Going for a new aerial

C

cackles

Guest
My mothers aerial has finally given up the ghost(ing) and deteriorated big style. She has never had all the freeview channels since she moved into her current house and I think the aerial has been there since the war, not sure which one mind you. Would seem the coax has gone brittle and started to crack, thinking that at one of the bends its snapped inside. Running the cabling is a doddle I can run all that no probs 'but I aint ev'r fitted no arial'.

Postcode is EH48 3PH
http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd.exe?DX=L&HT=10&OS=EH483PH

I have no idea what all that means though, just know it keeps being asked about in other threads Ive read.

I have 2 plans of attack.

1) Buy a Televés DAT 75 and stick it in the loft, but if that doesnt work then its a beast to mount outside somewhere and I dont want to be referred to as 'the son who brought the house down'.

2) Buy the following gear and try it from the loft, if that doesnt work then try upstairs outside for a wall mount and if all else fails pay a guy to replace the current one with it and simply drop the cable into the loft through a hole that can get siliconed watertight.

VIEW Digital Reception Optimised Aerial VIEWV10WB
MICROMARK Pre-Packed TV Aerial Wall Fixing Kit MM5495
MICROMARK Pre-Packed TV Aerial Mast MM5505

VIEW 4 Way TV and Satellite Splitter VIESLP409
or
2 X VIEW 2 Way TV and Satellite Splitter VIESLP204

50m of sat cable I already have.

I need to split the signal 3 ways. Im in 2 frames of mind and considering going for a 4 way splitter with a spare or splitting it to 2, running one into the livingroom (where I think theres no fewer than 3 freeview boxes with HDDs -she used to have 4 VCR + 2 HDD freeview box) while splitting the second into the 2 bedrooms of my brothers since they arent quite as TV daft and have a relatively sane 1 freeview box each. Im wondering what my best options are, you can see the tranmitters (like 2 giant goalposts) from the top of the town but she lives down in a bit of a dip. One person in the street has a triple yagi, one has a double and the rest are all single, I havent been there in ages and aerial spotting wasnt one of my hobbies so Im not entirely sure how big etc. the single ones are.

I guess Im wondering if anyone has advice on aerial type (Log periodic? WTF?) or perhaps what I can get away with. I am kinda tempted to just go for the DAT 75 with booster etc. and see if it fires up in the loft, but she would rather not go for powered one like that, but the line of sight is there for the transmitter ... apart from the great big dirty slope in between the house and them ... however she does get, or did get, most of the freeview channels with something that went out with MC Hammer and it runs multiple boxes, VCRs etc. so it cant be all that bad a signal.

Too many options and too little experience.
 
The loft is not the place for a Digital Aerial, far too much signal is lost by putting it there. The DAT 75 is one big aerial and will certainly catch the wind, make sure it is really needed before getting one.

I would not use a splitter, think more about a loft box.

Have a look here, it will show what your line of sight to the transmitter is like.

Code:
http://www.megalithia.com/elect/terrain.html
 
All the following is interpretation based on the wolfbane results.

You are in a VERY GOOD reception area and so in your case a loft aerial will probably work just fine. Even reducing the height to 3 metres gives the same result (more or less). You will NOT need a DAT75 or anything else similarly huge (in fact you'd probably need to attentuate if you had such a thing). You may even get away with an indoor aerial (placed in the loft) or even a coathanger! Although it isn't strictly necessary, choose a wideband aerial for future proofing. A log-periodic is one (not very sensitive) type of wideband aerial.

As for splitting the signal - this will always be best done as near to the aerial as possible, using an active splitter, so get a 4-way version and use three with three separate downleads.
 
Thanks for the replies, does the viewplus aerial Ive linked to above qualify as a log periodic wideband aerial?
 
Your link doesn't work for me. If you mean this aerial, it is a YAGI not a log-periodic.

This is what a log-periodic aerial looks like.

Tech. info here: http://www.satcure.com/tech/logperiodic.htm


OK, had a read on that, thanks for the link Sam and yes that link you have about the aerial is the one.

So a yagi gives more gain but a log periodic is less prone to interference? I think. Sorta, really, glad I have cable.

