where to position tv aerial in loft?

[JamesA]

Can anyone offer any advice as to where in the loft a TV aerial should go?
Its for freeview.
(I'm initially trying it in the loft as I don't want to become the next Rod Hull, and I don't want to spend £200 getting someone in unless necessary).

Should it go as high as possible?
How far away must it be kept from metal pipes going to the tank? 5/6 Feet Ok?
Is it Ok if the wooden eaves/beams are in the way, or should it be mounted lower down where theres more room?

I've got the compass bearing from the web site (298 degrees). Testing the aerial in the living room it finds BBC, ITV E4 etc... but no Sky Sports News.
The Neighbour's house isn't in the way, but there is a tree 10m from the house just to one side of where I need to point it.

 

[breezer]

take tv with you and you decide, oh and do turn the tv on, connecting one to the other also helps

 

[Belle427]

aye,wherever the best picture is put it there

 

[libby lou lou]

which way are your neighbours facing ? simple?no?

 

[breezer]

bit hard to see from inside a loft i would have thought (unless he has a velux window)

 

[JamesA]

From what I can see it does look like its a case of trial and error with a portable tv.

The only decent link I found was:
http://www.stevelarkins.freeuk.com/loft_aerial.htm

 

[Richard C]

Run good quality, satellite co-ax cable (the cost difference is negligible). Look at the general direction of aerials on you neighbours houses, stick yours on a bracket up in the loft, pointing roughly the same direction & as near as you can get it to the roof but not at the chimney breast if you have one. Auto set-up you digital tuner & using the menu options, select the weakest signal/channel you can find & then ask wife/partner downstairs to shout when the signal strength goes up or down while you turn ariel through 30 degrees in either direction; job done. I’ve got a 15 quid, nothing special ariel in the loft & I get perfect digital pictures but it doesn’t always work as it depends the signal strength where you live.

 

[breezer]

Look at the general direction of aerials on you neighbours houses

a bit hard from inside a loft (velux window not included)


so in other words, guess and move the aerial round, which is what i said in the first place

 

[Richard C]

Look at the general direction of aerials on you neighbours houses

a bit hard from inside a loft (velux window not included)


so in other words, guess and move the aerial round, which is what i said in the first place

Is your sense of direction really that bad you loose it by climbing up a ladder; still, the very seasoned contributor that you are, I’m sure posters find your advice & comments far more useful than my efforts!

 

[JamesA]

Just to let you know I got the aerial up and running.
Theres a few Freeview channels missing that people with roof aerials get (Sky Sports News, some of the free music channels) but otherwise it worked fine.

Getting the aerial lined up for the analog signal 1st with a TV in the loft did the trick.
It seems the aerial booster was causing a problem as well, removing it improved the picture a lot.
The wire running from the loft down the back of the plasterboard walls to the tv socket in the living room is also really old brown stuff.
I think I'll have to consider putting the aerial on the roof and getting decent wire later on.

Bizarly, the best alignment was quite a bit off the 298 degrees the web site recommended...

 

[breezer]

Getting the aerial lined up for the analog signal 1st with a TV in the loft did the trick.

Bizarly, the best alignment was quite a bit off the 298 degrees the web site recommended...

which is what i said to do in the first place

 

[Thermo]

Bizarly, the best alignment was quite a bit off the 298 degrees the web site recommended

could well be the batteries in the compass

 

[Nige F]

You`ve got a lot of hills in Norfolk, John .....can you pick up Dutch tv.

 

[2scoops0406]

You're lucky you've got a strong signal. I've got a loft aerial a 52 element one no less with an amplified distribution box and a masthead amp too. The picture quality is still c**p

 

[Sam Gangee]

For future reference, there's a lot of free info about Freeview and indoor aerials here:
http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/