No Freeview Reception (Kapiti) using roof-antenna

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phptek

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Topic # 65152 30-Jul-2010 08:14

Hi folks,

I'm in Kapiti (Te Horo Beach) in a new home and am unable to receive any Freeview channels using my roof-mounted aerial. Perhaps surprisingly we can however receive all Freeview channels using an indoor, powered set-top antenna, but I would like to be able to use the roof-aerial and move away from a powered, indoor unit.

The receiver is a new Akai AD185X HD DTV receiver which as I say, works A-OK with the indoor antenna. The external antenna is a 32 element UHF aerial roof-mounted on a pole about 4.5m off the ground and pointing approximately due south. It works for analogue when I bypass the receiver and can receive some (somewhat fuzzy TV1,TV2) analogue broadcasts.

I'm aiming to get DTV broadcasts from either Ngarara (in Waikanae) or KauKau/Fitzherbert (in Wgtn). According to the Lincrad transmitter-sites map, each of these sites transmit DTV. I have tried my aerial horizontally (to match Fitzherbert) and also vertically (Ngarara/KauKau) and my receiver when tuning still says "No signal".

Here is a pic of my aerial setup (horizontally when pic was taken) if it helps any.

There are a row of trees about 1km south in line of sight of, and taller than my aerial, but then all my neighbours who have UHF antenna, also point theirs in the same direction - maybe they only receive analogue UHF signals through them?

Unfortunately, where the aerial pole is located, I cannot point the antenna north to palmy for example as the apex of the roof in that direction is slightly higher than the height of the pole :-(

Does anyone have any ideas of what to try next? Is my UHF antenna even "good" enough for Freeview?

Many thanks for your time,
Russell

Brunzy

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Reply # 359358 30-Jul-2010 08:35

Looks like you may have a masthead amp .
The power supply is possibly missing / not switched on

cyril7

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Reply # 359397 30-Jul-2010 08:58

Hi, firstly KauKua is horizontal (as your picture shows) and Ngarara is vertical, forget Fitzherbert its in the hutt it will never be seen in your area.

Depending on where you are in Te Horo its quite probably you will get nothing from Ngarara, the antenna array is on the sourthern side of the Transmitter mast and there is a deadly silence in the back of the lobe to the north. There are a few places you can pick it up, but its very weak as the main lobe points south not north.

You would be better off trying for KauKau, however that is also typically we below usable.

Most of your neighbours UHF antennas are most likely picking up TV3 and Prime of Forrest Heights which is on the hill to the east of the highway above PekaPeka Rd.

As a rule when I have done site surveys in your area I have given up on any usable DTT signal except in a few rare locations, suggest you get a dish.

Cheers
Cyril

phptek

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Reply # 359618 30-Jul-2010 10:44

Brunzy: Looks like you may have a masthead amp .
The power supply is possibly missing / not switched on

Hi Brunzy. if you're referring to the beige box on the pole, nah that's a wifi transmitter for something entirely different - thanks for responding though.

PM me if you're interested in what it's for :-)

Cheers
Russ

phptek

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Reply # 359631 30-Jul-2010 10:50

cyril7: Hi, firstly KauKua is horizontal (as your picture shows) and Ngarara is vertical, forget Fitzherbert its in the hutt it will never be seen in your area.

Ah, just re-checked you are of course correct.

cyril7: Depending on where you are in Te Horo its quite probably you will get nothing from Ngarara, the antenna array is on the sourthern side of the Transmitter mast and there is a deadly silence in the back of the lobe to the north. There are a few places you can pick it up, but its very weak as the main lobe points south not north.

Bugger. We're about 500m east as the crow flies from Te Horo Beach itself. So from where are we likely recieving the signal from on our internal antenna?

cyril7: You would be better off trying for KauKau, however that is also typically we below usable.

I assume you need some kit to accurately point an antenna in this way - signal strength meters or even a lat/long of the transmitter itself?

cyril7: Most of your neighbours UHF antennas are most likely picking up TV3 and Prime of Forrest Heights which is on the hill to the east of the highway above PekaPeka Rd.

Sure, analog, I guessed as much.

cyril7: As a rule when I have done site surveys in your area I have given up on any usable DTT signal except in a few rare locations, suggest you get a dish.

Sure, I understand, but before we do, I still don't understand why our internal set-top antenna can receive Freeview very well, but something up on the roof gets absolutely nothing?

