Terrestrial aerial equipment

gnolan

Hi. I have a faulty piece of equipment on my terrestrial aerial. I do not, however, know what the piece of equipment is called and therefore cannot order a replacement part. I am attaching photos here in the hope that some of the knowledgable folk here can help me out. The front of the box reads 'Labgear Cablevision'. Thanks.

fat-tony

It's a masthead amplifier - for boosting the signal from your aerial.

How do you know that it is faulty? Could be a corroded connection from your aerial or could be that the power supply inside your house is not supplying a voltage to it (I assume you have the power supply? - you will need to match this to the replacement masthead amp. )

What condition is your aerial in?

gnolan

fat-tony wrote: »

It's a masthead amplifier - for boosting the signal from your aerial.

How do you know that it is faulty? Could be a corroded connection from your aerial or could be that the power supply inside your house is not supplying a voltage to it (I assume you have the power supply? - you will need to match this to the replacement masthead amp. )

What condition is your aerial in?

Well we bought a brand new high-gain aerial, thinking that was the problem, but upon fiddling around with the connections in this box, the signal came and went. There appears to be a solder joint that is broken, and the connections inside are fairly corroded.

I believe there is a box inside the house somewhere supplying power to the aerial. As it stands, there is one cable that goes from the house into the masthead amp, then one out and into the aerial head. Would imagine that if it was powered there would be two cables going from the house to the masthead amp??

Assuming it is powered, where can i get a replacement amplifier?

slegs

gnolan wrote: »

Well we bought a brand new high-gain aerial, thinking that was the problem, but upon fiddling around with the connections in this box, the signal came and went. There appears to be a solder joint that is broken, and the connections inside are fairly corroded.

I believe there is a box inside the house somewhere supplying power to the aerial. As it stands, there is one cable that goes from the house into the masthead amp, then one out and into the aerial head. Would imagine that if it was powered there would be two cables going from the house to the masthead amp??

Assuming it is powered, where can i get a replacement amplifier?

No, the coax cable that carries the aerial signal from the masthead amp to the power unit and on to the TV is also used to transfer the voltage to the amp from the power supply in the house

gnolan

Ok, thanks. Does this look like it'd do the trick.

http://cgi.ebay.ie/26dB-UHF-High-Gain-ScreenedTV-Aerial-Masthead-Amplifier_W0QQitemZ350168027809QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ConElec_TVAerials_RL?hash=item350168027809&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

slegs

Yes that is the masthead amplifier unit but you will also need a power supply (maybe your existing one is OK but check the voltage - this needs 12v).

There are listings for separate power supplies also along with both together as one listing.

fat-tony

Don't forget the power supply!

Are you sure you have the correct aerial? Whereabouts in the country are you and what channels are you trying to receive? Some locations require use of UHF and VHF aerials - not just UHF.

gnolan

slegs wrote: »

Yes that is the masthead amplifier unit but you will also need a power supply (maybe your existing one is OK but check the voltage - this needs 12v).

There are listings for separate power supplies also along with both together as one listing.

Just checked the power unit i've got there, says 12V on it so it'll hopefully work out. I'll go ahead and order that part. Thanks for the help.

gnolan

fat-tony wrote: »

Don't forget the power supply!

Are you sure you have the correct aerial? Whereabouts in the country are you and what channels are you trying to receive? Some locations require use of UHF and VHF aerials - not just UHF.

In Dublin, trying to get RTE1,2 TV3, TG4, BBC1,2, UTV, CH4. Had them before with the old aerial but have been getting worse in the last few years. This is the aerial we got.

http://www.freesat.ie/index.php?cat=Terrestrial_Aerials

Its the high gain triax uhf aerial, we point our aerial at three rock.

fat-tony

gnolan wrote: »

In Dublin, trying to get RTE1,2 TV3, TG4, BBC1,2, UTV, CH4. Had them before with the old aerial but have been getting worse in the last few years. This is the aerial we got.

http://www.freesat.ie/index.php?cat=Terrestrial_Aerials

Its the high gain triax uhf aerial, we point our aerial at three rock.

Stall the ball there.
You wont get the BBC and ITV from an aerial pointed at Three Rock.:eek:

If you just want the RTE DTT service from Three Rock and you're in the greater Dublin area, it's unlikely you will need a masthead amp - just connect the aerial directly to the coax and run the cable directly to the Tv (if equipped suitably with MPEG4) or set top box DTT tuner.

Perhaps you might start with your requirements and then we can work out what you need!

gnolan

fat-tony wrote: »

Stall the ball there.
You wont get the BBC and ITV from an aerial pointed at Three Rock.:eek:

If you just want the RTE DTT service from Three Rock and you're in the greater Dublin area, it's unlikely you will need a masthead amp - just connect the aerial directly to the coax and run the cable directly to the Tv (if equipped suitably with MPEG4) or set top box DTT tuner.

Perhaps you might start with your requirements and then we can work out what you need!

Ok so, we've had our aerial connected up for the last 15 years and have recieved all the above channels, including the BBC's. Perhaps it was not pointed at three rock?? Basically i want that back now that the reception has gone terrible. We thought it was aerial wear an tear so we got a new one, but now it seems its the masthead amp for the above reasons.

fat-tony

The BBC/ITV/CH4 transmitters in Northern Ireland are gradually switching over to digital service and will discontinue the analogue service by 2012. It's possible that the transmitter you were receiving service from is on reduced power. Depending on your exact location you may or may not be able to receive the digital service from NI.

