UHF Aerial

Glen_Quagmire

Hey lads

I've just ordered a SAB Titan 3 and dish for me father which should arrive next week. I will also be getting a UHF aerial for the soarview piece.

He lives in Dublin 11 so from what I gather I should get a red UHF aerial and mount it horizontal is that correct? Also, does it matter which direction the aerial faces like with the satellite dish?

Thanks lads

Decent Skin

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

Hey lads

I've just ordered a SAB Titan 3 and dish for me father which should arrive next week. I will also be getting a UHF aerial for the soarview piece.

He lives in Dublin 11 so from what I gather I should get a red UHF aerial and mount it horizontal is that correct? Also, does it matter which direction the aerial faces like with the satellite dish?

Thanks lads

Seems right

http://www.freetv.ie/digital-tv-aerial-selection-guide.html

Aerial should definitely be facing towards the relevant transmitter for best results; it's not AS sensitive as the satellite dish (think signal level dropping over approx 22,000 miles to the sat vs maybe 22 miles to the mountaintop transmitter ) but there's a reason for the shape of the aerial.

Sam Russell

In Dublin 11, a wet string is almost enough. The signal is very strong there - you can use Three Rock or Kippure.

Glen_Quagmire

Decent Skin wrote:

Aerial should definitely be facing towards the relevant transmitter for best results; it's not AS sensitive as the satellite dish (think signal level dropping over approx 22,000 miles to the sat vs maybe 22 miles to the mountaintop transmitter ) but there's a reason for the shape of the aerial.

That means I'll have to point the aerial to the south. Would it matter if the aerial and satellite dish are mounted side by side?

Sam Russell

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

That means I'll have to point the aerial to the south. Would it matter if the aerial and satellite dish are mounted side by side?

They can be placed quite close. In fact, you can get an LNB that allows the UHF signal to be sent down the same coax as the satellite signal and split out at the TV. Obtainable here. This splitter will work.

This makes cabling much easier.


No connection with above, search for similar.

Glen_Quagmire

Thanks for that mate.

Another question, he currently has about 20 analogue channels (they were called analogue channels when I was tuning in the TV) which plugs directly into the back of the TV. Could this feed be used for the terrestrial piece on the new combi box?

Not exactly sure where the analogue feed is coming from but I don't see any aerials around. I might add he lives in an old peoples development so it was there when he moved in

Decent Skin

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

Thanks for that mate.

Another question, he currently has about 20 analogue channels (they were called analogue channels when I was tuning in the TV) which plugs directly into the back of the TV. Could this feed be used for the terrestrial piece on the new combi box?

Not exactly sure where the analogue feed is coming from but I don't see any aerials around. I might add he lives in an old peoples development so it was there when he moved in

As you're in Dublin I'd guess UPC's analogue feed that someone else mentioned last week ?

http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2056825676/3

Maybe the development is already wired for at least some channels ? Of maybe the cable network is leaky enough to let them out free to air ?

Glen_Quagmire

So do you think if I plug this feed into the box it will still work? Or does it have to go directly into the TV to work?

I'm just trying to figure out if I actually need an aerial at all?

Thurston?

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

... Would it matter if the aerial and satellite dish are mounted side by side?

Due to the elevation angles of their sources of transmission, the dish & aerial more than likely won't need to be mounted at the same height, no need to put dishes on chimneys if a lower position gives them a view up to the relevant part of the sky, while the terrestrial aerial might need the height, especially depending on nearby buildings, trees etc.

Decent Skin

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

So do you think if I plug this feed into the box it will still work? Or does it have to go directly into the TV to work?

I'm just trying to figure out if I actually need an aerial at all?

Hard to know where the feed is coming from. Can you see what's on the other end of the cable that was in the aerial socket of the TV ?

What channels did you get ?

And - sorry if this seems like an unfair question - is the TV Saorview ?

Thurston?

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

So do you think if I plug this feed into the box it will still work? Or does it have to go directly into the TV to work?

I'm just trying to figure out if I actually need an aerial at all?

If it isn't Virgin's analogue feed, it will be an in-house system.

If it's the latter, it might have a feed from a terrestrial aerial: what channels are on it?

Glen_Quagmire

The stations he has are rte 1 and 2, BBC 1 and 2, TV3, TG4, UTV, sky 1, sky living, Setanta Ireland, 3E, comedy channel, mtv, sky news, E4.

I'm not sure if the TV is soarview but he only bought it about 4 months ago. I think it's a Panasonic LED TV so it's fairly new spec I would think

Decent Skin

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

The stations he has are rte 1 and 2, BBC 1 and 2, TV3, TG4, UTV, sky 1, sky living, Setanta Ireland, 3E, comedy channel, mtv, sky news, E4.

