Do i need a new aerial

Ive got a BT package that seems to lack a decent choice of stations, although theres loads.. Ill be flooring out the loft in a few days and was wondering if I would get more stations if I replaced the old aerial with a Digital Aerial.
Ive no problem with the quality of picture etc

Go into your TV set up menu and check the signal strength and quality and report back

hi dave and thanks,
on bbc1 signal strength is 49% quality is 100% ITV 49% quality 100%

dartagnan said:

on bbc1 signal strength is 49% quality is 100% ITV 49% quality 100%

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Strength isn't important. All you need to be concerned with as far as Strength goes is that there's enough power to cope with any losses in the signal path from the aerial to the TV. 49% looks fine.

Signal Quality is king. If you have 100% then that's golden.

You might have a limited range of channels for a number of reasons; the main one being that your local TV service is a 'lite' versiuon of Freeview. Do you know if you're receiving from a main transmitter or from one of the Freeview 'Lite' relay transmitters which carry a limited service? You can check this by looking at the aerials on your neighbours properties. You're looking for the orientation of the aerials. The directors are the short fins or rods coming out from the main boom. If they're parallel to the ground then the aerials around you are pointing at a main transmitter, and that means it will have a full range of channels. However, if the directors are vertical then the aerials around you are pointing at a relay transmitter. These carry a more limited service. [The reason for checking your neighbours aerials is that there's a good chance several of them will have been professionally installed so should be correctly aligned]

Hi lucid. That's a great reply. I'll have a look tomorrow and let you know.

dartagnan said:

Hi lucid. That's a great reply.

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Glad to read it. Now use the Thanks button on THAT reply so others can see useful info when they search for an answer

dartagnan said:

and was wondering if I would get more stations if I replaced the old aerial with a Digital Aerial.

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You can't, as there IS NO SUCH THING as a digital aerial.

Lucid said:

You're looking for the orientation of the aerials. The directors are the short fins or rods coming out from the main boom. If they're parallel to the ground then the aerials around you are pointing at a main transmitter, and that means it will have a full range of channels. However, if the directors are vertical then the aerials around you are pointing at a relay transmitter. These carry a more limited service.

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Good advice but not 100% correct. There are relays with horizontal polarisation, e.g. Alexandra Palace, there are relays with a full range of channels, e.g. Whitehawk Hill, and finally Rowridge main transmitter has a vertical component.

Hi Winston 1, with respect to Rowridge, Myself and all my neighbours seem to be receiving Rowridge with horizontally polarised aerials. Where is your source for the vertical bit?
Frank

In coastal areas Rowridge has often had problems with interference fron French transmitters when conditions are enhanced usually in the summer. At digital switch over it was decided to add vertical polarisation as the interfering French transmitters use horizontal. Thus many existing horizontal aerials will still work but those with problems can change to vertical. Problem is only the 6 main muxes are dual polarisation, the local and mux 7 and 8 are not.
Some information here:

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/rowridgetx.html#Rowridge_General

Thanks Winston1
Frank

winston1 said:

dartagnan said:

and was wondering if I would get more stations if I replaced the old aerial with a Digital Aerial.

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You can't, as there IS NO SUCH THING as a digital aerial.

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For digital read wide band, calling it digital makes sense as with the change over you needed a wide band aerial rather than narrow band used for the analogue signal. There are many examples of incorrect words used, I remember reading an early TV licence and it said apparatus to receive broadcast TV signals when referring to is colour licence is required. That when I was a boy was the aerial but I am sure if I paint the aerial black and white I can't get away with a black and white licence. Wording has changed now, maybe some one pointed out the error. I see advertised freeview TV but it's not free you have to buy a licence.

I will agree it is annoying when some one calls a box of electronic components designed to give a regulated output of 12 volt likely in the Mhz range an electronic transformer, it's a switched mode power supply but that is what many call it, same with an electronic ballast it's a high frequency fluorescent lamp controller it does not contain a ballast, the list goes on, what is the difference between a quad and a car? A quad is a car, I had a Reliant 3 wheeler not a Reliant trike.

I write a message using text there is no such word as texted. Same as worst, worster and worstest the last two don't exist. And as to very last, well it is simply last no need to say very.

Yes should be called wide and narrow band but today wide band = digital which is a pity as in many places you no longer need a wide band aerial to get digital stations. As to if the same colour coded narrow band aerial as used with analogue is still the one required for digital I don't know, it is where I live but seem to have read in the South Wales they have had problems squeezing them all in.

Since some of the band has been sold off I expect there is now a new name for aerials which receive only the new band width. What is that going to be called? New Age Digital?

Also the proper word for aerial is "antenna". Aerial is a hangover from the days when your antenna was an 'aerial' wire, usually strung between your bedroom window and the nearest tree! (Plural is antennas, never antennae, which is what insects have).

ericmark said:

For digital read wide band, calling it digital makes sense as with the change over you needed a wide band aerial rather than narrow band used for the analogue signal.

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This is incorrect and a common misconception. Transmitters such as Rowridge and Crystal Palace have always required a narrow-band "Group A" aerial and still do. Nowadays, NO area in the UK requires a "wideband" aerial (UHF 21 - 68). The widest now recommended is 21 - 60 and this will be reduced further in the near future when the government sells off more channels for 4G mobile phone usage.

Think they are called T type the problem is still a lot of the old aerials around with extra wind resistance and weight hanging off ones house. I would have not expected that any transmitter requires the narrow band, it is just that some did required broad band at one time. I can get Winter hill, Moel-y-Parc and Central from my location and years ago I had aerial on a rotator. Today just a satellite dish not even got my old faithful HB9CV on the roof, that only comes out on special events to be carried up a mountain or strapped to side of car.