Saorview Aerial - what type of cable?

trotter_inc · 02-10-2012 03:22PM #1

Hey guys.

My parents in law have a Philips TV which has a built in Saorview receiver. A few months ago they had a digital aerial installed and the guy who installed it did the following:

1. Put the digital aerial in the attic

2. Connected the digital aerial to an existing coaxial cable (which they were using for the analogue channels

3. In the downstairs TV room he connected the coaxial cable in to an 'amplifier' * box. The output from this box is a white cable, the same type as can be seen here http://www.saorview.ie/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/03.pdf

* This box is small enough, it says something about 'amplifier 20 dB' on it

This setup worked fine at the start, but over the past few weeks the reception on the RTE digitial channels was coming and going and the picture was pretty much distorted. However, over the weekend the digital channels are not coming through at all. I ran a search for digital channels on their TV and nothing is being found

This setup should suffice, right?

Could it be a problem with the TVs Saorview receiver? Could it be a cabling problem? I checked all the cables and they appear to be fine.

Any ideas?

John mac · 02-10-2012 03:29PM

First off There is no such thing as a Digital aerial..

what were they using for the analogue channels before the guy came in ?

is the existing aerial still in the attic or on the roof?

you could try connecting the aerial to the tv directly (without going through the amplifer. )

MarkK · 02-10-2012 03:29PM

Do you know which transmitter you are using?
Are the analogue channels still coming in ok?

coylemj · 02-10-2012 03:30PM

There is no such thing as a 'digital aerial'. Could you give us a rough idea where your parents in law live.

Were they previously receiving analog TV from an older aerial? If 'yes', could they get TV3 and/or TG4 from that aerial? If they could, it's almost 100% certain that that aerial would suffice for Saorview.

If the signal is that weak that you need to amplify the signal, why didn't he put the aerial on the roof?

The Cush · 02-10-2012 03:30PM

Is the amp located close to the TV?
Does the amp feed this TV only or is it connected to other TVs around the house?

Have you tried bypassing the amp and connecting the aerial directly into the TV?

trotter_inc · 02-10-2012 03:37PM

MarkK wrote: »

Are the analogue channels still coming in ok?

They are coming in, but the reception isn't the best, it was always this way. But when they got the new TV the digital channels came in perfectly.

MarkK wrote: »

Do you know which transmitter you are using?

They live a few miles north of Clonakilty in West Cork and the aerial is pointing directly South....I hope that answers your question

Thanks for the prompt reply!!

trotter_inc · 02-10-2012 03:40PM

The Cush wrote: »

Is the amp located close to the TV?
Does the amp feed this TV only or is it connected to other TVs around the house?

Have you tried bypassing the amp and connecting the aerial directly into the TV?

The amp box is directly behind the TV and its not linked to any other TVs.

I was thinking about plugging the cable directly in to the TV instead of the amp box but the cable coming from the attic is a coaxial type cable and the new TV doesnt have a connection for this. It only has scart connections and a cable connection the same as on this page http://www.saorview.ie/wp-content/up...2011/03/03.pdf

trotter_inc · 02-10-2012 03:42PM

coylemj wrote: »

Were they previously receiving analog TV from an older aerial? If 'yes', could they get TV3 and/or TG4 from that aerial? If they could, it's almost 100% certain that that aerial would suffice for Saorview.

If the signal is that weak that you need to amplify the signal, why didn't he put the aerial on the roof?

Yes, they were previously using an older aerial. I've no idea why the aerial wasnt put on the roof, I guess the engineer got reception from the attic and left it that way....but I can ask.

Thanks to you too for the reply

The Cush · 02-10-2012 03:43PM

trotter_inc wrote: »

The amp box is directly behind the TV and its not linked to any other TVs.

I was thinking about plugging the cable directly in to the TV instead of the amp box but the cable coming from the attic is a coaxial type cable and the new TV doesnt have a connection for this. It only has scart connections and a cable connection the same as on this page http://www.saorview.ie/wp-content/up...2011/03/03.pdf

I'ne never seen a TV without a co-ax connector, what does the feed from the amp connect to?

trotter_inc · 02-10-2012 03:44PM

We live 1 mile up the road and we are receiving a perfect digital signal by having our aerial in the attic too. But, we are using a saorview sat box with an old TV rather than a newer TV with built in Saorview receiver. We are on slightly higher ground, but only very slightly higher.

The Cush · 02-10-2012 03:45PM

trotter_inc wrote: »

We live 1 mile up the road and we are receiving a perfect digital signal by having our aerial in the attic too. But, we are using a saorview sat box with an old TV rather than a newer TV with built in Saorview receiver. We are on slightly higher ground, but only very slightly higher.

So do you have a Saorview box only or a Saorview box and amp with your parents TV?

trotter_inc · 02-10-2012 03:47PM

The Cush wrote: »

I'ne never seen a TV without a co-ax connector, what does the feed from the amp connect to?

The cable coming out from the amp box is exactly like this:

http://www.linetechchina.com/e/cables/tv/p51.html

This then goes in to the back of the TV.

coylemj · 02-10-2012 03:47PM

There is a relay in Clonakility so if your parents in law are north of the town then the aerial is pointing in the right direction.

I'd still love to know how the guy could justify putting an aerial in the attic and then install an amplifier downstairs.

Could they receive TV3 and/or TG4 before off the old aerial?

If your TV has a Saorview tuner then it must have a female co-ax socket on the rear as shown in that Saorview document. The link in your later post by the way is invalid but the first one works.

coylemj · 02-10-2012 03:49PM

trotter_inc wrote: »

The cable coming out from the amp box is exactly like this:

http://www.linetechchina.com/e/cables/tv/p51.html

This then goes in to the back of the TV.

