Answer to Reception question

watty

1) I believe Woodcock Hill's TV transmitter's power is 2kw. Receive site is 20 miles, as the crow flies from Woodcock Hill.

2) I want to change the Amp to a 2 output so as to feed another TV.

3) It is not screened. Do you know what difference 'screened' can make?

4)With that Mitchelstown transmitter comming in on the back of my aerial I do not want to over amplify the Woodcock Hill signal.

5)Would you reckon it is trial and error to get the right amp.

6) I just wonder would a 15db gain amp be enough? I did see a coverage area map of Woodcock Hill but can't find it again.

7) What I did was beam the aerial to Woodcock Hill (got line of sight) and tuned in RTE1 and 2 from there and later tuned in TV3 and TG4 from Maghera.

Regards,

Martin.

1) Woodcock Hill is 100w per channel. This will NOT be increased!

2) A masthead amp about 1.5m / 5ft away form aerial is best, or just inside attic. If the amp is near the aerial and works DON'T change it. Feed aerial into VHS, Skybox anything else in main room at main TV. then add a 4-way distribution amp (Argos, Maplin) that supports "sky eye" in case you have or might get Sky or any other box that can have a "remote eye" at distant TV. They are cheap.

3) Only use "Screened" for a aerial Preamp. Look At Argos, Hills and Maplin catalogs. Aerial Preamp should be LOW noise (gain not important, too much is bad), screened and be powerd via aerial cabel and power supply at TV or VHS end. IN Electrical wholesalers I bought a Televis (? might have name wrong), a french brand with VHF and UHF inputs, adjustable gain on each, diecast aluminum screened box and waterpoof plastic outer case. PSU is bought seperately.

4) Good 21 element Yagi (yellow cap) for Woodcock, or VHF aerial also. Adjust aerial to minimise Michelstown signal when tuned in.

5) No. Low noise sheilded mast amp for aerial (can be in loft. Separate downstairs amp for distribution.
You may need in-line 12dB or 18dB attenuator at input of distribution amp or between PSU and VHS or TV etc. These are cheap. A barrel with socket one end and plug the other.

6) 15dB is enough. More and you get interference. Ask RTE nicely (tell them you do aerial installs) and they will send you a sheaf of coverage maps.

7) Woodcock hill simply has VHF and UHF aerials to pick up Maghera. That's how it is fed. If you can pick up Mahera with a good picture on any UHF channel, then use it for all four. More reliable and higher quality as you are then not watching a "rebroadcast" of Maghera!

Maghera is on opposite side of Gallows Hill/ Cratloe / Woodcock hill ridge to me so I don't get it to well. I can get Mullaganish (Cork/ Kerry border) slight better. I'm about 1/2 way between them.

A cheap High gain aerial amp will pickup all kinds of non-TV junk and convert it to the TV band.

Use your TV with NO amp as a signal meter. IF the picture is very faint and no Nicam and hissy sound then an Amp won't be enough, need more aerail, or higher aerial etc. If the picture is somewhat grainy and an Teletext is sometimes OK and Nicam flickers in /out then a LOW NOISE mast amp will make picture OK.

If the picture has ghosts / multiple edges on sharp objects / captions then an AMP won't help. You need a different or re-aligned aerial. Sometimes adjusting aerial for least ghosts and least co-channel (wavy herring bone pattern) interference is best rather than strongest signal.

Use Satellite grade cable to greatly reduce interfernce pickup and improve signal on long cable run.

Foggy43

Watty,
I used the wrong term 'Ghosting.' Grainy is better.


I'm sure the Mast Head Amp with adjustable gain is from the Spanish company below.
http://www.televes.es/ingles/producto/ficha.asp?COD=465

Can you tell me what wholesaler you bought this from? Have you visited the Maplin store in Limerick? I had a bit of a laugh with one of the lads who works there. Head Quarters in the UK keep sendind DAB Aerials even though he has told them there is no DAB service in the south of Ireland. Maybe Maplin know more than we do?

On the subject of Yagi Aerials. From experience it must be a Quad X type aerial.

Quote 'then add a 4-way distribution amp (Argos, Maplin) that supports "sky eye" in case you have or might get Sky or any other box that can have a "remote eye" at distant TV.' -
Are we talking wireless here? Got Sky, a box in both living and bedroom. I am trying to reduce aerial cables.

watty

Electrical Factors Crossagalla Ballysimon Rd.

OK to a non-liguist like me Spanish & French similar. Sorry to all Iberians and Franks.

NO not wireless.

Since you have Sky, feed aerial into RF in (optionally via VHS) and use RF1 and SCART for local set and RF2 for other set.

Go Services 4 0 1 select for service menu to change Sky RF from 68 to something empty:) This is "hidden installers menu"

The quad dipole or quad bow tie with large grid behind may have a reasonable behind rejection at one point. It is wideband and picks up lots of interference.

Yagi is a long pointer aerial with lots of rods. Each part is an element, but some manufactureres to make aerial sound better count each piece of rod as an element thus calling a 21 element aerial often a 50 or 100 element!

Band of Yagi is indicated by a coloured cap at end of Boom. Red, Green Yellow etc.
Red is lowest band. Yellow is strictly speaking not quite correct for Woodcock, but gives best results for TV3 & TG4 and reduces pickup on 21 to 37 where you might seet RF outs to.

Woodcock I think is 39, 42, 46, 49 for RTE1 , 2, TV3 and TG4

Keep RF modulators in VHS, SkyBox, Playstation etc at least 3 channel space from TV and each other to avoid "herring bone" pattern interfernce.

Yes both PC World and Maplin in all the Irish stores stock various DAB and DTT products. You can use a DAB aerial for BANDIII VHF TV, it is similar frequency!

Or use a really big Band III TV aerial pointed at Brougher Mountain in the Tyrone / Enniskillen/ Strabane direction (vertical?) and chance of DAB reception in may higher places is good. My PC model says a 6 element should work on Arra Mountains or Silvermines / Keeper (both Co. Tipperary) Nr. Limerick City.

DTT is harder!

Foggy43

I am 430 feet above sea level (when I am in Ireland that is). Before Independent Radio was launched in Ireland you could pick up Band 11 FM from Brougher Mountain. Now Band 11 FM is over crowded. Radio stations who have their licences taken but still broadcasting. I hope to be over around Christmas and give it a try. I'm sure those LP7 aerials ae still around. There is a mountain, which is easily accessible, behinhd my Irish location. 1,530 feet. There is a telecom mast up there.

Band 111 is a bit of a problem in my area. We are in the overlap of Mullaghanish, Maghera and Mount Leinster. While Band 1 was still operating RTE 1 Mullaghanish was perfect. RTE 2 Code Channel as it shared channel G with Truskmore (Sligo). Maghera's RTE 2 was perfect. I can see Maghera's transmitter. RTE 1 on Band 1 was ok if you wanted Spanish TV in the summer. We used to get a damn good picture too. When RTE 1 came available from Maghera on Band 111 it was on the same channel as Kippure - E and caused code channel.

When Woodcock Hill opened RTE 1 and RTE 2 were on channels 48 and 51 respectivley. Why they changed to 39, 42 I will never know! I did protest! Mitchelstown is 41, 44 at 1kw. A bit close for my liking! We all had UHF equipment left over from the Pirate TV days. Remember those 20 foot long high gain aerials?

I know the Ballysimon Road. My approach to Limerick.

Foggy43

Watty!
I suspect you have a Televes 8145 Mast Head Amp. Ordered one yeserday from a company in Birmingham. Royal Mail had it here in London in less than 24 hours :eek:
(Yes! An Post???? I listen to Live95fm)

The Televes website has gone down http://www.televes.es/ I can't read up on it!
Will I need a UHF/VHF diplexer to split signal between the TV and HiFi. Is it ok to install a diplexer between the Mast Head Amp and Power Unit?

OR!

What confuses me is the Power Unit. It has 2 F Plug connections and the instructions indicate that you run 2 cables to your distribution box. To I need to do this? Can I run one cable to my hifi and the other to the TV.

Last question! Where in Limerick will I get good quality Satellite cable. You did mention Efactors on the Ballysimon Road. I have some reservations about the cables Maplin supply.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=FT125&doy=6m10&source=15

Foggy43

It is ok! I found Televes on the web. It is http://www.televes.com/ingles/producto/indice.asp?SEC=11.

I am just getting myself a little confused with Diplexers. I bet there is one in my shed in Ireland. I used it in the old days as TV's had seperate VHF and UHF inputs. The VHF for Band 111 and the UHF for a transmitter that is now legal and gone MMDS on Keeper Hill.

What I didn't tell you is I was a little careless putting up a Aircraft Scanner Aerial. You should not attempt to lower a 20 foot mast pole on your own :eek:
Go on, say it! You twat!
I was lucky I didn't break my wrist.
I damaged the casing of the Amp. It ain't water tight anymore! The PU was on the way out and is now desceased. 12 years old that system was!

I am browsing for a Distribution Amp at the moment!