Aerial Direction for Saorview

Storm 10

Hi All

Recently fitted an aerial for Saorview, I checked the Saorview website put in my address and it told me I needed a horizontal antenna which I fitted and the direction to point the antenna was South East. I have all of the channels RTE2 HD is perfect but RTE1, TG4 could be a bit better, do you have to be spot on with your aerial or does it matter if you are off a small bit. I used a compass to set it up, is there a signal meter for this kind of set up like you have for satellite.

Peter Rhea

The Saorview channels are all contained within 1 multiplex, which occupies a single 8 mHz UHF channel, so if RTE2 is 'perfect', the others will be too.

Are the ones you're not happy with actually analogue channels?

Storm 10

Yes they are all analouge, but was just wondering about the alignment of the antenna, I wonder will RTE1 be going HD ?

Peter Rhea

Which transmitter are you receiving from? Are you in Galway?

Maghera has the RTE analogue channels on VHF frequencies (needs a different aerial) & Tonabrucky has no analogue (& vertical pol. too, you said horizontal for your recommended transmitter).

Storm 10

In Galway receiving from Maghera, the website said the aerial should be horizontal and pointing South East.

Peter Rhea

What kind of aerial are you using (grouped, wideband, Yagi, log-periodic or grid, no. of elements)?

Storm 10

I used this one

http://www.tvtrade.ie/saorview-uhf-tv-aerial-kit-higher-gain.html

John mac

If you have rte2HD perfect you should have them all perfect.

are you sure its the digital stations you have?

what receiver (or tv) are you using?

Peter Rhea

Storm 10 wrote: »

I used this one

Only asked because some people mount the grid type with incorrect polarisation.

In the absence of decent test gear, the best you can do is align the aerial using the digital signal readings on your tv/stb & monitor reliability of the signal; frequent breakup/pixellation should not be accepted.

Don't worry about the analogue channels.

Storm 10

I have the new Samsung smart TV it has a built in tuner, getting all ot the digital channels including radio so no problems there, I had just wondered about the direction and if you were slightly off the transmitter would it matter. It gives you the opportunity to tune in digital only channels and the option is also there if you want to tune in analouge channels.

Peter Rhea

I suppose the other question I should ask is which UHF channel no. or frequency the Saorview services are on?

Just to make sure it's actually the Maghera signal.

SalteeDog

You'll get a 'perfect' digital picture at a lower signal quality level than a 'perfect' analogue picture. I'm in Co. Galway - have a similar unamplified wideband UHF aerial to you (except mine in attic) pointed at Maghera. Digital signal quality is 93% (per my receiver...). Analogue picture for TG4 and TV3 is pretty good but not perfect. Analogue RTE1 and 2 less so. The aerial is also picking up analogue TG4 from Castlebar but it's a pretty bad picture. In my experience 30 degrees left and right don't make a great deal of difference to Digital...but it all depends how strong your signal is. It could make a significant difference to you.

P.S. I've noticed quite a few of those aerials on roofs pointed in the opposite direction to how they are designed. The 'arrow' should be pointing away from the transmitter.

Ronnie Raygun

SalteeDog wrote: »

Analogue picture for TG4 and TV3 is pretty good but not perfect. Analogue RTE1 and 2 less so.

RTE analogue from Maghera is vertically polarised band III.

Storm 10

P.S. I've noticed quite a few of those aerials on roofs pointed in the opposite direction to how they are designed. The 'arrow' should be pointing away from the transmitter.

Are you certain of the aerial direction with the arrow pointing away because I have mine pointing at the transmitter, so that could be the problem

The Cush

Storm 10 wrote: »

Are you certain of the aerial direction with the arrow pointing away because I have mine pointing at the transmitter, so that could be the problem

http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html
http://www.ukfree.tv/fullstory.php?storyid=1107051054
http://www.rtenl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Saorview-DTT-October2010.pdf

Storm 10

The Cush wrote: »

http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html
http://www.ukfree.tv/fullstory.php?storyid=1107051054
http://www.rtenl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Saorview-DTT-October2010.pdf

Thanks for that info I thought I had made a mistske, SalteeDog take note of the antenna direction

Peter Rhea

SalteeDog is right. You do realise that the head of the 'arrow' referred to here is the aerial's reflector?

Storm 10

Peter Rhea wrote: »

SalteeDog is right. You do realise that the head of the 'arrow' referred to here is the aerial's reflector?

I am lost here, are you telling me the head of the antenna points at the transmitter, I have never heard of that.

Thats not what it says here: http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html

Avns1s

Storm 10 wrote: »

I am lost here, are you telling me the head of the antenna points at the transmitter, I have never heard of that.

Thats not what it says here: http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html

In your link, look at the one "A Yagi Backed With a Corner Reflector". The transmitter is in the direction of the red arrow. That's how yours should be lined up.

The aerial you have is shaped like an arrow when you look at it from the side. However, the Arrow of the Aerial needs to point AWAY from the transmitter site.

Storm 10

The aerial you have is shaped like an arrow when you look at it from the side. However, the Arrow of the Aerial needs to point AWAY from the transmitter site.

Yes I have it fitted correctly so thanks for all the info guys much appreciated.