From what you've posted so far I take it that you have a conventional analogue TV set which you want to feed the RTE and BBC/ITV services?
The aerial you bought should be ok for pointing at Three Rock (without a masthead amplifier) and will give you RTE 1, 2, TV3 and TG4 assuming you are in the greater Dublin area and can basically see the Dublin mountains.

Depending on exactly where you are in Dublin, you may need some professional guidance on a high-gain aerial setup for reception from NI. I doubt a simple wideband UHF antenna will provide satisfactory reception unless you've got line of sight to Divis. I used to live in North Dublin years ago and it was usual to see a 4 gang array (four aerials arranged in a square grid) for satisfactory reception from NI.

You may be on a loser here....:(

gnolan

Right, well i'll get the mast amp as its fairly inexpensive either way. Actually have one digital tv but want some decent reception on the other analogue tv's in the house. I'll have a go when the amp is fitted, if i can't get anything from three rock, i'll try pointing it up north. Situated near enough to the Wicklow mountains so might have some luck

fat-tony

gnolan wrote: »

Right, well i'll get the mast amp as its fairly inexpensive either way. Actually have one digital tv but want some decent reception on the other analogue tv's in the house. I'll have a go when the amp is fitted, if i can't get anything from three rock, i'll try pointing it up north. Situated near enough to the Wicklow mountains so might have some luck

You seem to be reluctant to give a location but that's your choice. It would help in providing advice to you though:)
The best source for free, quality BBC/ITV/CH4 reception from your location is from a satellite dish, though! A free to air (or a branded Freesat) satellite receiver will give you excellent quality reception of the NI (or any other UK region) channels. Couple that with your digital or analogue signal from Three Rock and Robert is your mother's brother!

gnolan

fat-tony wrote: »

You seem to be reluctant to give a location but that's your choice. It would help in providing advice to you though:)
The best source for free, quality BBC/ITV/CH4 reception from your location is from a satellite dish, though! A free to air (or a branded Freesat) satellite receiver will give you excellent quality reception of the NI (or any other UK region) channels. Couple that with your digital or analogue signal from Three Rock and Robert is your mother's brother!

We have a freesat box that gives us all those channels in one room alright, but its the bedrooms that are the problem, we don't want to have to buy three more set top boxes to get the BBC's, ITV and CH4. Bit of a pain in the ass

gnolan

Sorry to bring this up again, but i'm lookin to point my aerial up north and wondering where the best place to point it. Trying to get the British channels as best i can. Would i be looking to point it at Clermont Carn or Holywell Hill? If i know which i'm sure i can't be farly accurate using google earth to get a reference point.

At the moment i have the aerial pointed up north somewhere and getting CH4 and UTV pretty good, BBC1 and 2 aren't the best but better than nothing.

Also getting some strange stuff coming through on the Digital tuner on my tv; CH5, Sky news, sky sports news, e4+1, itv2+1 and loads other random channels, didn't think you could get that through aerial.

sesswhat

gnolan wrote: »

Sorry to bring this up again, but i'm lookin to point my aerial up north and wondering where the best place to point it. Trying to get the British channels as best i can. Would i be looking to point it at Clermont Carn or Holywell Hill? If i know which i'm sure i can't be farly accurate using google earth to get a reference point.

At the moment i have the aerial pointed up north somewhere and getting CH4 and UTV pretty good, BBC1 and 2 aren't the best but better than nothing.

Also getting some strange stuff coming through on the Digital tuner on my tv; CH5, Sky news, sky sports news, e4+1, itv2+1 and loads other random channels, didn't think you could get that through aerial.

If you're getting these channels from NI then it's UK Freeview from Divis. Search Google Maps for '54.60667 -6.01098'. Channel info here.

Clermont Carn and Holywell Hill are both in the Republic:)

gnolan

sesswhat wrote: »

Clermont Carn and Holywell Hill are both in the Republic:)

Oh yeah i realise they're in the the republic, but for me they are up north!

gnolan

So that co-ord is where i should try pointing it?

What i'd really like to know is what transmitters.....transmit the British Channels. Does Holywell and Clermont Carn? Or is just that Belfast one?

sesswhat

gnolan wrote: »

Trying to get the British channels as best i can. Would i be looking to point it at Clermont Carn or Holywell Hill?

Oh yeah i realise they're in the the republic, but for me they are up north!

Definitely up North but not much good to someone looking for British channels.

If you are near Dublin, the only one you have any hope of getting British Freeview channels from is Divis.

gnolan

Ok i'm fine with the digital freeview channels. But if i'm looking to get BBC from analogue, is there any transmitter thats preferable to point at, and yes i'm in Dublin. Like i say, they are kind of coming through, just need to be tweaked.

sesswhat

Kilkeel might be worth a try. Same general direction.

54.09504 -6.04318

rlogue

Kilkeel will be fine for analogue BBC 1, BBC 2, UTV and Channel 4 but there's no Five and absolutely no Freeview until 2012. Divis would be a better bet.

gnolan

Had no idea about this Divis yoke before today, and now i'm gettin' sky sports news through my aerial! Sure, next they'll put a train under the sea from england to france

Digifriendly

gnolan wrote: »

Had no idea about this Divis yoke before today, and now i'm gettin' sky sports news through my aerial! Sure, next they'll put a train under the sea from england to france

That's pretty good, for the multiplex with Sky Sports News along with ITV/Ch.4 one is one of the most difficult to receive. BBC ones usually come through the strongest!