Which Aerial would be better for saorview?

Pyro Boy

Hi looking for an aerial for saorview, looking for a discreet option and still be good for reception. Any opinions on these two below or are there better ones out there.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D76GSBE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2OAJ7377F756P&psc=1

or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outdoor-Digital-Receiver-Freeview-Technology/dp/B07BGVBMJ6/ref=pd_sbs_23_4/261-3148519-8245149?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07BGVBMJ6&pd_rd_r=82003409-e71b-46a7-94fd-ec2120e87f76&pd_rd_w=Aum9v&pd_rd_wg=co7BF&pf_rd_p=f4a31d1d-8f61-48f5-b6f4-a22ba06df575&pf_rd_r=DCJDJ3EEYGVW7RRDF0F4&psc=1&refRID=DCJDJ3EEYGVW7RRDF0F4

Or

https://www.satellite.ie/acatalog/Attic-and-Outdoor-digital-tv-aerial.html#SID=94

winston_1

Neither of those. As I said in a prievous thread. "Omni directional aerials are useless except just very close to a transmitter. This does not even seem to be able to change the polarisation.

Get yourself a log periodic aerial on a mast that you can rotate."

habanerocat

Pyro Boy wrote: »

Hi looking for an aerial for saorview, looking for a discreet option and still be good for reception. Any opinions on these two below or are there better ones out there.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D76GSBE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2OAJ7377F756P&psc=1

or

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outdoor-Digital-Receiver-Freeview-Technology/dp/B07BGVBMJ6/ref=pd_sbs_23_4/261-3148519-8245149?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07BGVBMJ6&pd_rd_r=82003409-e71b-46a7-94fd-ec2120e87f76&pd_rd_w=Aum9v&pd_rd_wg=co7BF&pf_rd_p=f4a31d1d-8f61-48f5-b6f4-a22ba06df575&pf_rd_r=DCJDJ3EEYGVW7RRDF0F4&psc=1&refRID=DCJDJ3EEYGVW7RRDF0F4

Or

https://www.satellite.ie/acatalog/Attic-and-Outdoor-digital-tv-aerial.html#SID=94

Have a look around locally and see what the neighbours are using.


Ask your local installer what is the minimum size you'll get away with. Perhaps you could put a good aerial in the attic.

The Cush

Pyro Boy wrote: »

https://www.satellite.ie/acatalog/Attic-and-Outdoor-digital-tv-aerial.html#SID=94

Of the 3 I would go for that one, compact log periodic, and see how it goes.

Sconsey

Hijacking thread to ask a similar question...I have a Saorview ariel in my attic (putting one on the outside of house is not really an option). The signal is weak in my area, RTE2 is usually Ok-ish, RTE1 is very poor most of the time. The guy that set it all up for me used what looks like a very basic aerial, I have since done some fiddling about (mounted the aerial on a pole in the attic) to try to improve the signal but not much improvement.

I am wondering if a more expensive aerial would be worth trying, thinking of upgrading from the cheapo one I have to this?

Do you think I am wasting my time, none of my neighbours have an external Saorview aerial but I would guess they are all using Virgin Media for their RTE channels. Has anyone heard of peopel getting better reception in weak signal areas using this type of aerial?

Thanks.

TAFKAlawhec

Sconsey wrote: »

Hijacking thread to ask a similar question...I have a Saorview ariel in my attic (putting one on the outside of house is not really an option). The signal is weak in my area, RTE2 is usually Ok-ish, RTE1 is very poor most of the time. The guy that set it all up for me used what looks like a very basic aerial, I have since done some fiddling about (mounted the aerial on a pole in the attic) to try to improve the signal but not much improvement.

I am wondering if a more expensive aerial would be worth trying, thinking of upgrading from the cheapo one I have to this?

Do you think I am wasting my time, none of my neighbours have an external Saorview aerial but I would guess they are all using Virgin Media for their RTE channels. Has anyone heard of peopel getting better reception in weak signal areas using this type of aerial?

Thanks.

Without knowing your location and what transmitter you're aiming at, it's near impossible to give an answer of any real substance.

