Picture Breaking Up, Is It The aerial?

joe2cool

Hi since yesterday when watching certain channels, the picture quality will break up & some will simply not come on. It did tend to be BBC channels including radio but also at times other channels are affected. The HD Channels seem OK most of the time. We had the same problem on our upstairs TV but last night & through the night everything was OK? Downstairs TV was the same though. Now the upstairs TV, the channels are breaking up again. We did think it was atmospheric, because in the past something similar as happened but cleared the next day.

Just wondered if anyone had any advice, before I call someone out. Will there be a call out charge just for checking? The digital aerial was fitted in 1998 & not had any problems until now. What can need replacing or repairing with the digital aerial over time?

With a bit of luck there might be an aerial guy on this forum?

Appreciate any advice


Thx

Mat_Lock

We have 2 tvs in our house literally 100m from the busy main road. Whenever buses or trucks go past the signal breaks up, usually just clippy or blocky but sometimes complete loss of signal.

It's a real pain in the buttocks. Any other time say when it's quiet and it jumps about I usually put it down to atmospherics. We do not use an aerial though, only ste top aerials.

joe2cool

Hi thx for your quick reply, we've never had a problem like that before. I believe digital aerials can be quite sensitive to the weather.

Thx

joe2cool

Hi & thx no amplifier fitted that I know of, so you just fit one end on to aerial lead & then into socket?

joe2cool

OK Cheers............

[Deleted User]

Joe2cool

Log on to ukfree.tv and enter your postcode to find out if any engineering work is in progress on your transmitter before you do anything else.
If there are no problems with the transmitter check the aerial connections inside the house first before doing a visual check on the aerial and downlead outside.
It is possible that your aerial installation needs replacing after 15 years if you can find nothing else wrong, and they usually deteriorate slowly over a period of time.
A new aerial and downlead costs a lot more than a booster but boosters fitted near the TV can cause more problems than they solve - again see ukfree.tv for info on this subject, it's a very useful website.

joe2cool

Hi just thought I'd update.....definitely new aerial needed, as well something had moved, which I thought so, parts of the 'spikey bits' were missing, 8 missing out of ten. I hadn't noticed these until pointed out. This started on Sunday so must have taken a 'battering' with the wind.
So new large digital aerial supplying 2 tv's, brackets, New cables & New socket. £154 Even replaced the cable that came with the 'Humax'.



Thx again guys for your help

Heinz

I'm sorry you got the 'digital aerial' nonsense from whoever you called.

joe2cool

No nonsense from who I called, I just called it digital.

[Deleted User]

joe2cool wrote: »

No nonsense from who I called, I just called it digital.

So you knew it was nonsense, but still called it that? That's unfair to other forum users who might not be so informed...

Moneymaker

Yes, there's no such thing as a "digital aerial".
For anyone else reading this, signal problems have a multitude of possible causes of which a faulty aerial is just one. A very common fault is the "fly-lead" between TV and wall socket. Forget the nasty thin leads from DIY stores. Look for instructions to make your own high quality lead with double-screened cable.
http://www.google.com/search?&q=Make+your+own+fly-lead