Aerials

We have had a few threads recently, and it got me wondering about domestic
aerials in severe environments. I'd have thought that even outdoor domestic
aerials might need to be heated or at least protected in very cold countries
etc, yet I've never heard of any. certainly the budget ones you tend to see
over here which fall to bits through plastic death in five years would never
take the strain.
My other memory was the Revox Horn satellite aerial.
I don't know if this is still made or usable, but although quite small
seemed to me to be a bit of a dead end technology as one could not get at
the lnb or use more than the one provided either. The demo I saw must have
been pre 2000, when I could see, and the guy clamped it to the edge of a
balcony, which by some quirk just was in the right direction for the sat!

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active

Saw a lot of heated satellite dishes in France when we were on a skiing
holiday there.

Tim

Brian Gaff wrote:
We have had a few threads recently, and it got me wondering about
domestic aerials in severe environments. I'd have thought that even
outdoor domestic aerials might need to be heated or at least
protected in very cold countries etc, yet I've never heard of any.
certainly the budget ones you tend to see over here which fall to
bits through plastic death in five years would never take the strain.
My other memory was the Revox Horn satellite aerial.
I don't know if this is still made or usable, but although quite small
seemed to me to be a bit of a dead end technology as one could not
get at the lnb or use more than the one provided either. The demo I
saw must have been pre 2000, when I could see, and the guy clamped it
to the edge of a balcony, which by some quirk just was in the right
direction for the sat!
Brian

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
...
We have had a few threads recently, and it got me wondering
about domestic aerials in severe environments. I'd have
thought that even outdoor domestic aerials might need to be
heated or at least protected in very cold countries etc, yet
I've never heard of any. certainly the budget ones you tend to
see over here which fall to bits through plastic death in five
years would never take the strain.
My other memory was the Revox Horn satellite aerial.
I don't know if this is still made or usable, but although
quite small seemed to me to be a bit of a dead end technology
as one could not get at the lnb or use more than the one
provided either. The demo I saw must have been pre 2000, when I
could see, and the guy clamped it to the edge of a balcony,
which by some quirk just was in the right direction for the
sat!



That's because much of the continent - more so as you move
further north - have TV and radio services etc fed by cable -
which in my experience doesn't need warming!

Many years ago we installed some 450MHz link yagis at a NATCS
site in SW Scotland. We got the mickey taken by the staff for
using heated aerials. A couple of years later we went to site for
a fault (base station, not links as it transpired) and the snow
was so thick that we had to be taken to site in their Snowcat.
The 36m tower was just a solid block of rime - that is frozen
snow - and all aerials including two used by the RAC were solid
blocks. That is except for our two heated aerials right at the
top which were completely snow and ice free. You can imagine the
fun we had on the back of it!


--
Woody

harrogate three at ntlworld dot com

In article , Woody
scribeth thus
"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
...
We have had a few threads recently, and it got me wondering
about domestic aerials in severe environments. I'd have
thought that even outdoor domestic aerials might need to be
heated or at least protected in very cold countries etc, yet
I've never heard of any. certainly the budget ones you tend to
see over here which fall to bits through plastic death in five
years would never take the strain.
My other memory was the Revox Horn satellite aerial.
I don't know if this is still made or usable, but although
quite small seemed to me to be a bit of a dead end technology
as one could not get at the lnb or use more than the one
provided either. The demo I saw must have been pre 2000, when I
could see, and the guy clamped it to the edge of a balcony,
which by some quirk just was in the right direction for the
sat!



That's because much of the continent - more so as you move
further north - have TV and radio services etc fed by cable -
which in my experience doesn't need warming!

Many years ago we installed some 450MHz link yagis at a NATCS
site in SW Scotland. We got the mickey taken by the staff for
using heated aerials. A couple of years later we went to site for
a fault (base station, not links as it transpired) and the snow
was so thick that we had to be taken to site in their Snowcat.
The 36m tower was just a solid block of rime - that is frozen
snow - and all aerials including two used by the RAC were solid
blocks. That is except for our two heated aerials right at the
top which were completely snow and ice free. You can imagine the
fun we had on the back of it!



Jaybeam used to, might still do, make heated aerials ...


I'm sure, but in case U haven't seen it, here's an example of a bit of
severe weather...


http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/gallery...121&pageid=731
--
Tony Sayer

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
...
We have had a few threads recently, and it got me wondering about domestic
aerials in severe environments. I'd have thought that even outdoor
domestic aerials might need to be heated or at least protected in very
cold countries etc, yet I've never heard of any. certainly the budget ones
you tend to see over here which fall to bits through plastic death in five
years would never take the strain.

We had the reflector on an 18 element Yagi corrode away after about 25
years.

Never had a problem with snow on an aerial, but have with snow on an LNB
(just went and brushed it off), however there is a setting somewhere in the
receiver to leave LNB power on all the time to stop it from icing up.


My other memory was the Revox Horn satellite aerial.
I don't know if this is still made or usable, but although quite small
seemed to me to be a bit of a dead end technology as one could not get at
the lnb or use more than the one provided either. The demo I saw must have
been pre 2000, when I could see, and the guy clamped it to the edge of a
balcony, which by some quirk just was in the right direction for the sat!

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active

Brian Gaff wrote:
: We have had a few threads recently, and it got me wondering about domestic
: aerials in severe environments. I'd have thought that even outdoor domestic
: aerials might need to be heated or at least protected in very cold countries
: etc, yet I've never heard of any. certainly the budget ones you tend to see
: over here which fall to bits through plastic death in five years would never
: take the strain.

Very many years ago (~1970) my uncle's house in Toronto had a aerial mast
with a rotator on it next to it - this was partly due to the extreme
winter cold but also the fact that Canadian TV stations were not broadcast
from any one location.

Such factors lead, of course, to the prevalence of cable TV in North
America!