I'm not sure if the TV is soarview but he only bought it about 4 months ago. I think it's a Panasonic LED TV so it's fairly new spec I would think

If the channels and frequencies are fairly clear (no or minimal interference) and match up with the link above then it could well be UPC (aka Virgin) in the complex.

Alternatively they may have a distribution system within the complex that has their own satellite dishes decoding certain channels and sending them down, maybe even a close match to the UPC list for people who are used to having those.

Best option is to ask someone in the complex; you'd probably need to ask permission re the sat dish and aerial anyway.

Glen_Quagmire

Decent Skin wrote:

If the channels and frequencies are fairly clear (no or minimal interference) and match up with the link above then it could well be UPC (aka Virgin) in the complex.

If it is a virgin media cable signal would have I have been better off getting a box with Dvb-s2 and C instead of Dvb-t2?

Thurston?

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

The stations he has are rte 1 and 2, BBC 1 and 2, TV3, TG4, UTV, sky 1, sky living, Setanta Ireland, 3E, comedy channel, mtv, sky news, E4.

I'm not sure if the TV is soarview but he only bought it about 4 months ago. I think it's a Panasonic LED TV so it's fairly new spec I would think

A recent Panasonic TV will work with Saorview, if you haven't already tried a scan, but those channels are on Virgin analogue cable alright, so more than likely no terrestrial aerial on the system. (Though if you're in a strong signal area, you might get a signal of sorts picked up on the cables themselves.)

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

If it is a virgin media cable signal would have I have been better off getting a box with Dvb-s2 and C instead of Dvb-t2?

Maybe those boxes come with hybrid DVB-T/DVB-C tuners? Anyhow, no point, as I'd doubt anything much FTA appears on digital cable. The TV can probably do DVB-C if you want to check.

Glen_Quagmire

Thurston? wrote:

Maybe those boxes come with hybrid DVB-T/DVB-C tuners? Anyhow, no point, as I'd doubt anything much FTA appears on digital cable. The TV can probably do DVB-C if you want to check.

The SAB titan 3 I ordered only has Dvb-s2 and T2.

Should I cancel and get the edison piccollo which has Dvb-s2 and Dvb-t2 /C hybrid?

Decent Skin

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

If it is a virgin media cable signal would have I have been better off getting a box with Dvb-s2 and C instead of Dvb-t2?

Well anything other than the analogue ones might require a subscription, so no box would work, or they may be included in the rent, or available to rent / for a deposit to avoid being nicked from the complex.

Best to check with the complex to see what's really there.

Thurston?

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

Should I cancel and get the edison piccollo which has Dvb-s2 and Dvb-t2 /C hybrid?

I doubt there's much point. This thread has a bit of info. on digital cable channels that have appeared unencrypted in the past.

Glen_Quagmire

Ok let's assume it's a cable feed which judging from the channel list it appears to be. Will a box with Dvb-t2 / Dvb-C hybrid work with this cable feed?

Decent Skin

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

Ok let's assume it's a cable feed which judging from the channel list it appears to be. Will a box with Dvb-t2 / Dvb-C hybrid work with this cable feed?

You'll need to speak to the complex to find out what's upstream on the cable and whether you need your own Virgin decoder and account.

Thurston?

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

Ok let's assume it's a cable feed which judging from the channel list it appears to be. Will a box with Dvb-t2 / Dvb-C hybrid work with this cable feed?

DVB-C is digital cable, the vast majority, probably all of which is encrypted. It won't decode the analogue channels but, obviously you can keep using the TV's own tuner for these.

Glen_Quagmire

Thurston? wrote:

DVB-C is digital cable, the vast majority, if not all of which is encrypted. It won't decode the analogue channels but, obviously you can keep using the TV's own tuner for these.

OK understood. So when I get the satellite box set up and receiving FTA satellite channels, if I wanted to watch something on rte 1 for example, do I just need to swap between hdmi from the satellite box and back to normal TV on the source button on the remote?

Thurston?

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

... if I wanted to watch something on rte 1 for example, do I just need to swap between hdmi from the satellite box and back to normal TV on the source button on the remote?

That's it, yes. And on the subject of swapping sources, presumably the TV doesn't have its own satellite tuner? If you're going to be swapping anyway, it might negate the need for the box at all.

Glen_Quagmire

Thurston? wrote:

That's it, yes. And on the subject of swapping sources, presumably the TV doesn't have its own satellite tuner? If you're going to be swapping anyway, it might negate the need for the box at all.

That was be handy alright. The TV is a Panasonic TX-40C300B, I've had a look online but nothing jumping out at me..?

Thurston?

Doesn't appear to have a satellite tuner. You'd spot the f-connector on it somewhere anyway, labeled 'LNB-in' or similar, just like on a STB.