Tv Aerial

coco06

Terrestrial channels have been gone for 2 weeks checked all cabels inside so presume the arerial on the roof has moved slightly. I was going to get a ladder and go up and take a look.

Any advice on what i should be doing? Slightly move it until it comes back was my main idea?

coylemj

It doesn't have to be exactly aligned so if it moved a few degrees it shouldn't matter, can you not tell from the ground if it's moved out of position?

coco06

Hmm it’s still pointing in the correct direction and is sturdily secured onto a pole on gable end.

I thought a slight move of the aerial itself would be enough to interfere with the signal?

coylemj

Depends on what you mean by 'interfere with the signal'. if the aerial swivelled a bit it might have broken a connection though this is unlikely given the flexible nature of co-ax cables. If you mean that it turned a few degrees and thus may not be pointing exactly at the transmitter, it would need to have swung around a fair bit to have lost the signal, more than 30 degrees or so.

coco06

Ok cheers, well it has not turned that much, excuse my ignorance but the box that is up on the aerial what does this do?

Is there anyway I can check the cable inside the house to see if it is damaged or would this only be achieved by looking at it?

Thanks again.

coylemj

You could take a look in the attic but it's more likely that you've lost a connection up at the aerial so someone will have to up and take a look. The 'box' on the aerial could be a masthead amplifier or it could just be a box protecting the connection between the aerial receiver and the cable which runs down to the house.

The Cush

coco06 wrote: »

Terrestrial channels have been gone for 2 weeks checked all cabels inside so presume the arerial on the roof has moved slightly. I was going to get a ladder and go up and take a look.

Any advice on what i should be doing? Slightly move it until it comes back was my main idea?

You didn't say your location or what transmitter you are using. Are you are in the south west with aerial pointing at Mullaghanish, are you missing analogue and/or digital channels?

If so the transmitter's DTT test transmisions have been down since early Jan, probably due to the bad weather. See the Mullaghanish thread from here. Still down as I write.

coco06

Hi,

Sorry, I am only educating myself as I go along on this. I am on the East coast outside Dublin and the aerial is pointing north so its not Mullaghanish. Its the analogue channels that are gone since early Dec.

I dont know what transmitter I am using, how could I find this out?

coylemj

Give us a more specific location, though this isn't really relevant since none of the transmitters have moved recently!

coco06

coylemj wrote: »

Give us a more specific location, though this isn't really relevant since none of the transmitters have moved recently!

I am in Balbriggan right on the coast with the aerial pointing out to sea with no housing estates etc inbetween.
I am thinking i need to get a long enough ladder to go up onto the roof and see if the cable is detached or damaged going with its connection to the aerial itself.

coylemj

Pointing out to sea? What compass direction is that and were you getting TV from Wales or were you only getting Irish stations? For Irish TV you should be pointing at Kippure or Three Rock tho 3rock would be better because it's all UHF so you'd only need one aerial.

coco06

Not pointing to england or anything but pointing up North, if i had to guess, which i am doing, is that its pointing toward Dundalk..

My knowledge is very limited on this so wanted to find out if there were any checks/tests i can do before getting a repair man in...

coylemj

You're pointing at Clermont Carn in Co. Louth, the direct line from Balbriggan is over the sea past Clogher Head, it's an unimpeded run across water so makes sense. The transmitter is still churning out analog TV so if you can't pick up the stations you'll need to send someone up to look at the aerial.

The compass direction from Balbriggan to Clermont Carn is 350 true, i.e. 10 degrees west (left) of North.

Sam Russell

You may have a masthead amplifier that has gone off. Could be a broken cable, perhaps. Weather has been such that these things happen. Try a rabbit ears aerial, just to see what you get.

coco06

Hey,
Thanks for suggestions. When youo say rabbit ear, you mean an aerial to plug directly into the back of the tv to get the irish channels? If so then this works fine.
If not then can you tell me what ye mean?

Cheers

coylemj

Rabbit's ears is slang for indoor aerial so if you can pickup the channels off an indoor aerial then there's nothing wrong with the TV, hence you will need to send someone up to look at the aerial.

coco06

Thought that is what you ment alright. Ok so either i got to get a very long ladder and go up and check the cable/connection (anything else i need to look out for?) or pay someone to do it.

How is it identified if a masthead amplifier that has gone off??

Sam Russell

coco06 wrote: »

Hey,
Thanks for suggestions. When youo say rabbit ear, you mean an aerial to plug directly into the back of the tv to get the irish channels? If so then this works fine.
If not then can you tell me what ye mean?

Cheers

That is what I mean. If that works, then you have a problem with the cable or aerial. If you have an amp, then that may not be getting power. Check whether you have one, and if you have, then check that it is getting power. If the rabbit ears works, then you may not need an amp, and it could be bypassed.