Decent TV Antenna Recommendation.

[Quattrodave]

Afternoon all,

 

Can anyone recommend a decent TV antenna, I was looking at something like this:

 

https://www.force4.co.uk/item/Majestic/UFO-X-TV-Antenna/1082

 

Reading all the writeups they all say they are amazing, call me cynical, but I doubt it...

 

Thanks

 

Dave

[pete.i]

Had one of those on my boat and it was junk. I opted for a log periodic on a pole that I could turn to the strongest signal. They are reasonably compact and multi signal to an extent. Worked for me. Those bent coat hanger ones are junk as well.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/Log-Periodic-Tv-Aerial/175835/bn_7023559947

 

I didn't get mine off Ebay too many scammers on there. Go to a decent telly shop.

Edited March 6, 2021 by pete.i

[Richard10002]

I got mine from Toolsation - no need to pay specialist prices for a TV aerial.

 

https://www.toolstation.com/compact-log-periodic-tv-aerial/p31278

 

 

[OldGoat]

1 minute ago, pete.i said:

Had one of those on my boat and it was junk. I opted for a log periodic on a pole that I could turn to the strongest signal. Worked for me. Those bent coat hanger ones are junk as well.

Wot he said - I was about to post in a similar vein. May not look smart but they do the job and can be stowed easily as the sticky out bits are all in one plane. This one from ebay -

“Stealth” Mini Small Log Periodic Wideband Digital HD TV Aerial Freeview HD Loft

Big display listing on ebay (couldn't be bothered to copy the URL) and the cheapest price as well. I've tried a double length onbe and it was no better and more awkward to store.

[Alan de Enfield]

26 minutes ago, Quattrodave said:

Afternoon all,

 

Can anyone recommend a decent TV antenna, I was looking at something like this:

 

https://www.force4.co.uk/item/Majestic/UFO-X-TV-Antenna/1082

 

Reading all the writeups they all say they are amazing, call me cynical, but I doubt it...

 

Thanks

 

Dave

 

 

Quite happy with ours, never not yet been able to get Freeview anywhere.

 

It is mounted on a sliding pole that goes thru the roof & into a wardrobe .

 

Edit to add : It does require 12v for powering the 30db amplifier

 

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[mrsmelly]

Mini Log periodic a tenner off ebay. Perfick.

[Sea Dog]

I've used a short log periodic for years - good antenna and easily stowed as said. Because mine's on a magnetic roof mount it's a bit low, but I like to stow it after  use and it generally does well so I have no real inclination to fit a mast. Despite their known failings though, particularly when there's more than one transmitter covering the area, last year I added an inexpensive small Omni in a dome to see if I could cut down on the rigging and derigging as we tend to move most days. Now clearly, last year was not our longest ever cruise(!) but we did all points in a triangle across to Braunston, up to Leek and back down via the Severn with many a detour between, so quite a reasonable sample, and it was far more effective than I expected.  I found about 50% of the time the Omni "just worked" after a quick retune to the new area and if it didn't, I put the log periodic up. Sometimes, maybe 20%, that didn't get a signal either, but for those times there's the mobile phone WiFi hotspot and a smart TV, so we're now down to about 5% with no TV. Actually, I'm pretty good without TV coverage outside of the 6 Nations, so the log periodic is getting an easy life even though it is by far the better terrestrial TV aerial. The Omni doesn't get a signal on my home mooring though, so the little Log still earns it's keep. Get one.

 

[Tony Brooks]

Another for log periodic. Tried flying saucers and birdcage ones for silly money gave up wasting money for little perceivable benefit. The only thing with log periodic is that you have to know how to find and set the polarization in areas with local transmitters

[Jen-in-Wellies]

Get a set of antlers off one of these:

 

They seem to pick up television signals just fine. The creatures shed them in the autumn, so no need to hunt one. Unless you like hunting that is.

[LadyG]

So, it says something about 4G, does that mean I need something special, I believe I have a smart TV, but on Saturday afternoon, my internet racing site slows down, due to football sucking up my dhare of the brosdband,  though TV does work OK.

