Is this a UHF Aerial?

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michael001

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#196632 7-Jun-2016 11:59

Hi all,

Just moved into a new house and looking to get:

UHF Aerial installed
Cable run to back of TV.

While on the phone to the installer I described what I already had:

Sky dish.
VHF Aerial
Some other small thing that resembles a UHF aerial but doesn't look quite right.

Installer said, "Well that's likely a UHF aerial, still need me to do the cable?"

So I took another look at my aerials, is that ugly little thingy a UHF aerial?

shk292

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#1567020 7-Jun-2016 12:02

It looks like one, and the small box below will be the VHF-UHF combiner

MikeB4

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#1567022 7-Jun-2016 12:05

It could be, there is no rebounder though it could be an external FM antenna

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

wellygary

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#1567034 7-Jun-2016 12:30

How close are you to the transmitter? , you might get away without needing a rebounder

SATTV

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#1567077 7-Jun-2016 13:11

The top one is a Low band / high band VHF areial

The bottom one is the UHF

Below the UHF is the duplexer ( allowing the VHF and UHF to go down one cable )

Looking at the aerials you are in a strong signal area as both those antenna are not high gain.

John

I know enough to be dangerous

Gordy7

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#1567080 7-Jun-2016 13:12

Never heard of the term 'Rebounder'.

Maybe you mean reflector?

Maybe the UHF antenna is a log-periodic rather than a yagi... hence no reflector.

Looking at the way the J pole is attached to the fascia... I would fix that screw that is half out... or the antenna might be history after a strong wind.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

michael001

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#1567081 7-Jun-2016 13:15

I'm in the Mornington area of Dunedin, on a hill top, and the transmitter looks to be about 10km away, on Mt Cargill.

Judging by comments I am about to save a bit of cash and just get the cable to the TV done. There are a mess of cables at the moment which I want to just rip out and start again.

Thanks all.

EDIT: Measured distance on Google Maps - 10km

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robjg63

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#1567089 7-Jun-2016 13:28

Yep - Look like Freeview HD should be ok on the lower/smaller aerial.

Nothing uses the larger one these days - you could tidy up and take it down if you want - probably gets noisy in the wind anyway...

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

Apsattv

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#1567587 8-Jun-2016 06:09

I would take the vhf down, remove the diplexor and pull the cable up so you can raise the UHF up from the roof a little higher.

But Plug it in first , I reckon you have plenty of signal assuming water hasn't got into the diplexor

michael001

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#1567606 8-Jun-2016 07:14

Found a long enough cable, plugged it in and the darn thing worked flawlessly. Still need the cabling done, but I saved some cash and will definitely get the old VHF aerial removed too.

Thanks for all the advice.

Jaxson

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#1567649 8-Jun-2016 08:09

As others have said, you can do away with the top VHF aerial, and the diplexer combiner box.

Once you've disconnected the old gear, and connected the UHF aerial back to the house and off to your TV, you can remove the old aerial and diplexer. If you have a socket set/spanner/hacksaw etc, you should be able to do this yourself. Be careful up on the roof, and leave this for a dry / no windy day.

As also mentioned above, fix the screws/mounting. These are usually self drilling tek screws. It doesn't look like you have a side support stay on their, which is probably worth attaching at least one for support.

Good stuff though, glad you got it working.

littleheaven

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#1567745 8-Jun-2016 10:29

I had a very similar setup (albeit with a slightly different UHF aerial) and I did as everyone else is suggesting - removed the old VHF and the diplexor. My connections in the diplexor were all corroded, ruining my signal. Once that was done I got a fantastic signal.

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Jaxson

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#1567792 8-Jun-2016 11:21

littleheaven:

My connections in the diplexor were all corroded, ruining my signal. Once that was done I got a fantastic signal.

Yep, it would be good practise to strip the existing cable back 10cm or so (if you have the room to spare) and re do the terminations. Often with older gear it will be a saddle clamp connection onto the aerial PCB, which a bit of sand paper will help to restore. Ideally you'd install some new radial compression connections if the PCB had an f connector, but if it's good RG6 cabling already, then you may not have to do much to get it working with what you have already. Time will tell if it holds up through rain etc, and you can revisit it later if you have to.