Getting the arial right to recieve tv ?

[Gazboatman]

Ok I have a freeview computer and I'm trying to tune it to get the chanels, It's finding quite few chanels but only letting me play the BBC chanels. Can anyone give me an idea of how you figure out where to point the ariel.

 

Maybe somet online tool?

[Keeping Up]

This might help

[Gazboatman]

This might help

Ok thanks, I'll give it a try.

[Roxy]

Ive got a status s315 aerial was recieving most channels, but not longer, I cant even get a signal...I have a Sat dish but cant be arsed to rig it up as I tend to to take my boat out now and again. Im just wandering why I can no longer pick up any channels, Ive done bob all to the aerial its still in the same place as I left it when I could but wont pick up anything now....Im sick of watching max and paddy and the Royle family on dvd now plz

regards

Rachel

[Bat & Frog]

Hi Roxy, have you had the digital switch over in your area, don't know if this could be the issue but its my first thought if its suddenly happened.

[keble]

Ok I have a freeview computer and I'm trying to tune it to get the chanels, It's finding quite few chanels but only letting me play the BBC chanels. Can anyone give me an idea of how you figure out where to point the ariel.

 

Maybe somet online tool?

I made a web site Link which tells you where to point for various places on various water ways. It might help.

I know the problem; here at Saul we get a very weak tv signal, and if you are not pointing pretty much spot on you can easily lose a whole group of channels.

I haven't updated the web pages for a while, there may be some changes needed.

[Guest]

Hi Roxy, have you had the digital switch over in your area, don't know if this could be the issue but its my first thought if its suddenly happened.

 

This indeed would seem to be the most likely explanation in which case Roxy you need to get a TV with Freeview built in or a Freeview box (cheaper option) and re-tune it.

 

Your status should in theory still be able to receive Digital/Freeview (though I have never been a fan of omni directional aerials) but if it was receiving a signal before it still should be able to as once the switch over has taken place the transmitters are in some/most areas then boosting the digital signal as they are no longer supplying both analogue and digital.

 

The other thing to check is the power supply/booster to the status as from memory they have a little LED on them that shows if it is working or not.

Edited November 25, 2011 by MJG

[Westyman]

I have been told that at a marina near me, the digital signal has improved since the analogue was switched off.

 

Also I have an app on my iPhone that locates nearest transmitter and gives a bearing to it. No relevance of course to an omni-directional aerial.

[boots]

I believe it is common (standard?) Practice to transmit digital on reduced power while analogue is also being transmitted, and if I recall correctly, the difference is quite significant.

[john6767]

This indeed would seem to be the most likely explanation in which case Roxy you need to get a TV with Freeview built in or a Freeview box (cheaper option) and re-tune it.

 

Your status should in theory still be able to receive Digital/Freeview (though I have never been a fan of omni directional aerials) but if it was receiving a signal before it still should be able to as once the switch over has taken place the transmitters are in some/most areas then boosting the digital signal as they are no longer supplying both analogue and digital.

 

The other thing to check is the power supply/booster to the status as from memory they have a little LED on them that shows if it is working or not.

 

Two additional things. If you already had digital freeview, then it the switch over has happened you may well have to have the box/tv scan for channels again, as they all moved around on switch over. Secondly if you have an old free view box it is possible that it will no longer work post switch over. This one caught me out, and the first freeview box (an old itv digital branded one) we had at home, no longer works post switch over.

 

 

 

[Guest Quo Vadis]

Ive got a status s315 aerial was recieving most channels, but not longer, I cant even get a signal...I have a Sat dish but cant be arsed to rig it up as I tend to to take my boat out now and again. Im just wandering why I can no longer pick up any channels, Ive done bob all to the aerial its still in the same place as I left it when I could but wont pick up anything now....Im sick of watching max and paddy and the Royle family on dvd now plz

regards

Rachel

We're on the East Midlands Waltham transmitter and have had to re-tune half a dozen times since August.

Last time, the Pace digibox on one of our older analogue tellies just wouldn't find more than 20 channels (no BBC, just QVC & Pricedrop etc ... AAAArrrrgh!), whereas the new tellies with built-in freeview found over 100.

[Guest]

We're on the East Midlands Waltham transmitter and have had to re-tune half a dozen times since August.

Last time, the Pace digibox on one of our older analogue tellies just wouldn't find more than 20 channels (no BBC, just QVC & Pricedrop etc ... AAAArrrrgh!), whereas the new tellies with built-in freeview found over 100.

 

Probably due to the sensitivity of the tuner.