Thanks Cyril,
Russ

cyril7

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Reply # 360214 30-Jul-2010 18:42

Hi, happy to give you a site test just PM me, will be up in Waikanae on a job next week, dont know what days.

Near the beach you should be fine, its Te Horo closer SH1 where you backon to Ngarara's antennas main lobe that you get nothing. The fact that your internal antenna gets something but your outside one does not indicates a possible fault in the outdoor antenna, so a site test with my antenna my be of use.

Cheers
Cyril

phptek

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Reply # 361316 2-Aug-2010 08:00

Hi Cyril,

Thanks for the offer, very much appreciated - assuming you do this professionally, what is your rate?

I have noticed several folks round our way have their UHF antenna pointing due North East - assuming that's Whariti? (They're vertically polarised) I was going to try that too, if the back of our roof didn't get in the way..

Cheers
Russ

cyril7

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Reply # 361403 2-Aug-2010 10:26

Hi Russ, yes do it professionally, my rate is not enough, and Wharite is worth the try but typically you will need some height.

Cyril

tehoro

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Reply # 362086 3-Aug-2010 08:32

I also live in Te Horo and point my Freeview antenna at Wharite Peak near Palmerston North - this works, with an amplifier. A friend on Sims Road in Te Horo Beach has recently successfully done the same thing.

phptek

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Reply # 362098 3-Aug-2010 08:59

I think we may be neighbours then..

I checked my antenna last night, I'd have to extend the pole another metre or so to clear the apex of my roof in order to get a signal from Wharite..not hard to do, just need to get the right pole as mine was custom made.

Thanks for the info folks, I now have the info I need to get this sorted.

Regards,
Russ

Zipdisk

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Reply # 382828 21-Sep-2010 18:38

Hi phptek

Did you get your Akai AD185X direct from OZZ, that link that you gave does not show a NZ price.

Here is a Better coverage map from Kordia

http://www.freeviewnz.tv/images/uploads/pdfs/Ngarara_Standalone_Freeview.pdf

All the links that I have read is to use a Very high mast.

My system here in Kapiti uses a masthead Amp, a Kapiti made dual Yagi UHF antenna, plus using RG6 cables and a 4 way splitter box all using "F" connectors.

I have stacks of tall trees in my line of site, but I am near the Paraparaumu College, Donovan Road, but get a 9-10 Quality reading on my Panasonic TV, the Set Top box will be used on another bedroom set just for recording.

Will the Akai AD185X do just simple Timer recordings, also can you point me to a User Manual, as I have been interested in that model, I noticed the older AD181 is sold here.

Did you sort out you mast reception problems as it seems a bit of a puzzle that it works on a Internal antenna.

Thanks

phptek

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Reply # 382995 22-Sep-2010 08:10

Hi and thanks for the info,

As of yesterday I have a custom made pole extender for my aerial so once the wind calms down I'll go up and install it, point the UHF antenna at Whariti.

FWIW, our indoor antenna I believe is also getting its signal from Whariti becuase there is nothing in the way of the signal in the lounge and the only other candidate transmitter I know of (Ngarara) as a previous poster pointed out, its node points south, unlikely to be able
to receive North of it.

The roof antenna however has the apex of the roof between it and the transmitter. Once my 1m extension is fitted, I should be able to use it.

We also have RG6 throughout, to a 4-way splitter using custom F-connectors.

About the Akai, we got it off TradeMe from this trader . It only came with a very simple manual. I'm not sure about shceduled recording, but I see no reason why it wouldn't, otherwise its recording functionality would be pretty bad really wouldn't it!?

Thanks a lot,
Russ

phptek

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Reply # 491589 10-Jul-2011 09:41

Hi everyone,

Just re-encountered this post yesterday. Managed to get the 1m extension to our custom-made roof aerial mount. I pointed the antenna at Wharete and have had A-1A reception ever since.

It seemed it wass just a question of raising the antenna above the hip of the roof. A colleague at work had suggested the possibility of "skimming" the signal off our metal roof, but that didn't work.

For your interest, I have uploaded a photo of the new setup as of yesterday (July 8, 2011). If you're interested what the IP-rated box halfway up is....DM me :-)

http://theruss.com/gallery/kapiti-off-grid/DSCF1108-opt.JPG.html

Cheers for all your help.