Aeriels

[sarahmes6]

Hello people

 

Can anyone offer me some advise please. I have purchased a tv with freeview for my canalboat. Am remaining static for the forseeable future. Have also purchased indoor aeriel but no much luck with channels and fuzzy picture.

 

Has anyone got any advice about which is the best type of outdoor aeriel to purchase, and where can i get it from?

 

All advise greatly recieved.

 

Regards

Sarah

[Guest]

Hello people

 

Can anyone offer me some advise please. I have purchased a tv with freeview for my canalboat. Am remaining static for the forseeable future. Have also purchased indoor aeriel but no much luck with channels and fuzzy picture.

 

Has anyone got any advice about which is the best type of outdoor aeriel to purchase, and where can i get it from?

 

All advise greatly recieved.

 

Regards

Sarah

 

Hello Sarah, pursue the content of this web site.

 

 

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/touringaerials.html

 

We have this one-

 

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/onlineaerials.html#Log40

 

and has rarely failed us...

[bottle]

What Martin said and a 'Log Periodic Aerial' will still work when you go cruising.

[Richard10002]

I bought the log periodic and the loft kit with 2 base brackets! Pluse some cable and a couple of thumb screws, about £50 all in. Mounted on the front of the cratch, the aerial sits just above the roof and not as high as the chimney. Provides a great picture in Stretford. If I felt we were going to be in a weak signal area for a while, I might buy the telescopic pole.

 

Great service from ATV!

[keble]

And if you want to know where to point it (assuming you're on a canal etc) take a look Here.

Also available via Canalplan places

Rob

[matty40s]

Although you are remaining static for a while, if you do move on, remember to retune your TV if moving any distance.

 

I was in Paddington Basin last year, and the boater in his magnificent-engined Hudson had been out and bought a new ariel, 25 metres of co-ax, a signal amplifier and all the connections as he couldn't get a signal and wanted (needed) to watch the F1 grand prix the next day.

I mentioned the fact that I had a perfect signal and asked if he had retuned his TV for the new location.

10 minutes later and he was taking back what he could for a refund.

[jelunga]

I think the BBC and the Freeview web site can give you both channel info and directional info for any post code. I tried to find the URL but not on my ipod at the moment

[Guest]

And if you want to know where to point it (assuming you're on a canal etc) take a look Here.http://www.canalworld.net/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif

Also available via Canalplan places

Rob

 

What I can't understand is that our Log 40 has been laid on it;s side on the roof for the past two days, and it's provided a 100% perfect Freeview picture....even when we were actually moving from Barnby Dun to Castleford...wierd..

[Ratzend]

Just a thought, you mention a 'fuzzy' picture? With digital you either get a picture or you don't.

If the signal is bad then you might just get a 'pixillated' picture with the little boxes all over the place, but it won't be fuzzy?

 

Just wondering if you meant pixillated, otherwise it may be set to tuning to analogue?

[sarahmes6]

no definately not pixillated, definately fuzzy, like in the Olden days when u cant get a picture. Yes will go and look and definately try again to retune to digital.

I do think its the aerial but.

 

Will check with the other people in my marina too.

[Tony Brooks]

What I can't understand is that our Log 40 has been laid on it;s side on the roof for the past two days, and it's provided a 100% perfect Freeview picture....even when we were actually moving from Barnby Dun to Castleford...wierd..

 

 

Exactly the same with my Status Image 420 multi-element aerial, except in my case it is pointing upwards at about 30 degrees. I can not get a picture with the little "twig" supplied with the TV even though it was on the roof. Weird as you say.

[Machpoint005]

no definately not pixillated, definately fuzzy, like in the Olden days when u cant get a picture. Yes will go and look and definately try again to retune to digital.I do think its the aerial but.Will check with the other people in my marina too.

Some digital TVs have an irritating habit of 'assuming' you want ATV (analogue) rather than DTV (digital) when you switch off a connected auxiliary device such as a video recorder or DVD player. There is often a 'source' button on the TV remote - adjust to DTV and there you are.

 

 

(edited to make it clearer - hope I've succeeded!)

Edited April 18, 2012 by Machpoint005

[Nightwatch]

On my old phone I had an APP that showed/pointed to the nearest and strongest TV transmitter. I found it quite accurate and easy to use. I now have an iphone and have searched for a similar APP to no avail.

 

Any ideas?

 

Martyn

Edited April 18, 2012 by Nightwatch

[Naughty Cal]

We have had a series of the small dish type aerials on NC none of which were great and all of which have met sticky ends involving bridges

 

We dont watch loads of TV onboard so instead of buying a new one we decided to take the small "bee sting" type aerial to try that came with our small 12V LCD camping TV. To our amazement it is much better than the marine dish aerials and we have yet to find anywhere it wont pick up at least a few decent channels including out home mooring which the marine aerials refused to tune in on).

 

We have decided not to bother refitting an aerial on the arch and will just stick the bee sting out of the window as and when we decide we want to watch TV.

[Rich]

Hello people

 

Can anyone offer me some advise please. I have purchased a tv with freeview for my canalboat. Am remaining static for the forseeable future. Have also purchased indoor aeriel but no much luck with channels and fuzzy picture.

 

Has anyone got any advice about which is the best type of outdoor aeriel to purchase, and where can i get it from?

 

All advise greatly recieved.