 

Seemingly the newer ones are a lot better - the one in our cheapo TV from ASDA is pretty good very occasionally finds all the channels but then the odd ones don't appear on the TV guide, a quick re-tune normally sorts it.

 

Normally it's spot on though 9 times out of 10

 

Two additional things. If you already had digital freeview, then it the switch over has happened you may well have to have the box/tv scan for channels again, as they all moved around on switch over. Secondly if you have an old free view box it is possible that it will no longer work post switch over. This one caught me out, and the first freeview box (an old itv digital branded one) we had at home, no longer works post switch over.

 

Good point.

 

We actually find it's easier to just do a 'first time install' on the telly each time we set up the aerial anyway. It only takes a few minutes.

[Keeping Up]

We're on the East Midlands Waltham transmitter and have had to re-tune half a dozen times since August.

Last time, the Pace digibox on one of our older analogue tellies just wouldn't find more than 20 channels (no BBC, just QVC & Pricedrop etc ... AAAArrrrgh!), whereas the new tellies with built-in freeview found over 100.

 

This may well be due to the different encoding rates that are now used on some channels. Some old boxes can't receive the new rates, and others are happy with either the old or the new but can't cope with a mixture. The rates may get changed when channels are moved about, so sometimes after an element of switchover the older boxes (and TVs) may permanently lose some channels.

[robdalej]

This t/v thing drives me mad when we are out on the boat. I probably drive my other half mad saying , how the hell can we put a man on the moon but we cannot even get a picture on this bloody t/v. or oh we have gotour favourite program on again, NO SIGNAL, nothinf worse than mooring up fixing up the aerial and then finding the telly wont pick anything up or the picture is constantly breaking p

[steelaway]

Ok I have a freeview computer and I'm trying to tune it to get the chanels, It's finding quite few chanels but only letting me play the BBC chanels. Can anyone give me an idea of how you figure out where to point the ariel.

 

Maybe somet online tool?

 

Hi

 

I find the simplest way is to look where all the other ariels are pointing.

If you have a domestic type ariel, also take notice whether the legs are horizontal or vertically mounted.

 

Alex

[Westyman]

Our caravan has one of the elevating Status 530 aerials which are directional-ish and we used to use a USB TV stick in the laptop with varying degrees of success/failure. We now have a Cello TV/DVD unit that runs off 12v or 230v and we have a lot more success.

Except in Beddgelert...no cellular signal, no TV, v poor radio...quiet week!! But there aren't any canals there so that's OK...:-))

[Roxy]

We're on the East Midlands Waltham transmitter and have had to re-tune half a dozen times since August.

Last time, the Pace digibox on one of our older analogue tellies just wouldn't find more than 20 channels (no BBC, just QVC & Pricedrop etc ... AAAArrrrgh!), whereas the new tellies with built-in freeview found over 100.

 

I have my daughters flat screen Tv on my boat, it has built in freeview and dvd hence why I nicked it off her as she never watches tv on it just plays on her wii or PS3 so I gave her my old one. When the ''switchover'' occured I could get at least 20 channels but like you say couldnt for the life of me get BBC1 which I was annoyed about as I wanted to watch the F1 lol, but now ive retuned I cant get nothing I retuned about 5 times last weekend and it still wont pick up a channel, the booster is plugged into the 12v and the red light on it is lit and all the wiring is correct....I cant understand why its not now picking up anything

[bottle]

Take the tv home and test on the aerial of a known working tv.

 

That eliminates the tv.

 

Connect aerial direct to tv, not via booster, may or may not eliminate the booster.

 

Check aerial alignment with transmitter.

 

Try a different/better aerial.

 

A process of elimination is required.

[jelunga]

In our area, Nottingham, there was a rejigger of TV channels end of October and we needed to re scan. Maybe the sane in your area?

[Phil Ambrose]

I have been told that at a marina near me, the digital signal has improved since the analogue was switched off.

 

Also I have an app on my iPhone that locates nearest transmitter and gives a bearing to it. No relevance of course to an omni-directional aerial.

 

When we went digital we found that as promised, the signal was boosted by 10X and once we had retuned we could get a superb picture even with the aerial just laying on the ground. Before the switch over we had to have a 3 metre pole for our aerial, now we can get a great picture with it just laying on the roof of the boat.

 

Phil

[benfordboy]

I have been told that at a marina near me, the digital signal has improved since the analogue was switched off.

 

 

 

We have had a digi tv on the boat for a few yrs - In some areas we had great difficulty in finding channels even with a high gain Aerial on a large pole on the bank.

 

This yr (especially after the switch off) we have received all freeview channels with the aerial attached to the mast light ! , most times not even having to align it.

 

The signal strength has improved massively !