Alternative to coat hanger?

tea and coffee · 27-02-2021 4:34pm #1

We have rabbit ears a d a coat hanger for terrestrial tv at the moment. It's very bulky and annoying, and where it is placed, the kids keep knocking against the coat hanger and messing up the signal.
We have a smart tv but dont pay tv subscription (eg sky, virgin etc) so it's just the free irish channels.
Anyone got another (legal) option for a neater alternative- if you could post a link to another product that would be great, and if there is a saorview type box that picks up the UK as well as Irish terrestrial free to air channels that would be fantastic. Although aesthetics is the most important to me at the moment
Thanks

athlone573 · 27-02-2021 4:41pm

Why do you use rabbits ears and a coat hangar?
The neatest alternative would be to put the aerial in the attic and run a cable down the wall. Or you can buy flat aerials in the likes of argos, they may need a strong signal however

tea and coffee · 27-02-2021 4:44pm

I am a technological luddite! Ease I suppose as even I am able to switch it on. Configuration of the house would make the attic thing a pain. Is there a saorview box or something that would give a signal?

athlone573 · 27-02-2021 4:49pm

The signal still has to get to your TV somehow. Either via broadband which you'll pay for, by satellite or by TV waves through the aerial.
If you want to get the UK channels for free you'll need a satellite dish. The broadband providers such as eir and Vodafone have boxes for getting all the channels which are handy as a one box solution.

winston_1 · 27-02-2021 6:48pm

So called rabbits ears are VHF aerials for DAB and FM radio not UHF TV. Coat hangers are for hanging coats. The TV transmitter network is designed for aerials on the roof so that is what you should use.

tea and coffee · 27-02-2021 7:47pm

Literally rabbits ears and a coat hanger hanging out of the back of my Smart tv in 2021.
I really thought it would be easy and someone would say: buy a Freesat box for 70 quid in Power city. Clearly it's not that simple.
I dont watch enough tv to justify bundling my broadband with tv channels

fryup · 27-02-2021 9:00pm

winston_1 wrote: »

So called rabbits ears are VHF aerials for DAB and FM radio not UHF TV. Coat hangers are for hanging coats. The TV transmitter network is designed for aerials on the roof so that is what you should use.

what if you haven't got access to a roof?? an apartment block for instance

OP i use this one and it works perfect for me

doney84 · 27-02-2021 10:24pm

tea and coffee wrote: »

I really thought it would be easy and someone would say: buy a Freesat box for 70 quid in Power city. Clearly it's not that simple.
I dont watch enough tv to justify bundling my broadband with tv channels

A Saorview box or Freesat box won't magically provide channels to your TV, they must be connected to a signal source:
Saorview = TV aerial (UHF)
Freesat = Satellite dish

Your TV has an input for a TV aerial and may also have a satellite tuner depending on the model. If it has both, no need for a Saorview or Freesat box (unless you want series linking but as you said you don't watch much TV), you would be better off investing your money in getting the correct signal source ie. TV aerial and/or Satellite dish.

dam099 · 28-02-2021 2:48pm

+1

If the OP is getting a useable signal with the rabbits ears and coat hanger then a better indoor aerial may be all that is needed.

Argos also carry that model (for a little more money) and if it doesn't work they are fairly easy to do a return with.

winston_1 · 02-03-2021 12:52am

fryup wrote: »

what if you haven't got access to a roof?? an apartment block for instance

OP i use this one and it works perfect for me

You get an aerial installer in.

That one-for-all you quote is pointless. If that works so will a €2 one. A 42dB amp on such an aerial just amplifies the noise if it is there.

franciscanpunk · 02-03-2021 1:01am

bought an indoor aerial on handythings.ie for 15euro, it works quiet well, it just plugs into the coaxial cable slot on the tv then can stuck to the wall.

obv dont know the set up of your house might be no improvement in relation to kids knocking over or picking up reception but worth a go

fryup · 02-03-2021 11:01am

winston_1 wrote: »

You get an aerial installer in.

That one-for-all you quote is pointless. If that works so will a €2 one. A 42dB amp on such an aerial just amplifies the noise if it is there.

Are you kidding me?

I used a cheapy non-amplified aerial and got little or no signal, then i used the amplified one i linked to and got a perfect signal...so i don't no where you're going with the €2 comparison?

winston_1 · 02-03-2021 8:26pm

fryup wrote: »

Are you kidding me?

I used a cheapy non-amplified aerial and got little or no signal, then i used the amplified one i linked to and got a perfect signal...so i don't no where you're going with the €2 comparison?

