Aerial Problem - pls help!!!

lkk88

I have just moved into a new home and having problems with our tv aerial...
There is a huge external aerial on the side of the house - there is also a sky dish as the previous occupiers had sky. We have got freeview and do not want to get Sky/Cable due to costs, checked the postcode and our area has freeview coverage.
The main aerial runs into the loft where it runs into a labgear 4way amp with no power supply, there is then 3 aerials - one runs to the lounge, one to the spare bedroom and one is just spare with a wire just hanging out of the slot.
Problem 1: The aerial that goes into the spare bedroom does not pick up a signal at all - tried the freeview, tried analogue and tried two different tvs. nothing!
Problem 2: The aerial going into the lounge goes into a box (aerial booster i think - im not very technical!!!) and then it goes into the freeview box and links to the tv - now we get a signal here but it is rubbish - the signal strength is 30%

Are there any techies who can give me some advice on the problem? Do I maybe need an aerial booster in the loft? Should I get an amp with a mains lead? Obviously the signal is rubbish but the external aerial is a good one - maybe it needs turning? Could the sky dish be interefereing?

Any advice greatly appreciated and many thanks in advance!!!

espresso

lkk88 wrote: »

The main aerial runs into the loft where it runs into a labgear 4way amp with no power supply............

The distribution amplifier needs to be powered. Is it?

lkk88

i have no idea how it is powered....i looked at an old post and it is very similar to the labgear one from screwfix that BusheyAerials provided a link to

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1093625&highlight=aerial+problem

espresso

lkk88 wrote: »

i have no idea how it is powered....i looked at an old post and it is very similar to the labgear one from screwfix that BusheyAerials provided a link to

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1093625&highlight=aerial+problem

That is an amplifier that need powering:

Requires external 12V 40mA line power supply (Quote 85614).

Usually the power is fed up the co-ax from a PSU possibly located by the main TV set. Without power it will attenuate your signal, so you could simply try connecting the cable from the aerial directly to the downlead to your main TV set.

lkk88

oh right thanks for that, I will get my partner to check and give that a go!

si-mate

Your sky dish won't interfere with an aerial. If I were you I'd use to dish to get freesat. Benefit of that over freeview is that you can get BBC HD plug various other HD services.

superscaper

si-mate wrote: »

Your sky dish won't interfere with an aerial. If I were you I'd use to dish to get freesat. Benefit of that over freeview is that you can get BBC HD plug various other HD services.

Although that still requires investment in a tuner (and OP hasn't said they have any HD TVs anyway).

lkk88

i was looking at freesat the other day actually as we will be getting a HD tv eventually but we still need to sort out the current problem.
Thanks for the advice so far....

ormus

the amp will need power.
just try the main lead first to the lounge (bypass the amp). then try a cheap 3 way splitter. sometimes works ok if the signal is a strong one.
otherwise buy a new aerial booster kit.

lkk88

thats a good idea thanks, that way I can see if its the aerial or the amp - didnt think of that!

espresso

lkk88 wrote: »

thats a good idea thanks, that way I can see if its the aerial or the amp - didnt think of that!

:doh:

That's what I suggested in post #4