I’m planning to use this aerial Labgear LAB450T Very High Gain TV Aerial , Silver / Black
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00I7TU...t_i_9SXTVR40ST7GFQJPY9FB?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
That kind of aerial is known as a tri-boom. They were never great aerials when we had the full tuning range from RF ch21 to 68. Since the 800MHz clearance, and the 700MHz clearance which is still ongoing, the eventual RF channel range will be from 21 to 49. The third or so that's going to be missing (50-68) corresponds to where tri-booms have most of their gain. In other words, where the tri-boom is strongest there will be no TV broadcasts. This is the same for a lot of the older wideband aerials.
Incidentally, the 'black' bit of the description actually means something. Aerials are split in to Groups depending on how much- and what portion of the RF channel range they cover. We used to have Red, Yellow, Green, Brown and Black, with Black as marked by the colour of the end cap covering the whole range but at a lower overall gain compared with those aerials with a more limited range.
The idea with tri-booms is that having three booms allows for as much metal in the form of the directors as a longer Yagi but in a shorter aerial. That's alright in theory, but there are some other factors that come in to play. One is the construction of the aerial. Thin bits of aluminium bent to give them some strength don't work as effectively as solid or tubular bar. The other issue is less relevant to you because you're not planning to mount the aerial outside. It's that tri-booms are both heavy compared to more conventional aerials but also that they catch the wind more too. A couple of things come from this this. It puts a lot of strain on the bracket and the brickwork. I have seen these things lever bricks loose when mounted on the cheap pressed steel brackets. Second, they fall to bits quite quickly. The two back panels of the aerial are the reflectors. The number of tri-booms I see that still look relatively shiny and yet have one or both reflectors missing.
You won't have the weather problem of course. But I'd still think twice before spending money on a tri-boom.
I know why tri-booms have been and continue to be popular. They look like "a lot of aerial" (think:
bragging rights), and they promise the highest gain. Anyone with no real knowledge of aerials could be easily persuaded that these are 'the best' without really appreciating the pitfalls.
we are on the edge of a strong signal area.
You say you're on the edge of a strong signal area. Does that mean you had/have a strong signal before, or are you saying that although the Sudbury transmitter is quite powerful, you live on the margin or fringe of the area and so your signal was never that strong?
Putting an aerial in a loft knocks the reception power down a little. Where you mount it in the loft can also affect the signal level it generates. It's not always the case that the centre of the loft gets the best signal. You really need to try the aerial in different places and watch what it does to signal level and quality.
Thanks Sureitsoff? Great find.
I mucked up the links. I think Lucid was referring to this Labgear one. Labgear LDA2061LR 6 Way Distribution Amplifier - 4G Filtered Amp For TV/FM/DAB Signals For 6 TVs RED Compliant
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J623...t_i_ZJW393P2GRDV56BZ6AGP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Actually, of all he three amps you've linked so far, my personal choice is still the
WOLSEY WFAV622. It's the only one with variable (adjustable) gain levels. This is not the same as saying that it's the best choice outright of
any amplified splitter; just out of the three you've linked this would be the one I'd fit if those were my only choices.
As Winston says, you might be able to do this with a passive splitter depending on how much field strength you get in the loft and how much of that the aerial translates in to useful signal.
