New aerial type?

[Draughtsman]

I lost the signal from my 30yr old aerial, it was pointed straight at a booster station a few km off.

I turned the tv on to see what gives whilst I tinker with the aerial; when I disconnected the coax from the aerial the visual/audio returned? But the signal vanished when I reconnected to the aerial (in the old position). But with the aerial hanging vertically the picture resumed (the bracket doesn't actually allow it to be fixed in that position). So I disconnected the coax again and tucked the end up behind the facia, am watching Wimbledon! Maybe the picture could be slightly better.

Presumably my aerial was intended for analogue? And needs scrapping.

Obvs everyone uses wifi now anyway but what aerial could I put up until get a wifi enabled tv? And as backup.

Thank you.
Dain

 

[Swwils]

Paper clip and coat hanger.

 

[Sureitsoff?]

did you check to see if the relay station was off air for any reason first?

all so called "digital" aerials actually receive an analogue signal !

"everybody" doesnt use wifi now and shouldnt when there is a simple solution to just get a new aerial. this is probably a good replacement for your old aerial but if you can it will also be better if you replace the old coax as well

https://www.toolstation.com/compact-log-periodic-tv-aerial/p31278

https://www.toolstation.com/pitacs-tv-satellite-cable-cucu-ct100/p10423

 

[flameport]

but what aerial could I put up

That depends entirely on which transmitter it's receiving signals from. Also determines in which orientation the aerial is installed.

 

[winston1]

Maybe the aerial is not faulty and the problem is with the coax cable. Needs further investigation.

No such thing as a digital aerial. If the signal has just gone not likely due to aerial type.

Using wi-fi for TV reception is tedious. It takes so much button pushing to get what you want.

 

[Draughtsman]

When I removed the little screws securing the copper inner & outer to the aerial, the threads were coroded; steel/galv screws in aluminium, the surrounding alluminium threaded hole would be shot too, presumably.

I tried a new small aerial in the loft but no signal.

 

[Draughtsman]

Do I need to have an outdoor aerial if my signal comes from a booster station?

 

[Lucid]

Do I need to have an outdoor aerial if my signal comes from a booster station?

We don't really call them boosters. They're known as relays. But in answer to your question, whether you can use a loft aerial or need an outdoor one depends on the field strength of the signal. This is as true for main transmitters as it is for relays.

A relay will usually run at lower power than a main transmitter, but it also serves a much smaller area, so the field strength may well be enough for a loft aerial. On the other hand, you might still need an outdoor aerial, and maybe even with amplification. Someone with a house a few roads away might get better or worse signal than you. Local knowledge is king.

Have a look at your neighbours houses to see what they're running. Think back to your own aerial; did you suffer with pixelation and freezing regularly or was the reception solid?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Presumably my aerial was intended for analogue? And needs scrapping.

There is no such thing as a digital antenna, they are all analogue. As per Lucid, what antenna you need depends upon your location and which transmitter you are aiming to receive. Look at others around you, to get an idea. Sometimes a main transmitter can offer more services than a local relay. You need to know which transmitter you are aiming to receive, to decide what band of antenna you need, there is a site online, which lists that information.

The coax often fails before the actual antenna, because installers often drape the coax across sharp corners and the wind movement causes abrasion. Damage to the outer, allows water in, rotting the copper. My own antenna coax, dives into the loft, via the tiles, so there is no abrasive movement possible. from there, it plugs into a socket in the loft, before making it's way to a distribution amplifier in the living room, to feed all the rooms in the house. It was put in 30 years ago and the idea was to make the antenna and outdoor down-lead easily replaceable. I don't like cables draped down the house, flapping loose, so they go down the middle of the house, in ducts installed when the place was refurbed.

 

[Draughtsman]

I have the disconnected old coax tucked up behind the facia board. It seems to do the job in good weather. It's got a fine twisted core with a close woven copper mesh outer, inside the insulation.

did you check to see if the relay station was off air for any reason first?

all so called "digital" aerials actually receive an analogue signal !

"everybody" doesnt use wifi now and shouldnt when there is a simple solution to just get a new aerial. this is probably a good replacement for your old aerial but if you can it will also be better if you replace the old coax as well

https://www.toolstation.com/compact-log-periodic-tv-aerial/p31278

https://www.toolstation.com/pitacs-tv-satellite-cable-cucu-ct100/p10423

I put this aerial in the loft, with new coax (solid core/woven mesh + copper foil outer). Works ok. Picture qualty 100. Signal 53.

Earier I Iinitially tried the smaller caravan type aerial and got picture quality 100 with 78 signal?

Is signal strength dependent upon how many TVs are being used?

Dain

.

 

[opps]

From personal experience- I have had degradation caused by the tape holding the coax to the mast coming loose. Over the years the coax kept rubbing against sharp edges and the outer braiding rubbed away. I too discovered a slight improvement on some of the tellies once I disconnected the section of cable that runs from the aerial to the splitter in the attic. Once the faulty cable was replaced, everything was back to normal.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Is signal strength dependent upon how many TVs are being used?

Yes, how many TV's are plugged into it, but the signal will go down simply splitting the coax to feed more TV's even if none are connected at the ends of the leads.

 

[Draughtsman]

Altered the 28 element aerial by sitting it on a cardboard box so that the prongs are vertical, retuned. I have 97 signal strength & 100 picture quality.

That seems to have cracked it.

Thank you.

 

[Draughtsman]

Yes, how many TV's are plugged into it, but the signal will go down simply splitting the coax to feed more TV's even if none are connected at the ends of the leads.

Just the one.

 

[bernardgreen]

feed more TV's even if none are connected at the ends of the leads.

A length of cable from the splitter but with nothing on the far end ( an unterminated stub ) can degrade the signal to other TV.s Signals arriving at an unterminated cable end are reflected back like an echo to the splitter. The TV receivers have the incoming signal ( that they need ) mixed with an echo which can degrade signal and possibly picture quality.

Putting a 75 Ohm resistive terminator at the end of a stub can result in an improved signal quality.