Saorview TV and indoor aerial - is this enough?

Shazerina

Basically, I'm wondering if I get a TV that is saorview ready/compatible and an indoor/internal antenna/aerial am I good to go? For the basic Irish TV and radio channels with no bells and whistles? Thanks

DeepBlue

Perhaps. It depends on how close you are to a transmitter. If you're close enough with good line of sight then you may well be ok. I've been using indoor aeriels since saorview became available in my area with no major issues but I'm close to the transmitter.

Shazerina

DeepBlue wrote: »

Perhaps. It depends on how close you are to a transmitter. If you're close enough with good line of sight then you may well be ok. I've been using indoor aeriels since saorview became available in my area with no major issues but I'm close to the transmitter.

Pardon my ignorance, but do you mean I actually need to be able to physically see the transmitter from my house when you refer to the line of sight?! Thanks

The Cush

Shazerina wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance, but do you mean I actually need to be able to physically see the transmitter from my house when you refer to the line of sight?!

Basically it depends on what the signal is like where you locate the aerial, indoor aerials are susceptible to localised physical and electrical interference.

The orientation of your house, the location of the television in the house, the construction materials, the insulation materials, the proximity to neighbouring houses, walls and obstructions will all impact reception.

An outdoor aerial, positioned as high as possible, pointing towards the appropriate transmission site, with no local obstructions is recommended and will give the best results.

Sam Russell

I have a new Saorview TV in the bedroom with a piece of bent coathanger made into an aerial sitting on the table in front of the TV which works perfectly. However, I have an FM clock radio that has trouble receiving Radio 1 on 85.5 from the same transmitter in the same room. Work that out.

Try it first - if not, try something better.

watty

Clock Radios are notoriously poor compared with what can be achieved cheaply.

winston_1

Shazerina wrote: »

Basically, I'm wondering if I get a TV that is saorview ready/compatible and an indoor/internal antenna/aerial am I good to go? For the basic Irish TV and radio channels with no bells and whistles? Thanks

What, you spend loads of money on a TV and won't spend a bit more getting it a decent signal. The broadcasters recommend an outdoor aerial 10 metres high and that's what you should use.
Would you try to run a Rolls Royce on paraffin?

Shazerina

winston_1 wrote: »

What, you spend loads of money on a TV and won't spend a bit more getting it a decent signal. The broadcasters recommend an outdoor aerial 10 metres high and that's what you should use.
Would you try to run a Rolls Royce on paraffin?

Well, you presumed wrongly when you presumed I had spent loads of money on a TV!! Unless you consider €159 loads? In which case, I apologise!! I may indeed get an outdoor aerial installed in due course, but at the moment, it is not high on our list of priorities. We haven't had any TV service for well over a year, besides via apps on the iPad. And tbh I don't think we have missed much. I just wondered if €20 on a basic indoor antenna was a waste of time or not as an interim measure... I guess I'm trying to run a lada on paraffin so maybe that's ok?!

watty

Spend no more than €6 on an indoor aerial!
Avoid any with rods or loops.
See links in my signature

Shazerina

Thanks for tip!! But I can't see your signature or links...can you PM me please if you aren't allowed to post them up here directly? Thanks.

DeepBlue

Shazerina wrote: »

Thanks for tip!! But I can't see your signature or links...can you PM me please if you aren't allowed to post them up here directly? Thanks.

Just click on his username and his profile comes up with the signature links there.

The Cush

Example here - http://cpcireland.farnell.com/mercury/sto2/set-top-aerial-olympik-2/dp/AP00025

others here - http://cpcireland.farnell.com/tv-indoor-set-top

coylemj

winston_1 wrote: »

What, you spend loads of money on a TV and won't spend a bit more getting it a decent signal. The broadcasters recommend an outdoor aerial 10 metres high and that's what you should use.

You keep banging that drum despite all of the evidence that points to that being complete BS. Broadcasters do not unilaterally recommend that you need an external aerial on a 10m pole.

