TV Aeriel

[Old Son]

I have been searching the site but an still bemused. I want a TV aeriel. I dont know if it needs to include an amplifier and if it does would it not be better to run fron 12/24V? Would an aeriel that covers UHF 470-870MHz and VHF 47-230MHz cover the standard channels?

 

Which one would you choose?

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/12-24v-outdoor-digital-aerial-476170

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/outdoor-digital-aerial-46230

 

I appreciate some of you dont want to watch TV on your boat. My family do.

 

Thanks

[Guest]

 

Which one would you choose?

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/12-24v-outdoor-digital-aerial-476170

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/outdoor-digital-aerial-46230

 

 

Neither - I have a log 40 shown here.

 

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/atvschoiceofaerials.html#LogPeriodics

 

OK it needs aligning and it's a tad bulky but it works perfectly..

Edited July 25, 2011 by MJG

[RLWP]

I have been searching the site but an still bemused. I want a TV aeriel. I dont know if it needs to include an amplifier and if it does would it not be better to run fron 12/24V? Would an aeriel that covers UHF 470-870MHz and VHF 47-230MHz cover the standard channels?

 

Which one would you choose?

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/12-24v-outdoor-digital-aerial-476170

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/outdoor-digital-aerial-46230

 

I appreciate some of you dont want to watch TV on your boat. My family do.

 

Thanks

 

Did you search for aeriel or aerial?

 

Richard

[Robin2]

I have been searching the site but an still bemused. I want a TV aeriel. I dont know if it needs to include an amplifier and if it does would it not be better to run fron 12/24V? Would an aeriel that covers UHF 470-870MHz and VHF 47-230MHz cover the standard channels?

 

Which one would you choose?

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/12-24v-outdoor-digital-aerial-476170

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/outdoor-digital-aerial-46230

 

I appreciate some of you dont want to watch TV on your boat. My family do.

 

Thanks

 

Maplin's website takes sooo loooong to load.

 

The aerial I have has Maplin part No A22HG. Its bulky and awkward compared to the first one you listed and it needs to be aligned. I bought it because it is robust. I have seen so many flimsier antenna on boats with the elements bent at all sorts of useless angles. Also it often works fine without the big reflector panels.

 

IIRC I had found information on the web about some standards body that tested antennas and the one I bought was in the best category (probably marked on the long-gone packaging) but I can't find the website now.

 

ETA I use it without a booster - just plugged into my USB Freeview tuner.

Edited July 25, 2011 by Robin2

[Old Son]

Did you search for aeriel or aerial?

 

Richard

 

Is it really that important?

[Guest]

Is it really that important?

 

Only if you want to find what you want to search for...

 

The search on here is bad enough so just one character makes a huge difference.

[steve hayes]

The problem I can see with the Maplin aerials mentioned that they will be too close to the steel shell of the boat.

We have used a selection of aerials over the years and the only way to get a good signal is to get the aerial as high as practical.

[RLWP]

Is it really that important?

 

Yes. You won't find what you are looking for if you spell it wrong

 

Richard

[Old Son]

I have a 14' mast which slots into a collapsable bracket so I can take everything down every night.

 

The Log 40 looks good. Is it robust?

 

Yes. You won't find what you are looking for if you spell it wrong

 

Richard

 

That makes sense. Thanks

[Nickhlx]

Only if you want to find what you want to search for...

 

The search on here is bad enough so just one character makes a huge difference.

 

 

I would say a cheaper conventional type of (Yagi) aerial is going to be better than either of these - In a good signal area, all will work and probably adequately. Its when you get to the more difficult areas that the differences will show. The Maplin ones cover huge frequency ranges, so can't be "much good" at any of them. Much of their gain comes from an internal "mast head" amplifier, which amplifies both the received signal and the hash that accompanies it, giving you little improvement.

 

If the gain is derived by an aerial with many directors and a reflector (Yagi), this both concentrates the available signal onto the active element, and rejects hash from most directions. It does mean you have to point it in the right direction and also correctly orientate it horizontal or vertical in most cases, but I would definitely go for one of those.

 

Personally, we have only had to use our (came with the boat) Glomex aerial which is mainly because we are in a good signal strength area where we cruise, but have a dish for mooring up in valleys. I do think that the Glomex ( assuming working as it should be and correctly terminated etc) is a very good aerial, probably reflected in the cost of the thing - around £275 !

 

Nick

 

Edited to correct aerial make - although I do believe the Optimax to be very good too !

Edited July 25, 2011 by Nickhlx

[RLWP]

<snip>

 

That makes sense. Thanks

 

No problem. The search is frustrating enough as it is without confusing it even more. I always have to look up how to spell aerial

 

 

Richard

[Guest]

No problem. The search is frustrating enough as it is without confusing it even more. I always have to look up how to spell aerial

 

 

Richard

 

 

 

The Log 40 looks good. Is it robust?

 

 

Seems strong enough - though any type of this sort needs a degree of care to avoid bending the 'sticky out bits' (technical name for them evades me at the mo...)7

 

Have a read about on the site, there is a huge amount of info. on there...

[john6767]

Slightly

 

We has a omni-direction aerial on a magnetic mount which is ok in strong signal areas. I was thinking of trying a directional one, but is is possible to use a magnetic or other type of mount that does not involve permanent fixing?

[Guest]

Slightly

 

We has a omni-direction aerial on a magnetic mount which is ok in strong signal areas. I was thinking of trying a directional one, but is is possible to use a magnetic or other type of mount that does not involve permanent fixing?

