digital tv aerials

[calvicraft]

I have a mercury digital tv aerial, a white plastic thing, the type with adittional removable antennae that always get bent!

It also has a 12v booster which is always on.

Its sited on the wheelhouse roof on a pole about 500mm.

The signal is very poor, (there isnt one most of the time) there is a large building at one side which will effect but I think there must be a better solution?

Can anyone recommend one, I would prefer not to have a giant pole with a household aerial on the end although it would maybe be most effective!

[Ex- Member]

That's a coincidence I was speaking to a caravener yesterday who gave up on one of those as he had similar problems. We are in a bag signal area though and it works ok in other locations the chap said. He just ended up getting a high gain aerial as he caravans here regularly.

 

We have an Omnimax in the near same location and we get a perfect picture most of the time, we have noticed that windy weather affects it, it is on a 12 f/t pole though and I think it's movement causing the problem. Averywhere else we've used the Omnimax works perfectly even laying on the roof. It's just sods law that our fave mooring spot has a weak tv signal

 

The mifi has to go up on the 12f/t pole too to get a full signal.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Julynian

[David Schweizer]

we use a Periodic Log Aerial like this, but without the amplifier connected:-

 

 

Reception is good in most places.

Edited December 11, 2013 by David Schweizer

[jodansgang]

Avtex make a rubber-duck type whip antenna that has am/fm + digital tv output coaxial. It requires a 25mm hole and a 12vdc supply and is, in my opinion, the very best money can buy.

[Guest]

we use a Periodic Log Aerial like this, but without the amplifier connected:-

 

 

Reception is good in most places.

We use the same but a slightly longer version and also no booster. Works a treat too. Edited December 11, 2013 by The Dog House

[bottle]

It does not matter what aerial you use, if it cannot 'see' the transmitter it will not receive a signal.

 

Amplifiers only boost the signal received basically crap in, crap out.

 

If recommending the best chance aerial then a Log Periodic 40 would be the one.

[steve hayes]

Get the aerial up high away from the metal of the boat if the signal is weak.

 

We also have a Periodic Log Aerial works very well 99% of the time

[Machpoint005]

Cheapo log aerial similar to the above. When NW England went all-digital they boosted the signal strength and I've not used the booster since. I think a boosted crap signal is useless on a DTV but others will be along to say why.

 

It all comes down to knowing where the transmitter is, and pointing the aerial at it.

[Grace and Favour]

Have you considered gettin a satellite dish and using Freesat?

 

We've always managed to get a brilliant signal from wherever we've moored so far

[calvicraft]

thanks for the recommendations, mostly for the periodic log type, I was hoping to be able to use something smaller but realising small aerial=small signal,

I could try the mini periodic.

The only avtex one I can see is shaped like a vertical bow tie, does look more convincing than my current one.

[pelicanafloat]

We have two digital aerials on our boat, one for each telly. This one works very well:

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/dtv1000-outdoor-digital-aerial-a12kf

 

I had to place it up a short pole about 1m above the roof for it to work here at the marina, but normally on our cruise along the canals this Summer, we just stuck the aerial directly above the roof and we were able to cruise along and still watch the telly if we wanted. It small and unobtrusive. We also have a satellite dish but quite honestly the signal we were getting was in most places sufficient for me not to bother to set it up.

Edited December 11, 2013 by pelicanafloat

[by'eck]

thanks for the recommendations, mostly for the periodic log type, I was hoping to be able to use something smaller but realising small aerial=small signal,

I could try the mini periodic.

The only avtex one I can see is shaped like a vertical bow tie, does look more convincing than my current one.

 

There will be tears

 

Get the highest gain (usually longest/greatest number of elements) log periodic you can find. Their forte is wide bandwidth to work with the full range of channels Freeview is transmitted on nationwide. Just check direction and polarity of those on local houses when mounting on/above boat roof.

[Guest]

There will be tears

 

Get the highest gain (usually longest/greatest number of elements) log periodic you can find. Their forte is wide bandwidth to work with the full range of channels Freeview is transmitted on nationwide. Just check direction and polarity of those on local houses when mounting on/above boat roof.

We live in an area with a very poor signal. Nearly every house in the road that does not have sat TV now sports a decent length log periodic.

[jodansgang]

Those particular avtex aerials are very good and do work quite well. The weakness on them is the mounting bracket has a suction cup type option which is weak at best, especially in cold weather and long term use. The aerial does come with a more permanent mounting bracket which is ok. The rubber duck type one doesn't appear to be on their website for some reason but as I fit them almost every week at work I can assure you they do exist. When I get in tomorrow I shall see if I can dig some numbers out and I'll repost tomorrow.

[KJT]

thanks for the recommendations, mostly for the periodic log type, I was hoping to be able to use something smaller but realising small aerial=small signal,

I could try the mini periodic.

The only avtex one I can see is shaped like a vertical bow tie, does look more convincing than my current one.

We also have the Avtex STH 1000, 'bow tie' shape as you call it. It generally works very well, certainly in strong signal areas. Being omni-directional it doesn't require aligning, which is quite convenient if you are moving frequently. The amp runs off the 5v function built into the TV, but a 12v amplifier is included in the box if your TV/Set-top box doesn't have the 5v facility.

