TV. aerial testing

[Bod]

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/one-for-all-outdoor-digital-tv-and-radio-aerial-a57cw

 

I have one of these aerials, mounted on a 10 foot pole, sometimes the reception is good, other times non-existent.

The boat may not have moved. The television its self has been tried on another aerial and appears fine, how can I test this aerial?

 

Bod

[by'eck]

Just looking at the design it appears to be a very low gain, wide band aerial with little directional sensitivity, so suitable only for use in high signal strength areas. The random propagation effects of TV signals allied to the fact that your TV's tuner would likely be working right on its gain limit would give rise to the viewed picture being better some days than others.

 

Would suggest you bin it and use full size log periodic aerial as recommended multiple times on similar topic threads.

Edited May 11, 2015 by by'eck

[Markinaboat]

This one works everywhere giving perfect HD. Even near steel structures//bridges. Must have supplied booster plugged in though.

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/one-for-all-outdoorindoor-tv-and-radio-aerial-n91nx

Edited May 11, 2015 by Markinaboat

[Richard10002]

Just looking at the design it appears to be a very low gain, wide band aerial with little directional sensitivity, so suitable only for use in high signal strength areas. The random propagation effects of TV signals allied to the fact that your TV's tuner would likely be working right on its gain limit would give rise to the viewed picture being better some days than others.

 

Would suggest you bin it and use full size log periodic aerial as recommended multiple times on similar topic threads.

+1

[OldGoat]

This one works everywhere giving perfect HD. Even near steel structures//bridges. Must have supplied booster plugged in though.

 

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/one-for-all-outdoorindoor-tv-and-radio-aerial-n91nx

 

YOu give your location as West London, London's TV signal comes fro Crystal Palace where there is an huge, tall transmitter mast and lots of power in the signal. Generally speaking CP's mast is higher than much of London's buildings - so the signal is not attenuated (lost) by buildings 'twixt it and your location It's not far away from 'West London' anyway - I can get a signal as far away as Marlow (just) and Staines. So it's not surprising that your 'compressed' aerial will get a good signal wherever you happen to be.

 

For folks less fortunate or who cruise distances away then the transmitter is likely to be less powerful than CP and there are often hills in the way. All makes for reduced signal available from wherever you may be.

+1

 

+ another for a Log periodic.

• They work well in most areas - even with high signal strength (when they may even work indoors, or certainly at cabin height
• Good rejection of unwanted signals from other sources
• Easy to store flat
• Relatively unobtrusive
• Light - so don't need a stout pole
• Inexpensive.

 

The only (?) downside is that you have to point them reasonably accurately towards the transmitter (unlike satellite meters, I find the terrestrial tv signal meters are not good in fringe areas.

 

SO Log Periodics get my vote every time.

[bottle]

See posts #2,#4,#5.

 

Just about covers it all.

 

a link with even more info. http://www.aerialsandtv.com/touringaerials.html

[OldGoat]

See posts #2,#4,#5.

 

Just about covers it all.

 

a link with even more info. http://www.aerialsandtv.com/touringaerials.html

 

Well done (so a greenie awarded). I'll remember that for the next time I'm tempted to try and explain things to folks.

The problem is that people expect a simple pat answer to their questions - and life's not like that.

 

It all depends........

[Markinaboat]

YOu give your location as West London, London's TV signal comes fro Crystal Palace where there is an huge, tall transmitter mast and lots of power in the signal. Generally speaking CP's mast is higher than much of London's buildings - so the signal is not attenuated (lost) by buildings 'twixt it and your location It's not far away from 'West London' anyway - I can get a signal as far away as Marlow (just) and Staines. So it's not surprising that your 'compressed' aerial will get a good signal wherever you happen to be.

 

For folks less fortunate or who cruise distances away then the transmitter is likely to be less powerful than CP and there are often hills in the way. All makes for reduced signal available from wherever you may be.

 

+ another for a Log periodic.

 

• They work well in most areas - even with high signal strength (when they may even work indoors, or certainly at cabin height
• Good rejection of unwanted signals from other sources
• Easy to store flat
• Relatively unobtrusive
• Light - so don't need a stout pole
• Inexpensive.

The only (?) downside is that you have to point them reasonably accurately towards the transmitter (unlike satellite meters, I find the terrestrial tv signal meters are not good in fringe areas.

 

SO Log Periodics get my vote every time.

 

Harefield Marina for two weeks and as good. Worked equally as well when moored at Marsworth last summer. Can only feed back on my own experience having tried various aerials on boats over the past 15 yrs. to reiterate, the West London (Southall) mooring was adjacent to a steel road bridge where the bottom of the bridge was around 4ft above the cabin roof and 25ft away. No other aerial would work but the Oneforall 52db (58?) did 100%.

Edited May 13, 2015 by Markinaboat

[KenK]

I'd normally agree with the Log periodic recommendation, indeed I have been using one for the last five years. Just recently I purchased from Amazon an August DTA240 DV-T aerial, the only reason for the purchase, it meant I obtain free shipping which saved a couple of pounds even after the aerial purchase. Over the two weeks following the Easter weekend we moved the boat from Aston Marina on the T&M to Newbury on the K&A, every night I tried the new aerial and every night it picked up good TV reception, obviously as we moved around I had to retune the Freeview box but I would have had to do that with the Log periodic as well. Maybe we just were lucky in the places we chose to stop but it just worked and it was so easy, stick it on the roof, it has a magnetic base, plug in and turn on TV, drink first glass of wine whilst watching the news.

In theory it should not work but in practice it did.

 

Ken

[OldGoat]

I'd normally agree with the Log periodic recommendation, indeed I have been using one for the last five years. Just recently I purchased from Amazon an August DTA240 DV-T aerial, the only reason for the purchase, it meant I obtain free shipping which saved a couple of pounds even after the aerial purchase. Over the two weeks following the Easter weekend we moved the boat from Aston Marina on the T&M to Newbury on the K&A, every night I tried the new aerial and every night it picked up good TV reception, obviously as we moved around I had to retune the Freeview box but I would have had to do that with the Log periodic as well. Maybe we just were lucky in the places we chose to stop but it just worked and it was so easy, stick it on the roof, it has a magnetic base, plug in and turn on TV, drink first glass of wine whilst watching the news.

In theory it should not work but in practice it did.

 

Ken

 

Terrestrial reception is / can be a lottery - that's why we gave up and switched to satellite. Now that's Digital has settled down (it's taken a while for transmitters to be upgraded to higher power), I'm inclined to try again.

Could be of use when Instructed by The Management to stop 'Now' - and there's no satellite signal possible.

[Paringa]

Not sure if i am allowed to do this but nothing ventured...

 

I have a pair of log periodic aerials that i would like to shift. If anyone sees me on the Thames in the next month I have the short and the long version, the big one was used once and the shorty never out the box. They are about Twenty odd quid. Yours a Tenner each...

 

They are the ones recommended on the Aerials and TV site linked to previously... PM me if interested.