Portable TV Aerial
anon_private
Posts: 96 Forum Member
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Hello,
I will be moving into a room shortly that does not have a TV point..
The main transmitter is about 5 miles away and the geographical features of the area include hills.
I am looking to take to the room the best portable aerial I can afford.
Can anyone recommend a good antenna.
Assume weak signals
Thanks
I will be moving into a room shortly that does not have a TV point..
The main transmitter is about 5 miles away and the geographical features of the area include hills.
I am looking to take to the room the best portable aerial I can afford.
Can anyone recommend a good antenna.
Assume weak signals
Thanks
0
Comments
Which side of the house is the room in relation to the transmitter direction ?
Does the room have modern low energy double glazing ?
Can you run a coax up a wall into a loft space ?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IUC9CZ4/
The alternative might be a log periodic aerial as these tend to be more compact than the more conventional TV aerials so can be more easily hidden on top of a cupboard for example.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raptor-LTE-Periodic-Digital-Antenna/dp/B016Y90NLQ/
At present, all I know is that the room does not have a tv point
Don't know
Almost certainly not
This looks more like an external aerial, but could be used indoors.
I would prefer the former, if both worked equally well.
I wonder how the former would work in the absence of an amplifier?
www.digitaluk.co.uk
The log periodic is an outdoor aerial primarily. But as it is a bit more compact than other types (no big reflector array at the back for example) it is a bit more discreet used indoors.
Amplification won't solve every problem. If the wanted signal is buried in the unwanted noise off the aerial then no amount of amplification will alter that. All you get is a stronger signal buried in stronger noise and just as unusable.
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2189627
so looks like (s)he is considering this option if an aerial doesn't work out.
Just look at the direction (and if horizontal or vertical) other houses in the vicinity are pointing. If you have a whole house between the room and the transmitter you are likely to have problems.
If the existing aerial point has a network connection then a IP based Freeview box like the V-Box could solve the problem.
http://www.vboxcomm.com/vbox-3rd-gen-tv-gateway?idx=bfad
http://www.grasshopperleisure.co.uk/maxview-truvision-indoor-aerial-805-p.asp
There is another important point that I would like to raise.
Where I am living, the nearest transmitter is a 'Light' transmitter. The main transmitter gives a weak signal. I seem to get the best results from this transmitter when I point the aerial away from the transmitter, rather than in its direction.
Hence, I believe that I receive reflected signals that interact with the aerial nodes.
My point in raising this issue is this, would a log periodic aerial be the best antenna to use in the circumstances, or, would a broadband Yagi type be better, or, even an omnidirectional aerial?
I know, I need to use all to determine the best type of aerial, but I only want to buy one antenna.
I wonder which would be the best option?
Best wishes
There may not be a problem receiving a reflected signal rather than the direct signal from the transmitter. It only becomes a problem if the direct and reflected signals interfere with each other and cause partial cancellation. If one of the two is very weak and you can null it out using the directional characteristics of the aerial then you can minimise any effects.
If the reflected signal is actually the stronger of the two then provided it is reasonably stable it could be a useful way to receive the transmitter. You don't always need a direct signal.
Whether you need a Yagi or a Log Periodic type aerial depends on the signal conditions. Logs tend to have lower gain than a similar size yagi so signal strength may well determine what size and type of aerial you can get away with. Logs tend to have a tighter reception pattern so can be useful for rejecting unwanted signals from other directions.
Basically there is no easy answer as to what is the best aerial to use. Every location is different, even two houses next to each other can have different reception conditions! The only way to know for certain what aerial will work best is to try it and see. A good local aerial installer should have a reasonable idea, based on experience and local knowledge, about what aerials work best in a particular location.