Three Rock or Kippure for Dun Laoghaire?

Ladder22

Any advice would be great on whether I should get an aerial for Three Rock or Kippure for Dun laoghaire. And what would be the best type of ariel to get.

Kippure's about 18km away and Three Rock's about 9 km away, they're both almost on the same bearing from my house. I understand Dun Laoghaire is in a weak reception area, and that Kippure might not work We can't see either mast from the house, and all the neighbours have their aerial's really high up on masts on top of their chimney's.

Many thanks for your help

Davin

L1011

Three Rock, I would suspect Kippure is shielded.

lucernarian

Three Rock analogue is mainly group A. Three Rock Digital will be group C/D. The aerials could be higher up because they're trying to pick up UK TV signals from Kilkeel in NI or Wales. Is there any way you could photograph what aerials your neighbours have?

I checked a coverage map for Three Rock and while it seems Dalkey and Killiney have weak coverage, Dun Laogaihre has perfect coverage.

I think a grid aerial would be best for you as it would allow you to receive a better signal than a contract aerial, across most of UHF. So you'd be able to get a good signal for analogue and digital from Three Rock. They're heavier than a contract aerial but not unreasonably so.

Ladder22

Thanks very much for the replies.

I called into a neighbour who gets grand Irish channel reception on the aerial in photo 1. They are also picking up UK channels, but not so well. (UK reception doesn't bother me as I'm only after the irish channels))

I see other houses have wire aerials see photos 2 & 3, but i don't know what their signal quality is like.

Davin

L1011

Photo 1 is UHF, its Three Rock

2 is UHF also

3 is a UHF aerial and two MMDS or wireless internet "dishes"

The ones from 1 and 2 are so huge I would suspect they are aimed at Wales and picking up Three Rock off the back. They're the wrong polarity for Three Rock at that.
There is also a chance those aerials are pointing north at Clermont Carn but I'd doubt it!

The little one in 3 appears to be the correct polarity and about the right size needed, but the pics quite blurry.

Ganymede

Sorry, I have to disagree!

The aerial in Fig.1 is a high-gain UHF used for reception of the UK channels from the Kilkeel relay in Co. Down. It may also be receiving the Irish television channels from the Clermont Carn transmitter which is situated in the Cooley mountains just north of Dundalk. The aerials in Fig.3 are doing the same job, except that it's a better engineered installation. Fig.2 consists of two MMDS aerials plus one UHF aerial for Three Rock.

Davin, you certainly don't need to go to that extent as you should have very strong signals from Three Rock in Dun Laoghaire and you'd probably get away with a wideband UHF aerial in the attic. It should be installed with the elements aligned horizontally and directed towards Three Rock. Also consider using double-screened coaxial cable that is used for satellite installations.

For reception UK stations a Free-to-Air ("Freesat") is the best option.

That is correct.
The first photo is indeed a vertically polarised aerial for kilkeel-it's widely received From Blackrock down to Dalkey.

2nd photo is also 2 kilkeel aerials.

The third one is 2 mmds aerials with a small three rock uhf

Ladder22

Thanks very much for your replies

I went back out to the ariels and the ones in photo 1 and 3 are indeed pointing towards Down.

I'll go for a wideband UHF ariel, and stick it up on the chimney to be on the safe side.

Thanks again

Davin

L1011

Ganymede wrote: »

Sorry, I have to disagree!

The aerial in Fig.1 is a high-gain UHF used for reception of the UK channels from the Kilkeel relay in Co. Down. It may also be receiving the Irish television channels from the Clermont Carn transmitter which is situated in the Cooley mountains just north of Dundalk. The aerials in Fig.3 are doing the same job, except that it's a better engineered installation. Fig.2 consists of two MMDS aerials plus one UHF aerial for Three Rock.

Davin, you certainly don't need to go to that extent as you should have very strong signals from Three Rock in Dun Laoghaire and you'd probably get away with a wideband UHF aerial in the attic. It should be installed with the elements aligned horizontally and directed towards Three Rock. Also consider using double-screened coaxial cable that is used for satellite installations.

For reception UK stations a Free-to-Air ("Freesat") is the best option.

I'd forgotten Kilkeel entirely (despite having used it for years prior to FTV cards), and answered in the order the photos were linked not named so flip 2 and 3 in mine...

Oops.

Ladder22

Just as a wee post script, I put a 90 something element wideband aerial in attic and the reception is perfect on 2 telly's, no amplification needed.

All the bits and bobs cost me about €100. When I initially rang up an installer in the golden pages, he first encouraged me to go for sky! and then told me it'd cost €300-€400 to install an aerial for the 4 Irish channels, need amplification, high roof masts etc etc!

Davin

Digifriendly

Didn't think Kilkeel was received as far south as it's a relay, not a main transmitter. Out of interest is it not easier to get signals from Wales around East coast than from NI?

rlogue

Kilkeel gets through because there's just sea between the Kilkeel mast and a lot of the eastern side of Dublin.