Really bad digital signal

Justamum

I'm unimpressed with digital tv so far as the signal is so poor. I've heard that the problem could be that we are too close to the transmitter - about 200m away. Would an indoor aerial help?

Kurtis_Blue

You may well have a too strong signal an indoor aerial could lower this, but this is the correct method.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/29190/Electrical-Supplies/TV-Range/Amplifiers-Distribution/VHF-UHF-Variable-Attenuator?cm_mmc=GoogleBase-_-Datafeed-_-Electrical%20Supplies-_-VHF/UHF%20Variable%20Attenuator

rapido

. .

Justamum

rapido wrote: »

What transmitter?

If it's a high power one, it's possible that the signal strength is too high, and to fix the problem, you just remove the aerial lead!

-rapido

I don't know the name of the transmitter - it's in Port St Mary on the Isle of Man. I didn't know you could still get a signal if the aerial wasn't plugged in! I'm not a very technically minded person

No - just tried it and there's no signal at all without an aerial. We bought a cheapy indoor aerial which does seem to have helped.

rapido

. .

Justamum

rapido wrote: »

This transmitter?

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/port-st-mary.php

Port St Mary transmitter seems to be quite high powered for a relay transmitter, probably because of difficult topography where you are. So you should get good reception if you are 200mtrs away.

I popped in the postcode of the Albert Hotel into Digital UK's postcode checker, and it implies perfect reception!

Is there anything blocking your view to the transmitter?

Is your outdoor aerial pointing to the transmitter? (Sounds obvious, but you never know)

And is it vertically polarised? (like the BOTTOM aerial in this picture)



-rapido

That's the one!

There is nothing between us and the transmitter - we are much closer to it than the Albert Hotel. Our aerial is on the other side of the house though. My DH has brought another aerial which we are going to put at the front of the house and we'll see how that goes.

Is it important that it's vertical rather than horizontal? I'll tell him to do that anyway.

Is the bird optional? :rotfl:

Many thanks for your help.

rapido

. .

Justamum

We had problems on all the channels, but it has improved such a lot with the indoor aerial. We don't have any channels from number 800 onwards. There are loads of freeview channels we can't even get - apparently the Manx Government only signed up for a very limited number. That doesn't really bother me as we don't watch much - but it was annoying when the little we were watching was non-existent, patchy or pixellated.

rapido

. .

Kurtis_Blue

Why are you using an internal and then installing an external new aerial? did the attenuator not work for you?

rapido

. .