 

Regards

Sarah

 

We have a Status Image 430 which has yet to let us down and to find out where to point it, if you have a post code or grid reference, this site is spot on

 

http://www.wolfbane.com/cgi-bin/tvd.exe?DX=L&HT=10&OS=

 

ETA, unless you are in a cutting or similar, with restricted view

Edited April 18, 2012 by Rich

[OldGoat]

We have had a series of the small dish type aerials on NC none of which were great and all of which have met sticky ends involving bridges

 

We dont watch loads of TV onboard so instead of buying a new one we decided to take the small "bee sting" type aerial to try that came with our small 12V LCD camping TV. To our amazement it is much better than the marine dish aerials and we have yet to find anywhere it wont pick up at least a few decent channels including out home mooring which the marine aerials refused to tune in on).

 

We have decided not to bother refitting an aerial on the arch and will just stick the bee sting out of the window as and when we decide we want to watch TV.

 

Eyup lass, that's 'cos your in god's wonderful county. Probably a git big tranmitter 'twixt thee and it, with not in between.

Likely as 'appen a bit of wet knicker elastic would do the job - or a hanging fender....

 

For us darn sarf, the transmitter changes every few miles and still can't get a picture.

[Giggetty]

Eyup lass, that's 'cos your in god's wonderful county. Probably a git big tranmitter 'twixt thee and it, with not in between.

Likely as 'appen a bit of wet knicker elastic would do the job - or a hanging fender....

 

For us darn sarf, the transmitter changes every few miles and still can't get a picture.

What I found interesting was that Freeview on our boat was always easy to receive with an 18 ele antenna but that Freesat with a 2 ft dish was nearly always poor. In fact, we junked the satellite kit in the end.

 

Hardly ever watch the telly when cruising anyway-too shagged at the end of the day.

[keble]

On my old phone I had an APP that showed/pointed to the nearest and strongest TV transmitter. I found it quite accurate and easy to use. I now have an iphone and have searched for a similar APP to no avail.

 

Any ideas?

 

Martyn

Look at This web site

Not an app but it could help!

[Ratzend]

I really hope it turns out to be a simple aerial change for you, does anyone near you have one that you could borrow to try it?

 

It still niggles me that you have a fuzzy picture, I suppose the tuner could be faulty. The other thing that comes to mind is that, if it is set to digital tuning, and you come to the frequency where the channel should be but the signal is too weak, then normally you will get a message on the screen saying 'No Signal' or 'Poor Signal', you won't get a fuzzy picture.

 

I presume you use 'Automatic' for setting up the channels? Do you get a list of channels that it has found? There are normally dozens of them, radio channels too, not all usable though.

 

If you don't then I would think that it is still trying to use analogue instead of digital.

[ceilauren]

Hi All

 

A newbie trying to be of help, to justify the lurking over the last couple of months :-)

 

Look in the IPhone App Store for Aerial Advisor Uk, for Freeview locations or Easy Sat for satellite signals.

 

Not used them myself yet as in process of doing a couple of other things on the boat before getting the TV.

 

Check the reviews first and make up your mind if they are worth a try at £1.99 or £2.99.

 

Kevin

[OldGoat]

What I found interesting was that Freeview on our boat was always easy to receive with an 18 ele antenna but that Freesat with a 2 ft dish was nearly always poor. In fact, we junked the satellite kit in the end.

 

Hardly ever watch the telly when cruising anyway-too shagged at the end of the day.

 

Not wishing to be confrontational or to score points, but your experience is the opposite to mine.

 

The Midlands is pretty well served for Freeview TV, but we cruise from the Thames to as far as I am allowed to go (by SWMBO) and satellite always works for us, provided that there are no trees between the boat and the satellites - not always easy on the Oxford.

 

Sat dishes are more critical than TV aerials. The dish mounts must be absolutely vertical in all directions so that the focus of the disk is at 26 degrees to the vertical and the horizontal alignment is - umm - horizontal. Otherwise you'll faff around for ages trying to get a signal. If the dish is mounted amidships, then the boat can rock a bit without loss of picture. Took me years to work that all out.

 

A TV aerial is much less critical in the horizontal plane, especially if a log periodic type is used, but with the demise of analogue transmissions you may have to tune the set to its nearest transmitter's MUX group before locating the signal. Obviously that's not possible. On our longer cruises we have to change from Crystal Palace to "somewhere near Basingstoke" to Oxford to whatever serves the Midland region. At least the satellites are always in the same position......

[Jamesb4uk]

i have one of these clicky

 

been pretty good so far & another boater down my way has just bought one too.

 

you do need a close by tree to mount it on though.

 

James

[Richard10002]

i have one of these clicky

 

been pretty good so far & another boater down my way has just bought one too.

 

you do need a close by tree to mount it on though.

 

James

 

Why not mount it on a pole on the boa?. With the right bracket, you would be able to swivel it on the pole.... Just like most aerials.

[Nightwatch]

Hi All

 

A newbie trying to be of help, to justify the lurking over the last couple of months :-)

 

Look in the IPhone App Store for Aerial Advisor Uk, for Freeview locations or Easy Sat for satellite signals.

 

Not used them myself yet as in process of doing a couple of other things on the boat before getting the TV.

 

Check the reviews first and make up your mind if they are worth a try at £1.99 or £2.99.

 

Kevin

Welcome Kevin and thanks for that.

 

No longer a 'lurker' eh! How does that feel?

 

Martyn

[Jamesb4uk]

Why not mount it on a pole on the boa?. With the right bracket, you would be able to swivel it on the pole.... Just like most aerials.

 

 

This is very true.