1st Mar 2023, 2:12 pm | #41 |
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
Nope - definitely no such thing. The only thing about so-called "digital" aerials is they may differ in their channel grouping away from the traditional likes of A and C/D for example.
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1st Mar 2023, 2:19 pm | #42 | |
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
Quote:
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1st Mar 2023, 2:19 pm | #43 | |
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
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1st Mar 2023, 2:32 pm | #44 |
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
My own experience of getting new aerials installed was when DSO occurred: for years we had a deteriorating Group A for Sandy and a C/D for Waltham, but preferred to watch "Look East" for news. In the end we only got a good Sandy signal if it rained and neither aerial proved much cop for DSO, so I had a few installers round and I told them what I wanted. Only one actually turned up with a proper panoramic field strength meter and said it was possible, others said "no" so the ones that proved the system properly got the job.
The installation they did was expensive, but absolutely first-class - of a quality I would have been proud to have done myself. They had to wait for a Band II aerial to be supplied and when they fitted it, it was a 3-element one which given that you can see Morborne from the rooftop was a bit of a sledgehammer to crack a nut! - but they also gave me an attenuator to fit to the downlead where it went into the distribution amplifier as they said there was a real risk of cross-mod if I didn't fit it - IIRC the signal strength at 90MHz was something outrageous like 75dBuV! I never did fit it as I have/had a number of rather deaf valve VHF radios... |
1st Mar 2023, 2:57 pm | #45 | |
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
Quote:
When analogue transmissions ended in your area and digital transmissions started the digital transmissions -may- have been in a higher or lower section of the UHF TV band than your original analogue transmissions, and it is possible that you would get better performance on digital terrestrial by changing to another aerial which is more strongly resonant on the exact part of the band occupied by the digital signals you are trying to receive. Even so, the new aerial would not be a 'digital' aerial. There has been a long history of things claiming to be digital or digital-compatible, like headphones, for example. The underlying reason is always the same: Someone wants to sell you something that you don't really need. |
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1st Mar 2023, 3:15 pm | #46 |
Octode
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
Ahhh, ‘digital’ aerials. Reminds me of the ads promoting DAB radio providing ‘digital quality’ which whilst wasn’t a lie was completely meaningless (but sounds impressive to the unknowing!).
I remember at DSO in my locality there were lots of ads in the local rags for ‘digital’ aerials. I figured that a lot of perfectly good existing antennas were being replaced with these new ‘digital’ wonders. Cynic? Moi? I remember several folk worried about the DSO and that everything would suddenly disappear from their TV screens. I explained that antennas just received radio waves and how those waves were modulated made no difference, and advised them to stick with their current antenna and see how they got on under the new system. At the time of DSO I had been without a TV for some years. (I have never been much of a viewer and caring for elderly parents I was seeing enough TV at their home and in nursing homes.) However, I decided to get a TV at DSO and as the rusty yagi on the roof had gone when a chimney had been removed some years before I needed to get a new antenna and mast rigged (I figured the latter would also be useful later for hanging up an HF wire). I had some interesting conversations with aerial riggers who did not realise I was a licensed radio amateur who had built his own 2m, 70cm and 23cm antennas – there at this point being no evidence of ham operation at this address. What I did go for was a wide frequency log periodic given that my understanding was that the frequency spectrum used for digital transmission was wider than the old grouped local 5 channel UHF band. However, next door had another contract antenna when their old one fell to pieces and the other neighbour still uses an ancient pre-DSO yagi. Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield are not distant and so we are in a strong signal area. My neighbours’ aerials will have greater directional gain at the centre frequency but it probably makes little difference at those frequencies for which their antennas are off tune. My log periodic with be in tune at more frequencies but will have lower directional gain overall so, ultimately, probably swings and roundabouts here. Perhaps transmission of entertainment services via the ether are set to disappear and with this the household antenna also. And so I consider a final thought: why would anyone bother using the air/ether as a transmission medium when it can all be sent via cables. Last edited by Junk Box Nick; 1st Mar 2023 at 3:21 pm. |
1st Mar 2023, 3:38 pm | #47 | ||
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
Quote:
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1st Mar 2023, 4:01 pm | #48 |
Nonode
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
I have noticed a thinning out of TV aerials and dishes. If they fall down they don.t get replaced and I cant remember seeing a new UHF aerial installation going up.
Its the same for FM, we live in a poor FM signal area and there are a few 4-6 element FM rooftop aerials there was more but many of these have been taken down.
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1st Mar 2023, 4:17 pm | #49 |
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
Many new-build houses don't have chimneys, so removing the traditional VHF/UHF antenna-mounting location of choice.
Locally, the DTTV choice is between Membury and a couple of infill transmitters (which only ever carried Freeview Lite) - satellite was popular but a recent-build housing-estate nearby shows surprisingly-few dishes. I guess things have moved on; no longer do people get a dish or TV antenna put up as a status-symbol even though they can't yet afford a TV!
