TV Reception

samthdog

Guest
Hi

Hope someone may be able to advise me on how best to obtain TV reception,other than staying at home! We are new to Motorhoming and although not huge TV watchers,as the nights draw in,it would be nice to be able to watch our new flat screen,freeview tv now and again!

We have just spent over £200.00 having a Status 530 directional antenna with a vision plus booster fitted,on our last few weekends away(Northumberland/Lake district/Whitby),no reception has been available at all! We get lots of channels when we are parked on the drive at home! Wifey was most upset that she missed Downton Abbey! (I wasn't!)

Is a satelite dish the next option?

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks

Chris
 
Have you retuned the TV at each new stop? If not, you won't pick up anything if you move to a different viewing area.
 
samthdog said:
Hi

Hope someone may be able to advise me on how best to obtain TV reception,other than staying at home! We are new to Motorhoming and although not huge TV watchers,as the nights draw in,it would be nice to be able to watch our new flat screen,freeview tv now and again!

We have just spent over £200.00 having a Status 530 directional antenna with a vision plus booster fitted,on our last few weekends away(Northumberland/Lake district/Whitby),no reception has been available at all! We get lots of channels when we are parked on the drive at home! Wifey was most upset that she missed Downton Abbey! (I wasn't!)

Is a satelite dish the next option?

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks

Chris
Click to expand...

Hi Chris

We have the same problem with our Status and Avtex TV on freeeview. Digital signals are low power in areas that have not yet abandoned analogue. Even in digital only areas you have to beam exactly onto the transmitter as digital you either have it or you haven't. With analogue you get a chance to get a poor signal and adjust to improve it. Digital does not give you that option. I am within 1 mile of Pontop Pike transmitter at the moment and the digital signal is still hit and miss I call it Norman Collier syndrome. The secret is to use the TV option to get a signal. Move the antenna for the best signal and then try DVB modes otherwise buy a signal finder from a caravan shop.

Satelite TV is a better bet in a motorhome but you still need a clear view of the sky to the south east as trees are enough to block the signal. If you only intend UK travel a dome is better than a dish as it doesn't suffer from vibration with the wind which causes loss of signal. We have had ITV on our 85cm dish as far south as the Murcia region of Spain but smaller dishes and domes loose the signal further up country.

I would have thought that in the North East you would have still got ITV on the non digital mode on your reciever but the lakes have gone 100% digital so you have no choice there.

If you don't know were your local transmitters are try this website.

Ofcom | Television Transmitter Location Maps
 
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I agree with the comment about not retuning the TV set.

Don't worry, most of us have done the same thing.

When you are approaching somewhere to pull in, take note of which way house TV aerials are pointing. Also check to see if they are horizontal or turned 90 degrees. If they are on their side, that often means that the TV signal is being beamed from a booster relay station and the signal will be a bit weaker. Your aerial is pretty good but I would get a signal finder to help speed up the process.

If you are reading this John Thompson, have you set the slider on your booster unit to the better of the 2 positions. Too strong of a signal causes problems as well as weak ones.

From 2012, all digital signals will be boosted greatly when analogue disappears. TV should be more widely available then.
 
Thanks Jim have tried that.

I am going to rewire in new coax to see if it improves things. I can see the transmitter on the Town Hall at Barrow in Furness yet across the estuary at Haverigg I don't get a signal 99.999% of the time.
 
It might help if you can buy a signal strength meter then you will have an idea what the reception is like in the area you are parked in.
 
We had similar problems to you when we had a directional status aerial; even with re-tuning and a signal finder we struggled! Fortunately, before all this could lead to a divorce, we bought a MH with a self seeking satellite dish, and are still married. Things can get a bit tetchy if trees are nearby, but most of the time we are OK. (Actually it's himself that's the TV addict, I couldn't care less if I have my laptop or a good book!!) The strange thing is that we have an old round status aerial on our current MH and get a better signal with that than we did with the directional status!

Good luck with it all, I take it wifey didn't manage to catch the repeat on Sunday afternoon then??

KP x
 
believe it or believe it not, i use a very old tv ariel which i bought to use on my boat about 8 yrs ago, it was £6 from wilkinsons, it wasi think a ten prong antenna, its now only 4 but when i pull in, i retune and get most of the freeview channels
 
Hook your screen up to your laptop. Most modern screens have a VGA input socket.

Then watch the video news off the BBC website, BBC iplayer, comedy and sport clips from you tube, and all the other video steaming there is.

1. You don't need an ariel, just a broadband dongle or wifi booster.

2. You don't need a TV license either, if you don't watch the same time as they are being aired.
 
If you have a TV licence for your home, you and any person living with you at home are covered to view
anywhere, including a boat, vehicle or caravan, providing someone at home isn't viewing at the same time if
you are in a static non touring caravan.
 
