Page 1 of aerial help freeview and DAB!!!!

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aerial help freeview and DAB!!!!

dakwah (Competent) posted this on Wednesday, 30th March 2005, 07:57

I live in Conwy town where surrounding houses have aerials pointing to Winter hill, I want to get freeview and so need such an aerial, I have experimented with a medium gain aerial in the loft and can get snowy Granada, so think a high gain aerial from Maplin will do it.
according to freeview postcode locator we are not suppose to get freeview but ma-in-law does and she is just down the road, in line with my house and winterhill.

Can this aerial also be used for DAB on my CD/DAB player?

if i used a dedicated DAB aerial in which direction would this require pointing?

(When I asked when Conwy can get freeview via gyffin transmitter they just laughed)

thanks

RE: aerial help freeview and DAB!!!!

Brooktop (Competent) posted this on Wednesday, 30th March 2005, 08:23

Not from Wales - but I took a chance, got a FV box (thinking I`d then have to get a new `special` aerial as mine is old) - and it works a treat...all for £25 for a 2nd hand box off e-bay. Never watch terrestrial analogue now!

RE: aerial help freeview and DAB!!!!

dakwah (Competent) posted this on Wednesday, 30th March 2005, 16:18

they want to switch HTV off by 2008, will be interesting to see when they sort out the local transmitter. trouble is we are a small town.

RE: aerial help freeview and DAB!!!!

Hamid (Competent) posted this on Thursday, 31st March 2005, 22:13

I can understand your frustration, I can`t get Freeview either - at least not until they convert our local transmitter. Yet some people in my town are able to get a signal, even just round the corner from my house. I`m right behind a hill that cuts off the signal. Someone on top of the hill can receive it using an old Nokia OnDigital box and an indoor set-top aerial, despite the Freeview website post code checker saying it`s impossible!
If some people in your town can receive Freeview then that`s encouraging, but unfortunately there`s no guarantee that you can as well. It will depend on your location and if there are any obstructions like hills or tall buildings in between your house and the transmitter. To give yourself the best possible chance of success, get a really good aerial and cable, and install it outside on the roof, not in the loft - the signal strength will be higher outside. If it still doesn`t work you could call in the services of a professional aerial installer. Unfortunately this can be expensive - I know someone round here who paid over £200 - but they did get perfect Freeview in 3 rooms in their house. You could consider a free-to-air satellite TV system, but again that can be quite expensive, not just for installation, but even worse, some of the Freeview channels are not free on satellite and require monthly subscription payments! Finally you could just wait a few years until they convert your local analogue terrestrial transmitter to digital. This has already happened somewhere in Wales.
As for DAB digital radio, in the UK it is transmitted on VHF band III, while TV is transmitted on UHF bands IV and V. The aerials for DAB and TV are different in design since they are optimised for different frequencies. You will get poor results if you try to use a UHF TV aerial for DAB or vice versa. Also DAB aerials are meant to be omnidirectional, not pointing at one transmitter, since the signals from the different stations come from more than one source. If it`s any consolation, even though I can`t get Freeview, I can get some (but not all) DAB reception here, that`s just with the built-in aerial in the set. Good Luck!

RE: aerial help freeview and DAB!!!!

dakwah (Competent) posted this on Friday, 1st April 2005, 05:19

thanks for all info.

from what I can gather my house like my neighbours have no direct obstructions it`s just I suppose the transmitter from England is not suppose to service this area, so we are the fringe of reception. I will try a powerful aerial, it will give me something to do. I do have satellite but wanted freeview in my office, kitchen etc.

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