TV Aerial problems.

firemansam4

Im no expert but thought I could setup an aerial at our mobile home to pick up saoerview. Ive connected it up and attached the aerial to a mast but its not really picking up the stations very well. Ive double checked all the connections and tried the aerial in a few different positions but that hasnt helped really.

But whats weird and very anoying is that I can pick up the stations as good with a bit of wire dangling at the side of the mobile home.
The aerial is just a cheap one from Argos but I would have thought it would work better than just a bit of wire, im at a loss to what is wrong and not sure if I should just go and buy a different aerial instead.

Thurston?

firemansam4 wrote: »

... But whats weird and very anoying is that I can pick up the stations as good with a bit of wire dangling at the side of the mobile home.
The aerial is just a cheap one from Argos but I would have thought it would work better than just a bit of wire.

That would point to there being a bad connection somewhere.

Which particular aerial is it?

firemansam4

That's what I thought myself so I decided to go direct from the aerial to the tv, and done connections again and still the same issue.

Got it from over the border in Strabane Argos:

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/1078471

firemansam4

There is about 20 metres of cable between the tv and the aerial if that makes any difference.

Thurston?

I assume the aerial has a saddle & clamp type connector, inside the box, rather than a screw-on f-connector?

Can you post a pic. of the connection to the aerial?

Wheety

Have a look here and you'll see where the nearest mast is

https://www.saorview.ie/en/get/coverage

Why so much cable if it's a mobile home?

firemansam4

sugarman wrote: »

Where exactly are you located? What TV / Receiver are you using?

I noticed you said you picked up the aerial up over the boarder, so if youre near there it might be picking up a weak Freeview signal rather than Saorview?

TV / Receiver region is defiantly set to ROI and not UK, yeah?

Located in Portsalon Co Donegal, pretty far away from any UK transmitters here but I don't think the Saorview transmitter is too far away I think.

I am using a LG TV and it is set to pick up Saorview, it worked ok from our home house in in Convoy Co. Donegal.

firemansam4

Thurston? wrote: »

I assume the aerial has a saddle & clamp type connector, inside the box, rather than a screw-on f-connector?

Can you post a pic. of the connection to the aerial?

Yea it is a saddle and clamp connector at the aerial. Ill try get a pic a bit later. thanks.

firemansam4

Wheety wrote: »

Have a look here and you'll see where the nearest mast is

https://www.saorview.ie/en/get/coverage

Why so much cable if it's a mobile home?

Thanks, it shows I should have coverage and the mast at Fanad does not look too far from where I am.

The reason for the extended cable is i wanted to go to the back of the mobile with the aerial where I can attach the mast to a fence to get extra height.

firemansam4

Thurston? wrote: »

I assume the aerial has a saddle & clamp type connector, inside the box, rather than a screw-on f-connector?

Can you post a pic. of the connection to the aerial?

Think you can see it from this link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yj7w2oVwpMJaXr3D7

Sam Quentin

I'm here in Dundalk and I find when I change settings on saorview box to UK and start the search option I get all the Irish plus lots of extra channels.....
Have you auto searched/tune your saorview box/tv?

Thurston?

firemansam4 wrote: »

Think you can see it from this link:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yj7w2oVwpMJaXr3D7

Well, it certainly looks as if the cable braid is in contact with the rear clamp part of the connection, like it should, & I can't see any of it touching the inner wire, or its connection.

Hopefully the connection at the other end is similarly 'clean'.

I suppose I should mention stuff like some people getting the 'pointy' end of the aerial mixed up, & facing the whole thing the wrong way, or forgetting to retune the TV when they move it to an area covered by a different transmitter.

Sam Quentin

The pointy thing of the aerial lol
Nearly made that mistake myself until I started to look around at others...

firemansam4

Thurston? wrote:

Well, it certainly looks as if the cable braid is in contact with the rear clamp part of the connection, like it should, & I can't see any of it touching the inner wire, or its connection.

Hopefully the connection at the other end is similarly 'clean'.

I suppose I should mention stuff like some people getting the 'pointy' end of the aerial mixed up, & facing the whole thing the wrong way, or forgetting to retune the TV when they move it to an area covered by a different transmitter.

Sam Quentin wrote:

The pointy thing of the aerial lol Nearly made that mistake myself until I started to look around at others...

Yea the pointy thing is going in the right direction, and I have checked the other connection.
Maybe the aerial itself is faulty, could that be possible?

Sam Quentin

I doubt the aerial is faulty.
I feel your frustration,.... Double check all connections to aerial and tv,. That's all I can advise for now.
Good Luck

Antenna

Maybe wrong polarisation is the problem?

Antenna

Maybe wrong polarisation is the problem?

Alun

Antenna wrote: »

Maybe wrong polarisation is the problem?

Yes, Fanad is vertically polarized according to the Saorview checker.

OP, you'll have to rotate your aerial through 90 degrees so the little 'fins' on the 'pointy bit' are vertical, instead of horizontal

firemansam4

Sam Quentin wrote:

I doubt the aerial is faulty. I feel your frustration,.... Double check all connections to aerial and tv,. That's all I can advise for now. Good Luck

Many thanks, I have the problem sorted now, I got a new connector at the TV end and its working perfect now, not sure what was wrong with the other one, although it was just a cheap pound shop one.

Antenna wrote:

Maybe wrong polarisation is the problem?

Alun wrote:

Yes, Fanad is vertically polarized according to the Saorview checker.
OP, you'll have to rotate your aerial through 90 degrees so the little 'fins' on the 'pointy bit' are vertical, instead of horizontal

I asked in the satelite and tv shop where I got the new connector earlier, and that is also exactly what he said. Although it seems it was just the connector that was causing the issue.

Many thanks for everyones advice anyway.