Many thanks for the advice John,most kind.
John Thompson said:
Hi Chris

We have the same problem with our Status and Avtex TV on freeeview. Digital signals are low power in areas that have not yet abandoned analogue. Even in digital only areas you have to beam exactly onto the transmitter as digital you either have it or you haven't. With analogue you get a chance to get a poor signal and adjust to improve it. Digital does not give you that option. I am within 1 mile of Pontop Pike transmitter at the moment and the digital signal is still hit and miss I call it Norman Collier syndrome. The secret is to use the TV option to get a signal. Move the antenna for the best signal and then try DVB modes otherwise buy a signal finder from a caravan shop.

Satelite TV is a better bet in a motorhome but you still need a clear view of the sky to the south east as trees are enough to block the signal. If you only intend UK travel a dome is better than a dish as it doesn't suffer from vibration with the wind which causes loss of signal. We have had ITV on our 85cm dish as far south as the Murcia region of Spain but smaller dishes and domes loose the signal further up country.

I would have thought that in the North East you would have still got ITV on the non digital mode on your reciever but the lakes have gone 100% digital so you have no choice there.

If you don't know were your local transmitters are try this website.

Ofcom | Television Transmitter Location Maps
Click to expand...
 
kernowprickles said:
We had similar problems to you when we had a directional status aerial; even with re-tuning and a signal finder we struggled! Fortunately, before all this could lead to a divorce, we bought a MH with a self seeking satellite dish, and are still married. Things can get a bit tetchy if trees are nearby, but most of the time we are OK. (Actually it's himself that's the TV addict, I couldn't care less if I have my laptop or a good book!!) The strange thing is that we have an old round status aerial on our current MH and get a better signal with that than we did with the directional status!

Good luck with it all, I take it wifey didn't manage to catch the repeat on Sunday afternoon then??

KP x
Click to expand...

Hello oh great fellows of the motorhome. This IS wifey speaking now. I have taken over the machine, pushed husby off the keyboard and want to set the record straight about my televisual habits and alleged obsessions. I am happy to read a good novel, do the Times crossword (or was it the Mail on Saturday?), or engage in meaningful debate about how many sheep we can see from the loo window, BUT Downton Abbey is one of life's simple pleasures - not to be missed. So,next Sunday - I will be a) either following all of your respective pieces of advice, OR b) at home, tuned in, gin and tonic in hand, wearing my new "Downton Abbey" elbow length satin evening gloves. Ah - Hope Mr Bates and Annie get it together! DON'T TELL ME IF THEY ALREADY DID LAST SUNDAY!!!! With thanks - Wifey
 
There is a handy app on Android (probably for iPhone too) called "TV Transmitter" think it was around 0.62pence when I got it. Just enable your GPS and it finds the nearest transmitter and gives you a line of site to it so you know what direction to point your aerial.
 
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We got a complete image 420 kit from Aerial Shack for less than £40.00 a couple of years ago. For that I got Aerial, cable, mounts with pole and signal meter.

We check others for a idea of direction and fine tune with meter. Tune to either analogue or DTV and we have only had a problem once when there was no signal at all.

The pole is left mounted on the bike rack but we have to pop the aerial on top when we park up. Only a problem in very bad weather.

Richard
 
Douzeper said:
There is a handy app on Android (probably for iPhone too) called "TV Transmitter" think it was around 0.62pence when I got it. Just enable your GPS and it finds the nearest transmitter and gives you a line of site to it so you know what direction to point your aerial.
Click to expand...

There's also a free Android app (I like free ...) that works just fine.

Just search the Android Market for TV Transmitter and it should come up.

Incidentally, for those who like going to the seaside, there are Android apps for tide times too :)
 
I too invested about 50 quid in an aerial, and also bought a signal finder, but almost never find a signal. I presume its simply the kind of places I like to get to - hilly, with plenty of trees. Pretty much at the point of giving up now, to save cluttering up the van with the aerial, and just watch programmes I record at home on my Humax freesat box and copy to a stick.

Satelite seems to be the best bet but if you're wild camping you need a 12V tuner, and I haven't seen one of those yet. Has anyone?

As for the internet whilst wilding, forget that unless you want to drive into town. I don't think I've ever got a signal on my O2 dongle.

Moan moan... :)
 
Lodclwyd said:
I too invested about 50 quid in an aerial, and also bought a signal finder, but almost never find a signal. I presume its simply the kind of places I like to get to - hilly, with plenty of trees. Pretty much at the point of giving up now, to save cluttering up the van with the aerial, and just watch programmes I record at home on my Humax freesat box and copy to a stick.

Satelite seems to be the best bet but if you're wild camping you need a 12V tuner, and I haven't seen one of those yet. Has anyone?

As for the internet whilst wilding, forget that unless you want to drive into town. I don't think I've ever got a signal on my O2 dongle.

Moan moan... :)
Click to expand...

Hi Lodclwyd,

Give Aerial Shack a ring. Number on their web site and I am sure they will help you out for minimal cost.

Richard
 
Lodclwyd said:
Satelite seems to be the best bet but if you're wild camping you need a 12V tuner, and I haven't seen one of those yet. Has anyone?
Click to expand...


I have a 12v Sky reciever but I don't use it as I don't have a Sky subscription. I use a 230v freesat recorder through an inverter when not on hookup. Or just a laptop when wild camping in the little van.
 
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