Is this a VHF aerial?

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aidanc

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#750409 24-Jan-2013 20:45

injuised:
aidanc:
injuised: The Brook is very patchy, probably need a high aerial,

I'm midway up Sowman St, so uphill a bit on the 'right' side of the valley. Looks like signal should be good according to indicitave coverage map:

I wouldn't trust that coverage map, from memory there's trees on that hill right in the LOS, pay to use a phased array

Any downside of using phased array? Even if you had good LOS would phased array still be a good choice?

B1GGLZ

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#750452 24-Jan-2013 22:02

OK.
As you nearly have a useable signal the first thing I'd do is bypass the splitter. Get a joiner and join the f plug from the antenna and the f plug to the TV together. Might just give you enough increase in signal to work OK. Very cheap too.
By the way. In one of those pictures the co-ax appears to be wrapped around a 240v line. If it is and goes down the same hole as the power line it is really bad practice and I think it's illegal as well. I think there is a required minimum distance between power and co-ax lines. Maybe a sparky could confirm.

Spyware

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#750470 24-Jan-2013 22:36

RG-59 does NOT have a stranded core.

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RunningMan

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#750531 25-Jan-2013 01:24

Spyware: RG-59 does NOT have a stranded core.

Not always, there are stranded variants.

https://edeskv2.belden.com/Products/index.cfm?event=showproductdetail&partid=3708

Apsattv

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#750533 25-Jan-2013 03:17

Looks simple enough to me, your antenna is a combined vhf/uhf with little gain on the higher UHF side.

How's your reception of Prime and Maori TV on analogue from Kaka Hill?

I would just snip the cable and stick a 43element on it. You should have plenty of signal even with your splitter in place and changing the coax may not be needed.

Spyware

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#750536 25-Jan-2013 06:51

RunningMan:
Spyware: RG-59 does NOT have a stranded core.

Not always, there are stranded variants.

https://edeskv2.belden.com/Products/index.cfm?event=showproductdetail&partid=3708

Stranded core should be removed from the circuit.

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RunningMan

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#750608 25-Jan-2013 10:27

Spyware:
Stranded core should be removed from the circuit.

+1

Use it as a draw wire.

pjamieson

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#756681 6-Feb-2013 19:55

How did you get on?

I'd summarise the situation as:

1) It's a VHF-Low, VHF-High & UHF combined aerial. Having a UHF only, with as many elements or array of elements as possible is always going to give you a stronger signal going into your system. This is important if you don't have line of sight of the transmitter.
2) RG6 is the best cable to use (you loose the least signal over distance) and is thicker than RG59 or RG58. It looks like (due to the size going into the splitter) it is RG59 going in from the aerial and RG6 going everywhere else.
3) Splitters reduce your signal. But they set your home up for the future of adding TV's to other rooms (assuming these all go to outlets in other rooms - Otherwise remove the splitter and connect with an RG6 female to female adapter).

My suggestion is you replace the aerial with the biggest UHF only aerial you decide you can afford (anything more than the 5 small UHF elements you have will help). Work out what the length of cable is from the aerial to the splitter. Ensure the new aerial has that same amount or more of RG6 cable attached to it, with an RG6 screw plug on it at the end and connect that with your splitter. That should be more than enough to increase the marginal signal you are getting at your TV(s).

aidanc

18 posts

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#756699 6-Feb-2013 20:16

pjamieson: How did you get on?

I got a new UHF antenna from Dick Smith (the one suggested by B1GGLZ dropped in price from $100 to $40) but I haven't installed it yet. Funny thing is I changed the short length of coax between TV and wall outlet and my signal quality is perfect now! So that was the bottle neck. But I will put up the new aerial and change the coax back to the splitter as it will be better for future. Also I plan on getting a DishTV PVR and I've heard thay are more sensitive to signal than the digital tuner in my Panasonic TV so probably a good idea anyway to get a better antenna. I also discovered that the coax running from the splitter to the wall outlet is solid core coax (RG6 I guess), so after I replace the length from aerial to splitter, all the coax will be good.

Thanks everyone for all the help!

B1GGLZ

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#756702 6-Feb-2013 20:28

aidanc:
pjamieson: How did you get on?

Funny thing is I changed the short length of coax between TV and wall outlet and my signal quality is perfect now! So that was the bottle neck.
Thanks everyone for all the help!

Some of those short cables can do that.
I have several here and have had to throw some away because they just didn't work well on analogue. Worked like an attenuator. No good at all for Freeview. I tend to use good quality ones now with f connectors.

pjamieson

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Chorus

#757088 7-Feb-2013 20:12

Great to hear!

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Skolink

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#757250 8-Feb-2013 10:26

B1GGLZ: By the way. In one of those pictures the co-ax appears to be wrapped around a 240v line. If it is and goes down the same hole as the power line it is really bad practice and I think it's illegal as well. I think there is a required minimum distance between power and co-ax lines. Maybe a sparky could confirm.

Bad practice but not illegal. TPS cable is double insulated, so ok for the TV cable to be in contact with it from a safety perspective.
Relevant clause in the wiring rules (AS/NZS 3000) is 3.9.8.2 'Segregation of different voltage levels'.

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