Possible to get digital terrestrial TV from both Ireland and UK?

So with the recent bad weather, the aerial decided it no longer wanted to live and is now bent at a right angle (hit the dish on it's way down, but that's a whole other story). Figured when I call a man out to fix it, I may as well get the setup I want.

What I'd like to do is get both Irish and UK channels. I'm in Wicklow town, and from what I could make out, the aerial was previously (and badly) pointed at Greystones. On a good day, I could pick up BBC through the aerial too.

So, if I really wanted to get both Irish and UK channels reliably, I think I'd need two aerials. One pointed to Greystones, one pointed to one of the transmitters in Wales (it looks like there are three along the west coast of Wales).

Two questions:

• Is it possible ?
• Is it worth it ? (I guess that's really a question for myself)

Just to point out, I'm only asking because it would be "nice to have" more than the Irish TV stations in the rest of the house... don't exactly have my heart set on it.

decor58

My inlaws live in Wicklow town and get a good freeview signal, it appears to be what is referred to as freeview light, not the full range of channels. They are in the Tesco area.

decor58

decor58 wrote: »

My inlaws live in Wicklow town and get a good freeview signal, it appears to be what is referred to as freeview light, not the full range of channels. They are in the Tesco area.

Not too far away from them, "as the crow flies", so shouldn't be too much different.

coylemj

Look at your neighbours' houses and see if there are any aerials pointing east to Wales.

danm14

You'll get under 20 channels, and you won't get HD unless your TV supports it (All Saorview compatible sets can get RTÉ in HD but not necessarily the UK channels from an aerial in HD). All HD channels are also available in SD which every Saorview sets support. The only channel you won't get at all without HD is Film4+1 even though it's in SD.

BBC One HD
BBC Two HD
BBC Three HD
BBC Four
ITV HD and +1
ITV2
ITV4
Channel 4 HD and +1
More4
Film4 and +1 if you have HD
S4C
Channel 5
CBBC (HD)
CBeebies
BBC News
BBC Parliament
About 10 (all BBC) radio stations

You will not get any channels that aren't on this list. There are many other channels available but only from main transmitters, you can't receive any.
E4 is not on the list and this is not a mistake. In Wales, E4 is carried only on main transmitters (in place of True Entertainment and an adult channel, neither of which are available from any transmitter whatsoever in Wales). It is available from every English, Scottish and Northern Irish transmitter, so you may read online that everyone can receive it, this isn't the case for Wales as S4C takes its place.
S4C is available but as it's completely in Welsh, and doesn't carry Channel 4 programs any more, I'm not really counting it.

lertsnim

S4C is useful for fans of rugby.

Oscarziggy

decor58 wrote: »

My inlaws live in Wicklow town and get a good freeview signal, it appears to be what is referred to as freeview light, not the full range of channels. They are in the Tesco area.

Your inlaws are doing very well to get a Freeview lite signal --- good on them .. is CH 1 BBC Wales as I'm curious to know which lite transmitter it's coming from.?
Regards

Thurston?

Oscarziggy wrote: »

.. is CH 1 BBC Wales as I'm curious to know which lite transmitter it's coming from.?

Not to be answering for others, but I'd say it's Arfon.

Oscarziggy

Thurston? wrote: »

Not to be answering for others, but I'd say it's Arfon.

Yes Arfon does seem to have a fair coverage --- shame it's only "lite", only running 2kw and blocked to the west !!
Sorry to wander off topic .....
Regards

Galway

Oscarziggy wrote: »

Yes Arfon does seem to have a fair coverage --- shame it's only "lite", only running 2kw and blocked to the west !!
Sorry to wander off topic .....
Regards

Yes it is sure to be Arfon with the reduced range of channels and if the aerial is vertically polarised that will confirm it is. You could try for Presely in West Wales which is a main transmitter though you may not get the lower power muxes or Llandona on Anglesey but you may be too far south for that. The other main transmitter on the Welsh coast is Blaenplwyf south west of Aberystwyth, but I believe there is a null out to sea to the west, so that is probably a non starter. If Arfon were 'blocked' to the west then no one in Wicklow would be able to receive it! I believe it is omni directional output.

Oscarziggy

Galway wrote: »

If Arfon were 'blocked' to the west then no one in Wicklow would be able to receive it! I believe it is omni directional output.

I had a look at the Arfon info --- https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/ARFON --and scrolled down almost to the bottom where they show a radiation pattern .
Looked like it was screened towards the west.

Regards

Thurston?

Pic. of the Arfon aerial here, doubt it's equal power in all directions, but doesn't show how it's oriented on the mast.

Galway

Thurston? wrote: »

Pic. of the Arfon aerial here, doubt it's equal power in all directions, but doesn't show how it's oriented on the mast.

Even so, a far blast gets into Wicklow where Presely doesn't.

Thurston?

It apparently has a 3dB restriction (on 33 dBW, about 2 kW) between 240 & 310 degrees, so presumably will be configured to cover its service area properly without breaching this.

mrdtv2010

Take a look at this site:

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/gallerypage.php?txid=769

Also Arfon is so high up and has a total height above sea level of 600m. that even a 3dB restriction means that 1kW is radiated westward. This would be 7dB up for the old analogue equivalent ERP (ie roughly 5kW westwards) In the ukfreetv web site a post by an Irish aerial installer indicates the Arfon coverage is from Howth down to Gorey. Certainly there may be CCI from Cairn Hill and Cambret Hill in some locations. You also used to be able to get it in South Down.

Thurston?

mrdtv2010 wrote: »

... even a 3dB restriction means that 1kW is radiated westward.

Not necessarily, it only means they can't exceed the restriction in that direction, not that they'll actually max out the power allowed.

2 sides of that aerial have no panels at all, & I would imagine the nulls there would get rather deeper than 3dB.

mrdtv2010

Thurston? wrote: »

Not necessarily, it only means they can't exceed the restriction in that direction, not that they'll actually max out the power allowed.

2 sides of that aerial have no panels at all, & I would imagine the nulls there would get rather deeper than 3dB.

The station has to cover the Lleyn peninsula. I went to a wedding in Abersoch last year and the only coverage is from Arfon, to W/SW of the mast. Most aerials point to Arfon there. So it does radiate westwards evidenced clearly by viewers in Shankill, Co Dublin getting it.

Thurston?

Yeah, it would be interesting to see the actual radiation pattern, or at least the bearings the panels are aligned on.