TV aerial solution?

V1701

V1701

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Hi all,
I'm looking for recommendations/advice for a TV aerial that will work for freeview. I don't really want to put anything up the mast, but I guess a bog standard old fashioned portable TV aerial inside the saloon won't be very effective. I've seen in other threads Glomex, Status and Triax mentioned. The Glomex & Status omnidirectional ones seem to come in at £110 odd, Triax UFO omnidirectional comes in at £70. Has anyone experience of using them, particularly in Brighton Marina? Also anyone tried the Status Image 420 Directional Digital TV Aerial, only just over £20 here...

Many thanks & happy new year,
David.
 
A wide-band antenna purchased from a caravan shop with a built in mast-head pre-amp (12-volt powered) is what you require if you intend moving about the UK as different TV transmitters send out the signal in different parts of the Broadcast frequency allocated to television.

If you intend staying at one location you will be best asking at the local aerial installers for the correct TV Group (Group A, Group B, Group W, etc) antenna you require. You will also need to find out and know whether the TV transmissions in your area are horizontally or vertically polarised? This can be done easily by looking at the antennas on the local roof-tops near the harbour or anchorage. :)

I would go with a caravan type in stainless steel and plastic. Try not using a multi-element Yagi as you will forever be re-orientating it towards the TV transmitter. Digital signals, unlike analogue TV signals, are notorious for dropping out as the signal threshold is either "Go" or "No-Go", no half measures.
 
There was an article in the times about a man who had tried everything to get a decent reception over the last few decades (on land). He sepnt £20 (I think) on a flat panel aerial for digital freeview and said it was the best he had ever had.

Ill try and see if I can find the article again and let you know what brand it was.

I need one too.
 
Obi said:
There was an article in the times about a man who had tried everything to get a decent reception over the last few decades (on land). He sepnt £20 (I think) on a flat panel aerial for digital freeview and said it was the best he had ever had.

Ill try and see if I can find the article again and let you know what brand it was.

I need one too.
Click to expand...

Many thanks, could be the Lloytron one in steve clayton's post above?
 
djbreeze said:
Many thanks, could be the Lloytron one in steve clayton's post above?
Click to expand...
We also have the "magic wand" antenna. This has previously worked well well for us - just not in our current location!
Doesn't matter how good the antenna gain, etc is, if there is no signal to work with then you are stuffed and our reception was really poor to the point of unwatchable. I tried various aerials (maybe half doz.); on a loan and return basis with a local trader - none of them improved performance and it was a regular trip back to the shop to get the next one for tests and trials.

Tried the Lloytron (it advertised 50db gain) so if this didn't work then the next option would be up the mast Glomex.

Instant quality picture, retuned the telly and freeview and it's 100% for most of the time. Occasionally it will drop the odd channel but I put that down to no signal to work with.
 
deuc02 said:
Quick question - is that just a clomex designed for an analogue signal or do you need one designed for digital. On the same thought will the booster I have boost a digital signal just as it does an analogue one. Thanks.
Click to expand...

They are fully compatible as both the analogue and digital signals are within the same broadcast band 470MHz - 680MHz within the UK.

I hope this helps? :)
 
bigwow said:
Glomex, again with the cheap Tesco digibox works well for me
Click to expand...

Quick question - is that just a clomex designed for an analogue signal or do you need one designed for digital. On the same thought will the booster I have boost a digital signal just as it does an analogue one. Thanks.
 
David,

I was previously in Brighton and tried a boosted indoor aerial with no luck. I bought a Glomex up-mast jobbie but did not get round to installing it before I moved, and I find that the indoor one works fine where I am now.

The glomex is in the box, opened to check all the bits are there but not touched other than that. I have been meaning to ebay it but not got round yet, if you're interested PM me with a reasonable offer.
 
For digital you need wide band almost everywhere now. Where I live you used to get away with the old narrow band aerial types but after the last channel re-allocation I had to change to wideband. For a long time I used to hoist a Glomex up to the spreaders when I needed an aerial and that was not too bad, but now I have it installed at the top of the mast and it works fine. No problems with digital.
 
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