Ariel Frustration help please!

Leltel

Guest
Hi all, we have had our girl for 1 month now, only managed 1 week away due to work commitments. We had a digital ariel fitted prior to collection (on the roof), when we were in the New Forest for a week, we couldn't get signal and presumed that it was due to our location. We are off along the South Coast tomorrow heading to Dover for an early morning ferry on Monday. Hubby has just decided to look at the telly again and it still had no signal. If he unplugged the ariel from the booster and put it straight in the telly we had a weakish signal. direct into the booster was even worse. The motor home is 2 years old and there is an outside ariel socket, however we didn't want to have to take an ariel due to storage (I can't travel light!) the internal point is next to a table on the opposite side of the room to where the Digital ariel and booster has been installed. My opinion is that it has not been wired to the internal socket, hence no picture at all, and that we should go back to Tileshead where we purchased it from on our return, could anyone give us any advise please?????:confused:
 
Without wishing to be condescending it is a digital TV isn't it:confused: You said you get a weakish signal when the booster is taken out of line. Digital signals are either good or none existent. Is the weak signal sort of blocky like a sky box in very bad weather? That is symptoms of a poor digital signal.

What type/ make of aerial is it? If it on of those omnidirectional things then they're not brilliant, if in a good reception area the booster can overload, amplified reflected signals are not good for digital receivers:eek:

See if you can try any old aerial to test (anything even a loop thing off an old portable, there is no such thing as a "digital" aerial). First this into the TV, any picture? Then the outside input to see if it feeds the interior socket and TV attached. Then try plugging this old aerial into the input side of the booster and TV on output side and internal socket to see what happens:D

It could just be poor connections on the coax plugs.

John
 
Hi there,

It looks like you have an Elddis. If it is like the one I had, forget about the external aerial connection, it was hopeless. They use the thinnest, cheap and nasty coax cable when they build them.

If your aerial is the Status 315 (flying saucer) they are poor but getting better as the digital signals get more widespread and stronger. A good aerial need not mean that it is big. There are some compact ones about but do not buy one from a Leisure outlet. I bought my last one from Screwfix.

If you have the Status directional aerial, they are pretty good. Remember that sometimes you have the aerial flat and other times you need to adjust it to the vertical plane.

When you are approaching a stopping place (site or wild), check the direction the house aerials are pointing and which plane they are in ie; horizontal or vertical. It will save you a lot of hassle.
 
Hi and thank you both for your replies. It is the Status directional aerial that we have and we do have a 2007 Elddis. We have tried pointing it in all directions with no joy. Even brought the TV indoors to check that it worked.
The TV we have and I will probably get the name wrong, is a Meon which is a multi volt digital TV.
I think we will try a cheap ariel and see how we go, but that will now have to wait until we get back in a weeks time, but hopefully before our next weekend after that.
Just means hubby and I will have to either read or talk to each other more!
Got a feeling that it could be the coaxil connections or the cable though!
Here's to a great week on the road, more than likely getting lost, but that's half the fun of it! Lel
 
Hope i am not stating the obvious but you are matched up ie digital tv-ariel-meter or analog tv-ariel-meter. The reason I say this is that spent an hour trying to set my system up to find the auto tune was set to look for analog channels when I was in a digital area. Durrrr??? Gave the wife a laugh!
 
Hmm tbear, no thats not stating the obvious, not something I thought about, so am sure my hubby hasn't! When we stop later I will mention that to him and get him to check. Thanks
 
digital tv

yo
if your tv has freeview built in you may have to do a complete new channel search,
as the frequency varies up and down the country.
i assume it is a tv with freview built in.
good luck.:cool:
 
I have had the same problem of no signal on the Status 530. If the amplifier is in place no signal but if I run a length of coax from the end of the antenna to the set input I can get a good signal.

This works for me in my present location as I can clearly see the TV transmitter about 2 miles away. Anywhere else no signal.

I have discussed this problem with Grade UK limited and they have asked me to return the amplifier to them for testing. I posted it on Thursday so I will keep you informed of the results.

More info from http://www.gradeuk.co.uk/store/shelf.asp?shelfid=108S109S1 Who also make a direction finder to help track down the signal from the transmitter to help align the antenna.

John
 
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booster

Stupid comment? Have you got the booster turned on?:confused:
 
Tune in

Tune in you TV B4 leaving home - if you are in a digital area. If your TV is removable take into house and tune in first, but remember to also check it in the van then you will know if the van aerial is ok - but as has been said you will have to retune in different areas.
 
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Some setups have a tiny power switch on an outlet plate hidden in the back of a cupboard somewhere. Without power, having a booster in the circuit is often worse than not having a booster at all
 
Guernsey Donkey said:
Tune in you TV B4 leaving home - if you are in a digital area. If your TV is removable take into house and tune in first B4 leaving home.
Click to expand...

That's only of any use if you travel to an area served by the same transmitter though.
 
I use a portable satellite dish, bought cheaply second hand. Set up in about five minutes once you're used to doing it and guaranteed a perfect picture as long as you have a clear view of the sky. Find it much easier and quicker than aerials.
 
We have the Status 530, when they fitted it I found it wouldn't work, on closer inspection I found the idiots had got the cables the wrong way round in the booster box !! Once I had aerial to the 'in' socket and TV on the 'out' socket it worked fine.

I must say Poole/Wareham area is the ONLY area so far that my Freeview box has EVER worked!!!! So do make sure you are trying to tune in via analogue.

Also had a friend who had similar problem as you, thought it was aerial/area until on a site in Devon he noticed EVERYONE had a picture except him! He asked a chap with a 'house' aerial on a pole if he could try it... and found his TV was faulty! Have you tried the TV at home on your house aerial?????
 
Thank you everyone

Just wanted to say thanks for all your replies. We have just got back from France, so have been unable to reply sooner. We took our baby straight into Tilshead and they were brill, looked at it straight away, although they fitted a brand new booster before we got her, it was faulty! So next trip in three weeks, wont have to talk to Ter so much!
 
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