There are people in elevated parts of Athlone who can pick up Cairn Hill at a distance of 45 kms using an indoor aerial for two good reasons (1) the terrain between Athlone and the transmitter is dead flat and (2) Cairn Hill pumps out a hefty 160 kW signal which covers most of the midlands.

winston_1 wrote: »

Would you try to run a Rolls Royce on paraffin?

Would you put aviation fuel into a Fiat 500?

watty

watty wrote: »

Spend no more than €6 on an indoor aerial!
Avoid any with rods or loops.
See links in my signature

The bits in bold are are clickable.
Or do you have Signatures turned off in your profile?

-->> Free TV SaorTV << -->> Technologically inclined? <<--


A roof top aerial is only needed if the signal is too poor. If a simple un-amplified indoor "yagi" costing €5 to €15 doesn't give more than 2/3rds on Quality bar then an loft or outdoor aerial can be tried.

As a first step (if it doesn't work in the TV room) the indoor aerial can be tried via sat cable extension lead simply dropped down the stairs to TV room. In the case of an indoor aerial in a loft/attic there is some virtue in an amplifier (in the attic, NOT at TV), possibly built into aerial. An outdoor aerial only needs a mast amplifier if the cable run is very long. Amplifiers are actually to make up for loss in the cable.

An indoor aerial facing a window facing transmitter on a short extension can work x10 to x20 better than one otherwise. Cables on indoor aerials are too short.

Note that "Quality" bar not absolute signal level is the quide, especially if there is an amplifier. Actually as you turn up the signal level by more amplification, the signal bar increases and the Quality will drop sharply, with eventual pixelising and then freezing as the amplifier or the TV tuner "overloads" and distorts the signal. Digital needs VERY much less distortion in amplifiers than analogue!

watty

The Cush wrote: »

Example here - http://cpcireland.farnell.com/mercury/sto2/set-top-aerial-olympik-2/dp/AP00025

Yes, exactly! Also those assemble with rods vertical or horizontal as needed, which amazingly some more expensive aerials are horizontal only. Try both, no matter what the local transmitter is supposed to be as the polarisation can get rotated.

Also get an extension lead made of sat cable. (NOT the rubbish cables that come with a VHS!)

You can join two plugs with a double ended barrel / double female socket, a couple of Euro.

If making up a cable put a kink on the inner wire so it presses against the inside wall of inner pin of plug and ensure lots of braid under cap.

winston_1

watty wrote: »

If making up a cable put a kink on the inner wire so it presses against the inside wall of inner pin of plug and ensure lots of braid under cap.

Then in six months come back here and ask why it is not working well as the wire has oxidised.

Don't kink it, solder it.

winston_1

coylemj wrote: »

You keep banging that drum despite all of the evidence that points to that being complete BS. Broadcasters do not unilaterally recommend that you need an external aerial on a 10m pole.

How can you say that? If indoor aerials are so wonderful why do the broadcasters use tall towers for their transmission aerials rather than set top types in the studios?

I never said anything about a 10 metre pole, I said 10 metres high, which equates to a 2 metre pole on the average roof top.

If you read the RTE website they do actually recommend outdoor aerials. Indoor ones are satisfactory in only around 10% of cases.

coylemj

winston_1 wrote: »

What, you spend loads of money on a TV and won't spend a bit more getting it a decent signal. The broadcasters recommend an outdoor aerial 10 metres high and that's what you should use.
Would you try to run a Rolls Royce on paraffin?

winston_1 wrote: »

If you read the RTE website they do actually recommend outdoor aerials. Indoor ones are satisfactory in only around 10% of cases.

Yes they do though you wouldn't know that from your first post where as usual you unilaterally rubbish indoor aerials. And nowhere does RTE NL recommend a 10m high aerial.

So when pushed you're prepared to admit that 10% of Rolls-Royces can run on paraffin!

watty

winston_1 wrote: »

Then in six months come back here and ask why it is not working well as the wire has oxidised.

Don't kink it, solder it.

Not a problem indoor, if done well, will last 30 years. Also random person on internet asking about aerials is unlikely to be able to solder.

watty

winston_1 wrote: »

If you read the RTE website they do actually recommend outdoor aerials. Indoor ones are satisfactory in only around 10% of cases.

