wrote: »
    Meaningless, it all depends where you are and which side of the building you are on. The "one for All" is about as crummy an aerial as you can get. Zero gain and little directivity. Any built in amplifier is a waste of time and electricity as it will only amplify local noise, not improve signal to noise ratio.

    You seem to like putting down cheap indoor aerials alot.

    Even though they work,as various posters have posted.

    Just like this one that cost a fiver.Picks up Saorview in Dublin with crystal clear pic and sound quality too.:D

    I bought 1 for myself and 2 more for family members in Sutton and also in Bray,and their aerials work perfetly too,at recieving perfect Saorview pics and sound.We all have Saorview approved TVs,so this aerial was all that was needed.

    Do me a favour,stop complaining all the time over the indoor aerials.Thats all you seem to do here.:(


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 745 ✭✭✭Extinction


    An indoor aerial will work if you are in a high signal area but they are not recommended, there have been many posters on here who have bought them and found that they couldn't get reception, some could get reception in one room of the house or even in one side of a room but couldn't get reception where the tv was. There was also posts such as the poster who got picture break up with an indoor aerial every time a bus passed his house.

    If you do intend to use an indoor aerial I would suggest that you save your money and use a coat hanger for reception as indoor aerials are not anything more than a coat hanger. A sweeping statement like ' Picks up Saorview in Dublin with crystal clear pic and sound quality too' can lead others to believe that an indoor aerial will work in all parts of Dublin, unfortunately this is not the case.

    It would be better to have a look at http://www.saorview.ie/make-the-switch/coverage-map/ and find out what the reception in the area where you live is like and then take the advise from saorview about the reception of their signal.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,285 ✭✭✭Peter Rhea


    The coverage checker is no use wrt telling you how strong the signal is likely to be in your area (only covered/not covered) & no use for weighing up the factors likely to affect indoor reception.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭ Esther Itchy Nitroglycerin


    I got an amplified indoor aerial for €25 and could only get a signal with it in another room so brought it back.

    I got a €6.50 non amplified and its sitting beside the tv and picking up a signal.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,285 ✭✭✭Peter Rhea


    Isn't this the 1st one you had? Doesn't look bad as far as indoor aerials go, would have some directionality. Maybe that was actually to its detriment in this case.

    I presume you have this one now? Suppose it's possible the less directional design would pick up more signal reflections arriving from all sides & while this would give a terrible picture with an analogue programme, it might actually benefit digital reception.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    Extinction wrote: »
    An indoor aerial will work if you are in a high signal area but they are not recommended, there have been many posters on here who have bought them and found that they couldn't get reception, some could get reception in one room of the house or even in one side of a room but couldn't get reception where the tv was. There was also posts such as the poster who got picture break up with an indoor aerial every time a bus passed his house.

    If you do intend to use an indoor aerial I would suggest that you save your money and use a coat hanger for reception as indoor aerials are not anything more than a coat hanger. A sweeping statement like ' Picks up Saorview in Dublin with crystal clear pic and sound quality too' can lead others to believe that an indoor aerial will work in all parts of Dublin, unfortunately this is not the case.

    It would be better to have a look at http://www.saorview.ie/make-the-switch/coverage-map/ and find out what the reception in the area where you live is like and then take the advise from saorview about the reception of their signal.


    Well I must be the exception then,as it works in all parts of my house and my family members in Sutton and Bray have no problems at all with the aerials either.

    A fiver very well spent indeed.:D


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