What does the cable going into the amp look like?

trotter_inc · 02-10-2012 03:49PM

The Cush wrote: »

So do you have a Saorview box only or a Saorview box and amp with your parents TV?

Me - Aerial, saorview box, old TV - signal is fine

Parents in law - Aerial (same as ours), amp box behind the TV, TV has built in saorview receiver - signal was fine but gradually went poor - but its completely gone now

The Cush · 02-10-2012 03:50PM

trotter_inc wrote: »

The cable coming out from the amp box is exactly like this:

http://www.linetechchina.com/e/cables/tv/p51.html

This then goes in to the back of the TV.

Remove the aerial feed from the amp and plug it into the TV where the fly lead from amp currently connects.

St Senan · 02-10-2012 03:53PM

coylemj wrote: »

I'd still love to know how the guy could justify putting an aerial in the attic and then install an amplifier downstairs.

+1

The Cush · 02-10-2012 03:58PM

@trotter_inc

Not much point having the amp at the TV. If you require an amp the best place for it would be in the attic after the aerial. That close to the Clonakilty transmitter I'd doubt you require an amp at all if the aerial is feeding 1 TV only.

Boosters always come before a loss, not after

Never put a booster just before your TV unless the TV is more than 20 years old or the booster is a distribution amplifier to give you more sockets. And even then it should really be in the loft

http://www.megalithia.com/elect/boostercasc/index.html

trotter_inc · 02-10-2012 04:01PM

coylemj wrote: »

What does the cable going into the amp look like?

It's one of those 'older type' cables, the ones which seem to be around forever, I googled for a pic but couldnt find one. This is the cable which comes down from attic.

Edit - it's the same as this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Picture_peer_review/TV_aerial_plug

From what I saw last night, the TV doesnt have a connection which would take the cable coming from the attic. This means that I can't plug the cable which is coming from the attic directly in to the TV. I hope I make sense!

The Cush · 02-10-2012 04:02PM

trotter_inc wrote: »

It's one of those 'older type' cables, the ones which seem to be around forever, I googled for a pic but couldnt find one. This is the cable which comes down from attic.

Is it brown in colour?

The Cush · 02-10-2012 04:10PM

The aerial in attic, does it look like any of these - http://www.tvtrade.ie/tv-and-radio-aerials/uhf-aerials.html ?

Is there a plastic coloured cap/bung/tape on the aerial?

The Cush · 02-10-2012 04:13PM

trotter_inc wrote: »

From what I saw last night, the TV doesnt have a connection which would take the cable coming from the attic. This means that I can't plug the cable which is coming from the attic directly in to the TV. I hope I make sense!

Not really

. All TVs have a co-ax socket for a co-ax plug, the output from your amp is currently attached to it.

St Senan · 02-10-2012 04:23PM

I think the best thing would be for the Digital aerial saorview installer to come back and rectify this problem. If he cant rectify it tell him to read this thread. After all he is the one who installed this and is gone with the money.

trotter_inc · 02-10-2012 04:27PM

The Cush wrote: »

Is it brown in colour?

Yep, just like this one

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...TV_aerial_plug

Simon collins · 02-10-2012 04:30PM

LOL @ the "Digital Aerial"

The Cush · 02-10-2012 04:31PM

trotter_inc wrote: »

Yep, just like this one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...TV_aerial_plug

If the cable is brown cable it should still work, test the aerial without amp and see how it goes.

The Cush · 02-10-2012 04:33PM

trotter_inc wrote: »

My parents in law have a Philips TV which has a built in Saorview receiver. A few months ago they had a digital aerial installed and the guy who installed it did the following:

Did the installer replace an existing attic "analogue" aerial pointing in the same direction?

zg3409 · 03-10-2012 12:07AM

I would ring the installer and say the aerial he installed is not working. Assuming it is something he installed that has gone faulty then there should be no charge.

The only catch is every installer, even genuine reliable ones, are mad busy and will be for a month. I would suggest you probably have a bad connection somewhere, most likely at the sitting room end either before or after the booster or just where it connects to the Saorview box.

As said try it with the amp removed and see if it gets better or worse?

Ronnie Raygun · 03-10-2012 12:37AM

trotter_inc wrote: »

... TV has built in saorview receiver - signal was fine but gradually went poor - but its completely gone now

Is there a possibility the tv might have become tuned to a different transmitter, maybe Mullaghanish (UHF ch.21)? Maybe Mulla would be a better choice anyway?

And is the "20dB amplifier" just there for this one tv set? If that's the case, it's a very poor installation.

The Cush · 03-10-2012 01:38AM

Ronnie Raygun wrote: »

And is the "20dB amplifier" just there for this one tv set? If that's the case, it's a very poor installation.

Yes, he posted earlier its connected to 1 TV via a flylead.

trotter_inc · 03-10-2012 09:37AM

Thanks for all the replies guys, here's an update...

We connected the cable coming down from the aerial directly in to the TV and did a Search for digital channels on the TV...0 channels were found. By doing this the analogue channels couldnt be found either. When we plugged the cable back in to the amplifier box the analogue channels came back (a red light on the box also came on - 'UHF') but as before no digital channels could be found. Maybe I should have pointed out that the analogue channels and the digital channels are being carried on the same cable.

I know it was a long shot....but I brought over my aerial to test that....we plugged it straight in to the TV and brought the aeriel outside. We stood on a ladder holding the aerial just slightly lower than the height of their current aerial, but as before no channels were found.

I suppose we should call the engineer out now, right?

Just before I do that...when I search for the digital channels on the TV (Philips) there's not much settings available...I go to TV Settings - Search - Digital TV Test - Search. The Search screen appears with "0.0.0 MHz", I select the Search button and more or less straight away I get "0 channels found".

Saorview Aerial - what type of cable?

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