Is Analogue reception any indicator of Freeview DVD-T reception ?

Forums › Freeview (DVB-T/DVB-S) › Is Analogue reception any indicator of Freeview DVD-T reception ?

xlinknz

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#130665 23-Sep-2013 17:35

I don't currently have an external aerial and just use 'bunny ears' on my analogue TV [line of sight of Mt KauKau], can I use those on a Freeview receiver and if so can I assume my signal will be the same as I get now ?

Basically need to make a call whether I buy a receiver package deal that includes an external aerial or just get the receiver on its own and try with the bunny ears

AidanS

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#901344 23-Sep-2013 17:38

You will need a UHF antenna. Most likely your bunny ears won't cut it (unless you have special ones that include a UHF section).

I would suggest investing in a more rigid antenna setup, it will ensure you maintain a high quality signal.

-Aidan

xlinknz

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#901349 23-Sep-2013 17:53

AidanS: You will need a UHF antenna. Most likely your bunny ears won't cut it (unless you have special ones that include a UHF section).

I would suggest investing in a more rigid antenna setup, it will ensure you maintain a high quality signal.

-Aidan

Aidan Thank you for the reply. Would that mean that TV1, TV2, TV3, TV4, Prime and MaoriTV are all VHF ? As we get all those with the bunny ears

Reanalyse

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#901350 23-Sep-2013 17:53

If you can get the highest UHF analogue stations (usually Prime) you may be able to get Freeview with that set-up (uses near those frequencies)

B1GGLZ

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#901400 23-Sep-2013 18:49

Reanalyse: If you can get the highest UHF analogue stations (usually Prime) you may be able to get Freeview with that set-up (uses near those frequencies)

+1
If you currewntly get a good analogue picture for Maori and Prime then you may be OK with your present indoor antenna but be aware that just moving about in the room may cause pixellation and dropouts due to signal reflection or blocking.
External UHF is the best way to go.

xlinknz

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#901504 23-Sep-2013 21:24

B1GGLZ:
Reanalyse: If you can get the highest UHF analogue stations (usually Prime) you may be able to get Freeview with that set-up (uses near those frequencies)

+1
If you currewntly get a good analogue picture for Maori and Prime then you may be OK with your present indoor antenna but be aware that just moving about in the room may cause pixellation and dropouts due to signal reflection or blocking.
External UHF is the best way to go.

Thank you all for your replies.

I can confirm I get Maori Television, Prime and TV3 and TV2 very well with my existing Rabbit ears, more problematic with TV1 and TV4

BTW I found in my garage a sort of aerial coax patch panel [75ohm RG6] that has loose [unterminated] ends for two external aerials and all the many feeds from around the house. What do I need to connect an two unterminated coax cables [so I can join the TV cable to the one labeled external ?]

jasonc

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#906458 2-Oct-2013 14:27

Just wanted to confirm that it is possible to use UHF-freeview off (UHF capable) rabbit-ears. I have been using it for 4 or 5 years now, I am in Hamilton and have line-of-sight to the transmitter on Mt Te Aroha. I wasn't sure if it would work at first, but had a really good Prime signal on Analogue, so gave it a go. Occasionally do get jumpy reception (weather?) - I'm sure it would be better with external aerial - but it works for us! (our house has no aerial at all yet).

Oblivian

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#906468 2-Oct-2013 14:48

jasonc: Just wanted to confirm that it is possible to use UHF-freeview off (UHF capable) rabbit-ears. I have been using it for 4 or 5 years now, I am in Hamilton and have line-of-sight to the transmitter on Mt Te Aroha. I wasn't sure if it would work at first, but had a really good Prime signal on Analogue, so gave it a go. Occasionally do get jumpy reception (weather?) - I'm sure it would be better with external aerial - but it works for us! (our house has no aerial at all yet).

I cocnur.

I was abou to point out I threw a lot of poeples complaints during the AmericasCup out the window of not being able to watch freeview as they had no antenna.. RUBBISH :)

As long as you can see the 64 or so kW (refer sugarloaf) pumping out of the transmitter you can damn well get it! How long for is another story.

First day of the crunchraces at work.. rabbit ears on window..
Second day, also put rabbit ears at another premesis who were streaming tvnz over 3G and struggling
Third day they also did it at other parts of the business now proof of concept was realised
Fourth (the following monday) rabbit ears were MIA...

So into the engineering workshop and out I come with a static strap. Yep, an anti-static strap for an antenna! Took off the strap, touched the core against my 4m aerial extension lead, cellotaped it to the window and guessed the length to be about 1m (the right sort of length for UHF) BOOM 30% signal and 70% quality without adjusting it.

The point of spectrum (480-630Mhz if I recall) is above the highest UHF channel Prime, which is why it is a good indicator start point.

/edit Just to clarify... dont use them as rabbit ears.

shorten the arms down to about 30-40mm each side, place them flat. Start with there and watch the signal levels. Rotate toward the tower as required, then start lifting the furtherest away arm and see how it changes.

I found pointing on a 45 from the tower with 1 arm slightly raised got the best cover (so a wide angle V tilted toward the hill more or less)

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resurrect

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#906479 2-Oct-2013 15:04

that or get the bunny ears with the UHF loop and an inbuilt amp and then hang it on the wall like you would a picture.

allan

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#906498 2-Oct-2013 15:39

jasonc: Just wanted to confirm that it is possible to use UHF-freeview off (UHF capable) rabbit-ears.

Ditto from Karori line-of-sight to Mt Kau Kau

stevenz

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#906499 2-Oct-2013 15:43

I've found DVB-T to be pretty forgiving. If you can pick up Prime in a watchable state, then you'll almost certainly be able to pick up freeview. (YMMV)

Dick Smiths have DIY UHF antenna kits for $100 and they're not too bad, especially given that they come with 10M of fairly heavy duty coax cable. Even better when they have them on sale at 1/2 price.

@KnightNZ

xlinknz

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#908605 5-Oct-2013 20:34

All

Thank you for your responses

I have found that I didn't need an external aerial [note I'm line of sight of Mt Kaukau which is approx 2km away as the crow flys]

In fact I now have clearer reception on almost all channels with a digital signal with the same rabbit ears. The only issue I get is very rarely some pixelization which resolves after a second or so, usually when changing channel.

richms

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#908609 5-Oct-2013 21:10

Brief pixelation when changing channels usually means that the signals are at way way different levels, so if you tweek the antenna it should stop it happening as much. Good to know you didnt have to spring for the external antenna.

Richard rich.ms

gareth41

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#908656 6-Oct-2013 00:50

shorten the arms down to about 30-40mm each side, place them flat. Start with there and watch the signal levels. Rotate toward the tower as required, then start lifting the furtherest away arm and see how it changes.

You probably want to shorten them down even more than that, the length from tip to tip when they are flat should be a 1/2 wavelength of the freq.

The freeview freq's are here:
http://www.jayx.co.nz/FreeviewHD+frequency.html

Calculate like this:
300/freq x 0.935 x 0.50 = length from tip to tip of both arms when placed flat

for example 570Mhz:

300/570 x 0.935 x 0.50 = 24.6cm

The polarity also needs to be correct, vertical or horizontal depending on the transmitter site. For vertical, you will probably have better results mounting on a wall next to a window closest to tower, one arm pointing straight up and the other straight down (vertical dipole). Also bare in mind that freqs in this region are more line of sight than the freqs used by analogue tv1, 2, and 3 in the vhf region, hence will be more difficult to pickup without a proper UHF antenna, unless you are close to the tower or have very good line of sight.