TV aerial issue - do we need one?

Munch · 21-12-2008, 22:21

Hi
We have just moved house and the house has no TV aerial.
The last people who were in the house said that they got signal fine without an aerial, as there is a TV antenna tower at the top of the road.

However, we plugged in our digital TV into the mains sockets and it picked up the analogue channels ok-ish, but could not find any digital channels at all.

So we are not really sure what to do next... should we pay to get an aerial fitted to the outside of the house or is it likely that we can buy an internal type aerial which may work out cheaper?

Just not really sure how TV signals work without the normal outside aerial and inside TV sockets

Thanks for any advice...

jl-heating · 21-12-2008, 22:25

try the aerial shop on abbeydale road he will advise you best.

The Aerial & Satellite Shop's SL1Website. 633 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield, S7 1TB. Tel: 0114 255 2178. Satellite & Aerial Services; Retail & Trade Counter ...

garrence · 21-12-2008, 22:27

Try an indoor aerial and see what happens.

There's a TV tower in Hunters Bar? When I lived there, our aerial was pointing at the tower at the top of Crookes. An indoor one worked OK in the attic but not on the ground floor, presumably because it was pointing through the neighbour's house.

I fitted an external one in the end.

If you do get an external one, the actual aerial costs about £20.

Crosser · 21-12-2008, 22:44

For what its worth, I had no telly aerial. but bought one from Argos for about £80 with all the cable, booster box for 4 sets etc, it took me half an afternoon to install in my loft and it works a dream.

I was quoted over £200 to have a similar system fitted.

A little work on your part will save you a lot of money.

unknown_sole · 21-12-2008, 23:38

you can get them portable freeview aerials and box there about £50 but id rather have a permanent 1 fitted

belperite · 21-12-2008, 23:59

When I lived in an attic room on Neill Road for a while I got all the freeview channels on an indoor aerial on top of the TV pointing at Crosspool, however this was prone to interference such as the boiler switching on/off, cars going by on the road below etc.

You're better off with a proper external wideband or group K aerial (again pointing at Crosspool transmitter).

HTH

Rich

Munch · 22-12-2008, 09:23

Thanks for the advice. We are no longer at Hunters Bar but have just moved up to Crookes, basically about 300 meters away from the one at the top/crosspool.

I would rather get an external one fitted but will perhaps have a play around with a booster box as suggested (i think my mum has one) first to see how effective it is.

Davekowl · 22-12-2008, 17:25

Bought a new lcd telly the other day for the kitchen.I tried it with an electric portable aerial but the results were poor.So I connected it to the main aerial on the roof and the reception was brill.It pulled in all the "Freeview" channels with no problems.

The Chavs · 22-12-2008, 18:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davekowl

Bought a new lcd telly the other day for the kitchen.I tried it with an electric portable aerial but the results were poor.So I connected it to the main aerial on the roof and the reception was brill.It pulled in all the "Freeview" channels with no problems.

How did you connect it to the roof aerial?

I have a roof aerial and aerial in the wall in all the bedrooms. Our main tv is sky so we have never bothered but the tv in the living room does pick up digital channels when sky isnt turned on.

Ive never used the upstairs aerials before but got my son a tv for xmas. Ive tired a normal aerial cable but it says no signal. Picks up analogue slightly but really crap picture and no sound. Ive tried to go int he loft and all I can find is a box with wires and it all looks OK (as if I know what im looking at lol!!!).

Anyhow, can the main outside aerials cables come loose? Can I see this from inside the loft? Can I buy a decent, cheap internal aerial that will pick up digital. I dont want to buy anything incase it doesnt work. Any advise welcome.

mavis · 23-12-2008, 00:33

i live just under the mast at the top of lydgate and have all my life and we have never had a proper aerial back in the old days of only 3 chanels we could get 3 extra chanels!! and now we have 4 teles all have just the wire aerials attatched to the set or 1 has bt vision and as long as the £12.99 aerial from argos is poiinting in the direction of the mast we get all the chanels....having said all that if someone moves it or the cat knocks it , it all goes to pot!!!...but i think you should manage without,and yes we too were quoted £200 to have a "proper" one fitted...ouch

uniden300 · 23-12-2008, 10:23

you dnt have long all analogue channels will be turned of 2011 if not before

Davekowl · 23-12-2008, 17:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Chavs

How did you connect it to the roof aerial?

I have a roof aerial and aerial in the wall in all the bedrooms. Our main tv is sky so we have never bothered but the tv in the living room does pick up digital channels when sky isnt turned on.

Ive never used the upstairs aerials before but got my son a tv for xmas. Ive tired a normal aerial cable but it says no signal. Picks up analogue slightly but really crap picture and no sound. Ive tried to go int he loft and all I can find is a box with wires and it all looks OK (as if I know what im looking at lol!!!).

Anyhow, can the main outside aerials cables come loose? Can I see this from inside the loft? Can I buy a decent, cheap internal aerial that will pick up digital. I dont want to buy anything incase it doesnt work. Any advise welcome.

Had to buy an aerial splitter.About £5 for a decent one and a length of aerial wire with connectors.It fits on the end of the original aerial cable.I was lucky and just had to drill a small hole through the wall into the kitchen and then plug into the new television.Then you have 2 televisions working from the same conection

furnthehoff · 10-01-2009, 17:04

HI

My name is james . I am a RDI registerd digital aerial installer. If you use an amplifier to close to the transmitter it will give u to much signal strenth and this can cause you problems with digital and analauge aswell

would be happy to give you free advice
TEL 07766256034
THANKS

Dhimmi · 10-01-2009, 18:18

If you're in Crookes, you might be better placed to receive from the Emely Moor transmitter. This gives a better quality picture on analogue as Crosspool is just a relay, although this should make no difference to digital TV. Either way, you should be fine with an indoor (loft) aerial, provided that it doesn't have to 'look' through too many other houses. If you can get away with it, aerials are better fitted in the loft as they cannot be damaged by weather or birds. You do not need a booster where you are, and if you have several TVs to feed, you would be better off financially and otherwise having more than one aerial, as this is cheaper than a decent quality booster, uses no extra power and is less prone to interference.

Whichever way you go, please ensure that you use good quality co-axial cable. Not the crap that's sold as TV aerial cable in DIY shops, although what they sell as 'satellite' cable is fine due to having a better quality screen. If you use poor aerial cable, you will likely suffer from interference, and besides, the losses in cheap cable will require a higher-gain, and therefore more expensive, aerial to compensate.

belperite · 10-01-2009, 21:47

A lot of houses around where I live now (Hillsborough) are on Emley Moor, possibly because it's less prone to ghosting on analogue due to hills, buildings etc. One or two are even on Belmont (near Louth, Lincs) for some reason!

This page is good for TV reception in Sheffield:

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/sheffieldtx.html

Rich

upinwath · 11-01-2009, 06:14

Many years ago when we were starting aerial theory the lecturer told us the first rule of aerial is give them air. (as in air ial).

What he was saying is that to get the best from an aerial system the antenna needs to be clear of anything that may be a problem signal wise.

Get an outdoor aerial fitted by someone who knows what they are doing and you will have years of trouble free viewing.
Well except for throwing the remote at the TV when you get sick of the repeats and crap they put on the box.