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1st Mar 2023, 4:26 pm | #50 | |
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
Quote:
In fact, I've just done a search, and yes they're false chimneys made from fibreglass: https://www.brickfab.com/product/grp-chimneys
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1st Mar 2023, 6:34 pm | #51 |
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
Cathovisor, post #40:
"Did you know Brian Scotney, who took over the shop? I lived in the next village - Farcet. It's a florists now." Was he tall, ginger hair, spectacles and drove a VW Beetle? If so, that was the Brian who was there when I was. Mostly on tv repairs. We moved to 47 Broadway, Farcet after leaving Main St, Yaxley. There from about 1962 to 64. Thinking about it, in the late 70s I returned and am pretty sure he was there then. I bought the Mullard HSVT and cards. I no longer have it now though. Rob
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Apprehension creeping like a tube train up your spine - Cymbaline. Film More soundtrack - Pink Floyd Last edited by CambridgeWorks; 1st Mar 2023 at 6:37 pm. Reason: added first line Cathovisor |
1st Mar 2023, 7:21 pm | #52 | |
Heptode
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
Quote:
With cable, usually Virgin Media, you have ongoing payments every month for ever. |
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1st Mar 2023, 7:24 pm | #53 | |
Heptode
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Location: London, UK.
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
[QUOTE=stevehertz;1540442]
Quote:
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1st Mar 2023, 7:49 pm | #54 |
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Location: Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK.
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
When I started in the domestic TV trade back in 1962, being young & suposedly agile, I was asked to put up the Band I/III aerials, so I had the fear of heights more or less forcibly taken from me.
However I soon complained that I was doing too many, & thus returned to the bench. Now, in my dotage, I still end up putting up UHF & VHF aerials, on my property, & also on my neighbours. I live totally 'out-in-the-sticks, & thus rely on terrestrial methods of receiving both TV & FM signals. I have a direct, very elevated view of the Wrekin Transmitter, - compass & signal strength meter being unnecessary. Currently all my internet data is also received via RF, using short-hop microwave systems. It will be interesting if all terrestrial transmissions cease( I did manage to see a leaked document some time back, stating that the intention was to sell off all current frequencies.) The chances of a fibre connection for me are very unlikely! If eveything goes via the internet, there will be more & more demands on bandwidth. David. |
1st Mar 2023, 8:33 pm | #55 | |
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
Quote:
Interestingly even using an indoor aerial pointed in roughly the right direction I don't think I ever got Stockland Hill despite it being only ~15mi away, though it isn't as powerful as Mendip. Also as a test before DSO I managed to get a usable Freeview on a Fidelity portable (https://www.***********/photos/richard16378/49945083197/) simply using the TV's built in loop antenna!, I used a Freeview STB combined with a Ferguson VCR as a modulator (something it was made to do as you could enable the tuner/modulator it's own) and I was amazed that it worked. The location was quite high up in Crewkerne so had a somewhat Good line if sight to Mendip. |
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1st Mar 2023, 9:01 pm | #56 |
Nonode
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Location: Stafford, Staffs. UK.
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
Have to agree. 'Digital' aerials was a con in many ways. But in another a fractional truth, in that often the DVB-T signals were not in the same part of the band that suited the old grouped aerials.
I was a VERY early adopter of DVB-T (as we know it now, Freeview but previously some channels were paid for) and my Grundig DVB-T CRT TV cost a fair bit. I'll be honest it was a gamble as there was almost no information about whether we could actually receive the new fangled digital TV. But even with what was then the low power DVB-T signals from Sutton Coldfield, I was really happy to see the digital signals alongside tha analogue ones. All from our conventional aerial. Yes we have upgraded since and now have a quite substantial wideband which is probably appropriate now there are more multiplexes, but certainly a 'digital' aerial is not a thing. TBF, we don't tend to use it as our TVs have Freesat and Freeview. HD came to Freesat before Freeview, and we have just kind have got used to it. |
1st Mar 2023, 9:21 pm | #57 |
Heptode
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
One interesting thing now is that wideband aerials are in some senses actually were not the sensible thing to fit as only in areas that used the higher frequencies in the end had big changes with the 800/700mhz sell off, anyone in an A or B area would still have been best with a grouped antenna as the band no longer goes any further, plus having an aerial that is not so great at the frequencies now used by mobile phones is probably a good idea.
Anyone now needing the full bandwidth actually needs a group K antenna. |
1st Mar 2023, 11:10 pm | #58 | ||
Nonode
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
Quote:
In Marple it was possible to get the Welsh channels, which meant coping with snow to watch something alternative. I remember my Dad watching S4C to see Wales play a football game that wasn't being shown nationally.
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1st Mar 2023, 11:21 pm | #59 |
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Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
The Parabeam from J Beam, if I remember correctly they eked a little extra gain by reducing the vertical acceptance angle, a good aerial.
I had a J Beam Multibeam in my loft since 1970, unfortunately it is Group C which was correct for the Analogue channels from Winter Hill but unfortunately not for the new DVB-T channels from WH since the 700Mhz clear out. I had a wideband also in the loft that fed a room that now doesn’t have a TV so I swapped the coax over. It’s worked well but will have to see if mobile phones cause problems. Perhaps I will have to fit a filter in the future, time will tell.
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2nd Mar 2023, 8:55 am | #60 |
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Re: Demise of the TV aerial.
We use the streaming services both for catch up and for the likes of Netflix etc. but still use a Sat dish for general TV watching.
The one thing we no longer use is the HDD recorder. Its clear that eventually terestrial transmissions of TV will go and most likely the Sat ones as well. Eggs and baskets spring to mind. Peter |