FAQ: Analogue, DTT, Aerials

Sam Russell

You need a Triax TFC 3537 F-Type 2 Way Grouped combiner.
Input 1 47-590 Mhz
Input 2 508-882 Mhz.
Switched power on both inputs ( allows power to masthead amp to pass through)

Part No. 370685

I can supply one with one of my set top boxes, or you can get them from tvtrade.ie

lucernarian

The combiners I've ever seen can only carry below a cutoff point on one side and above that cutoff on the other side, so with Saorview frequencies below ch 50 it means you'll start to overlap with what UPC use. (UPC can use anything up to Ch.48 quite often.)

But yeah you've the right idea of it.

You could try out a combiner that works VHF to Ch 38 on one leg and Ch 40 upwards on the other leg though you may lose digital STB channels or affect the cable broadband connection if you have it so it's not a desirable option in many ways.

If you're in Waterford City, an indoor aerial would be reasonably likely to work. You can completely bypass the issue of connecting an aerial and UPC on the one cable if you can use a rabbits ears for the Saorview TV/box. That may end up being the easiest solution, otherwise then you'd want to look at a second separate cable for Saorview.

floyd333

I moved back into my house after renting it out for a bit. There is a sky box but the last ppl canceled the subscription. I was Surprised to see that I am getting some channels (bbc, itv, channel 4 etc.)

I'm wondering is there any way I can RTE and TV3, on the cheap if possible .

My TV is dog old and I know nothing about this kind of stuff.

lucernarian

floyd333 wrote: »

I moved back into my house after renting it out for a bit. There is a sky box but the last ppl canceled the subscription. I was Surprised to see that I am getting some channels (bbc, itv, channel 4 etc.)

I'm wondering is there any way I can RTE and TV3, on the cheap if possible .

My TV is dog old and I know nothing about this kind of stuff.

Any working sky dish (and sky box) will give you those channels and you can buy extra freesat boxes which has all the channels pre-tuned and with recording functions too if you get a freesat+box. You can get a box along with the existing sky box so you can watch the FTA UK channels in another room if you connect it to the dish.

RTE and TV3 unfortunately will need a separate Saorview receiver for every TV that you want to watch those channels on (Analogue channels gone from ~October next year) and at a minimum some sort of indoor aerial. You may need a bigger aerial in the attic or outside depending on where you are though basic kits can be cheap to install if you DIY.

Billyie

Hello....and Thanks for all your help here....But i wonder can i nail this down .......

I know i get my digital channels on CH45 (Mount Leinster...well 99% certain its Mount Leinster)
And i understand that each channel has its own ch number after that..or freqency....

BUT

Can anyone here help with definate info. on what channel number or frequency UPC operates on in Waterford City...?? and in what range are the UPC channels broadcast..?? (for definate)

OR

Can UPC be pinned down to operate on a CH number or one frequency....like DTT on a uhf aerial.....??

This info. will allow me know exactly what special combiner i need in terms of the CH numbers or frequencies on each leg of the splitter....
I hope i am understanding this..And that some one can clarify this for me...for my location (Waterford City)
I should add that i am not using any saorview box or reciever...i hope to combine the two co-ax cables into one..and run this single cable into the back of my saorview TV...Hopefully with your help.....
Not sure if i'm making any sense ..but....
Thanks for any help...Billyie

Sam Russell

Are you receiving UPC on digital or analogue?

If only analogue, the box I suggested will work. UPC do not go above CH 35, as far as I can tell. They only have about 20 channels on analogue.

The box works well on other installations.

lucernarian

If the cable's just going to be run into a TV without a STB then I'm guessing a combiner would work as only analogue UPC will be picked up by the TV. Sam Russell's suggested combiner should work.

Charlie-Bravo

I was down in Powercity looking at some Saorview boxes and aerials and this aerial, Philex wideband antenna for €17, caught my eye:
http://www.philex.com/catalogue/product/?id=664&cat=1058


I said I might as well try it out to see how it performs - this way I can have a fixed aerial in the attic!

The website has no info about any gain or any technical information - I'm just wondering if they made a load of these and they don't actually work...I'll post back here if its a peice of crap compared to my all-in-one UHF set top aerial

Vince Cable

If you're in a strong signal area it should work, it's just a smaller than average 'contract' aerial with a big reflector.

lucernarian

That aerial will work much better than a one-for-all aerial so long as there's no massive obstacles in the way of it (while the one-for-all enjoys a window view of the transmitter!)

The superior gain of an aerial like that can be wiped out by the signal pass through a gable wall so point to the transmitter through the slates/tiles if possible.

mdfire

Hi, I live near Greenore in County Louth and have an aerial in the attic pointing at three rock. I havent used it for a few years as I went the sky route but I want to try out the DTT in a second room. The aerial has 8 elements and a red tip. Ive read that for three rock the aerial should have a green tip. Do I need to change or will the one I have still do?

Sam Russell

That aerial (red tip) will get RTE 1 (ch29) and 2 (ch33) and TV3 (ch35). How is the TG4 signal? TG4 (ch55) is close to DTT which is on ch54 and ch58.

If you get TG4 at all you should be fine. If you get teletext on it - even better.

mdfire

Sam Russell wrote: »

That aerial (red tip) will get RTE 1 (ch29) and 2 (ch33) and TV3 (ch35). How is the TG4 signal? TG4 (ch55) is close to DTT which is on ch54 and ch58.

If you get TG4 at all you should be fine. If you get teletext on it - even better.

