Link for aerial check

[Chri5]

Just in case you don't know your aerial types- here's a little link to add to your IE / browser favourites

http://www.dtg.org.uk/

The click industry and enter the post code on the LHS, will bring up some sensible details and confirm the angle required:-

Here's mine

Crystal Palace
BBC Region: London
ITV Region: Carlton/LWT
Switchover: 2012
Muxes received: ALL
Compass bearing: 175°
Distance: 22 kilometres
Aerial group: A Horizontal
Location: Grid Ref TQ339712
Aerial elevation: 302 metres
Bluebell Hill
BBC Region: South East
ITV Region: Meridian
Switchover: 2012
Muxes received: 1
Compass bearing: 127°
Distance: 54 kilometres
Aerial group: W Horizontal
Location: Grid Ref TQ757613
Aerial elevation: 242 metres

 

[Taylortwocities]

Rod Hull always used to come and do mine but he doesnt answer the phone now. So your link may come in very handy

 

[Tim 77]

Transmitter information
Sutton Coldfield
BBC Region: Midlands
ITV Region: Central
Switchover: 2011
Muxes received: D
Compass bearing: 231°
Distance: 64 kilometres
Aerial group: E/W Horizontal
Location: Grid Ref SK113003
Aerial elevation: 398 metres
Belmont
BBC Region: North
ITV Region: Yorkshire
Switchover: 2011
Muxes received: ALL
Compass bearing: 56°
Distance: 74 kilometres
Aerial group: W Horizontal
Location: Grid Ref TF218836
Aerial elevation: 376 metres

 

[Adam_151]

Belmont
BBC Region: North
ITV Region: Yorkshire
Switchover: 2011
Muxes received: ALL
Compass bearing: 56°
Distance: 29 kilometres
Aerial group: W Horizontal
Location: Grid Ref TF218836
Aerial elevation: 376 metres

Tallest structure in europe did you know?

 

[JohnD]

What can I do with the information?

 

[Chri5]

The Aerial group prefix is mapped to aerial purchases.

Aerials come tuned for areas from manufacturers, so a group A aerial for me (London) might not be suitable for Tim's area would require a E/W set unit.

Just means that should you get a job outside your normal patch where you know the aerial type to an area where you don't- you can use the link and get the type required.

All of this relies on needing to provide a aerial in the 1st place

 

[electronicsuk]

With the recent growth in digital TV it would pay (from the customer's perspective at least) to purchase a wideband aerial. That way, they're guaranteed to get a reasonable signal when analogue is finally switched off and new digital channels are added/moved.

 

[JohnD]

mine says compass bearing 235°

Does that mean I should point my aerial in that direction?

How do I know if my aerial is "A Horizontal"

 

[Lectrician]

All aerials are both horizontal or vertical - It depends which way you position the elements, wither hor or vert.

As a rule, main transmitters are hor, and relays are vert, but this is not set in stone.

 

[timtheenchanter]

a quick search on both here, and on the BBC site show I have 2 transmitters in my area, one a main, one a booster, how do i find which will give the better eception, having looked at the direction/elevation on the street, its spead 50/50 between the 2, do i have to just point it to find out?

the distance from the main mast is 28Km, but the power output of this mast is 870KW, compared with the booster/relay at 6Km away, but only power output of 250W

 

[Adam_151]

Aerial Bands

Channels - Group - Colour
21-37 - A - red
35-53 - B - yellow
48-68 - C/D - green
35-68 - E - brown
21-48 - K - grey
21-68 - W - black

(there should be a coloured cap somewhere on the end of your aerial)

Up until recently us in Lincoln would have had a Band A aerial as belmont puts out BBC1 on 21, BBC2 on 28, ITV on 25 and channel 4 on 32, but then they come and stick channel 5 on 56, and worse still the digital multiplexes end up on 30, 48, 68, 60, 60 and 57 (BBC/1, ITV/2 ,A, B, C, and D) http://www.dtg.org.uk/retailer/dtt_channels.html

So with a band A aerial you don't get channel 5 or most of the digital stuff, which is why they often say an aerial upgrade might be necessary, and they generally fit a wideband aerial as Matt says, but these are generally a bit inferier to the old grouped aerials:

more reading:

http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/channel5theaftermath.html
http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/Widebandrubbish.htm

 

[timtheenchanter]

wow, and i thought a TV aerial was relativly simple! Hmm, looks like it could be a new aerial for me though, most of my digital is rubbish reception, only got 4 years to sort it!

 

[Lectrician]

If you do point to both transmitters to find the best picture, remember you will likely need a differnet grouped aerial for one transmitter to the other, and it is likely to be a differnet polarisation (v or h).

Also remember to re tune your channels in, as they are transmitted on different frequencies on each transmitter in the locality.

Best thing to do is copy the neighbours if you can!

 

[tim west]

Rod Hull always used to come and do mine but he doesnt answer the phone now. So your link may come in very handy

Ouch!