TV3 in Claremorris

Randyleprechaun

Hi,

I'm trying to iomprove TV3 signal in an install in Claremorris Town. There is currently a grid aerial with mast head amp on the house which reveives RTE, BBC, ITV, CH4 and TG4 perfect. TV3 not good.

Thinking of using a contract aerial to pull in TV3. Any ideas on where would be best place to receive from and should the contract aerial be amplified too.

All the other channels come in from 21 to 35.

John mac

sounds like its picking up a local deflector (for bbc and ch4)

Point the aerial Eastwards to Cairn Hill for tv3, if its looking North you are picking up the Castlebar relay ,which doesn't have tv3.

Randyleprechaun

That'll be a group B then. Should a contract group B be good enough, will i need to amplify. easiest place for me to mount the aerial is on the wall at top of two storey house as I don't think the pole on the chimney will allow me to face towards Cairn Hill.

Should that work? Will i need to amplify it

Galway

Randyleprechaun wrote: »

That'll be a group B then. Should a contract group B be good enough, will i need to amplify. easiest place for me to mount the aerial is on the wall at top of two storey house as I don't think the pole on the chimney will allow me to face towards Cairn Hill.

Should that work? Will i need to amplify it

Cairn Hill analogue does not get in well into Claremorris, since the DTT went on in Feb 09, the analogue has been down even within the service area. Some locations in the service area where previously reception was good, now need a masthead amp. Claremorris is outside the CH service area.

My advice is first to try Maghera (Clare) on ch 66 or Truskmore (Sligo) on ch. 60 for TV3 - both in the C/D aerial group. You will probably need to amplify, depending on the type of aerial you use. I have seen group C/D aerials in the town pointing at Maghera, so that would be my first call if I were you. Maghera will be south, south east of you.

Randyleprechaun

Thanks!!!

I actually tied a contract aerial pointed to Maghera but it didn't improve it. As i said in earlier post I had to mount it on the wall at the top of the house(2 storey) as I dont think I'll be able to angle it properly from the chimney mast. Only thing is, by doing that I haven't it amplified.

I guess I'll have to try it on the roof, and diplex it with the wideband and then amplify the two of them with the existing masthead amp. Should that work.

or could I change the diplexer to one that passes power on both legs and put a seperate amp on the contract aerial. Would cost a few quid more but I might be able to do it easier than putting this aerial on the mast with the other one.

I thought all right that I saw a few contract aerials pointed towards Maghera.

Galway

Randyleprechaun wrote: »

Thanks!!!

I actually tied a contract aerial pointed to Maghera but it didn't improve it. As i said in earlier post I had to mount it on the wall at the top of the house(2 storey) as I dont think I'll be able to angle it properly from the chimney mast. Only thing is, by doing that I haven't it amplified.

I guess I'll have to try it on the roof, and diplex it with the wideband and then amplify the two of them with the existing masthead amp. Should that work.

or could I change the diplexer to one that passes power on both legs and put a seperate amp on the contract aerial. Would cost a few quid more but I might be able to do it easier than putting this aerial on the mast with the other one.

I thought all right that I saw a few contract aerials pointed towards Maghera.

What I suggest is you combine the two aerials, I presume the grid is receiving RTEs 1 & 2 and TG4 from Castlebar on channels 29,33 & 23 respectively? You need an A-E combiner, that will combine channel range 21-34 and channels 60-69 (for TV 3 channel 66)(Johannson manufacture these and they use F connectors0 better than the screw and clamp types). Then you feed the output from the combiner into the input of the masthead amp (a UHF wideband one should be fine - again the Johannson ones are very good as they 'clean up' the signal too and have a variable gain on them), the output from the amp goes to the 24 V power supply for the Johansson amp then a cable from the power supply to the tv set. It doesnt matter if there is through power or not on the combiner as you are combining both aerials before amplification. Overall, you are better off keeping both aerials on the same mast if you have space. But a separate amp is messier cos you will have to combine further away and that can lead to more signal loss overall. Are you using a meter to direct the Maghera C/D aerial for TV 3 on channel 66, you will also get TG4 from Maghera on channel 68 .

Randyleprechaun

Yeah, I guess it'll be easier to get it on the same mast and combine up there abd just use the one amp. Just hope I can get it pointed to Maghera from that mast.

Yes I will be using a meter.