problems getting freeveiw with loft aerial - fix or replace?

[AlF2008]

We've recently moved into an old bungalow and have a freeview box but its really struggling to get many channels. The aerial is in the loft and I wouldn't be surprised if it and the cabling are approx 25+ years old as the house was last touched/sold then.

I'm guessing that the aerial is probably just old (looks like a small fireguard i.e. flat and vertical) and needs replaced although is there are any way to determine whether it suitable or not? The house is in an area of good reception according to the wolfsbane checker.
I'm playing with the idea of just buying an external aerial and fitting it but didn't know whether there were any checks that should be done first? Also are there any recommendations for aerials?

Thanks!

 

[Adam_151]

You need to find out which band the aerial is for (sometimes there arfe coloured caps on it).

If you tell us which transmitter you are pointing it at (ie. lincolnshire folk point at belmount, yorkshire at emley moor, londoners crystal palace, etc), we can tell what bands the digi muxes are in, and so which aerial you need (quite often wideband), and additionally, which band would have been installed in years gone by

 

[Sureitsoff?]

the freeview aerial requirement for Edinburgh viewers is a wideband aerial mounted horizontally and pointing at Craigkelly transmitter which is just to the north of Burntisland and almost exactly opposite Granton.

Dont forget to use good quality cable ieWF/CT100

 

[AlF2008]

Yeah the nearest transmitter is Craigkelly which is almost due north and as we are on a hill there is nothing between us and it apart from a tree.

I'll pop up into the loft tomorrow morning and see if the aerial has any identifying marks etc.

Thanks for the replies.