 

Yes perfectly possible. have a scout about on here -

 

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

[RobinR]

The log periodic is the best option by far also ensure you use good satellite grade feeder (coax)and good connections at all points. Plus ensure the elements are correctly polarised (horizontal or vertical to match the transmitter). Main transmitters are horizontally polarised and relays are generally vertically polarised. Look at the local aerials for both polarity and direction. The signal looses over 20dB attenuation for an incorrectly polarised aerial. Every 3 dB loss halves the input to the TV thus from a 100 watt transmitter where 3dB = 50 watts, 6dB = 25 watts, 9dB = 12.5 watts, 12dB = 6.25 watts, 15dB = 3.125 watts, 18dB = 1.5625 watts and finally 21 dB = 0.78125 watts!! Usefull when moored near a main transmitter to prevent the front end amplifier in the TV receiver but not much use a 10 miles or so from a 10 watt relay!!

[by'eck]

Read this then decide.

 

Certainly stay away from omni-directional aerials - as stated they are crap - just accept whatever other you choose, you will have to point it in the right direction.

[nicknorman]

I know it's been said before (probably by me!) but satellite is so much easier. I would not contemplate going back to terrestrial.

 

Nick

[bottle]

Log periodic 40

 

Forget a booster if the signal is cr*p then it will boost the cr*p, for an amplifier/booster to work you need a good clean signal.

 

Anything between the transmitter and the aerial will degrade the signal.

[Old Son]

Polarisation, turn the aerial through 90 degrees to change from horizontal to vertical?

 

I have a suitcase dish but the trees surrounding my mooring don't allow me to get a decent picture. Most of the time I get no picture. At least the aerial gives me some choice.

 

Thanks for all your replies

[Ianey]

I've been advised by my boat builder to go for a satellite dish and found this on Amazon at a good price for a QUAD LNB unit. I ordered the bundle of satellite dish, cable and signal strength meter

 

My link

 

 

Not sure on what others use?

Edited July 25, 2011 by Ianey

[Nickhlx]

With the satellite systems, the bigger the dish, the higher the gain but the more accurately focussed on the satellite they need to be, and smaller boat movements will more easily knock it off aim.

 

The Lidl / Aldi complete systems in a suitcase, at around £40 when they appear, are excellent - I have bought several and installed for friends, even on a house in North France as a fixed installation and they are sufficiently sensitive to use a small dish ( approx 15"to 18" from memory) and be not very directional. As I haven't seen them for several months I wouldn't be surprised if they come up again soon....

 

Nick

 

 

[Martyn Hicks]

I've been advised by my boat builder to go for a satellite dish and found this on Amazon at a good price for a QUAD LNB unit. I ordered the bundle of satellite dish, cable and signal strength meter

 

My link

 

 

Not sure on what others use?

 

Ok goodish satelite dish but it says WALL BRACKETS so you have to fix it to a pole or bolt it into as it says on the box the wall with wall plugs how thick is the steel on the side of a boat ?????

 

Look for a satellite dish thats suction mounted or magnetic mounted or yeah fit a clumbersome pole fixing on the boat...

 

Martyn...

Edited July 26, 2011 by Martyn Hicks

[Scooby]

Ok goodish satelite dish but it says WALL BRACKETS so you have to fix it to a pole or bolt it into as it says on the box the wall with wall plugs how thick is the steel on the side of a boat ?????

 

Look for a satellite dish thats suction mounted or magnetic mounted or yeah fit a clumbersome pole fixing on the boat...

 

Martyn...

 

Magnetic mount with a g clamp works well..

[RobinR]

We use both terrestial and satellite because there are times when one works and not the other and vice versa and times when both work and times when neither work. The log periodic has been prooved to be excellent with a 9dB masthead amplifier to feed two TVs over 40 feet apart. We use the Comag portable satellite set-up which is very easy to set up. Initially the dish is set vertical and using a compass aimed at 146 degrees east of magnetic north. Moving away from the boat an other metal objects, I determine an approximate direction for this bearing then place myself between the dish and a distant point previously established (or behind the dish and point approx 146 degrees when this was on the other side of the canal). I then make a more accurate sighting with a £5 compass from Aldi and point the dish in the indicated direction. This year I was close enough to get a picture 4 times out of 10 when I switched the box on! The Comag box has a variable pitch audio tone to facilitate alignment however to aviod deafening the family in the boat I use an amplified speaker fed from the headphone socket on the TV via an extension lead from Maplins. The dish mount has an angle scale and I noted the setting for future use (19 degrees in my case) thus I can generally set up the dish as quickly as the TV aerial with retuning on occasions when we have moved to a location covered by a different transmitter. A big plus with satellite is the ability to watch local TV News from our home area. We also have a spare 10 meters of feeder cable thus can locate the dish over 30 feet from its usual spot near the front of the roof to avoid trees and buildings etc.

[Rob99fla]

Having just installed a TV on the boat which had no aerial installed I took a chance on one of these:-

 

http://www.parkmyauto.co.uk/parkmyauto-best-motorhome-caravan-boats-portable-indoor-outdoor-tv-aerial-arial-ariel-858-p.asp

 

The thing is, it works just fine. I even split it using an F-splitter (so I can also use it for my DAB) from Toolstation:-

 

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Electrical/TV+Satellite/Wideband+TV+Satellite+Splitter+2+Way/d190/sd3084/p66100

 

Moored on the outskirts of Oxford near Yarnton. The area has not switched over to Freeview yet but all channels tuned in OK. Analogue pretty good too.

 

Anyway, I am happy so far. Have yet to try in other areas but feedback from other users is very encouraging.

 

Saw this too:-

 

http://www.ybw.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-239615.html

Edited August 23, 2011 by Rob99fla