So does this avoid internet/mifi router thingy?

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by LadyG

[Tony Brooks]

47 minutes ago, LadyG said:

So, it says something about 4G, does that mean I need something special, I believe I have a smart TV, but on Saturday afternoon, my internet racing site slows down, due to football sucking up my dhare of the brosdband,  though TV does work OK.

So does this avoid internet/mifi router thingy?

 

 

I don't understand TVs and 4G have nothing to do with each other except a TV normally needs an aerial while 4g demands an aerial even if it's inside a device. Many 4G MIFIs or hubs can accept an external aerial and one would normally improve reception inside a steel tube like a narrowboat.

 

I  suspect you slow down is caused by your 4G provider having insufficient infrastructure at busy times.

 

A smart TV will not be smart unless its has a connection to the internet so if you are doing that via a 4G modem router/MIFI then when the TV is using the internet rather than the Off Air aerial it will slow down when your service provider gets overloaded.

 

Your TV needs an aerial for terrestrial TV AND an internet connection. The connection between your phone/router/MIFI could be via a cable or wifi

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by Tony Brooks

[Sea Dog]

15 hours ago, LadyG said:

So, it says something about 4G, does that mean I need something special...

That'll be a 4G (aka LTE) filter to take out mobile phone signals which may interfere with the TV signal you're aiming for. Most newer log periodic aerials have them.

[colmac]

Been using a Moonraker for years andhad very few problems.

[OldGoat]

One area of discussion has been missed - and that is the matter of signal strength. Where we're moored is a signal area between Crystal Palace and Basingstoke transmitters. Coupled with the marina's wifi meanst that we get no terestrial tv at all, thus I have a flat satellite dish that's not affected by all that signal noise.....

 

I suspect that many of the advocates of compacted aerials moor in good signal areas where even a bit of wet string would work.... 

[Tony Brooks]

1 minute ago, OldGoat said:

One area of discussion has been missed - and that is the matter of signal strength. Where we're moored is a signal area between Crystal Palace and Basingstoke transmitters. Coupled with the marina's wifi meanst that we get no terestrial tv at all, thus I have a flat satellite dish that's not affected by all that signal noise.....

 

I suspect that many of the advocates of compacted aerials moor in good signal areas where even a bit of wet string would work.... 

 

We have been all over with a compact aerial and always got a signal strong enough to watch the main channels except in a very few areas where the topography showed a signal was unlikely. The ones I remember were at the top of the Caldon and around Childe Beal on the Thames, in both cases there were hills between the boat and all likely transmitters. However, as I said earlier, if you are in a local transmitter area you often have to twist the aerial rods through 90 degrees to get a decent signal strength  from the local infill transmitter. From memory the Guildford area is one of those places. There is also a local transmitter at Henley if I recall.

 

I did have a program on my laptop a bit like this one http://tx.mb21.co.uk/mapsys/google/uhftv.php

but mine let me zoom the map so I could see the canal and click on the location. Then it showed the path to likely transmitters so it was easier to align the aerial. Like the above it also showed the signal polarisation. Unfortunately I can't find that website any more.

[Richard10002]

21 hours ago, Quattrodave said:

Afternoon all,

 

Can anyone recommend a decent TV antenna, I was looking at something like this:

 

https://www.force4.co.uk/item/Majestic/UFO-X-TV-Antenna/1082

 

Reading all the writeups they all say they are amazing, call me cynical, but I doubt it...

 

Thanks

 

Dave

Ive just seen the price.... HOW MUCH!?

 

I actually fitted a UFO saucer aerial on my seagoing yacht in 2006, and got a great signal from Glasson Dock to Malta and back.

 

I suppose if I needed something small I might consider it, but on a narrowboat you don’t need to spend more than twenty quid plus some fittings.

[TheBiscuits]

1 hour ago, Richard10002 said:

I actually fitted a UFO saucer aerial on my seagoing yacht in 2006, and got a great signal from Glasson Dock to Malta

 

That's impressive ...