setting up aerial
 

"Gordon Taylor" wrote in message
...
Since the winds of a few weeks ago our freeview reception has not been
very good (No channel 5 etc). I am therefore going to have to have a
look at the aerial and check the connections etc.

I was wondering how critical the direction that the aerial is pointing
in is for digital TV? Is it more critical than for Analogue (our
analogue picture is still generally OK. Though not as good as before)?

I partly depends on the dircectivity of your aerial (acceptance angle).

However, since the digital signals are on much lower power ratings, it did
not take much movement for you to lose enough of it to lose channels,
whereas your analogue still worked, though not as well as previously. This
should be enough to prove that for a directional aerial it does matter.


How do I check that the aerial is pointing in the correct direction?

Can you see the transmitter?

If not, then somebody downstairs can shout when the analogue pictures get
better as you turn the aerial very slightly.

Alternatively, call a TV aerial installer and they can line things up with
the help of their spectrum analysers.

I
can obviously roughly compare it with other houses but this does not
seem very accurate.

Yes, since their aerials would have been subjected to the same winds as
yourself.


--
MESSAGE ENDS.
John Porcella

Gordon Taylor wrote:
I live about 9 miles south west of Bath. (I think that the transmitter
is just outside of Wells). Could anyone point me in the right
direction to obtain the exact location of the transmitter?

Mendip, Pen Hill, about 2-3 miles north of Wells on the A39

See:-
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetmap...148850&A=Y&Z=5

OS Grid Ref ST 563 488
Long/Lat N 51:14:14 W 2:37:36

You should be OK. Check the downlead connection inside the aerial junction box, and
general condition of the downlead itself. If the analogue pictures are good, DTT should
be OK at the distance you are from the Tx.

Mark Carver wrote:
Gordon Taylor wrote:
I live about 9 miles south west of Bath. (I think that the
transmitter
is just outside of Wells). Could anyone point me in the right
direction to obtain the exact location of the transmitter?

Mendip, Pen Hill, about 2-3 miles north of Wells on the A39
OS Grid Ref ST 563 488
Long/Lat N 51:14:14 W 2:37:36
You should be OK. Check the downlead connection inside the aerial
junction box, and general condition of the downlead itself. If the
analogue pictures are good, DTT should be OK at the distance you are
from the Tx.

*****

Good general advice, but the topography around Bath is, er - interesting.

Depending on your *exact* location, Mendip may be easy-peasy or it may not.
Since you had reception before, then you must be in with a good chance. Are
the aerials in your area (that's a challenging phrase if you live in
Bristol) pointing in a generally SW direction and with their elements
horizontal? If so, then you're on Mendip and you should indeed make sure
your alignment is as accurate as possible and also check for physical
problems with the aerial and downlead.

André Coutanche

One of the best ways to line your aerial with your local transmitter is to
see what way other aerials are pointing, so you know which way the
transmitter is.Then with compass and good map you can work out
from your aerial on your roof with a compass on the map which the true line
needed. then if you have old Ondigital or ITV digital box u can test
reception and how strong it is.
check on the net for your local transmitter and check out the mux powers as
16 or 64 QAM will not
mean a thing if you are out side the power drop zone. But if you are just
out side then aerial amp will help.

--
Best Wishes Alan
----------------------------------------------------------
www.thecarnivorousplantsociety.org
----------------------------------------------------------

"André Coutanche" wrote in message
...
Mark Carver wrote:
Gordon Taylor wrote:
I live about 9 miles south west of Bath. (I think that the
transmitter
is just outside of Wells). Could anyone point me in the right
direction to obtain the exact location of the transmitter?

Mendip, Pen Hill, about 2-3 miles north of Wells on the A39
OS Grid Ref ST 563 488
Long/Lat N 51:14:14 W 2:37:36
You should be OK. Check the downlead connection inside the aerial
junction box, and general condition of the downlead itself. If the
analogue pictures are good, DTT should be OK at the distance you are
from the Tx.

*****

Good general advice, but the topography around Bath is, er - interesting.

Depending on your *exact* location, Mendip may be easy-peasy or it may
not.
Since you had reception before, then you must be in with a good chance.
Are
the aerials in your area (that's a challenging phrase if you live in
Bristol) pointing in a generally SW direction and with their elements
horizontal? If so, then you're on Mendip and you should indeed make sure
your alignment is as accurate as possible and also check for physical
problems with the aerial and downlead.

André Coutanche

To get the bearing use
http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd.exe?

Bill
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/index.html

Just a quick update for anyone interested.

I went up on the roof at the weekend only to find out that the aerial
was not even connected (must have been receiving freeview from the radio
aerial I have attached to the same coax)! When we last had a new aerial
fitted the fitter had cut the coax made a clumsy join and taped it up.
Not surprising it failed. Threaded new bit of coax into loft and joined
it directly to aerial. Now get a perfect picture on every channel.

Thanks for the help.

Gordon


Gordon Taylor wrote:
Since the winds of a few weeks ago our freeview reception has not been
very good (No channel 5 etc). I am therefore going to have to have a
look at the aerial and check the connections etc.

I was wondering how critical the direction that the aerial is pointing
in is for digital TV? Is it more critical than for Analogue (our
analogue picture is still generally OK. Though not as good as before)?

How do I check that the aerial is pointing in the correct direction? I
can obviously roughly compare it with other houses but this does not
seem very accurate. I do have a GPS and therefore I was wondering if I
could find out the exact location of the transmitter then I could work
out the exact direction that the aerial needs to point in.

I live about 9 miles south west of Bath. (I think that the transmitter
is just outside of Wells). Could anyone point me in the right direction
to obtain the exact location of the transmitter?

If I need to change the aerial. Any advice on a reasonable aerial that
is not too expensive?

Thanks,

Gordon