New tv's freeview not picking up channels with portable aerial

Trystan Hedges

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My friend recently bought a new flat screen tv with inbuilt tuner. But cannot pickup any channels using a portable aerial. She has a Sky point but no aerial point in her house. My question is this, Why does the portable aerial works on 3 set top freeview boxes upstairs no problems but will not work at all downstairs with the new tv with inbuilt freeview.

To clarify the tv is a luxor (asdas own make I belive)
The aerial has a booster on it and I am told it was quite expensive for those type of things.
The tv is 40" so moving it to check in someone else's house with a aerial point will be a pain. But can be done if there is no other option.
Live in Swansea where the analogue signal has been switched off for a while now. So that should not be interfering with the signal.

I would appreciate any help or suggestions to sort this out for her.
 
My question is this, Why does the portable aerial works on 3 set top freeview boxes upstairs no problems but will not work at all downstairs with the new tv with inbuilt freeview.

That's because height is very important when it comes to signal strength.
 
In Swansea TV signals are vertically polarised from the Kilvey Hill transmitter (although Wenvoe, horizontal, can be used in parts). Was the aerial pointed correctly?

Try one of the upstairs boxes on the aerial and TV downstairs... if that works ok, it may be the big set's internal tuner needs a much stronger signal. {You could drag the big set upstairs to try it up there if you really want to}.

A loft or external aerial might well be required. Aerials, TV Aerial and Digital Aerial is a wealth of information and worth taking time to read.
 
Trystan Hedges said:
My friend recently bought a new flat screen tv with inbuilt tuner. But cannot pickup any channels using a portable aerial. She has a Sky point but no aerial point in her house. My question is this, Why does the portable aerial works on 3 set top freeview boxes upstairs no problems but will not work at all downstairs with the new tv with inbuilt freeview

Has your friend went through the tuning/setup menu correctly?
Stupid question I know but has she plugged in the power connector to the amplified aerial?
They usually have a variable gain control on them...this control should be turned fully clockwise.
 
i would conside having a proper outdoor aerial installed for such a tv, instead of this portable one.
 
My friend recently bought a new flat screen tv with inbuilt tuner. But cannot pickup any channels using a portable aerial. She has a Sky point but no aerial point in her house. My question is this, Why does the portable aerial works on 3 set top freeview boxes upstairs no problems but will not work at all downstairs with the new tv with inbuilt freeview.

To clarify the tv is a luxor (asdas own make I belive)
The aerial has a booster on it and I am told it was quite expensive for those type of things.
The tv is 40" so moving it to check in someone else's house with a aerial point will be a pain. But can be done if there is no other option.
Live in Swansea where the analogue signal has been switched off for a while now. So that should not be interfering with the signal.

I would appreciate any help or suggestions to sort this out for her.

What!! She spent all that money on a nice 40" TV and is trying to run it on a crap indoor aerial. Bit like trying to run a Rolls Royce on parafin!. The TV network is designed for outdoor aerials 10 metres high, so do the right thing and have one put up.
Boosters in portable aerials don't work. You can't boost what is not there in the first place. Take it back.
 
Many thanks for the replies, I have told her to get a proper aerial sorted out, will see if she does now.
 
The TV network is designed for outdoor aerials 10 metres high
True but the BBC's Spectrum Planners know that:

"Portable reception is one of the key advantages of terrestrial broadcasting over other delivery means. In view of this, some work was undertaken with
two basic aims:
· To measure the key parameters of building penetration loss, height gain, and location variation required for theoretical studies.
· To assess the coverage to set-top antennas at fixed locations in the houses and how this relates to the measured field strength outside at 10 metres."

they found that
"On average a field strength of 70.5 dB uV/m at 10 metres should ensure reception at 90% of locations within an upstairs room. A field strength of between 77 dB uV/m and 82 dB uV/m at 10 metres would be required to provide similar coverage to downstairs rooms."

NB This was for buildings of conventional bricks and mortar construction, and with the 2k 16QAM 3/4 FEC that was in use at the time. (Ref: C. R. Nokes, I.R. Pullen, J.E. Salter - BBC R&D, UK. Proceedings of IBC '97 pp 331-336). These are also the minimum figures required for the receivers to work... nothing 'in hand', as it were.

They found that DTT reception is definitely possible with room aerials - especially on the upper floor of a dwelling - and provided that the signal levels are adequately high, even on the ground floor.

However, a loft or roof aerial would provide more reliable reception for most people as it would present the receivers with a signal level well above the minimum required.
 
However, a loft or roof aerial would provide more reliable reception for most people as it would present the receivers with a signal level well above the minimum required.

But then your goodself (and others) would be at a loose end, because this section of the Forum would virtually cease to exist! ;)

Happy Christmas. :smashin:
 

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