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Using supplied stick antenna with USB DVB-T

  • 05-05-2010 09:17AM
    #1
    snaps
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,138 ✭✭✭


    Just thought id let you guys know im currently on a European camping tour. I have taken my laptop and my trusty Haupagge H 900 USB stick. I have found the little stick antenna that is supplied with it very good indeed, Infact better than using a uhf aerial i have also taken with me! I'm currently in Sardinia and have mounted my antenna on the car roof (Seems to work the best) and im pulling in 57 channels from both Sardinia (Italy) and France (Corsica). The HD channels also are working well with DVB viewer and now after a bit of tinkering Win TV 7. I have tried using my wide beam UHF aerial but im getting much better results with the stick antenna! Though it only pulls in signals when mounted on the car roof, luckily i brought an extension lead for the aerial!


Comments

  • #2
    Bob_Harris
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,619 ✭✭✭Bob_Harris


    snaps wrote: »
    Just thought id let you guys know im currently on a European camping tour. I have taken my laptop and my trusty Haupagge H 900 USB stick. I have found the little stick antenna that is supplied with it very good indeed, Infact better than using a uhf aerial i have also taken with me! I'm currently in Sardinia and have mounted my antenna on the car roof (Seems to work the best) and im pulling in 57 channels from both Sardinia (Italy) and France (Corsica). The HD channels also are working well with DVB viewer and now after a bit of tinkering Win TV 7. I have tried using my wide beam UHF aerial but im getting much better results with the stick antenna! Though it only pulls in signals when mounted on the car roof, luckily i brought an extension lead for the aerial!

    The small stick antenna that came with the DVB-T USB stick I bought on ebay for €13 works very well too.

    It has a magnetic bottom so it's handy to stick to various things.


  • #3
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 20,712 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    snaps wrote: »

    I have tried using my wide beam UHF aerial but im getting much better results with the stick antenna! Though it only pulls in signals when mounted on the car roof, luckily i brought an extension lead for the aerial!

    That makes sense, the aerial on the roof has a nice earth plane which gives 3db gain. It is omnidirectional as well. It is probably well matched to the cable, as it does not need a balun, as it is already an unballanced signal. Baluns are very hard to design, particularly for wideband use. Simple is sometimes better.


  • #4
    snaps
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,138 ✭✭✭snaps


    Yeah i thought the earth had something do do with it, just like back in the CB days!


  • #5
    Antenna
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭Antenna


    snaps wrote: »
    I have tried using my wide beam UHF aerial but im getting much better results with the stick antenna! Though it only pulls in signals when mounted on the car roof, luckily i brought an extension lead for the aerial!

    The signals there are probably vertically polarised (suits the 'stick antenna'), whilst your 'wide beam UHF aerial' is horizontal polarised, explaining your better results with the 'stick antenna' ?


  • #6
    snaps
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,138 ✭✭✭snaps


    yes i noticed all the local antennas w re verticaly mounted!


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  • #7
    dowtchaboy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,562 ✭✭✭dowtchaboy


    snaps - an even better way of getting your antenna into a good place is to use a USB extension cable - very cheap on eBay - that way the antenna to receiver bit is short and little/no loss of signal. You can get up to 5 metres of USB extension before you need to add a repeater (hardly likely unless you have a biiigggg car, or camper).


  • #8
    snaps
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,138 ✭✭✭snaps


    i already have one mate! Its just a lot harder to waterproof though!


  • #9
    John mac
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 5,195 ✭✭✭John mac


    bring me back a bottle of Mirto :) mmmm


  • #10
    Mr McBoatface
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,579 ✭✭✭Mr McBoatface


    I was up in my attic today adjusting the polarization of my Televes DAT75 which I had up there for the last year using the wrong angle see - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055911031.

    I had a bit of spare time and having read this thread earlier I also thought I check out the performance of a DVB-T antenna that came with this usb stick I have - http://www.sinovideo.com.cn/en/lib/2009/03/11/141403241/.

    To rule out any effects amplifiers/splitter may have I ran a direct feed from both the DAT75 and the stick antenna to my tuner, the results where really impressive I got identical signal level and quality from both, 80% signal level and 100% quality!

    I've kept the stick antenna in place and have it feeding my 4 way splitter and I'm getting a 80% signal level and 100% quality around out the house with crystal clear reception thus far.


  • #11
    snaps
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,138 ✭✭✭snaps


    u wouldnt have thought it hey!


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  • #12
    Sam Russell
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 20,712 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sam Russell


    You should try a bent coathanger and see what you get.:D


  • #13
    Mr McBoatface
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,579 ✭✭✭Mr McBoatface


    Sam Russell wrote: »
    You should try a bent coathanger and see what you get.:D

    I would If only I could get my hands on a wire coat hanger, god damn plastic :D

    Not one glitch on the reception so far. I would like to see how it preforms in bad weather. Would that make much of a difference ?


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