In need of some advice on aerials

[PoloMint]

I’m trying to get freeview, there are two transmitters near me:


Durris - 80KM away broadcasts at 10KW and 5KW – Group W Horizontal.

Angus - 30KM away broadcasts at 4KW and 2KW – Group C/D


At the moment the only aerials I have are a small set top one and access to a house aerial.

The house aerial is pointing at Durris, of the freeview Muxs I only get 1 and 2 which are on channels 30 and 34. I receive these with about 70% signal, the other Muxes (Ch 52 51 41 and 44) get no signal at all.

As I receive channels 30 and 34, band A, with quite a good signal, am I right in thinking that the house aerial simply doesn’t cover the band that channels 44-52 are in?

If so, what size of wideband aerial would I need to pick up the weakest mux, broadcasting at 5KW 70KM away? Or am I better to try and receive the much neared transmitter, 30KM away but broadcasting at only 2KW?

What kind of aerial would be best to get, and where from?

The set top aerial gets no digital reception from either transmitter, despite getting a reasonable analogue picture from one.


Any help or advice would be much appreciated, I’ve never really needed to look into aerials before.

 

[Llew]

I’m trying to get freeview, there are two transmitters near me:


Durris - 80KM away broadcasts at 10KW and 5KW – Group W Horizontal.

Angus - 30KM away broadcasts at 4KW and 2KW – Group C/D


At the moment the only aerials I have are a small set top one and access to a house aerial.

The house aerial is pointing at Durris, of the freeview Muxs I only get 1 and 2 which are on channels 30 and 34. I receive these with about 70% signal, the other Muxes (Ch 52 51 41 and 44) get no signal at all.

As I receive channels 30 and 34, band A, with quite a good signal, am I right in thinking that the house aerial simply doesn’t cover the band that channels 44-52 are in?

If so, what size of wideband aerial would I need to pick up the weakest mux, broadcasting at 5KW 70KM away? Or am I better to try and receive the much neared transmitter, 30KM away but broadcasting at only 2KW?

What kind of aerial would be best to get, and where from?

The set top aerial gets no digital reception from either transmitter, despite getting a reasonable analogue picture from one.


Any help or advice would be much appreciated, I’ve never really needed to look into aerials before.

Hi Polomint
I presume your present aerial is a Band A, which is why you can't receive 41 up on the DTT channels.
Although wideband aerials are a compromise, in your case this may be the only option. As you need to cover Ch.30 - 52 from the Durris TX, (A/ there is an Antiference hi-gain aerial that covers the B/K bands only. (Check their website).
Looking at my DTT transmitter list, Durris has upgraded their powers to 20Kw
on 30, 34, and 52, and 10Kw on 51.
Not sure if Angus is powerful enough at your location, particularly as they transmit on Band 5.
A good W/B aerial pointed at Durris, with CT100 cable should be OK.

Llew

 

[rolfw]

As Llew says, certainly sounds like the Antenna is group "A", a wideband and masthead should produce the goods for you, particularly as you are already receiving a couple of the multiplexes. Something like the Televes DAT45 may be useful, as the balun can be replaced with an amp.

 

[PaulR]

Don't forget that the BBC muxes use 16QAM which is more robust that the 64QAM used on the other muxes. This means that you need a stronger signal strength for the commercial muxes.

PaulR

 

[PoloMint]

Thanks for the replies and info guys

I’ve been thinking about this more today and have some perhaps more serious problems...

This will have to be a temporary installation. I’m in rented student accommodation so no holes in walls or putting it on the roof (which is flat, but there is no way onto it from the house I’m in, and even if there were the accommodation services people wouldn’t be keen on the idea if they found out). Worryingly I don’t know if I can actually install it outside at all, if I put it on/near the ground outside it will probably get nicked or vandalised. There is a room inside with an open view (through a window) in the direction of the transmitter, how well do these aerials work inside?

Which moves onto the second problem, size and cost, is it likely that something as big/expensive as the DAT 45 is needed? I’ve been looking at other peoples aerials (makes a change from looking at their dishes) to get an idea of what’s about and none of them seem to be the size of the DAT45, then again it could just be that people here don’t have freeview. The aerial up there now seems to be just an elderly 10 element thing, I don’t really know of anyone to ask locally about reception here, apart from going into the local Currys, but I don’t know if I would believe them.

 

[rolfw]

Problem with terrestrial aerials, is that the lower you mount them the less chance they have of picking up a good signal (as a general rule), they will successfully work in a loft and through walls, but if you are trying to pull in a fringe signal being inside will make things more difficult due to the attennuation.

You're better ringing a local aerial installer about reception, they deal with it every day.

 

[PoloMint]

I could put it high up on the second floor which isn’t that much lower than it being on the roof itself, but I suppose every little counts especially if it’s combined with the problems of walls/windows.

I’ll try and ask around locally some more before buying anything.

 

[loftyj]

Hi PoloMint
If its Uni: accommodation and is there property it maybe be worth asking them to change the aerial so that the freeview digital signals can be recived, using the excuse that the goverment is asking everyone to go digital A.S.A.P