TV Not picking up DVB-T Freeview.

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memske

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#147282 14-Jun-2014 16:46

Hey guys,

Wondering if anyone here can help me out! My Mum just recently bought a TH-50A430Z and I came around to try hook it up to freeview as she's getting rid of Sky.

Plugged it in to the wall and it won't pick up any channels or signal etc.. Just wanting to know if you guys have any thoughts etc before I tell her to buy a Sat reciever rather than try use the DVB-T on the TV.

I'm guessing it could be anything from from out of range, to wiring, to aerial. She lives in Te Puke.

Here is a picture of the aerial if it will help.

Full size: http://iforce.co.nz/i/gmq44mia.mpl.jpg

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#1065632 14-Jun-2014 17:02

The lower aerial is the one that you need, and it should be working. Te Puke has strong coverage according to the maps so I wouldn't fall back to satellite just yet.

Take a look at some of the neighbour's roofs and make sure that it's pointing in the same direction. Also pay attention to the polarity (which way the fins are pointing); I'm pretty sure that vertical (which is how you have it) is correct for Te Puke but it's worth double-checking.

B1GGLZ

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#1065633 14-Jun-2014 17:03

First thing I'd do is disconnect and remove the VHF aerials. You should have a UHF antenna only direct to the TV with good quality rg6 coax. Then find out which transmitter you are pointing at and make sure the antenna is polarised correctly. Before opting for satellite check your address here for likelyhood of UHF reception.
http://www.freeviewnz.tv/coverage.aspx

B1GGLZ

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#1065634 14-Jun-2014 17:07

P.S. Looking at ther coverage maps it should be pointing at Kopukairua and at a guess I would say that's not quite the same direction as Te Aroha where the aerials are probably pointing now.

Behodar

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#1065635 14-Jun-2014 17:12

Te Aroha is horizontal, so it's more likely to already be pointing to Kopukairua since the aerial is currently vertical. That is assuming, however, that Kopukairua is the correct transmitter. Whakatane is further east and due to topography we need to point to Te Aroha despite Kopukairua being closer!

memske

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#1065648 14-Jun-2014 17:33

Thanks for the help guys! Appreciate it!

Just had a look at the coverage maps and couldn't really figure out which would be the correct to point to but this might help?

Coverage checker said very likely, happy to jump up on the roof and change aerial location/fin thing!

richms

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#1065651 14-Jun-2014 17:44

That might be an amplifier on the pole.

First off, check that you are not plugging into a cable that just loops thru to a bedroom or something to take the output from the sky box thru there, and that the cable does go up to the roof

Then I would be ripping down the redundant VHF antennas and make the connection a straight thru run from the UHF antenna to the TV and see how that goes.

Richard rich.ms

Behodar

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#1065652 14-Jun-2014 17:46

richms: That might be an amplifier on the pole.

And if so, make sure that its power supply is plugged in/turned on.

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toyonut

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#1065653 14-Jun-2014 17:47

While you are up there, best to make sure the wiring is still all good too. Went to do the same thing at folks in laws place and discovered that the cable to the aerial had been cut at some stage and the existing wiring to the wall outlet had been cut and shut to be fed by the sky dish.

Try Vultr using this link and get us both some credit:

http://www.vultr.com/?ref=7033587-3B

memske

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#1065666 14-Jun-2014 18:12

Alright guys, I'll jump up and do all that tomorrow. Do you guys think it's pointed correctly or just go off neighbours?

B1GGLZ

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#1065719 14-Jun-2014 20:39

memske: Alright guys, I'll jump up and do all that tomorrow. Do you guys think it's pointed correctly or just go off neighbours?

Same polarity and same direction as neighbours would be a good start.

memske

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#1065723 14-Jun-2014 20:48

B1GGLZ:
memske: Alright guys, I'll jump up and do all that tomorrow. Do you guys think it's pointed correctly or just go off neighbours?

Same polarity and same direction as neighbours would be a good start.

Thanks :) Funnily enough some are pointed the same direction as hers and some are pointed what I'm assuming is towards Te Aroha.

Will check back tomorrow after I've been up and checked everything out! Thanks guys!

Apsattv

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#1065839 15-Jun-2014 05:50

1 Take off the two VHF antennas.

2 Remove the stand off from the top of the mast.

3 the box on that mast is probably a diplexor VHF H+VHF L should be fine to snip the cable at top

4 transfer the standoff to the the other mount pole at the top where the current UHF antenna is.

5 remount the UHF antenna, onto the stand off arm. Reason is to stop the pole interfearing when antenna is mounted in vertical polarity.

6 in the photo The UHF looks as though its pointing to the ground? make sure its not tilted downwards.

memske

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#1065993 15-Jun-2014 14:10

Okay so, just got down. Seems like the person who did it all is obsessed with duplexers/triplexers etc..

On the UHF mast is a Kingray? amplifier checked connections there all good. They then go to a triplexer... I unplugged all the VHF connections. Will remove later. Then from there to a splitter, one goes to a bedroom the other to the lounge. Then I'm assuming the lounge one is split in the roof to go to the dining room and lounge...

Is it possible that those units are weather damaged ? trying to rule out wires before replacing. Might end up being cheaper to just get a sat box as sky is already all good.

PS Getting 0 signal not just a bad signal which is why I'm assuming there's something wrong in the equation before trying to maximise signal strength etc

RunningMan

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#1065994 15-Jun-2014 14:11

If there is an amplifier, there must also be power for it - this is usually a power injector connected to an outlet somewhere around the house - have you seen this in your travels?

Without power, the whole thing won't work.

memske

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#1065998 15-Jun-2014 14:18

RunningMan: If there is an amplifier, there must also be power for it - this is usually a power injector connected to an outlet somewhere around the house - have you seen this in your travels?

Without power, the whole thing won't work.

http://www.kingray.net.au/products/matv/matv-masthead-amplifiers/MHW35G

It's one of those or one of their branded ones that look exactly like that... No power related cord. Just the cord from the UHF then an out to the triplexer.

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