 

http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/Catalogue/ProductDetail/aerial-avtex-12v-digital-sth1000?productID=a23362c3-cbf1-40b0-aca8-2eaf41aea332&catalogueLevelItemID=a4a42a16-1cad-4748-90d3-70ba5a71f73e

 

For weak signal areas we use the Toura Plus mini log periodic with built in amp and adjustable Vertical/Horizontal bracket, mounted atop a 2 metre pole.

We have found it gives excellent reception.

 

http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/Catalogue/ProductDetail/aerial-toura-plus-uhf-antenna-7db-22db-?productID=3ca5b2cb-8aee-4582-b250-b828c0978841&catalogueLevelItemID=a4a42a16-1cad-4748-90d3-70ba5a71f73e

 

A very useful free app is 'Antenna Aligner' which gives bearing/distance/polarity/signal strength of the transmitters in your area.

 

Ken

[Guest]

For anybody who wants a log periodic but doesn't want the bulk of the larger ones this eBay seller has a very compact one.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160765181593?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

 

Will be more suited to strong signal areas though due to the lack of elements and lack of booster.

 

Only a tenner too.

[wirren]

I agree with Ken

 

A very useful free app is 'Antenna Aligner' which gives bearing/distance/polarity/signal strength of the transmitters in your area.

 

Works a treat

 

Mark

[by'eck]

We also have the Avtex STH 1000, 'bow tie' shape as you call it. It generally works very well, certainly in strong signal areas. Being omni-directional it doesn't require aligning, which is quite convenient if you are moving frequently. The amp runs off the 5v function built into the TV, but a 12v amplifier is included in the box if your TV/Set-top box doesn't have the 5v facility.

 

http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/Catalogue/ProductDetail/aerial-avtex-12v-digital-sth1000?productID=a23362c3-cbf1-40b0-aca8-2eaf41aea332&catalogueLevelItemID=a4a42a16-1cad-4748-90d3-70ba5a71f73e

 

For weak signal areas we use the Toura Plus mini log periodic with built in amp and adjustable Vertical/Horizontal bracket, mounted atop a 2 metre pole.

We have found it gives excellent reception.

 

http://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/Catalogue/ProductDetail/aerial-toura-plus-uhf-antenna-7db-22db-?productID=3ca5b2cb-8aee-4582-b250-b828c0978841&catalogueLevelItemID=a4a42a16-1cad-4748-90d3-70ba5a71f73e

 

A very useful free app is 'Antenna Aligner' which gives bearing/distance/polarity/signal strength of the transmitters in your area.

 

Ken

 

A TV signal amplifier will improve a marginally weak signal, but since it amplifies noise and other undesirable signal elements as well as the required signal, it can actually make things worse. There comes a point where it can't improve upon a particularly weak signal.

 

However convenient the widely advertised compact aerials may be, they are unsuitable for use on a boat that travels throughout the network and so suffer a range of signal strengths, due to their lack of directional gain only achievable with a full size aerial.

[OldGoat]

I tried both the long and short log periodic type right at the edge of Crystal Palace's range and found the shorter version worked slightly better. I suspect that was due to the smaller one having a wider acceptance angle (?term).

BUT I do use a "booster", mainly because the antenna is at one of the boat and the tv at the other.

 

Major faff around storing the long one it's 3ft +

 

Satellite is best - won't go down that route on this thread....

[johnmck]

Hi.

 

We have a sat system and it works fine, But, at times can be a bugger to set up.

 

This year we got one of these.

 

http://www.maxview.co.uk/products/info_B2344.html

 

We do use the amplifier provided and thus far it has been very good ( Poor signal without it). I have fixed a magnetic pad on the cratch board and a magnetic base to the system, so pop it on and off when required. It seems to work for us, at the mo, time will I am sure tell! It does mean tuning is from inside the boat, NOT SHOUTING at each other trying to tune the sat...

 

 

P.S. You do need a TV that is freeview enabled. Do not ask how I know this!

Edited December 12, 2013 by johnmck

[Paul C]

I agree with Ken

 

A very useful free app is 'Antenna Aligner' which gives bearing/distance/polarity/signal strength of the transmitters in your area.

 

Works a treat

 

Mark

 

Does it work so well when a poor TV signal area also coincides with a poor internet connection area? Like, in a valley, for example.

[Guest]

 

Does it work so well when a poor TV signal area also coincides with a poor internet connection area? Like, in a valley, for example.

 

Yes you need a mobile phone signal for it to work AFAIK, but when it works it's brilliant. You also need to keep a short distance away from your (steel) boat.

 

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/antenna-aligner/id530277946?mt=8

[DaveC]

Don't get conned by anyone trying to sell you a "digital aerial" because there is no such thing.

 

 

Dave

[IanM]

Don't get conned by anyone trying to sell you a "digital aerial" because there is no such thing.

 

 

Dave

 

Was going to say the exact same thing.

[Guest]

Was going to say the exact same thing.

Whilst correct it is also true that when digital TV first launched quite a lot of folk had to 'upgrade' their aerial leading to a lot of people to think there was only a certain type that would receive digital TV.