FREE TO AIR in DROGHEDA

poostarios26

Lads

Need a piece of help.
i wish to set up Free To AIR Channel at my TV. but i am not an expert in terms of technology or building up my self. Can some one help...letting me know:---

1. What are the channels can i get in MEATH/LOUTH(Drogheda) region.
2. Which box should i need to buy, at the moment there are some boxes available in curreys.co.uk but they only give you info about UK Channel, post code wise. www.freeview.co.uk is also post code based site and does'nt give much info about EIRE.
3. is there any site which can give info about EIRE, and how much the total budget approx.
4. ABOVE ALL, IS I WORTH GOING FREE TO VIEW??


Thanks

PA

Not sure If you would get a strong enough signal in Drogheda for free view digital terrestrial television.
Reception on analog would have to be near perfect, ie little or no static.

And you would have to be getting your signal from either Brougher or Divis and not from a relay like kilkeel, as only they and a tx in Derry are digital.

Your other option is of course free digital satellite, see the stickies in the dig sat forum for info on that.

watty

If you on top of hill or north side of hill north of Town with a big mast you have some hope. If you actually on the Boyne or south side of river, very little hope.

Get a good analog picture from Divis and/or Brougher then it is worth buying a Freeview box.

Good test is teletext, if the pages have no errors then you have a chance.

poostarios26

Cheers Lads for reply, my analog signal is not very strong.
I've a few ideas to try and let you know how I get on

Marty

I have okay reception in Wexford (an amplifier/booster helps) and teletext works fine for BBC/UTV, etc.. Could a freeview box be an option for me?

possibly
I can get it in North Wexford from presely in wales, but the analog signal is very strong

Marty

Sounds like were in the same area (Gorey?),
If l purchase one of these Freeview boxes, am l right in thinking its just a simple connect up between the TV and the aerial?
Can you recommend a freeview box type? Sorry for all the questions.

I'd urge caution now, though, as you could be in the same area but be unlucky enough to have less signal.
To give you a rough guideline, anywhere above coolgreaney village,Ballyfad across to kilanerin and you are spot on.
These areas can get freeview mostly with a simple grid aerial, they have analog presely thats better than RTÉ!
Indeed I know of one house that gets it fairly well without an amp.
In Gorey town you will need a mast and anywhere inland at sea level south of it, you would also need iron mongery.
Having said that if your reception ( analog ) is fair, you will find that during the summer you will have freeview maybe 7 days out of ten, but lose it during rain.
Check out digital spy maybe for recommendations on boxes, I'm using an old itv digital box which is fine.

mickeyboymel

There are lots of old Ondigital digiboxes on Ebay lately since the arrival of TUTV

Marty

Do they need a card and is e-bay the only way we can buy them (i've heard you need a UK address to buy them from UK stores)??

nope no card required.
ebay for old ondig boxes.
But you can buy something new in curry's in newry for maybe £70 or so or even less, not sure.
At least new=guarantee and better re-sale via ebay if it doesn't work

mickeyboymel

Best way of all to know for once and for all Marty is try and borrow a box from someone locally (Perhaps Earthman is near you?) and then you will know if it is worth going ahead and buying one.

I am too far away from you, otherwise I would test your reception on my box

Marty

Cheers Mickey, i'm gonna check out e-bay and see whats on offer.
Earthman, have sent you a PM.

John R

LOL. Gotta love that, offer someone else's time equipment and assistance for free!;)

mickeyboymel

Originally posted by John R
LOL. Gotta love that, offer someone else's time equipment and assistance for free!;)

I was not offering someone elses equipment for free, I was simply pointing out that if he could borrow a reciever for five minutes to check and see if there was any signal available before he went ahead and bought a reciever.

I spent two months woundering wheither or not to go ahead and import one of these boxes and if someone else in the same town or area as me could have helped me in this way,I would have been delighted, as indeed I would be prepared to help anyone in this area who wanted to go down the same road.

I thought that was the whole idea of these boards, to try and find solutions to problems that we can solve ourselves and quite frankly I am VERY OFFENDED BY YOUR REMARKS

Twas only a helpfull suggestion I'spose by mick and johnR's reply to it, shows what he would think of such a suggestion without consultation
No need to get offended by that comment mickey

It's not unusual on Icdg, forsuggestions like loaning equipment etc , especially for dtt.I've seen it before,
Anyways,I'm busy here at the moment, though always usually would like to help, plus my box is with a neighbour - I find my ftv card in a spare box and uk sub in the sky plus box is suffecient for the uk channels, so I've practically given the itv box away


anyways this discussion has gone its course-thread closed