Aerial troubles

[lord_tink_fist]

Hello and sorry if this thread is in the wrong place.

I need to get a new aerial as currently the one I have is only able to receive 4 channels and even they are a terrible signal. I was given a few options but a couple stood out for me. I can either get a bigger better aerial or a bigger better amplifed aerial. Has anyone experienced the same problem - which one did you go for? I didn't want to spend more money for an amplified one if it doesn't do much more.

I live in an area where I conveniently have some stinking great bif trees right in the path where my aerial if facing....

 

[B&Qsuck]

The type of aerial you will need depends on the signal strength in your area. I recently had a similar problem to yours, and live in a remote area with poor signal strength. Access to my roof is difficult, so I installed a regular high gain loft aerial from Argos with all new co-ax to TV point. I now get excellent reception for all Terrestrial and digital channels.

I have a friend who tried the same, and they get most channels, but not as many as I get.

Fitting an amplified aerial in a strong signal area may mean you need to fit a signal supressor, which kind of defeats the object of amplification in the first place.

Best thing to do is chat to your neighbours, unless you don't have any. In which case contact the freeview people and give them your postcode, they should be able to tell you the signal strength in your area.

 

[lord_tink_fist]

Cheers for that. I think the signal strength for the area itself is pretty good as we're not to far from the local mast itself but because of all the trees around us, it makes things tricky. It was suggested to me to get Sky but then I don't want to spend a minimum of £15 a month if I could get a better aerial and live with freeview (although new simpsons is tempting!).

Do you know if the aerials need to be higher than normal aerials? I know it probably differ from place to place but didn't know if was kind of a 'rule of thumb'.

 

[JohnD]

On a diagonal slant...

I am in a poor reception area, and went for Cable. I'm on a package with broadband, TV and phone at £30 pcm. Might be worth a look.

I've actually kept my old BT phone line as well on "low user" tariff which is very cheap - just for incoming calls from people who have my old number.

 

[Steve]

You can get "free" sky - you get a viewing card for bbc and free-to-air digital channels.

Look at the aerials on your street. See where they are pointing. If there are 2 useable transmitters in your area, one may transmit more than the other. Years ago, before ch5, all the aerials on our street pointed south, at Belmont. Then everyone realised they couldnt get ch5 from Belmont round here. So a lot of people got their aerials spun round to point at Emley moor, or had 2 aerials back-to-back to pick up strong signals from Belmont and the ch5 from Emley Moor. For Emley, they had to have much higher masts and longer aerials, since its over hills and further away.

I have a TV with built in freeview, and am surprised how robust the signals are, on the freeview website it says i'd need a high gain aerial and / or a signal booster. I have an 8 element aerial pointed at Emley Moor. Basic stuff. and get all the freeview channels. Rarely use it though, since i have sky too.

We cant get cable, nearly every house has a Sky dish. If we could get cable, we would. Every street in the area has cable. They layed it just after ch5 was introduced. But they never layed it on our road. Its only 300yds long!

 

[securespark]

Big trees - long pole?

 

[lord_tink_fist]

All the aerials either point South East or North West. The North West facing aerials, which my house has, can only receive ch1-4 as it points to the Heathfield mast where as the South East facing aerials point to our local transmitter and can get all the freeview channels etc. Problem is, the South East direction from my house is where all the trees are! What I was planning on doing is getting a better aerial and point it towards the South East transmitter but was warned that the signal may get interfereance when the trees have all their leaves. I was thinking of going the cable route but I don't think I'm able to get it.

 

[JohnD]

... If we could get cable, we would. Every street in the area has cable. They layed it just after ch5 was introduced. But they never layed it on our road. Its only 300yds long!

there are only 11 houses in my road! It is a dead end. I live at the end of it, and for several years i was the only one who had cable connected

I was told that under the terms of the licence, if a cable company wanted to lay it in the town, they had to do all the streets. Maybe you could get laid if you asked nicely

 

[plugwash]

All the aerials either point South East or North West. The North West facing aerials, which my house has, can only receive ch1-4 as it points to the Heathfield mast where as the South East facing aerials point to our local transmitter and can get all the freeview channels etc. Problem is, the South East direction from my house is where all the trees are!

thats what long poles are for.

 

[securespark]

Big trees - long pole?

Edit: Sorry plug!

 

[lord_tink_fist]

All the aerials either point South East or North West. The North West facing aerials, which my house has, can only receive ch1-4 as it points to the Heathfield mast where as the South East facing aerials point to our local transmitter and can get all the freeview channels etc. Problem is, the South East direction from my house is where all the trees are!

thats what long poles are for.

True but would that not just turn my house into a rather tastey treat for lightning?! We're already quite high in the street anyway since we live on a hill

 

[securespark]

But obviously not high enough...