Testing TV aerial signal strength

[timtheenchanter]

is there a way of doing this with a multimeter??

I know my aerial needs moving for full digital reception, but we can get some of the existing channels.

following recent transmitter work we now have a problem with the channel 5 group of channels (5, 5US & 5life) all others remain unchanged, either we get them or not.

these 3 had full reception before (as shown on the strength meter on the digi box.), and still have, but now they break up, and stutter.

we have a amp/splitter supplying the bedroom TV, but removing this has made no difference to digital, but a degradation on BBC 1 and ITV1.

I am trying to solve this in the short term, as we cannot afford a replacement aerial at the moment, and wondered if this problem was due to a now too strong signal.

 

[breezer]

is there a way of doing this with a multimeter??

no.

a MM can only read volts, resisatnce or current

you need a signal strength meter

but you could always physicaly check the cabe for connections / damage

 

[timtheenchanter]

thanks, i didnt know (still dont really) how a RF strength is measured, or if there was a simple circuit to do so from a multimeter.

I am aware we are at present pointing at a booster, which had digital work done on it recently, and there is a full transmitter nearby, my intention eventually is to replace the aerial to point to the main transmitter.

I was thinking that the work done had increased the power of the booster, and was now too strong, as removing the inline booster/splitter has helped with the digital, but the analogue is now rubbish.

Anyway, as a temporary measure i have put the booster/splitter inbetween the digibox, and VCR so the digibox gets a ray signal, but the VCR, and TVs get the boosted.