Do I need to upgrade my aerial for Freeview?

Forums › Freeview (DVB-T/DVB-S) › Do I need to upgrade my aerial for Freeview?

ryanja

52 posts

Master Geek

#61963 26-May-2010 18:58

Recently I built my first HTPC, details of which can be found in this thread. Unfortunately, the Freeview reception isn't very good at all. A few channels come in okay, but pixelate or drop out from time to time. TV3 doesn't come in at all and has the tendency to kill the audio in Window Media Center, requiring me to close and reopen the program.

My current aerial

Is my current aerial enough to pick up freeview, or should I upgrade? My location is upper Aro Valley. I can't see Kaukau from here, but do have a good view of the Wainui hills.

Thanks!

coffeebaron

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#335215 26-May-2010 20:18

That looks like a VHF aerial?

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Jaxson

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#335217 26-May-2010 20:25

ryanja:My current aerial

Is my current aerial enough to pick up freeview

No.

As mentioned above, needs to be UHF.
ie smaller long narrow one, not that existing thing....

nickb800

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#335220 26-May-2010 20:30

It could be a combo VHF/UHF - it looks a bit like this:
http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4bfcc8230231324e273fc0a87f3b068a/Product/View/L4715

Plain VHF looks like this:
http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4bfcc8230231324e273fc0a87f3b068a/Product/View/L4603

So you might already have a UHF one up there. Its possible that the connections are corroded, or its direction is slightly off.

How was your TV reception on analogue TV?

ryanja

52 posts

Master Geek

#335231 26-May-2010 20:57

I was thinking it might be a combo, as I was able to get channels 1, 2, and 3 as well as Prime. Reception was never that great, and Prime was only about 80% decent.

nickb800

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#335235 26-May-2010 21:04

Yeah if you get prime okay it probably is a combo.

You should get a dedicated UHF antenna like this
http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4bfcc8230231324e273fc0a87f3b068a/Product/View/L4735
and cable it directly to your freeview.

Or if your feeling tricky, you could put a diplexer like this:
http://www.dse.co.nz/dse.shop/4bfcc8230231324e273fc0a87f3b068a/Product/View/L4469
and combine the feeds from the existing aerial and a new UHF one into the cable running into your house

Or if you dont need VHF anymore (ie no analogue sets left in the house) then you could simply replace the exisitng aerial with the above model and use the existing cables

Spyware

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#335244 26-May-2010 21:28

It is a band 1 (44 to 68 MHz) and band 3 (174 to 230 MHz) VHF aerial and is certainly NOT a combo VHF/UHF (518 to 806 MHz). It doesn't look like a combo so how can it be, elements all way too long.

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ryanja

52 posts

Master Geek

#335254 26-May-2010 21:38

Seeing as how it's likely to be just VHF, I'll get an aerial installer out here to put in a new one. Just as soon as I get aproval from the owners of the house. :)

Thanks for all your help!