DTT on a set-top aerial in Preston?

Hello folks.

My son wants to spend the remains of his Chrstmas money on a Freeview box.
For various reasons, gettting a roof-top or loft aerial feed to his room
will be dififcult, so I'm wondering if I would be wasting my time trying to
use an indoor aerial. I have heard that a relatively inexpensive model at
Argos did well in a group-test, so I plan to buy one of those.

So the questions are..... Am I flogging a dead horse? Is there anyone on
this group in Preston who has had any success with such a setup?

Thanks in advance.

AdrianB

"The Bradshaws" wrote in message
...
Hello folks.

My son wants to spend the remains of his Chrstmas money on a
Freeview box.
For various reasons, gettting a roof-top or loft aerial feed to his
room
will be dififcult, so I'm wondering if I would be wasting my time
trying to
use an indoor aerial. I have heard that a relatively inexpensive
model at
Argos did well in a group-test, so I plan to buy one of those.

So the questions are..... Am I flogging a dead horse? Is there
anyone on
this group in Preston who has had any success with such a setup?

Thanks in advance.

AdrianB




Depends where you are in Preston. If there is a clear view from your
son's room to Winter Hill then it may work quite well, otherwise don't
even bother.

Don't spend a lot of money on any fancy set-top aerial - basically the
cheapest will do. Borrow one rather than buy if you balk at spending
the money. Generally speaking, if you can get a good, noise-free
signal with the set-top on (chan) five then you stand a good chance of
getting DTTV.

Best box buy at the moment is the Astratec TOPD2 at £29.95 from Richer
Sounds. The TV will need to have a SCART socket for most DTTV boxes,
with the exception of the Humax MG-TU1 (the TOPD2 with the addition of
a modulator to generate a TV signal) or a Ferguson 2300, but these are
both relatively expensive. Also, don't bother with a fancy SCART
cable - the cheapest you can get that is long enough will do: the
Astratec comes with one complete.


--
Woody

harrogate3 at ntlworld dot com

In article , The Bradshaws wrote:
My son wants to spend the remains of his Chrstmas money on a Freeview box.
For various reasons, gettting a roof-top or loft aerial feed to his room
will be dififcult, so I'm wondering if I would be wasting my time trying to
use an indoor aerial. I have heard that a relatively inexpensive model at
Argos did well in a group-test, so I plan to buy one of those.

So the questions are..... Am I flogging a dead horse? Is there anyone on
this group in Preston who has had any success with such a setup?

The only sensible answer to this is - "it depends".

If you have a good signal, and the room where you put the aerial has a window
facing the transmitter, you might be lucky. Or you might not.

If north Liverpool isn't too far for you to travel, I have an old On-Digital
Nokia box you can have for nothing, so you could try it and see. I haven't
used it for a few years, but it was still working when I put it in the junk
room so it's probably OK.

Rod.

"Roderick Stewart" wrote in message
...
In article , The Bradshaws wrote:
My son wants to spend the remains of his Chrstmas money on a Freeview
box.
For various reasons, gettting a roof-top or loft aerial feed to his room
will be dififcult, so I'm wondering if I would be wasting my time trying
to
use an indoor aerial. I have heard that a relatively inexpensive model at
Argos did well in a group-test, so I plan to buy one of those.

So the questions are..... Am I flogging a dead horse? Is there anyone on
this group in Preston who has had any success with such a setup?

The only sensible answer to this is - "it depends".

If you have a good signal, and the room where you put the aerial has a
window
facing the transmitter, you might be lucky. Or you might not.

If north Liverpool isn't too far for you to travel, I have an old
On-Digital
Nokia box you can have for nothing, so you could try it and see. I haven't
used it for a few years, but it was still working when I put it in the
junk
room so it's probably OK.

Rod.
I live in Bamber Bridge and it works fine using the built in round wire
aeriel on a portable. However you do need a box that is good in poor signal
areas.

Dave

On Sat, 30 Dec 2006 19:18:28 GMT, "Dave R"
wrote:


"Roderick Stewart" wrote in message
...
In article , The Bradshaws wrote:
My son wants to spend the remains of his Chrstmas money on a Freeview
box.
For various reasons, gettting a roof-top or loft aerial feed to his room
will be dififcult, so I'm wondering if I would be wasting my time trying
to
use an indoor aerial. I have heard that a relatively inexpensive model at
Argos did well in a group-test, so I plan to buy one of those.

So the questions are..... Am I flogging a dead horse? Is there anyone on
this group in Preston who has had any success with such a setup?

The only sensible answer to this is - "it depends".

If you have a good signal, and the room where you put the aerial has a
window
facing the transmitter, you might be lucky. Or you might not.

If north Liverpool isn't too far for you to travel, I have an old
On-Digital
Nokia box you can have for nothing, so you could try it and see. I haven't
used it for a few years, but it was still working when I put it in the
junk
room so it's probably OK.

Rod.
I live in Bamber Bridge and it works fine using the built in round wire
aeriel on a portable. However you do need a box that is good in poor signal
areas.

Dave

Philips DTR210 is apparently excellent in weak signal areas.
Available from Argos for £39.99. As for a set top aerial, go for one
that looks like a tv aerial & not these fancy looking flat square
things.

Marky P

"The Bradshaws" wrote in message
...
Hello folks.

My son wants to spend the remains of his Chrstmas money on a Freeview box.
For various reasons, gettting a roof-top or loft aerial feed to his room
will be dififcult, so I'm wondering if I would be wasting my time trying
to
use an indoor aerial. I have heard that a relatively inexpensive model at
Argos did well in a group-test, so I plan to buy one of those.

So the questions are..... Am I flogging a dead horse? Is there anyone on
this group in Preston who has had any success with such a setup?

Thanks in advance.

AdrianB

Get a Log Periodic aerial, and be prepared to look for the best position _in
the room_.

Sylvain.

Or.... Get a £9.99 aerial from Argos marked Freeview, then get a
Durabrand box from ASDA at £25. This box is surprisingly good and you
could take it back if no luck, but note Argos won't let you return
freeview boxes. Colin

Philips DTR210 is apparently excellent in weak signal areas.
Available from Argos for £39.99. As for a set top aerial, go for one
that looks like a tv aerial & not these fancy looking flat square
things.

Marky P

And what pray does a tv aerial look like or do you mean a normal straight
element yagi type ?

Dave

On Sun, 31 Dec 2006 09:12:05 +0000, gort wrote:


Philips DTR210 is apparently excellent in weak signal areas.
Available from Argos for £39.99. As for a set top aerial, go for one
that looks like a tv aerial & not these fancy looking flat square
things.

Marky P

And what pray does a tv aerial look like or do you mean a normal straight
element yagi type ?

Dave

Normal straight element yagi type. That is the most common type of
outdoor tv aerial anyway.

Marky P.

In article , Marky P wrote:
As for a set top aerial, go for one
that looks like a tv aerial & not these fancy looking flat square
things.

Marky P

And what pray does a tv aerial look like or do you mean a normal straight
element yagi type ?

Dave

Normal straight element yagi type. That is the most common type of
outdoor tv aerial anyway.

Some of them are log-periodics, which might be better for a set-top aerial.
Not very high gain but good directionality. These are the ones where the
elements get steadily smaller towards the front, and the two parts of each
element are connected to the upper and lower parts of the central spine, the
polarity alternating with each element. I've seen some wire frame
constructions, and some that are shaped cutouts from flat sheet metal, each
flat sheet providing alternate halves of the elements, but electrically both
types are much the same.

Rod.