Cheeres Sam. I cant remember what TG4 was like. This was all fitted when the house was built and I never really used it. Anyway, as long as it gets me a signal for now it will do. I have a ferguson Ariva 120 on order for next week so at least this will get me going. If I have to change the aerial thats not a big job as its in the attic.

lucernarian

For what it's worth, I have managed to maintain Saorview reception from Three Rock despite having such a weak TG4 signal on Ch.55 that it was in black-and-white only. The fact that the aerial's in the attic may end up being the straw that breaks the reception camel's back:p

If you have a flatscreen TV that is Freeview capable or has a digital tuner in it, you can use the TV to check for reception even if it can't show the video part of the Saorview channels.

mdfire

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

For what it's worth, I have managed to maintain Saorview reception from Three Rock despite having such a weak TG4 signal on Ch.55 that it was in black-and-white only. The fact that the aerial's in the attic may end up being the straw that breaks the reception camel's back:p

If you have a flatscreen TV that is Freeview capable or has a digital tuner in it, you can use the TV to check for reception even if it can't show the video part of the Saorview channels.

Thanks I will give a go. There is a booster at the aerial and from what I remember picture was pretty good. If the fact the aerial is in the attic is the deal breaker, is it a matter of changing to the green tip aerial or do I need to go onto the roof?

lucernarian

Changing to a green-tipped aerial should be enough if you say your analogue reception is already good on the other 3 channels. But sure you can always just try out the existing aerial and swap it if Saorview reception is unreliable.

mdfire

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Changing to a green-tipped aerial should be enough if you say your analogue reception is already good on the other 3 channels. But sure you can always just try out the existing aerial and swap it if Saorview reception is unreliable.

Thanks!

mdfire

Connected everything up again and getting RTE1 RTE2 and TG4, No TV3. Pic Quality not great.

Connected a digital tv signal meter to aerial and not getting anything.

The Cush

mdfire wrote: »

Connected everything up again and getting RTE1 RTE2 and TG4, No TV3. Pic Quality not great.

Connected a digital tv signal meter to aerial and not getting anything.

Can you identify the UHF channels numbers or frequencies of the channels you're receiving?

Could you be receiving a signal from Carlingford i.e. no analogue TV3 or DTT?

http://coverage.rtenl.ie/

mdfire

The Cush wrote: »

Can you identify the UHF channels numbers or frequencies of the channels you're receiving?

Could you be receiving a signal from Carlingford i.e. no analogue TV3 or DTT?

http://coverage.rtenl.ie/

How do I Identify the channels?

Aerial is pointing approximately 184 degrees to the south towards three rock. Cooley mountains block claremont carn. Other aerials in area point in same direction.

The Cush

mdfire wrote: »

How do I Identify the channels?

Depends of the TV, they may be displayed during a scan or somewhere in the menu.

mdfire

The Cush wrote: »

Depends of the TV, they may be displayed during a scan or somewhere in the menu.

OK the tv is giving the following

RTE1 631.25 MHz
RTE2 655.25 MHz
TG4 711.25 MHz

The Cush

mdfire wrote: »

OK the tv is giving the following

RTE1 631.25 MHz
RTE2 655.25 MHz
TG4 711.25 MHz

Carlingford transmitter - Group B aerial (yellow tip)
RTÉ1 - UHF 41
RTÉ2 - UHF 44
TG4 - UHF 51

No analogue TV3 available from there and it will not be upgraded for Saorview DTT.

mdfire

The Cush wrote: »

Carlingford transmitter - Group B aerial (yellow tip)
RTÉ1 - UHF 41
RTÉ2 - UHF 44
TG4 - UHF 51

No analogue TV3 available from there and it will not be upgraded for Saorview DTT.

So are you saying thats what I am picking up? There are two aerials in the attic, one pointing south and the other pointing towards mournes/kilkeel which I assumed was for BBC. Both aerials are going into a distribution amplifier. Disconnecting the "RTE" aerial and I still get RTE1, 2 and TG4 so you are right I am picking up Carlingford and nothing from three rock.

The Cush

mdfire wrote: »

So are you saying thats what I am picking up? There are two aerials in the attic, one pointing south and the other pointing towards mournes/kilkeel which I assumed was for BBC. Both aerials are going into a distribution amplifier. Disconnecting the "RTE" aerial and I still get RTE1, 2 and TG4 so you are right I am picking up Carlingford and nothing from three rock.

The frequencies you list are from Carlingford.

mdfire

The Cush wrote: »

The frequencies you list are from Carlingford.

Is this an aerial issue then? The guy across the road has an aerial pointing south so must be getting something.

The Cush

mdfire wrote: »

Is this an aerial issue then? The guy across the road has an aerial pointing south so must be getting something.

If you're both on speaking terms ask him if he's picking up Saorview and analogue TV3.

Disconnect the north pointing aerial and do a scan with only the south pointing one.

mdfire

OK, had a play about with booster which I dont think was wired properly and this is what I am getting

RTE 1 - 535.18
RTE 2 - 567.18
TV3 - 583.31
TG4 - 711.25

Picture quality poor, particularly on TV3 and TG4 though I havent really adjusted aerial to see if there is any improvment.

Peter Rhea

There's no point using a group A aerial for Three Rock/Kippure Saorview.

What kind of aerial is pointing at Kilkeel?

mdfire

Peter Rhea wrote: »

There's no point using a group A aerial for Three Rock/Kippure Saorview.

What kind of aerial is pointing at Kilkeel?

Its yellow - group B