Saorview signal strength 100%, quality 0%

Hi
Just got saorview installed. The aerial was mounted with a mash head, the installer put it in but does it need power. It's goes to a 6 way powered distribution.

When I did a scan it was finding over 100 channels, none of which worked. Subtitles and channel info did work but no picture or sound.

The area isn't great for signal but am I doing something wrong. Any recommendations?

The Cush

Signal overload possibly, too much signal is as bad as too little.

Just to clarify you have masthead amp (with or without power?) and a 6 way distribution amplifier? Two amplifiers on the same cable isn't recommended, If the masthead amp is powered a 6 way power-passing splitter would be recommended, power passing required for masthead amp.

100 channels, can you give us an indication what channel these are, Saorview/Freeview from multiple transmitters?
What receiver are you using?

The Cush

The Cush wrote: »

Signal overload possibly, too much signal is as bad as too little.

Just to clarify you have masthead amp (with or without power?) and a 6 way distribution amplifier? Two amplifiers on the same cable isn't recommended, If the masthead amp is powered a 6 way power-passing splitter would be recommended, power passing required for masthead amp.

100 channels, can you give us an indication what channel these are, Saorview/Freeview from multiple transmitters?
What receiver are you using?

There is no power at the mash head, the installer said I needed it over the 6 way amp.

It's finding over 100 but most are no signal and the channel names aren't coming up just description of program and subtitles


The installer pointed it to ballycotton as he said there's a small secondary one there and the signal is strong from it. I don't know if he used anything to check signal though

The Cush

Why would he have installed a masthead amp and then not use it? Could it be a junction box of some sort between the new aerial and old cabling?

What is the make and model of the distribution amp? Is there any sort of gain control on the amp, if so wind it back to min. and start from there.

What transmitter does the Saorview coverage checker recommend for your location - https://www.saorview.ie/en/get/coverage

The Cush

The Cush wrote: »

Why would he have installed a masthead amp and then not use it? Could it be a junction box of some sort between the new aerial and old cabling?

What is the make and model of the distribution amp? Is there any sort of gain control on the amp, if so wind it back to min. and start from there.

What transmitter does the Saorview coverage checker recommend for your location - https://www.saorview.ie/en/get/coverage

its Mullaghganish 78 km away. Does that make sense as there is loads closer. The installer said there is a small transmitter at ballycotton and it pointing that way. i looked at other houses and they are pointing at ballycotton also.

i am not in the house at the moment to check the distribution amp, there is noo gain control on it though.

it looks like a jb by the aerial, he said it was a mash head that costs about 20 euro

TheDriver

If u paid an installer, surely they checked that it was working?

Thurston?

Deleted User wrote: »

There is no power at the mash head, the installer said I needed it over the 6 way amp.

The power is on the aerial cable itself, either the distribution amp is capable of this, or there is a separate PSU.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with using more than one amplifier, provided the signal parameters are kept right.

The Cush

Deleted User wrote: »

its Mullaghganish 78 km away. Does that make sense as there is loads closer.

I'm in NE Co. Limerick receiving Saorview from Mullaghanish over 90kms away with no masthead amp. The Saorview checker recommends Mullaghanish for parts of the Aran Islands at over 130kms distance. The transmitter is the most powerful on the island.

Was your installer a professional or jack-of-all-trades? Get him back to sort it as said previously.

Thurston?

Deleted User wrote: »

It's finding over 100 but most are no signal and the channel names aren't coming up just description of program and subtitles

Is it most aren't working, or none at all? I'm assuming the nuisance 'test' channels are still there & that's where you're getting the big no. of channels.

The actual Saorview service is less than 10 channels.

The Cush

Thurston? wrote: »

I'm assuming the nuisance 'test' channels are still there & that's where you're getting the big no. of channels.

With a scan from a single transmitter the receiver will find "71 or 73 channels" (some receivers "see" the SSU channels others not). Over 100 channels found could indicate a receiver set to UK or other region, storing channels from all transmitters found.

@keeffo2005
Can you identify what frequencies/UHF channel numbers the receiver is picking up?
Reset the TV /receiver to Ireland and rescan.

Hi All

I won't be down at the house again till the weekend.

From researching a bit online, i think he should have put a 6 way mast head amplifier in with an independent power supply.

From what i see, he has put in a single mast head, in from the aerial and output to the 6 way amplifier in the attic. From my own reading up it should have been a power supply to a 6 way mast head with the first tv being fed from the power supply unit. Would this be correct.

If so, would a mast head and power unit in the attic still work? It would seem the mast head by the aerial serves no purpose without a power supply to it. At present the 6 way amp in the attic wouldn't send power to the mast head from what i can see.