Reception aerials in an attic can be somewhat random. For many, they can work well but different things have to be considered, including the following - is there any foil backed insulation (e.g. Kingspan) in the attic/loft? Is the property terraced, detached or semi-detached? What materials does the aerial have to point through? In general, if there is no foil backed insulation under the roof, the roofing materials don't absorb large amounts of RF, and the the aerial needs to be pointing through the roof where the boom of the aerial lies at right angles (or reasonably close to) then those are your most favourable conditions. Foil backed insulation is pretty much an RF killer at UHF frequencies, but if you're able to get some channels but not others then it's likely you don't have it. Does the direction of the wanted transmitter mean the aerial pointing through brickwork? That's more likely to drastically weaken your wanted signal, especially if it has to go though several of them like in a semi-detached or terraced home.

The aerial linked to on freetv ie is often referred to as a "grid" aerial - they're often promoted as wideband (covering all of the UHF broadcast band) but their gain at the low end is quite poor compared to the higher end. Also, the gain in those aerials hit a peak around the mid to high channel 50's - but in just over two months time all Saorview transmissions above channel 48 will be switched off (we are currently in a simulcast period) so there's little value today in having an aerial peak at that value, on its own. That's not to say they're useless, but they work best in certain situations and were popular in some places due to its properties in the days of analogue TV that are less or not relevant now. Again, they'll work but maybe not as good as hoped.

Finally, from your description it sounds like the aerial currently installed is one that if often referred to as a "contract" aerial, or maybe something from the Philex/SLX stable which should be OK sheltered from the elements in the attic but would not be long breaking apart outdoors due to their flimsy construction. Also, check that your coax cable and their connections are all in good condition, for example there could be a loose wire somewhere. The coax should be, at a minimum double shielded preferably with a copper foil & copper braid though an aluminium braid and/or foil is usually acceptable. If there is just a braid and no foil, this is an old "low loss" coax that should ideally be replaced if you can do so. To finish off, going by the freetv ie website, this aerial or this aerial might be more suitable as well as cheaper, they both look like Blake aerials, and if you're looking elsewhere then try and look for a "Group K" aerial, or if you know what transmitter you want to receive from has both of its transmitter frequency channels between 21 and 37 (inclusive) then a "Group A" aerial can give better performance over those frequencies - if in doubt, just stick to Group K.

Sconsey

TAFKAlawhec wrote: »

... it's near impossible to give an answer of any real substance....

Plenty of substance in your response, I appreciate your help.

My attic is free of all that foil-backed insulation but I am pointing in the general direction of a cavity block wall. I can move it a bit so it is more likely pointing at the felt/tiles. Must also check the connections in the wires.

I am pointing at the Maghera transmitter which looks like channels 48, 46 so I'll go for a Group K. Check out the image linked, there is a transmitter only a mile or so from me but on the other side of the hill , very annoying.

Thanks for the info.

westyIrl

If you are indeed getting a poor signal strength from Maghera transmitter you might have better luck with a group B/yellow antenna. It "should" have a better response than a group K, all other things being equal. However, there may be other issues at play including whether you have something close to line of sight (excluding roof of course) to transmitter. i.e. is there a mountain/hills or other terrain hindering the signal and how far away you are. Sometimes the closest transmitter may not always be optimum. For example, I live 1.5 Km from my local transmitter but the only decent signal I can receive is from Maghera which is 100Km from me using a Blake SR18(B) antenna so a bit like you with your situation with Tonabrocky. Try https://www.solwise.co.uk/wireless-elevationtool.html to see what the terrain is like for you. However, I will say it's nicer if you can get away with a wideband aerial in case they go changing about the transmitting frequencies again!

Edit: Just read TAFKAlawhec post above which is spot on and a point I missed is the quality of the coax from antenna to TV. Check that first as any gains by aerial are quickly lost by crappy coax.


Jim

The Cush

westyIrl wrote: »

If you are indeed getting a poor signal strength from Maghera transmitter you might have better luck with a group B/yellow antenna. It "should" have a better response than a group K, all other things being equal.

I wouldn't advise installing a Group B at this time as they it overlap the lower end of the future 5G mobile band, from March next Group K is the new wideband.

Unfortunately mounting the aerial in the attic for a 40km distant transmitter is probably having an attenuating effect on the signal