The purpose of an amplifier is to overcome the loss of a long run of coax cable and it must be fitted at the aerial end. You don't have that on an indoor aerial and having an amplifier is a waste of money, time, and electricity. All that it will do is give louder noise (if there is noise there). If your non amplified aerial didn't work it was not a lack of amplifier but for some other reason such as poor connection inside.

An Ri rua · 02-03-2021 8:32pm

fryup wrote: »

what if you haven't got access to a roof?? an apartment block for instance

OP i use this one and it works perfect for me

Yes, I use a flat One4All panel and can receive goodish to perfect (depends on weather Saorview from Carne Hill which is 40 miles away (the flat aerial says 9 miles)....

winston_1 · 02-03-2021 8:37pm

An Ri rua wrote: »

Yes, I use a flat One4All panel and can receive goodish to perfect (depends on weather Saorview from Carne Hill which is 40 miles away (the flat aerial says 9 miles)....

You cannot define an aerial by miles range. So much depends on transmitter power, height of aerial, and topography.

An Ri rua · 02-03-2021 8:40pm

winston_1 wrote: »

You cannot define an aerial by miles range. So much depends on transmitter power, height of aerial, and topography.

I just did. For my scenario. Living on a hill.

fryup · 02-03-2021 11:50pm

winston_1 wrote: »

The purpose of an amplifier is to overcome the loss of a long run of coax cable and it must be fitted at the aerial end. You don't have that on an indoor aerial and having an amplifier is a waste of money, time, and electricity. All that it will do is give louder noise (if there is noise there). If your non amplified aerial didn't work it was not a lack of amplifier but for some other reason such as poor connection inside.

that might have been the case with the old analogue signal, but not with digital

winston_1 · 05-03-2021 12:42am

fryup wrote: »

that might have been the case with the old analogue signal, but not with digital

No exactly the same principle applies. The signal to noise ratio won't change.

tea and coffee · 05-03-2021 8:43am

I'm going to get one of the flat panel ones suggestedup thread. I have the circle thing suggested earlier in the thread already- with a coat hanger stuck in it!
The kids keep hitting it on their way past (it sort of sticks out where i have to put it) so at least I can put the flat rectangular one behind the tv itself.
Speaking of noise- when someone calls on a mobile or used the blender the signal goes on the tv!

winston_1 · 06-03-2021 2:02am

tea and coffee wrote: »

I'm going to get one of the flat panel ones suggestedup thread. I have the circle thing suggested earlier in the thread already- with a coat hanger stuck in it!
The kids keep hitting it on their way past (it sort of sticks out where i have to put it) so at least I can put the flat rectangular one behind the tv itself.
Speaking of noise- when someone calls on a mobile or used the blender the signal goes on the tv!

An aerial, any aerial, needs to be where it can get a signal, and that is not behind the TV.

If a blender or mobile phone cause signal loss the aerial is obviously in the wrong place. The correct place is on the roof.

Curious_Case · 06-03-2021 2:48am

Before I got rid of the TV I was able to get Saorview with just a length of coax cable in the attic as an aerial.

I don't remember disconnecting the outer braided shield but I suppose I must have.

NewClareman · 07-03-2021 1:16pm

If you can receive a TV station with a hanger or rabbits ears, then clearly an attic aerial is not required.

@OP There are lots of options for discreet indoor aerials, from Argos, Mr Price and others; some of which have already been suggested. Given your current set up, it is likely that any of these will work.

If you want something really discreet, it is likely that something like this will work, too. There are no guarantees though, as such items are a bit hit and miss.

@tea and coffee. You are getting signal loss because electrical devices generate interference and the tv signal isn't strong enough to overcome it. You may have to live with that, if you want to use an indoor aerial. Some of the aerials suggested might help with this, but they could even make it worse. (It depends on where they are placed, how directive their beam is and the quality of the filters, if any.)

NewClareman · 07-03-2021 1:32pm

winston_1 wrote: »

The purpose of an amplifier is to overcome the loss of a long run of coax cable and it must be fitted at the aerial end. You don't have that on an indoor aerial and having an amplifier is a waste of money, time, and electricity. All that it will do is give louder noise (if there is noise there). If your non amplified aerial didn't work it was not a lack of amplifier but for some other reason such as poor connection inside.

I posted references on this area previously - there is much more to it, than that.

Digital signals do not behave the same as analogue ones. It is possible to get quality reception with a much weaker signal, or with impairments due to multi path reception, etc. The downside is that weaker signals can be disrupted much more easily - hence the issue with mobile phones etc.

Alternative to coat hanger?

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