Pointing the TV Aerial

[RogerL]

I wouldn't bother. Just download the app UK aerial alignment to your phone and pick the closest transmitter. Works a treat for us.

Closest transmitter isn't necessarily the strongest signal - hills affect the signals - apps often assume a high house mounted aerial but a low mounted caravan aerial may well give different results.

 

[Beachball]

HaHa You must have a secret compass in your head BB! Or maybe everyone had a good signal?

But i fiddle with the aerial so many ways and was happy with the reception there was enough and it had my wife favourite channel itv3 so happy days 😉

 

[JezzerB]

Our Teleco aerial on our Bucanneer-2020 model is superb-never had to put up with a dodgy picture since we've had it-and streets better than our AVondale-and whatever that had-can't now remember-but we bought the 25m aerial for bollard sockets at club sites. This is now in the garage and has been redundant for quite a few years.

 

[Buckman]

Our Teleco aerial on our Bucanneer-2020 model is superb-never had to put up with a dodgy picture since we've had it-and streets better than our AVondale-and whatever that had-can't now remember-but we bought the 25m aerial for bollard sockets at club sites. This is now in the garage and has been redundant for quite a few years.

We have never used our Teleco aerial on the Buccaneer so good to get some feedback.

 

[JezzerB]

We have never used our Teleco aerial on the Buccaneer so good to get some feedback.

We find it superb-not yet had a signal issue once it's up and aligned using the app.

 

[Woodentop]

One point to the OP: if you have an older van the aerial cable inside will likely be of the brown type that we used at home 30-40 years ago (although in caravans often in a white sheath.) The braid on the outside of the central core is often just some strands of wire wound loosely around the core insulation. As I found out the hard way this can cause serious problems with DTTV.
When we had a Bailey Pegasus Majestic S5 on one occasion by wife complained that the picture was pixelating as I moved around inside the caravan. As a test I put a tail of modern foil-screened cable (CT100 at that time) directly from the aerial amp output to the TV. Bingo, fault resolved. The problem was that the cable inside the caravan was picking up signal directly from the transmitter and was interfering with the 'proper' signal being sent down the cable from the amp.
When we got home I replace all the internal aerial wiring with CT100 (would now be PF100 or WF100) and we never had a problem anywhere again.
Cable, connectors (in packs of 10) and anything else are cheap from Toolstation or Screwfix - NEVER buy from a DIY shed or (especially) from a caravan dealer!!

 

[Gozza2]

One point to the OP: if you have an older van the aerial cable inside will likely be of the brown type that we used at home 30-40 years ago (although in caravans often in a white sheath.)

Thanks Woodentop, I had wondered if that was the problem, and it's on my list of things to look at - I sometimes get interference with an otherwise good signal, depending how close I sit to the TV so I'm sure there's something cable related that is at least contributing to the problem. Thanks for the heads up on cable types to look for.

 

[Raywood]

Our set up has an indicator in the caravan with the light generally going from red to green as the strength increases although we can often get a decent signal on amber. Looking at what others do helps and I did download an app to show me where to point the aerial although in practice I have never needed it.

 

[Guzzilazz]

A signal strength meter (this is the one I use - Link) is the best way...

 

[Woodentop]

They areeffective but work even better if you can put an adjustable attenuator on the aerial input. 10dB is a factor of 3 in signal voltage which is a significant amount for the TV. If you have the attenuator you can increase attenuation until the biggest light you have lit <just> extinguishes and then trim the aerial direction, repeating until you hit the peak. Having said that, if you have a signal of 60dbuV you have plenty.

 

[figbat]

I have never understood why, when sites provide a site map, they don’t include a simple directional arrow with an ‘H’ or ‘V’.

I’m currently in my outfit on our first trip with a TV and first stay on a CAMC club site. Sure enough the site map includes exactly this, orientation and direction of the TV transmitter. Using only this we have a great signal, but looking around almost every possible direction is covered by the receivers of the other vans and motorhomes here!

 

[Ern]

I was using a signal meter but decided to upgrade the Visionplus booster to the VP4 version with a signal strength light. It's useless as the light barely changes colour at all. We are on a site now with good signal as the TV is working well, but the light is red (as it is almost all the time). What a waste of money.

 

[RogerL]

I was using a signal meter but decided to upgrade the Visionplus booster to the VP4 version with a signal strength light. It's useless as the light barely changes colour at all. We are on a site now with good signal as the TV is working well, but the light is red (as it is almost all the time). What a waste of money.

We have the booster with the multi-colour light - it works well enough in high signal strength areas but like yours, stays red in low strength signal areas - fortunately, I'm anorak enough to use Wolfbane before leaving home so I know which compass direction to point the aerial and which polarity and have always got a good signal this way.

 

[Ern]

We have the booster with the multi-colour light - it works well enough in high signal strength areas but like yours, stays red in low strength signal areas - fortunately, I'm anorak enough to use Wolfbane before leaving home so I know which compass direction to point the aerial and which polarity and have always got a good signal this way.

I would have thought by now the tv could have automatically tuned itself in, just like the phone and the sat-nav. TV technology seems to be in the Jimmy Young era.

 

[Woodentop]

I would have thought by now the tv could have automatically tuned itself in, just like the phone and the sat-nav. TV technology seems to be in the Jimmy Young era.

The TV can tune itself in BUT you must set the aerial in the right direction and polarity first or you will get nothing. There are 1184 (?) TV transmitters in the UK all of which transmit slightly different signals.

Phones don't 'tune themselves in' - when the signal gets low they just start searching in the background until they can find a better signal. They then talk to the infrastructure (whether the phone is in use or not) and change to the site with the stronger signal.

Satellite only comes from one place so is always the same signal. The aerial might have to find the satellite first if you can afford the £1000-£2500 for such a self-aligning type, but thereafter it is always the same signal.

 

[Ern]

My point precisely. TVs should do what phones do. A tiny phone could easily drive a TV monitor. TV's are using ancient technology. My mom bought a TV in 1952 with very similar user limitations. The only difference was that it was in a wooden cabinet with doors on it. 😳

 

[Mel]

When satellite TV first came out, my first thought was that it entailed people broadcasting from space ships. Honestly ☺️
mel