The Cush

Ok, for me a 100% signal and 0% quality indicates signal overload at the tuner (over-amplified), is there other receivers connected to other 5 outputs in the attic and if so how is the signal with them?

You don't need a 6 output masthead amplifier, a single output masthead amplifier to a power passing 6 output splitter and separate power supply will suffice.

Also, as Thurston posted above your attic 6 output amplifier may also be the power supply for the masthead amp combined in a single unit e.g. http://www.freetv.ie/proception-6-way-tv-amplifier/, https://www.blake-uk.com/distribution-amplifiers-low-noise-indoor/204-amplifiers-and-boosters-4-6-8-way-fm-uhf-amplifier-distribution-amplifiers-proception.html

Has a 12v power output on the UHF port allowing it to power a UHF masthead amplifier

As a test can you remove the attic amplifier from the cabling and join the leads and see what the signal is like at the receiver end.

Hi Its a Wolsey 6+1 way tv signal amplifer, on the back it has plate saying Triax.

Tried plugging directly from the aerial into the TV and there was nothing. Tried plugging all the other room connections out of the amplifier and still it was finding loads of channels of which none worked. There was slight broken picture but not even for a second.

The Cush

The 100% signal is coming from the attic amp but unfortunately the signal coming to the amp from the aerial isn't good enough hence the 0% quality.

Fault lies with the aerial, not correctly aligned or bad connection or that unit on the mast, masthead amp without power?

Get the installer back to sort it.

Thurston?

Deleted User wrote: »

Its a Wolsey 6+1 way tv signal amplifer, on the back it has plate saying Triax.

Versions of those I can find info. for could provide 12 volts DC for a masthead amp. The receiver you're trying to tune isn't plugged into the 'full' output, by any chance?

Also, whoever put those plugs on the cables has made no effort at all at tidiness, with stray braid all over the place.

The Cush

Thurston? wrote: »

Versions of those I can find info. for could provide 12 volts DC for a masthead amp.

Looks like an old model, the model no. would help find the tech specs of the unit.

Hi

Model number is 334036 Triax

Found this attached.

Not sure is this just a dodgey amplifier or is the aerial installation wrong

Thurston?

That model no. amplifier is the version with 2 inputs; 1 UHF, 1 VHF; & has line-powering for a masthead amp. on the UHF input.

Presumably the aerial is actually plugged into the UHF input?

It also has, as mentioned already, 6 'normal' outputs (12dB gain), & a single 'full' output (18dB gain).

The Cush

Deleted User wrote: »

Not sure is this just a dodgey amplifier or is the aerial installation wrong

Assuming as Thurston says the aerial is connected to the UHF input it could be a faulty amp not supplying power to the masthead or faulty masthead amp.

If you have a multimeter to hand you might be able to check for 12V DC on the UHF aerial input.

Who supplied the attic amp?

lucernarian

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Hi

Model number is 334036 Triax

Found this attached.

Not sure is this just a dodgey amplifier or is the aerial installation wrong

Get. In. Touch. With. The. Installer.

It's been said several times to you now.

lucernarian

lucernarian wrote: »

Get. In. Touch. With. The. Installer.

It's been said several times to you now.

Hi Lucernarian, the installer wont return calls or answer the texts. Disappeared. I will be down in the area at the weekend and if i can get a roof ladder i will check the masthead.

The Cush

Deleted User wrote: »

the installer wont return calls or answer the texts. Disappeared.

There's a surprise.

Deleted User wrote: »

I will be down in the area at the weekend and if i can get a roof ladder i will check the masthead.

Other than checking the cabling and connections a visual look at the masthead amp probably won't identify a fault as it may be internal to the unit or even the attic amp.

Thurston?

Deleted User wrote: »

... the installer wont return calls or answer the texts. Disappeared. I will be down in the area at the weekend and if i can get a roof ladder i will check the masthead.

Did you ever go through the channel list properly, maybe delete all the no-name 'test' channels, & see if working versions of the RTE, TV3, & TG4 channels might actually be in there somewhere?

lucernarian

Deleted User wrote: »

Hi Lucernarian, the installer wont return calls or answer the texts. Disappeared. I will be down in the area at the weekend and if i can get a roof ladder i will check the masthead.

Sorry to hear that:(

If you can work out exactly what direction (and polarity) the aerial is pointing in, have a look at the saorview.ie website to see what site it could be pointing at. Then you could try manually tuning to whatever channels saorview broadcasts on. At least it rules out the extra ones that are making it harder to figure what's going on.

If that doesn't work, try the channels for Mullaghanish as the Saorview website recommends it for you anyway.