Digital aerial advice

father-ted

father-ted

father-ted

Associate
Joined
25 Aug 2008
Posts
1,322
Location
York, UK
Which is the best one to get?
Been in this house 8 years and no idea how old the aerial is - it is old and small.
We have x7 TV's in the house.

All tv's in the house have lost terrestrial TV.
Checked the booster in the attic, that is fine.

I can tune the tv's and they come up with a channel list, but hardly any of them produce a picture.
Worked previously (last time I checked was around 12 months ago - we usually watch Sky so havent noticed).

Must be the aerial.....so which one is good / what should I buy?

Thanks
 
father-ted said:
Just checked, no it is the same / not moved (Emley Moor)
Click to expand...

It could still be worth getting it checked. Aerials can move out of alignment and do more often than peeps think. If you get a pro to check it and it's just a weathered connection on the aerial or it is out of alignment, it can be dealt with there and then with no need for a new aerial.
 
Which transmitter we receive from rarely (if ever) changes now as there's very little new transmitter building work going on for the main populated areas in the UK. There have been a whole series of retune events which is what I think @kitfit1 was probably referring to. This has changed the size of the tuning range (was RF ch 21 to 68, now 21-60, but will eventually be 21-50), and also where the various channel muxes are found on that range.

Depending on which side of York someone lives, it could be serviced by the Emley Moor, Bilsdale or Belmont transmitters. You've confirmed you're on Emley Moor.

The channel spread for Emley Moor is currently RF ch 33 to 55. Compared to the analogue and pre-2018 digital era the channels have shifted down the range generally speaking, but not significantly that you'd get major reception issues so long as the old aerial is in working condition. With the switch to a fully digital system the transmitter power was increased, and that help aerials with lower gain to perform okay.

The fact that you've lost all channels would suggest an age-related fault with either the aerial or the feeder cable and its connection.

Given the wide spread of channels, my first instinct would be to go for an aerial with a wide reception range. This is the Log Periodic aerial. However they're also fairly low gain so won't work so well in weak signal areas. Check online to see what a Log Periodic looks like. It has a very distinctive profile. Then have a look at your neighbours properties. If you see shiny new aerials of the same type then it would be safe to choose one of these.

Go check and then report back.
 
Had a look at the surrounding neighbours.
Most point the same direction as mine, a couple do point towards the Bilsdale transmitter.
They are mostly the standard type aerial, some have double aerials (one on top of the other).
 
Double aerials stacked is simply the home owner opting for the cheapest way to add extra TV points. It's bad practise from a professional installer point of view: the aerials being in close proximity to each other can interact and cause signal issues. Also, it's little known (and even rarer to see enforced) but there is a limit on the number of aerials a single property can have up.

Aerials mounted side-by-side, usually on a bracket giving 2-3 ft separation is called a tuned array. It is for exceptionally weak signal areas and takes a lot of skill to setup and adjust correctly to get maximum signal level without falling in to the trap of destructive signal cancellation.

For the majority of homeowners a single aerial of the correct type to match the channel range of the local transmitter is adequate for decent reception.

Are you looking to install the aerial yourself or get someone in from a local company?
 
Last edited:
Armageus said:
If you're installing one yourself, I highly recommend having a read through the information available and ordering from here:
https://www.aerialsandtv.com/
Click to expand...

I would go even further than that and say that anyone interested in quality and not getting ripped off by low-ballers, whether DIYing or getting someone in, should read the ATV site. It's an excellent resource from people who know their stuff.

As a professional installer myself, I would far rather have a conversation with a prospective customer who understands enough to appreciate why I use cable that will last 20 years or more rather than 20 months, and why I'm not cheaping-out on the weedy aerial bracket that ends up wrecking their pointing (and worse), and why I'm an expert at choosing the correct aerial for their needs rather than something big and flimsy that will disintegrate over the next 3 years.

There are still a lot of installers who will just tell the customer what they want to hear in order to close a sale. They're busy, but the customers often don't realise that they've been duped in to buying rubbish. The infuriating thing is that the difference in price between good gear and crap is really quite small. The best bracket is maybe a tenner more. All-copper cable is just 20p a metre extra, or maybe less if the cowboy is spanking their prices.

Getting a good deal and getting a cheap deal are not the same thing. With one, you fit and forget for the next two decades. The other will have you scratching your head in 3 years why the telly has no signal.
 
The aerial is on the roof, I was going to do it myself but I may get a price from a local company.
It is mounted on a sturdy looking short pole, connected with double brackets.

Heights ain't my strong point, I could do it but I would be shaking like a sh*ting dog lol
 
UPDATE:
Got a local company around to change the aerial, I thought the 6 way booster in the loft was ok, as it was lit up and looked normal.
Turns out it wasn't working correctly.
They replaced the booster.

All sorted now.
Thanks
 
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