In door Aerial

evolutionqy7

Hey i had a Digital TV indoor aerial for the past two years for me room but it seems to be falling apart.

I'm looking for something to replace it, but the problem with the old one was that every time a message or a call on the phone would come through or even the PC was on it would break or interfere the transmission.

So anything out there that wouldn't do that under 50 euro?

Thanks

(Mods if this is in the wrong place feel free to move it. Thanks)

Sam Russell

It sounds to me like the aerial has an amplifier in it, and it is not properly shielded. You must be in a strong signal area if an indoor (rabbit ears) works. Try the aerial without the amp (if it has one, that is).

evolutionqy7

well it had rabbit ears they broke of

It has a plastic loop around the base pointing upwards and then had 2 rabbit ears sticking out the back. Its a bit too old to be fixing now either way the rabbit ears broke of from the internal holders.

Yup it has an amp inside? Do you need an amp to recieve a digital tv?

I dont really know anything about aerials just got the first one i liked in argos

It was a One for All aerial

Liameter

Whatever aerial you use, if it's close to the phone or PC, it will pick up their signals. That's what an aerial is designed to do! An amplifier and poor screening will certainly exacerbate the problem. Can't you put an aerial elsewhere?

See advice here about indoor aerials: http://www.satcure.com/tech/best_aerial.htm
It may give you some ideas.

evolutionqy7

so my dream of having a compact enough indoor aerial that doesn't pick up every other interference signal isn't really possible now ?

watty

The best advice about indoor aerial, is Don't.

2nd best is use one of these indoor UHF aerials. The one-for-alls are waste of money. You can get as good results for €2 if signal is good enough for an indoor aerial. Otherwise €50 is no different to an €8 model

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=60897584&postcount=4
http://www.techtir.ie/radio-tv/uhf-aerials

STB

evolutionqy7 wrote: »

so my dream of having a compact enough indoor aerial that doesn't pick up every other interference signal isn't really possible now ?

I have tested a lot of indoor aerials, most of them are junk. There are even ones that are designed to go behind picture frames (they are particularly rubbish). People assume outdoor aerials have to be massive. In Dublin most will get away with an indoor if its the right one. People make mistakes with their positioning. The key is to extend it as far away as possible from the TV and near a window.

I use a Funke indoor aerial. They are very good, have active filtering and power off the 5v on your set top box (check that your box provides this).

watty

In Dublin my Blanchardstown office had a window facing Three rock on 2nd floor. So reception perfect if metal Venetian Blinds raised slightly with a indoor aerial as I linked to.

In Nearby apartment I used a outdoor aerial on a pole clamped to a balcony rail. Analogue was a slight bit noisy but Digital OK. Indoor aerials, even large yagi with amp didn't work at all.

The Funke claims 18dB gain. I bet that's the amplifier gain. An aerial that size might not have any actual gain. An Amplifier amplifies noise and interference as much as signal. You can get 20db Gain moving from indoors with no window facing transmitter, to outdoors at roof height. Then even a very small outdoor aerial has 7dB gain. So that's 27dB before you add an amp. Normally an amp on mast for outdoor aerial is only to compensate for loss in coax cable and/or passive splitters. It's never worth going more than 3dB more than the losses from Aerial to TV socket.

If there is no indoor interference then there is some value on an amplifier on indoor aerial. But the "noise" from outside comes in all directions and that will be amplified as much as desired signal. Hence STB pointing out that Indoor Aerial location is more important than anything else.

Funks outdoor aerials are nearly worthless except in very strong signal area. Also the labelling is misleading, there is no such thing as a DVB-T or Digital Aerial.

I use a 10 element contract type outdoor aerial just on gable end wall about 8' above the ground, it "sees" TV mast via gap under the large trees in the field. 100% quality level, 80% signal on the TV. On an indoor aerial in living room there is a faint picture on Analogue. Kitchen has a noisy /snowy analogue picture on Indoor aerial that breaks up occasionally on Digital and pixelates.

The tight loop of cable acts as a primitive balun.

The "Box" under it is a 44cm dish modified with waveguide for Wireless Broadband link instead of usual LNB. I'm too far otherwise from the base station. A 2 Euro indoor aerial works outside on the shed roof. If I sawed off half of that outdoor aerial it would still be fine at that location! (about 14km south of Woodcock Hill, in Co. Limerick)

The signal level is meaningless though. I get less signal on the chimney at 45' due to trees, and bad ghosting on Analogue there too.

Liameter

I agree with everything Watty wrote.

evolutionqy7 wrote: »

so my dream of having a compact enough indoor aerial that doesn't pick up every other interference signal isn't really possible now ?

It's like asking for ice cream that doesn't melt. An aerial has to pick up signals. If you generate unwanted signals nearby, it will pick them up. Keep the sources of interference as far away as possible and/or move the aerial.

evolutionqy7

Thanks for the replies

Found an old aerial around the house so though i would just use that. Get a decent picture and less interference. But the picture isn't as clear and crisp as on the old one But then again with all that interference you could barely see it anyway

Thanks again anyway :P

Liameter

evolutionqy7 wrote: »

But the picture isn't as clear and crisp as on the old one

That's an odd statement. A digital picture is always either clear and crisp or breaking up (or missing altogether). There is no "poor picture" in between stage. You can't have a "grainy" picture or one with "lines across" unless the TV itself is faulty.

Or, if you are connecting a Digital receiver to a TV, the receiver or its interconnecting lead is faulty.

paulm17781

I'm using an indoor UHF aerial in Dublin city. It picks up crystal clear Saorview. It was €13 in Maplin.