reception/tuning difficulties

Eurorunner

A month or two after setting up terrestrial last year, I had switched TVs - then switched back to the original and had to retune as the reception was cráp. This wasnt working out and I spent some time on the roof trying to sort it out but it seemed that regardless of what way I moved the bloody aerial, the reception was the same! (the channels are tuned in to Cairn Hill according to frequency).
Whilst the picture was acceptable the first time I set it up, I was never 100% happy with it.
Given that this (below) was the kit that I ordered ( cpc.co.uk), any guesses as to what it was that i've done wrong?

AFUF24 UHF AERIAL COMBINER - UF24
AP00358 PRECISION MASTHEAD AMP 22DB VHF/UHF
AP0085012 P100/1 100MA MASTHEAD PSU
AP00507 TRIAX BAND III AERIAL 7 ELEMENT
APT-108012 BB GRID AERIAL

byte

I'm trying in vain to get more information on the combiner you're using. Antiference don't have any reference to the UF24. Trying to figure what frequencies it's supposed to combine.

Does the combiner then get fed through the masthead amp?

By bad pictures, do you mean grainy, or pictures with rolling bars, etc?

More specifics please!

Ulsterman 1690

AP00507 TRIAX BAND III AERIAL 7 ELEMENT

Why would you use a Band 3 aerial for Cairnhill

Cairnhill is all UHF

cast_iron

Okay, sorry for not looking up the specifics, but if it's a UHF joiner and you only have 1 UHF aerial, why are you useing it?
I'm assuming the amp has seperate VHF and UHF inputs.
And if Cairn Hill is UHF only, then why the VHF aerial (as already asked).

Based on what you said, the most likely problem is in at the TV - where you were switching things about. Did you check the coax plug going into the TV/VCR, and the connections in the power supply? No shorting out at all?

More info on the aerials needed, please....

byte

Well, assuming you're usig Cairn Hill, and all TV signals are UHF, do away with the combiner, and stick the grid aerial directly into the masthead amp.

Ulsterman 1690

Where is the OP located anyway. Maybe theyre real close to Cairnhill and dont need a masthead amp at all

That could even be what the problem is ?

Eurorunner

Why would you use a Band 3 aerial for Cairnhill
Cairnhill is all UHF

I wasnt really sure what the hell I was ordering up at the time to be honest! I was copying someone elses setup as per this thread.

By bad pictures, do you mean grainy, or pictures with rolling bars, etc?

Very grainy pictures - unwatchable for the most part. TV keeps switching between mono and stereo sound.

Based on what you said, the most likely problem is in at the TV - where you were switching things about. Did you check the coax plug going into the TV/VCR, and the connections in the power supply? No shorting out at all?

I'm sure I did at the time (some months back now). Will recheck.

Okay, sorry for not looking up the specifics, but if it's a UHF joiner and you only have 1 UHF aerial, why are you useing it?
I'm assuming the amp has seperate VHF and UHF inputs.

Not feeling all too smart now. I thought I had ordered up a combiner for UHF/VHF.

These are the frequencies that I've got some form of reception on:

RTE 1: 623.25
NET2: 646.50
TV3: 611.25
TnG:702.50

Basically, I need to recheck the connections at the TV and get back up on the roof - If I can only get the bloody time!

Ulsterman 1690

Eurorunner wrote:

These are the frequencies that I've got some form of reception on:

RTE 1: 623.25
NET2: 646.50
TV3: 611.25
TnG:702.50

Basically, I need to recheck the connections at the TV and get back up on the roof - If I can only get the bloody time!

It looks like youre getting most of your channels from Cairnhill although the tuning looks a bit off on some of them

The correct frequencies for Cairnhill are
RTE1 623.25
RTE2 647.25
TV3 671.25
TG4 703.25

The VHF aerial isint much used to you for Cairnhill although if might get you RTE1 and 2 from Truskmore (Sligo) Maghera (Gort) or Kippure (Wicklow) or maybe DAB from Brougher (Enniskillen)

Galway

wherebouts are you located eurorunner?

Eurorunner

Galway wrote:

wherebouts are you located eurorunner?

Dunmore area.

or maybe DAB from Brougher (Enniskillen)

Is this a viable possibility from as far away as N.E. Galway??

Ulsterman 1690

Is this a viable possibility from as far away as N.E. Galway??

probably not im afraid

Incidently Im not sure if Cairnhill is the best choice of TX in that neck of the woods Truskmore or Maghera may be better (berhaps someone with better local knowledge could confirm/refute this) also they use a mix of VHF and UHF so your purchace of a combiner and VHF aerial might not have been a waste after all ?
199.25 / 215.25 / 783.25 and 789.25 are the frequencies for Sligo
183.25 / 207.25 / 831.25 and 847.25 are for Gort

Dont know if any of the Deflectors (carrying the UK channels) make it into NE Galway

Galway

hey eurorunner im over in Corofin and pick up Cairn Hill with Triax Unix 100 gr B and masthead amp.if u want me to contact u with any advice sedn me a private message and i will chat to u and see if i can help at all

gerrykkkdanbury

we've gotten ourselves into bother here at work and need to repair our Terrestrial tv system discretely .
we've a tv aerial on the roof with a masthead amp,amplifier and splitter trying to check were signal breakdown is ,thinking of placing a small portable from the areial back after each point but its extremley diffiucult because there are no powerpoints near by ,is there any other tool to check the signal out

Ulsterman 1690

Signal meter ?

Battery operated portable ?

watty

Long coax cable to BIG TV on ground?

gerrykkkdanbury

thanks were is the best place to pick up a signal meter

byte

An extension reel to accompany the television?

What caused the channels to go off. Most likely fault is masthead amp. The second amp you mention could infact be a powerpack for the masthead amp. Otherwise, where is the Powerpack? And have you checked to make sure it's outputting 12-24V DC under load?

I doubt you'll wanna fork out for a terrestrial meter for a small job.

gerrykkkdanbury

on second thoughts ya i probably wont want to pay for a meter , its looking like extension leads (a very long and awkward run)
dont know what happened maybe lighting and then few people trying to fix

the amp i spoke about is a "cbs 934" broadband amp and yep its sending ~24vdc to masthead amp
the mast head amp is a triax ta 13a (i think)