[GwennieB]

Hi, my daughter is in rented digs at Uni & there is no mains aerial, please can anyone recommend one with good reception that will actually do the job, also she is going to buy a freeview set up, can anyone recommend a good one & do any have any built in reception? Many thanxs

[chrisjr]

Without knowing the location of the digs and how close or otherwise they are to a transmitter it is difficult to be too specific. But indoor aerials are not the best thing for Freeview in most circumstances.

There are a number of factors in this. Firstly indoor aerials are smaller than a roof aerial in the main. So they collect less signal to begin with. Then they are used indoors (fairly obviously) which means less signal as well. Every wall the signal goes through weakens it somewhat.

And the height can be a factor. A basement flat is the worst possible place for one. A top floor flat would be more likely to work.

So the main problem is a lack of signal. Not a huge problem if the transmitter is in your back garden but can be a recipe for dissapointment if it's 20 miles away with shed loads of tall buildings and hills in the way.

As a general rule ones that resemble outdoor aerials tend to work better than simple loop types. Don't be fooled by ones with amplifiers bosting large numbers of dB gain. No amplifier yet made can suck a signal out of the noise. All they do is amplify the noise along with the wanted signal and add a bit more noise to boot.

And for good digital TV a decent signal is pretty essential.

As I say if you could indicate where the aerial is going to be used we might be able to offer more specific advice.

[GwennieB]

Many thanks for your reply, she is in Sheffield S11 8EX & her room is on the second floor, she only has the one room in which she will have her tv & aerial etc, many thanx

[chrisjr]

I put that post code into Wolfbane (which claims it doesn't exist by the way) and it suggests a relay in Sheffield might be the closest transmitter (for the SE11 area anyway).

In other posts on DS about indoor aerials the Telecam TCE2000 has a reasonable reputation (or the 2001 amplified model). You can get them from Argos amongst other places. I've also had surprisingly good result with a cheapie from Tesco. Argos do the 2000 for about a tenner and the 2001 under 20 quid. Not too expensive if it doesn't work.

If you try one you need to mount the aerial with the elements vertical (ie at right angles to the floor). You may need to experiment somewhat with position to get reception from the Sheffield relay.

This is what it looks like if you have your anorak on

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/sheffield.php

And perhaps more usefully this is where it is.

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?zoom=1...4417291&dp=904

[GwennieB]

Many thanks yet again, it must be my age you are correct the postcode doesn't exist, it is S11 8XE

Do any of the freeview or some sort of set top box have any in built receivers?

Basically she just wants to get a decent picture with a variety of channels if poss

If the landlord wasn't so tight there would be a mains aerial & no problems

Many thanx again!

I'm off down to see her on Sat so at least now we can hopefully buy something which has a chance of working!

Cheers

[chrisjr]

All Freeview boxes have built in receivers. Otherwise they wouldn't work. but I suspect that isn't what you mean. The receiver is the electronic circuit that sorts out the signals coming in from the aerial

But very few, if any boxes will have built in aerials. basically because a built in aerial would be so poor at receiving anything useful the shops and manufacturers would be fed up replacing the things!

No substitute for a good roof aerial (what you call a "mains aerial") or failing that one in the loft. An indoor aerial is the least best option unless you happen to live under the tower, like the houses in one of the photos on the mb21 website link I posted

Oh and it might not be such a good idea to post real address details online. You never know who may be lurking.

And just tried the real postcode in Wolfbane and it is saying a set top aerial will do. So you may be on a winner there.

[GwennieB]

Cheers, this is my first time using this site, hence the naevity! Thanks for reminding me!

[chrisjr]

If you look at this map then you'll see the location of that postcode in relation to the transmitter

Multimap link

The postcode is the red circle. the transmitter is the triangular symbols above where it says Tapton Hill. Barely any distance at all. So maybe an indoor aerial has a decent chance of working. Just point it vaguely north.

[GwennieB]

Thanks will do, hopefully I will be telling of my success after the weekend, my daughter will be well pleased!!!

Cheers

[Chris Frost]

GwennieB, get your daughter to check if the house has a TV licence. Fingers crossed that it has. If not, then she will need her own or to get the other residents to chip in to get one together.

Regards

[GwennieB]

Hiya
Yes she has, unfortunately she has had to pay for it all herself, which makes it even more annoying for her that the landlord doesn't provide a mains aerial & she is having to go to all this trouble!
Cheers