Aerial -

[adrian_5098854]

Hi,

Can anyone gibe me some advice on what type of aerial to buy?

I am useing a laptop analogue card but the picture that the van aerial supplied is rubish...

Do I go for a boosted internal or ???

 

[Sonic1]

I suggest you consider purchasing an external high gain aerial, and a seperate booster. Maxview make some good product for the caravanner, and can be found at http://www.maxview.ltd.uk/ Look under Leisure products at teh top of the page.

They do a Compact High Gain (B2001) model, that is designed to get good reception even in weak signal areas. You need to consider how you will mount this aerial, most people use a seperate pole and clamp round it using the jockey wheel bracket, or a seperate bracket on the A frame.

 

[adrian_5098854]

cheers Sonic, will take a look at that, I dont suppose you know if there is an internal aerial that is any good??

 

[rob_jax]

Adrian,

There's a few things working against your configuration:

1. If you van has aluminium wall panels, then these will adsorb most of the TV signal - so you are much better off with an external aerial

2. If you have a Status "mushroom" or "pod" aerial mounted on the van roof, then these have a reputation for only working in strong signal areas

3. An analogue laptop card does not have the same characteristics as the TV tuner fitted to a quality TV - the sensitivity is down a bit, signal to noise is worse, but with a good signal they do work.

4. Fully support Sonic's advice - a quality external aerial is so much better than an internal aerial

5. Remember that camp grounds are usually tucked away in a picturesque valley, or way out in the countryside where signal strength is quite low.

A bigger aerial is always better than a small aerial and a booster, a bigger aerial and a booster is better yet

Robert

 

[adrian_5098854]

thanks guys.... what size would you call big????... have I to ditch the laptop and get a portable???

 

[LMH]

thanks guys.... what size would you call big????... have I to ditch the laptop and get a portable???

If you want to see 'big' you should see my tv ariel. It's a high grain ariel with deflectors and sits on top of a 12ft pole. In good reception areas, the picture is brilliant.

Lisa

 

[Fouldsy]

I used to use a laptop but found that the consistancy of the image was unreliable and bought an LCD TV for the van, works much better in virtually all situations.

Where you can use the site TV booster system and a 25m aerial cable, will only cost you

 

[RogerL]

Get a satellite set-up.

60% of campsites are in areas that will NEVER get an acceptable digital signal, particularly because of the low height of caravan arials compared to domestic ones. As the analogue signals will be switched off between 2008-2011 it's a bit pointless spending money on analogue equipment.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Sky is the limit as they say

We have been using analogue and then digital for over 10 years and agree with what Roger says 100%

The latest extravagant Maxview Semitronic passed the initial week's test and simplifies setting up as it is electrically set for elevation and then turned manually from inside the van in conjunction with a sat finder meter

I helped a guy find the satellite last week and he had a 3ft metal spike hammered into the ground with an old battered Sky mini dish so it need not be expensive to set up.

You can get the digi boxes very cheaply as many people have gone over to Sky+

(I got one for

 

[whitetop]

Have to agree with RogerL on this one. You can get a dish complete with LNB and cable and tripod on Ebay. I got mine about two years ago and have never had a problem....yet.

I use the box from home, so you can get your local news wherever you are. Only other things you need are a compass, a clear view to the south and a TV, portable or LCD.

Plenty of sites on the internet can give advice and tech info...

Happy Caravanning

David

 

[adrian_5098854]

Have to agree with RogerL on this one. You can get a dish complete with LNB and cable and tripod on Ebay. I got mine about two years ago and have never had a problem....yet.

I use the box from home, so you can get your local news wherever you are. Only other things you need are a compass, a clear view to the south and a TV, portable or LCD.

Plenty of sites on the internet can give advice and tech info...

Happy Caravanning

David

Hi,

Do you need another sky card???

 

[whitetop]

Hi,

Do you need another sky card???

Just take the box and card complete from the house. Cards are now locked to a particular box during set-up by Sky. If you are still in the first 12 months of contract with Sky or if you have Multi-room (more than one box in house) you might get a letter from Sky saying that your box is not connected etc. I always phone them to tell them that house electrics are switched off to all non essential things while I am on holiday. Depending on where the box and TV are placed in relation to each other, you will need to ensure that you have the correct cables. I have my digibox in the wardrobe with a magic eye on the RF2 connector at the back and a normal co-axial cable to the TV. ( Make sure the ends are correct).

The magic eye lets me control the box even though it is in the wardrobe top shelf

Happy caravanning

David