About how much would it cost?

My name is URL

Hey, I recently installed a tetra blocking box to reduce interference from the antenna across the road from me. Since then, things have gotten worse

I'm almost sure that my actual antenna needs replacing, and perhaps some other stuff needs to be sorted out too

I'm just wondering what cost it's likely to be to have it all installed etc.

I'll buy the antenna and other components myself, so it's just for the call out and installation

has anyone any ideas? Cheers

I'm in Dundalk btw

coylemj

When you refer to 'the antenna across the road', do you mean a transmitter of some kind?

Schintzel

Tetra transmitter in Dundalk is news to me. I think there is one in Castlebellingham, last I heard it was turned off but that was a while ago.
Installers don't like using harware they didn't supply, warranty troubles etc. They will come out and inspect and give you a price.

STB

Its the new Garda system.

from Comreg site:
TETRA-related overload of television masthead amplifiers


TETRA, the new mobile radio service for use by the emergency services, is currently being rolled out nationwide. People who live in close proximity to a facility where a TETRA base station is installed may experience degraded television reception if they have an unfiltered wideband masthead amplifier installed with their television aerial.


Typically such an amplifier is used for one of three purposes:

• For receiving television stations that come from outside the Republic of Ireland, usually when the television user lives near the border of Northern Ireland or along the east coast.
• In remote rural areas where Irish television signals are weak and need to be amplified to improve television reception
• Where the user splits the television signal received so that it can be distributed to several television sets.

The degradation of reception experienced when a masthead amplifier is installed is caused by the masthead amplifier taking in unwanted nearby signals from outside the television band, which then overloads the amplifier causing it to perform incorrectly.

To remove this degradation of reception the television user can take one of two measures:

1. Remove the masthead amplifer. This will allow Irish television stations to be received without degradation of picture quality, however weaker signals from stations outside the Republic of Ireland will no longer be able to be received. This option may not be viable if the user lives in a remote rural area where signals from Irish television stations are weak and a masthead amplifier is required to improve reception.

2. Have a "TETRA reject" or "bandpass" filter added between the aerial and the masthead amplifier. This will prevent unwanted nearby signals such as TETRA, mobile phones and private mobile radio from overloading the masthead amplifier. It should be noted that all filters placed in a television system must be place *before* amplification and that placing a filter *after* a masthead amplifier will not improve television reception.

Please also note that within the Republic of Ireland no protection is afforded to television services originating from outside the Republic of Ireland.

These filters are available from electrical suppliers who stock television aerial related equipment. If more than one aerial is installed additional filters may be required if such additional aerials use masthead amplifiers.

As access to a rooftop will be required to install the filter in most cases, television users may wish to obtain the services of a television aerial installer or another competent person to fit the filter for them, however an installation fee may be charged if applicable.”

The Cush

TETRA-related overload of television masthead amplifiers information from the Comreg website. TETRA Ireland Communications Ltd (a joint venture company owned by Motorola (19%), Sigma Wireless (25%) and eircom (56%) ) runs the network for the emergency services.

Similar problem with TETRA in Monaghan over the Christmas period and Cootehill in early Dec.

€100m garda digital radio blocks festive TV reception

Ali Bracken, Crime Correspondent

THE garda's new €100m digital radio system has caused havoc by blocking the TV reception of thousands of householders in the Cavan/Monaghan region over Christmas.

Tetra, the new digital mobile radio service, had been rolled out nationwide for use by the gardaí and emergency services. It is superior to the previous garda radio system and is encrypted, ensuring criminals cannot use scanners to monitor police communications.

Communications regulator Comreg said last summer it had already prepared an information leaflet, which has been distributed to garda stations nationwide, for householders whose TV reception is affected.

Sinn Féin Cavan/Monaghan TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has demanded action from the communications minister Eamon Ryan and the justice minister Dermot Ahern to solve the problems being caused in his constituency.

"I have been contacted by people throughout my constituency who lost their TV reception since before Christmas as a result of the new Tetra digital mobile radio system in garda stations. The new system has caused this widespread disruption to households," he said.

"Comreg has issued a public information bulletin on the matter. There is anger and exasperation at this development which came without any warning. To add insult to injury, the Comreg bulletin places the onus on householders to rectify the problem themselves with technical adjustments to their TV reception equipment which can cost up to €250 to purchase and install."

He added that, while the force needed a new communications system, there had been "no consideration" for its effect on the thousands of households in the vicinity of garda stations where Tetra base stations are installed. "I am advised, though this is unconfirmed, that such was the disruption caused in the town of Emyvale, Co Monaghan, over Christmas that gardaí at the local station turned off the Tetra system so that people's TV reception would be restored. Obviously that is no long-term solution," he added.

January 10, 2010
Sunday Tribune

New garda radio system will play havoc with television reception

Ken Foxe

THE garda's new €100m communications system will play havoc with television reception around the country.

Garda stations are preparing for hundreds of complaints from householders over severe disruption to their TV services.

The new digital mobile radio service, Tetra, is being rolled out nationwide for use by the garda and emergency services. It is vastly superior to the existing garda radio system and is encrypted, ensuring criminals cannot use scanners to monitor police communications.

The communications regulator Comreg said it had already prepared an information leaflet, which is being distributed to garda stations nationwide, for householders whose TV reception is affected.

"People who live in close proximity to a garda station or another facility where a Tetra base station is installed may experience degraded terrestrial television reception if they have an unfiltered wideband masthead amplifier installed with their television aerial," said Comreg. "Cable and satellite systems that are not directly connected to a terrestrial television reception system will not be affected."

The 'masthead amplifier' is used throughout the country to receive TV stations from abroad, particularly along the border and on the east coast. It is also used when householders want to split the TV signal so they can watch programmes on different TV sets around the house.

"The degradation of reception experienced when a masthead amplifier is installed occurs when unwanted nearby signals from outside the television band enter the masthead amplifier causing it to overload and operate incorrectly," said Comreg.

Perplexed homeowners who have watched their TV screens go fuzzy since the rollout of the Tetra system have two options. They can remove the masthead amplifier, but weaker signals from stations outside the Republic would no longer be received. Alternatively, they can add another filter which will cut out unwanted signals from Tetra, mobile phones and private mobile radios.

"Television reception systems have traditionally been installed in such a way that they only account for conditions that are present at the time of installation," said Comreg. "This means that a filter would not have been installed unless a signal that could overload an amplifier was present at the time of installation. However, now that spectrum in Ireland is being used more as technology advances, it is good engineering practice to install filters in all new installations.

"It is important to note that within the Republic of Ireland, no protection is afforded to television services originating from another jurisdiction," Comreg added.

May 17, 2009
Sunday Tribune