Yes, so it's worth spending €8 on the Mercury aerial from CPC, and then trying it in attic. A blanket "everyone should put a big pole" on chimney is extreme. Most people may need attic or roof aerial. Few will need a 2m pole on Chimney.

It's certainly not worth spending €30 to €80, which many high street retailers rip people off for an indoor aerial, many of which are WORSE than the sub €10 model. Many also are better use for DAB or VHF radio than Digital TV. (Rabbit's Ears etc)

Oscarziggy

I live over 90 miles from Mt Leinster and use a 5 element aerial on the chimney of my bungalow to get a "HIGH" signal quality as shown on my TV .
The same aerial worked perfectly well in the roof space but I had a spare cable running to the chimney so put it to good use.
How can this be possible ? Simple --- I live on a hill with nothing between me and Eire apart from the sea.
And this is the crux of the matter if you are in a strong signal area an indoor aerial will work ....
A radio amateur friend of mine always used to say "1/2 a watt to an aerial on top of a mountain will get you heard better than a kilowatt at the bottom of a coal mine".
Be interested to know what sort of aerial you are using for Irish terrestrial TV winston_1 as your location is London UK.?

Regards

The Cush

The 10m a.g.l. figure is used in coverage prediction models for the Saorview network, any of the RTÉNL coverage maps I've seen are based on this figure.

2RN indicated it would be possible for over 50% of the population to receive Saorview with an indoor portable aerial but also said they are susceptible to localised physical and electrical interference, recommending an outdoor aerial but have never said it should be 10m a.g.l.

winston_1

[quote="Oscarziggy;93228878
Be interested to know what sort of aerial you are using for Irish terrestrial TV winston_1 as your location is London UK.?

Regards[/quote]

Did I ever say I received Irish terrestrial TV in London? In fact I did once many years ago during a good trip lift. It was channel H using a large band1/3 array on a rotator on the roof.

Oscarziggy

winston_1 wrote: »

during a good trip lift.

Interesting

---

I always thought it was tropo -- I assume that is what you are talking about.
Regards

winston_1

Oscarziggy wrote: »

Interesting

---

I always thought it was tropo -- I assume that is what you are talking about.
Regards

I actually typed "trop". The spelling incorrector thought otherwise.

Oscarziggy

winston_1 wrote: »

I actually typed "trop". The spelling incorrector thought otherwise.

Oh no -- not again !!!
Sorry OP hope you have sorted out your aerial problem ....
Regards

Shazerina

Thanks all for your replies. Have done nothing further about it as two snotty, coughy boys have taken up all my spare time of late!

eigrod

I have an indoor aerial situated in ground floor of 3 bed semi-d (Greystones, Co. Wicklow) and it works quite well except I don't seem to be able to pick up RTE1 the way I have it positioned (all the other Saorview channels are fine with the aerial in this position).

Is this common and/or is there something I can do to rectify (without moving the indoor aerial to the attic and running a cable down).

thanks
eigrod

winston_1

eigrod wrote: »

I have an indoor aerial situated in ground floor of 3 bed semi-d (Greystones, Co. Wicklow) and it works quite well except I don't seem to be able to pick up RTE1 the way I have it positioned (all the other Saorview channels are fine with the aerial in this position).

Is this common and/or is there something I can do to rectify (without moving the indoor aerial to the attic and running a cable down).

thanks
eigrod

Very common.
Indoor aerials only work properly in around 10% of cases. You are one of the 90%.
Why are you reluctant to move it to the attic?

eigrod

winston_1 wrote: »

Very common.
Indoor aerials only work properly in around 10% of cases. You are one of the 90%.
Why are you reluctant to move it to the attic?

Thanks for the reply. I'm reluctant because of the need to run a cable down through the house and because I'm quite happy with it, other than that RTE1 isn't coming through.

When I bought the indoor aerial, I didn't expect anything at all with the aerial placed locally so am surprised to be even getting what I am getting.

Sam Russell

You could try moving about, even slightly. If your TV has a signal strength indication (most have) then you can see what is happening. A stong signal on mux1 will give a similar signal on mux2 in most cases. You are probably just getting mux1 and just not getting mux2.