TV aerials

which tv aerials do you use

  • house aerial

    Votes: 5 7.7%

  • satellite dish

    Votes: 15 23.1%

  • Glomex

    Votes: 32 49.2%

  • digital aerial

    Votes: 13 20.0%
  • Total voters
    65
  • Poll closed .
Good question, and one we at MBM hope to answer in our October issue. Emrhys Barrell, ex editor of MBY and MBM, is as I type, working on an TV aerial test. So don't rush out and buy one just yet. Issue's out on the 17th sept, subscribers a few days earlier
 
> Good question, and one we at MBM hope to answer in our October issue <

Yes, and for me too. A really good testing point your colleague should experiment at is in the marina at Cobbs Quay. Television reception is quite appalling here. I reckon the BBC reception engineers would not be at all satisfied - certainly trying to use a Glomex, this being what is installed on my boat.

Ask some of your colleagues from PBO, just down the road from CQ, to help on this. Those of us who also use our boats as "week end cottages" value a bit of "telly".
 
good ill look forward to buying that issue of MBM. I do think that the big house tv aerial is the best
 
I find that on inland waterways TV reception is not so good, so have gone to Freesat.
Provided that I have a view of the sky towards SE it works.
Takes a few seconds to set up
Disadvantage, when out in the Estuary at anchor it dont work.
 
the same type I use at home, none


Yes I know, I'm one of those strange twats who think tv is a complete waste of time, soaps, I've only got one, which I use in the shower, the rest it would appear, so I've been told, is reality ****, and to think you pay to watch this drivel!

the best of it is, the tv licensing people keep writing to me telling me I'm illegal 'cos I don't have a tv license, I told them I don't have a pilots license either, because I don't fly a plane, am I still illegal?

why is it so difficult NOT to have a television.
 
Cervinia said:
I find that on inland waterways TV reception is not so good, so have gone to Freesat.
Provided that I have a view of the sky towards SE it works.
Takes a few seconds to set up
Disadvantage, when out in the Estuary at anchor it dont work.
Click to expand...

Absolutely true. But on these forums the greater majority of readers would be based in open sea related marinas - same of course applies to readers of the magazines who are testing these devices.

On inland waterways i've do doubt that a 'dish' will work perfect - dead calm water, but very different in marinas we are likely to be based in. Yet as of this time of posting, five responders to the poll claim to be using a dish - just how do they do that? I know full well any I've ever set up would not obtain a satisfactory signal on my boat.
 
Last edited:
PhilipF said:
Yet as of this time of posting, five responders to the poll claim to be using a dish - just how do they do that? I know full well any I've ever set up would not obtain a satisfactory signal on my boat.
Click to expand...

Well it does work fine in a marina using a kit from a caravan shop...
 
PhilipF said:
On inland waterways i've do doubt that a 'dish' will work perfect - dead calm water, but very different in marinas we are likely to be based in. Yet as of this time of posting, five responders to the poll claim to be using a dish - just how do they do that? I know full well any I've ever set up would not obtain a satisfactory signal on my boat.
Click to expand...

Works fine in all but the windiest conditions - there's a surprising amount of tolerance, especially if you use a 'cassegrain' style dish (rather than an offset minidish).

Obviously won't work at anchor or on a swinging mooring though.
 
epervier said:
the same type I use at home, none


Yes I know, I'm one of those strange twats who think tv is a complete waste of time, soaps, I've only got one, which I use in the shower, the rest it would appear, so I've been told, is reality ****, and to think you pay to watch this drivel!

the best of it is, the tv licensing people keep writing to me telling me I'm illegal 'cos I don't have a tv license, I told them I don't have a pilots license either, because I don't fly a plane, am I still illegal?

why is it so difficult NOT to have a television.
Click to expand...

Know what you mean but maybe someone should have told you there is more on TV than just soaps :D And like you I do not watch soaps as have the same view as you but do have several TVs including one on the boat. If you're picky there's actually quite a lot of good stuff to watch.
 
PhilipF said:
Absolutely true. But on these forums the greater majority of readers would be based in open sea related marinas - same of course applies to readers of the magazines who are testing these devices.

On inland waterways i've do doubt that a 'dish' will work perfect - dead calm water, but very different in marinas we are likely to be based in. Yet as of this time of posting, five responders to the poll claim to be using a dish - just how do they do that? I know full well any I've ever set up would not obtain a satisfactory signal on my boat.
Click to expand...

I guess the fact that the barge weighs 35ton and doesn't rock helps.
I get a signal anywhere that I am tied at both ends so the barge cant swing.
Have even managed it at anchor on the Roach but lost the picture when the tide turned.
All I use is a cheap £50 camping satellite set with the dish clamped to the mast.
 
Too B****y late!!

After subscribing to MBM for 3 years, and having asked for this test (amongst other suggestions for articles which were also ignored) 2.5 years ago, I gave up waiting for them. I read extensively, including this forum, did my research and made my choice. I have just cancelled my subscription. I'm also quite happy with my TV aerial!

Omindirectional aerials (e.g. Glomex) just don't provide the signal strength unless you're in an area with very strong signal, which most marinas aren't.

Indoor aerials work "sometimes". But need to be sited well away from the TV, and as with all aerials, as high up as possible.

Directional aerials work best (they don't have to be house type ones, although they work fine, they just look ugly) there are some cheap £40ish ones that look fine and cope with both analogue and digital signals. For value for money, and performance they're the best choice. But height as always is the key.

I don't know about freesat.
The only other alternative is to blow 4 grand on an all singing , all dancing satellite tracking thingy that MBM covered a year or so ago. With fascinating insight they said it was really good!! No S**t Sherlock!! For £4k I would rather expect it to be good!!

As you can tell I've rather lost patience with MBM. Just too many repeated articles, typos, and tests of RIBS for my liking. Surely a RIB is a RIB is a RIB?

I might have a flick through the article in WH Smith's library though!
 
If you are still moored in Harleyford (I recognize your boat!) as are we, the Jodrell Bank would not get a decent TV signal!!!
 
Maplin do a Dish and Decoder in a suitcase for £79 which works well in most places (just not harleyford cos of the trees)
 
Kipper said:
Camping onefrom Lidl is 12v too and was reduced to £30 last time round. What Bobicat didnt mention was that it did blow off in a gale, still eorks though.

gary
Click to expand...

Amazing this! Bought it and tried it - utterly hopeless, not a chance. Any dish needs to be stable and on a firm mount, less than one degree out of aim, and no chance of a digital signal. I did follow the link to Wickepedia, which on just one page tries to explain the idea of the cassgrain, in any case, obviously, nothing about any manufacturer. Might work, but as they are not in any kind of general use, I would not be inclined to waste money on it. Any chance the magazine could locate one and try it?
 
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