New tv aerial

just do it

Have a cheap aerial which isn't up to scratch with stormy weather. Any suggestions for a good aerial?

steveon

Is it internal or external?? For best results you should have an aerial externally fitted or place in a loft if signal is suffice, the rabbit ear type aerials are a waste of money and an eyesore in my opinion.

winston_1

just do it wrote: »

Have a cheap aerial which isn't up to scratch with stormy weather. Any suggestions for a good aerial?

All depends upon where you live and what you are trying to receive.

just do it

Just trying to receive the terrestrial channels. Worked ok prior to switch over to digital and ok most the time. The current aerial is a cheap one from b&q I bought about 6 years ago and looks like this:

The Cush

What's your recommended transmitter and how far away is it? Use the Saorview coverage checker to find it if you don't already know - http://www.saorview.ie/get-saorview/make-the-switch/coverage-map/

just do it

The Cush wrote: »

What's your recommended transmitter and how far away is it? Use the Saorview coverage checker to find it if you don't already know - http://www.saorview.ie/get-saorview/make-the-switch/coverage-map/

My recommended transmitter is Cnoc An Oir and it is 36km away.

The Cush

A standard Group B aerial, vertically mounted, should do the job at that distance.

http://www.tvtrade.ie/yellow-group-b-uhf-aerial.html

just do it

The Cush wrote: »

A standard Group B aerial, vertically mounted, should do the job at that distance.

http://www.tvtrade.ie/yellow-group-b-uhf-aerial.html

Thanks Cush.

My current aerial is in the attic. The house is on a height and being coastal there are no tall trees to block transmission. Does it make much difference having it outside?

The Cush

just do it wrote: »

My current aerial is in the attic. The house is on a height and being coastal there are no tall trees to block transmission. Does it make much difference having it outside?

I assumed from your first post the aerial was mounted outside, how was the stormy weather affecting it in the attic?

An aerial mounted in the attic will receive a weaker signal as the roof attenuates/reduces the signal received and should only be used in the strongest signal areas. Saorview always recommend mounting the aerial outside.

just do it

Yes I know it seems strange that the weather, particularly the wind, affects it even though it is in the attic.

My home house is 100m away and the picture has been fine for the last 40 years whether it be analogue or saorview and the aerial is in the attic. If anything the picture should be better in my current house as it is on a higher site. It was fine in the analogue days and all I did with saorview was check which transmitter to use and pointed the aerial towards it. It's disappointing the new digital signal is in fact worse than the old analogue.

Peter Rhea

just do it wrote: »

My home house is 100m away and the picture has been fine for the last 40 years whether it be analogue or saorview and the aerial is in the attic.

I doubt the home place has been receiving from Cnoc an Oir for 40 years. Have you tried Maghera or Mullaghanish?

When you are trying Cnoc an Oir, do you have your aerial vertically polarised?

The Cush

just do it wrote: »

It's disappointing the new digital signal is in fact worse than the old analogue.

It shouldn't be, the problem lies somewhere with your aerial setup. That B&Q aerial is probably wideband, you could test a group specific aerial in the attic like the one I linked to above and ensure that it's vertically polarised (I'm assuming your current aerial is correctly polarised vertical). Also ensure all cabling is correctly secured.

Ronnie Raygun

just do it wrote: »

there are no tall trees to block transmission.

They only have to be as tall as the height the aerial is at. If you live in a bungalow, that isn't high at all.

just do it wrote: »

It was fine in the analogue days and all I did with saorview was check which transmitter to use and pointed the aerial towards it.

Did you try tuning Saorview from the same transmitter you got analogue from?

just do it

Peter Rhea wrote: »

I doubt the home place has been receiving from Cnoc an Oir for 40 years. Have you tried Maghera or Mullaghanish?

When you are trying Cnoc an Oir, do you have your aerial vertically polarised?

Yeah I think you're right. Originally the signal was from Mullaghanish and actually is still from that transmitter as I don't believe it was touched when saorview came along.

So after looking up what vertically polarised means I've rotated the aerial and it now looks like this:
.

It's working fine now and I'll report back after the next stormy night. We won't have to wait long by the sounds of things!

just do it

The Cush wrote: »

It shouldn't be, the problem lies somewhere with your aerial setup. That B&Q aerial is probably wideband, you could test a group specific aerial in the attic like the one I linked to above and ensure that it's vertically polarised (I'm assuming your current aerial is correctly polarised vertical). Also ensure all cabling is correctly secured.

You'll see I've re-orientated the aerial and we'll see how that goes. Naturally I'd prefer to keep it in the attic if I can get away with it. I think you're right about the b&q aerial being wideband.

Peter Rhea

Are your Saorview services on the Cnoc an Oir frequencies? Channel 44 (658 mHz) for RTE1, RTE1 +1 & RTE jr. Channel 47 (682 mHz) for the rest.

just do it

Peter Rhea wrote: »

Are your Saorview services on the Cnoc an Oir frequencies? Channel 44 (658 mHz) for RTE1, RTE1 +1 & RTE jr. Channel 47 (682 mHz) for the rest.

I recently did a re-scan cut have never checked on this detail. I'll have a look and see.