Ive seen a Fracarro LP45 and LP45N would either suit the job? I cant find the difference between them and havent a clue, they look like different shapes. Is a bigger one, different from those two, better because of the amount of boxes being run from it and she doesnt want a booster if possible since 'thats another plug'? Also ideally in the loft and she lives on the side of a hill with the transmitter being located over the hill. Does the higher gain from the yagi benifit this situation? Am I even on the right track?

Thanks for the pointers so far everyone, till now Ive been going through random sites and only being told 'buy this aerial ... because we sell it and it has the highest profit margin on it ... look at it, its huge, you can watch the mars rovers with it'. Which is fine if it can be justified.

Anyways I want to try to do this in one shot and get it right first time since she lives miles away and I'll be going to stay there the night. I'll do the cables from the rooms to the point in the loft first day, test it in the loft using a spare piece of cable right into a box and deal with the aerial next day for external fitting if I need to. Just need to work out which aerial from where ... definately not sounding like plug and play technology.
 
I'm considering adding a aerial too, with that postcode thing is says "Amplified extra hi-gain" Any recommendations? I have to install in the loft:( can't afford installation, not going on the roof either.
 
@ cackles: in your particular location, "plug & play" is probably more true than elsewhere. If you have an existing aerial, it will probably work, unless, say, the cable is damaged.

@badbob; The "Amplified extra high gain" response is indicative of predicted poor/weak reception. Frankly, you say you can't afford installation, yet you may well end up costing yourself both money and grief by trying to **not** do it properly - by which I mean - what's needed for your location.
 
Well after much huffing and puffing Ive ordered a:

V10-040 Super
40 element Log-Periodic aerial
CAI benchmark standard 4
Flat 12.15dBi gain response, F/B ratio
30dB
Ideal in moderate to weak signal areas
Front mounted “F” connector for cable
continuity and low VSWR
Low wind load design with 5mm wire
elements
Super flat gain response
Vertical / Horizontal mast clamp for up
to 50mm masts

simply because of all the boxes that crazy woman has and the fact I want to try to get away with it in the loft rather than take the risks involved with an outside installation. Unfortunately where the joists (floor of the loft) are there is a street behind the same height (though there was an old loft aerial, obsolete -I should take the hint attached to the chimney). As backup I have possibly the outside wall gable end since she has upstairs downstairs, which I can do no probs if the signal lets me and lastly someone that has the gear to do the chimney (and will know if chimney can take it). Either of the last 2 scenarios means splitting further away from the aerial though. You have no idea how much I want to do the roof myself but it would cost me more to hire the stuff than it will cost to get someone I know to do it ... plus if the fall didnt kill me the wife or mother would. Anyways its easier to impede than to amplify is what Im going for.

Thanks for the help because without it I would have bought the wrong type of aerial, now Ive probably just bought one thats far too big.

Have some more questions though.

How would I spot needing any attenuators, what size would be needed, would I be better to do each lead seperately? I will be running 3 leads from a 4 way splitter. 1 lead to the multi box mayhem and 1 each to 2 bedrooms, so I was thinking maybe the 2 bedrooms would need one but not the livingroom.

Even a how to somewhere would do and I could look it over and if I get stuck I can ask then. Im having problems since my keywords on this subject are limited ... I found this forum by searching for the DAT 75.

Also why is better to use a 4 way rather than 2 way with #1 to livingroom and 4 boxes and #2 split again to the 2 boxes. Can see it from a join/loss point of view but from a load point of view I dunno how coax and all that works. Is it like electricity and it draws what it needs so even though theres more there than it can use? ie 4 x 12v @ .5A will draw 2A @ 12v even if the supply is capable of 12v @ 10A, in that case 4 way is only way to go. Im going for a 4-way either way because I'd imagine a super mod knows what they are talking about ... right? Hehe. Im just curious to know and to try and understand it better, not cus Im picking holes in any plots. Going for probably a bigger aerial than required because Im paranoid, know the terrain so to speak and dont want to have to have 2 cracks at it, back to 'its easier to impede than to amplify' ... hope I got that part right.

All help appreciated.
 

The latest video from AVForums

TV Buying Guide - Which TV Is Best For You?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom