Aerial Query

[STOWITBELOW]

Can anyone help with an aerial issue - I've just had a new freeview aerial fitted, picking up most freeview ok, but analogue is pants. My analogue (old) aerial is on the local transmitter (no f.v. yet, reasonable PQ), the freeview aerial is on a different more distant transmitter (different analogue frequencies altogether & unwatchably poor analogue PQ). Both leads from respective aerials terminate in the loft, where either can be connected to the single lead running down inside the wall to a socket near the tv. My Sky box (there also) is linked to a 2nd Tv in another room, but if I plug the FV aerial into it, the linked tele gets v poor analogue from FV transmitter, sky, & I loose many FV channels to my main tele. So the question............ If I use a splitter to plug both aerials into the one lead running downstairs, then splitting it again at the bottom so one lead gets plugged into sky thus my second tv via link (it remaining tunned to existing analogue channels ((local transmitter)), my first tele can be plugged in directly from the splitter & use the freeview frequencies. Will it work? Will this degrade the freeview? (other than the actual joints, I'm not sharing the FV signal). Would a booster help? I don't want to have to run another lead into either room if I can avoid it, it seems like it should work to me.

 

[Andy98765]

First off does the SKY box interfere with the FV channels. Example Freeview picked up on Channels 25 - 32 Sky box broadcasting on Channel 30, fix, move SKY to a frequency at the other end, say 68. This is done by selecting Services 4,0,1 in sequence.
The analogue channels off the FV aerial will be on a different set of frequencies to were your old aerial was pointing.

 

[TOM ALLEN]

You only need one Aerial, there's no such thing as a "Digital" Aerial although I know the Aerial fitters advertise them as such. All you need is one Aerial, if picture quality is poor just get a bigger one,without going all technical say for example your present Aerial is an 10 element I would get an 18; should be ok although you may suffer from overload. This could be sorted with a variable attenuator; it's better to have a bigger Aerial and not use Boosters as they will only amplify the noise.If you need to feed a signal to other rooms all you need is a distribution amp, they don't have to be very powerful but this would depend on the length of cable from distribution amp to the tv. The confederation of Aerial Installers should do something about this false advertising, it's like the Sixties when they fitted BBC 2 Aerials, pure tosh! Going for a lie down.

 

[STOWITBELOW]

Thanks for the replies, sorry I didn't get back - was poorly!!!!! I'm probably not explaining very well. I'm in a bad location to receive FV, as the FV transmitter's behind a hill. With an aerial on a pole I can get FV - just, but the analogue signal is awfull (different frequency to my local transmitter).
It's a mixed bag in our area, of those I know to have tried, many houses can't get anything from that transmitter, some just a few channels. From what I've gathered none get acceptable analogue. The local repeater is in the oposit direction with no digital signal. So basicaly I wanted to 'join' the two together. I don't know if Sky interferes with the FV signal, as it's on an AV channel on my main tele, & putting the Digital signal through the Sky box, just loses FV channels. Perhaps a booster may help with that? but I'm sure it wont improve analogue much if at all.

 

[comicmankev]

I have a similar prob, although my channels differ on a day to day basis! Doesnt seem to matter what the weather is either!

Any sugs?

 

[ROYOLD]

It's a mixed bag in our area, of those I know to have tried, many houses can't get anything from that transmitter, some just a few channels. From what I've gathered none get acceptable analogue. The local repeater is in the oposit direction with no digital signal. So basicaly I wanted to 'join' the two together. I don't know if Sky interferes with the FV signal, as it's on an AV channel on my main tele, & putting the Digital signal through the Sky box, just loses FV channels. Perhaps a booster may help with that? but I'm sure it wont improve analogue much if at all.

It would appear that if you want good analogue reception you are going to have run a separate co-axial cable from the old aerial to the TV. Arkward - but effective.

 

[STOWITBELOW]

It would appear that if you want good analogue reception you are going to have run a separate co-axial cable from the old aerial to the TV. Arkward - but effective.

That's the nub, can it share the lead to the TV, I can't see it causing interference, but can see all these extra connections causing loss of FV signal. I'll just have to give it a shot. I was hoping someone may know for sure.

 

[ROYOLD]

Sorry I don't know the answer to combining them. I also have the same doubts that you do but wouldn't attempt this anyway as we have analogue switchoff next year.

I get freeview (86 channels) from Winter Hill but there is a large hill preventing direct line of sight and I lose the ITV/Ch4 channels and the five channels when the weather is bad. I have direct line of sight to the Moel-y-parc transmitter near Rhyl which although 58 kms distant provides excellent reception of 63 freeview channels. This using an old 18 element group B aerial. I do use separate downlead co-ax cables tho for the group B and wideband aerials on the chimney.

Use the Megalithia website to see if you can find another nearby or distant transmitter :

http://www.megalithia.com/elect/terrain.html

You can obtain your grid reference from your postcode by using this website - link from the FAQ :

http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/

 

[STOWITBELOW]

Thanks, I think I'm probably being greedy. The new aerial got me FV, the original goal. I have Sky + also. My desire is to set up the TVs to be able to watch FV, Sky or analogue on either - depending on what Sky's recording. I suspect to have that I'd need a 'FV aerial' for my ND set & additional 'analogue aerial' (pointing at the local transmitter) for my Sky box. It's not so much the aerial as the co-ax dangling down the wall. I may try my booster / splitter idea though. If I got a FV pvr the signal would have to pass through that anyway, so a booster probably wont go to waste. It would just be a question of juggling the leads to try the splitter idea. Even if that idea's sound, I'm wondering if the link if appropriate to feed into a DTV. It's all making my head hurt!

 

[TOM ALLEN]

It may be a good idea to ask an Aerial installer to ascertain where your strongest signal for both FV & Analogue is beamed from and erect on a high mast using a multi element wideband (as they tend be larger than analogue) Antiference used to make the XG 21 which is high gain for fringe reception. Other than that, check out the feasibility of the w/band Aerial on a rotateable mast, obviously all this is could prove expensive , I had a rotating Aerial years ago and I could pick up loads of extra channels. Another one of my mad hobbies

 

[STOWITBELOW]

Parsimony is one of my hobbies, I was wondering if I could do this on the cheap! I’ll not be going to great lengths / expense. A booster is top end on the budget for this project. I live in a valley, options for transmitters are limited anyway.