Need advice on aerial install for freeview [UPDATED]

Forums › Freeview (DVB-T/DVB-S) › Need advice on aerial install for freeview [UPDATED]

tomgeeknz

918 posts

Ultimate Geek

#44573 28-Oct-2009 15:15

[Please see my post below]

Ok, First question: Is this aerial kit suitable for Freeview in Kaiapoi. If not what is??

Second i want to mount this at about average ceiling height on the outside of my house on the west end. Is this too low? I also need some advice about running a cable through an existing wall. What is the safest (and legal) way to do this with out to much fuss, eg i just want to run the cable through the exterior wall not muck around putting in wall plates. (could i just drill through the wooden window frame feed the cable through and then seal the hole on both side with No Gaps or the like)

Facts you may need
- House is brick apart from eaves and the angled paneling under them so would have to go through cieling to run in through the exterior wall
- need to keep the cost down I am on a limited budget as i am only 16

Any more questions feel free to ask

wellygary

4516 posts

Uber Geek

#267730 28-Oct-2009 15:53

thefatmould: Ok, First question: Is this aerial kit suitable for Freeview in Kaiapoi. If not what is??

Second i want to mount this at about average ceiling height on the outside of my house on the west end. Is this too low? I also need some advice about running a cable through an existing wall. What is the safest (and legal) way to do this with out to much fuss, eg i just want to run the cable through the exterior wall not muck around putting in wall plates. (could i just drill through the wooden window frame feed the cable through and then seal the hole on both side with No Gaps or the like)

Facts you may need
- House is brick apart from eaves and the angled paneling under them so would have to go through cieling to run in through the exterior wall
- need to keep the cost down I am on a limited budget as i am only 16

Any more questions feel free to ask

The Aerial is probably fine for your coverage, but yes it is too low,
Don't have it mounted only at ceiling height, Stick one of these on the barge board at that end of the house and get it well above your roof height (much less interference)

http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4ae7afcb012d798a2740c0a87f3b0716/Product/View/L4642

Don't run you feed down the outside of the house if you can avoid it, It makes the place look like a sky installer was responsible for your wiring :D

Can you get access to the roof cavity?, if so look at running your feed down into the roof space.and then down into the house,

tomgeeknz

918 posts

Ultimate Geek

#267783 28-Oct-2009 18:10

OK after some thought and discussion I have come up with a better plan and now need your views on using a splitter. If i was using all four outputs on THIS splitter would I need to use an amplifier and if so where in the chain eg before or after the splitter.

Thanks Again

Tom

Deev8

481 posts

Ultimate Geek

#268004 29-Oct-2009 10:50

thefatmould: If i was using all four outputs on THIS splitter would I need to use an amplifier and if so where in the chain eg before or after the splitter.

If you are splitting the signal four ways, you probably will want to amplify it. The amplifier would need to be before the splitter (to get four decent signals). It's always best for the amplifier to be as close to the aerial as practical - then you are not amplifying noise that's picked-up along the cable run as well as the signal that you want.

There's some decent information on aerials, amplifiers and splitters on this website: Aerials & Television - Splitters, Amplifiers and Diplexers It's a British site, so information on specific transmitters and appropriate aerials is useless, but the basic principles of terrestrial digital TV are the same everywhere.

tomgeeknz

918 posts

Ultimate Geek

#268163 29-Oct-2009 15:46

Is this amplifier suitable as I also want to connect the existing VHF aerial to the system if my parents don't want freeview straight away?

Deev8

481 posts

Ultimate Geek

#268612 30-Oct-2009 16:07

thefatmould: Is this amplifier suitable as I also want to connect the existing VHF aerial to the system if my parents don't want freeview straight away?

The device linked to isn't an amplifier it's a masthead diplexer. That will "combine" the signals from a VHF and a UHF aerial, allowing them to be carried over a single cable, but it doesn't provide any signal amplification.

The same site does have suitable amplifiers, for instance this one will take input from a VHF and UHF aerial, amplify them and feed to combined output to a single cable.