What channels should I be able to recieve and is it normal for a tv ariel to degrade?

_Whimsical_

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but if not I'd appreciate any advice on where to post.:)

My problem is that I've recently got a new tv and tried to hook it up to my aerial(ie the cable that comes from the attic) to tune some channels in but all that will tune in is an unwatchably fuzzy version of RTE1.I can't find any other channel either through manual or autosearch.

I was just wondering what channels should I be able to find directly from my aerial without going to a fee pay service? We haven't used the TV aerial to tune channlels in for over a year now as we have had Sky.
Is it normal for an aerial to degrade to the point of being useless in the space of a year? It had been perfect reception up until we got sky.

Any advice welcome.

lawhec

This place is as good as any to post, but since you don't say (or have on your profile) where you are, I'm unable to know what transmitter is likely to serve you to be able to give some clues, also the cable may come from the attic but where are the aerial(s)? In the attic space or outside on the roof/chimney?

Is a year enough for an aerial to degrade? Absolutely, and it can do so in far less time and might not be the aerial itself, the downlead cable between the aerial and the TV (along with anything attached in the way) could also be at fault.

If the aerials are in the attic, they will suffer some signal loss compared to being outside though because they are shielded from the elements, they should last a lot longer than being outdoors. There is the possibility of the aerial in the attic being knocked and pointed a different direction from the wanted transmitter though.

If it is outdoors, an aerial is more susceptible to damage from wind, rain and sunshine (especially cheaply made aerials), even more so in coastal areas and places inland that are exposed. If looking from the ground that the aerial has elements missing off it from when it was first installed, or it has shifted direction, it's at or reaching the end of its like.

The downlead cable could be the culprit. Any new aerial installation should require a new downlead cable at least to any that is not totally indoors. The current downlead may have had water leak into it, if it has do not use it! it can be seen if you unscrew the plug at the end of the cable and the braid & conductor has turned greenish-blue or you can actually see water seeping out. Another problem could be the braids (the bunch of thin wires on the outside underneath the brown/black or white sheath) touching the inner conductor, this will badly degrade the signal (even just one stray tiny wire), but can be simply fixed by repairing the connector and ensuring the inner conductor and braid don't touch.

Also check that between your aerial and TV that you don't have anything like a masthead amplifier, if it does this'll need a power supply, the masthead amp could also have failed. If you have a diplexer (combining VHF & UHF signals) this may also have failed.

_Whimsical_

Lawhec, thank you so much for such an informative and helpful post.:)

I live in Galway city so I would imagine that reception in my area should be quite good. It had always been good in the past.

I'm afraid I don't even know how to get into my attic so it sounds like I think I really need somebody to come and take a look up there for me to see what is wrong. I'll try to call somebody tomorrow and I'll have a better chance of explaining what might be wrong now. Thank you again .:)