How to fit digital aerial?

LizEstelle

Ok so, true to form, all the lies about a 'one-off payment' for a digibox and abracadabra are on fine form. Needless to say, it turns out reception is absolutely crap and that I have to ditch my old aerial for a new 'hi-gain antenna', whatever that is.

Anyone know how I attach it to my existing aerial cabling so that I don't have to put tacky trunking down my walls and spoil my newly-redecorated house?

Browntoa

doing a straight swap from an analogue to a Digital High gain attena may well work, worse case an aerial booster may make the difference (does for me and it says I can't recieve it here, high gain + booster and bobs your uncle)

espresso

Actually your cable is also likely to be of inferior quality. For digital reception a good quality double screened low loss cable like that user for satellite installations is really required. The download could be run outside of the property. This site shows your local transmitters and the channels used.

LizEstelle

So it looks like there's no way of just neatly slicing through the existing cable as it runs through the attic and sticking this thing on..?

LizEstelle

Current aerial on roof but I'm trying to avoid the minimum £50 of calling out a specialist installer.

I've been told that an aerial in the attic would work almost as well in our area so I was hoping to do something there. I just don't know how aerials and cables fit together.

On the other hand, if the actual existing cabling isn't up to the job and I have to start drilling holes/destroying plaster, I think I'll just forget the whole thing and go back to analogue. What a total con this digital thing is.

ukbill69

Tell you what, as its very windy at the moment, get your local aerial installer to say to your insurance firm the wind has brought your aerial down and get him to install a nice new digital one. You might say why would he install a digital one, well not worth installers putting in analogue ones when we are switching to digital in a few years.

espresso

ukbill69 wrote:

You might say why would he install a digital one

You may well indeed, because there is actually no such thing as a 'digital' aerial. The method of modulation used has nothing to do with receiving the transmitted signal.

:rolleyes:

Moneymaker

This info page might help: http://www.!!!!!!.uk/tech/freeview_problems.htm

A_Nice_Englishman

espresso wrote:

You may well indeed, because there is actually no such thing as a 'digital' aerial. The method of modulation used has nothing to do with receiving the transmitted signal.

:rolleyes:

Absolutely correct espresso.

It's also worth mentioning that not all transmitters carry Freeview yet, but virtually all will after the switchover date in their area. The smaller ones may not carry all the channels though.

I've read that wherever possible things are being arranged so that existing aerials will be suitable for Freeview after switchover. So unless you are very keen to get more channels before switchover, don't spend money on a new aerial. Sit tight and there is a good chance you will pleasantly surprised at switchover time!

More info here http://tx.mb21.co.uk/dso/index.asp

irnbru_2

LizEstelle wrote:

I've been told that an aerial in the attic would work almost as well in our area so I was hoping to do something there. I just don't know how aerials and cables fit together.

Have you bought the aerial?

They usually come with instructions on how to connect them.

However, as you don't currently have a loft aerial you will have the added expense of buying a mount point for it.

As for your cable, it should be fine. It's the alignment of the aerial that counts.

If you're connection is via a wall socket then hopefully the cable runs down a length of conduit and thus making it very easy to replace.

Don't think about the upfront cost of the aerial, think of the years of enjoyment that it's properly installed and aligned.

davilown

LizEstelle wrote:

Ok so, true to form, all the lies about a 'one-off payment' for a digibox and abracadabra are on fine form. Needless to say, it turns out reception is absolutely crap and that I have to ditch my old aerial for a new 'hi-gain antenna', whatever that is.

Anyone know how I attach it to my existing aerial cabling so that I don't have to put tacky trunking down my walls and spoil my newly-redecorated house?

Undo the cable going into the aerial at the mo, put up the new aerial and reconnect the cable to the new aerial box. No new leads etc required.

:beer: monster