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funinthesun

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good evening, new boy here, first post. Just bought a boat and am planning to stay on her with the family this weekend. 1 Massive problem! How do you tune in to ant and dec saturday night, my kids are beside themselves with terror that we may not get a digital TV reception, the portable we have was supplied with the worlds tiniest digital antenna, will it work? Any tips?.
 
Yep.

Look around the boat, you'll find many more pressing issues to bother yourself with...

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Go sit up on deck, check out the clear sky, listen to Birds and other creatures doing their stuff, have a drink, then another....watch the water glistening in the moonlight*

Try the TV when the novelty has worn off /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif




*If it's pissing down with rain, perhaps a local Pub might be a nice idea.
 
That's the plan Stan, but still need the back-up for bored juveniles! We will be leaving the Taplow area and plan to cruise no more than 3 or 4 hours can anyone advise a decent 1st night stopover point? Ideally with a watering hole nearby!!
 
Henry on Thames?

Should be OK in four hours if memory serves me, and plenty of paid for Moorings space this time of year.
Also free moorings on the towpath on left half mile before one of the the locks.

They'll live without TV. Really /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
Keeping kids occupied is always very hard. TV signals vary from place to place. Some spots are superb yet move a few feet and they blank out. I'm afraid it's a question of suck it and see.
You may find, as many have, that a TV aboard is just an ornament. There's so much else going on around you that there just isn't time for TV.
The kids make friends and dinghies are down and you don't see them for ages, your sole purpose is fielding complaints about them speeding. Best is to deny they are yours /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
We are in Taplow too, try Marlow or Cookham - one problem wih Henley is that TV reception is lousy.

Get yourself Satellite dish in a suitcase from Maplin for £49.95, comes with decoder. Best bit of kit I have bought in ages.
 
Now that's progress! Maybe we could charge cinema style and sell popcorn etc. to help with the mooring fees? We could roll it out on the thames and then take it global! I'm off to maplin
 
Freeview is fairly good on most of the Thames and can vouch for the fact it works just fine around St Kats.
Recently it was suggested to me that "we" invest in one of those external "birdnest" type aerials"
Have a similar problem with my crew...no telly ...no wife....no crew,,,no food /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
A laptop, with one of those wireless internet thingys is a good investment too.

Streaming radio and online TV.... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
A laptop, with one of those wireless internet thingys is a good investment too.

Streaming radio and online TV.... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm told you can get wi-fi on my moorings. Don't have a clue where from though. Forget who told me, was it you Ian?
 
Well i've tried small portable aerials and you'd be lucky to get analogue let alone digital signals. I Fitted a Maxview gazelle omnidirectional aerial (available from Maplins £79) to the cockpit roof and Freeview is almost perfect where as analogue is pretty lousy. Also it doesn't have to be a permanent fixture if you prefer not to drill holes. Ramage has a Status aerial and gets the same results as me
 
I am determined to resist any calls for a TV on our boat. I love getting away from the darn things. We usually find we have to record a favourite program on Sky Plus, but more often than not it's forgotten about when we get home.

BUT, I admit we take a portable DVD player with us which does the job for wet weather and is also a good excuse when the "I'm bored" cries start, usually at a crucial point at the weekend. (e.g. pouring the first glass of wine) They are dirt cheap now and can be run off the battery and there are no worries about poor signal.
 
I must admit I did put up a satellite dish for the Rugby World Cup last year, but other than that there's always better things to be doing than watching the box.

And no Byron, it wasn't me who told you about wifi access, I'm still well and truly wired I'm afraid.
 
Re: everybody

We feel lost (heavens know why) without the evening news, well don't smoke or drink much, so have to admit to some vice.
We tend to do longer term cruising (not just weekends) so have cruised most of the Thames, so here's my considered opinion:-

London area, say up to Staines (use Crystal Palace transmitter) - Good
Staines to Marlow Poor
Henley - Forget it, fringe area local transmitter, aerial has to go "other way up".
Reading, variable - conflict between London, Oxford and intermediate transmitters.
Further up. Good.


The problem with terrestrial TV is that you've got to know where the signal strength is good and where your best transmitter is - so that you can point the aerial at it.
You need a multi element jobby and probably on a long pole.
You also need to know what channel numbers are used by that transmitter in order to find a signal.
The above is not a huge stumbling block for analogue, but for digital you have to set up the correct channel for the Muxes.
Nightmare, nearly caused a Marital Rift.

Best solution is some form of satellite reception, Maplin (etc) or Sky box subscription not needed.
"Transmitter" is always in the same place - 28.2deg East of South.
No mast required,
small dish can go on cabin top.
No faffing about with retuning equipment at each stop.
Low power consumption.

Sorted.
 
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