T V connection
- Thread starter Deckchair
- Start date
The picture above is a Belling-Lee plug also known as an IEC TV aerial plug. However on many sites the socket is actually F-type with a Belling-Lee adapter fixed onto it. If I were making up an extension cable I would use F-type as it is a more secure fixing.
CMC recommend a 25m cable, but cable is lossy so I would buy 25m of WF100 or similar and cut it into 10m and 15m lengths so that you can use the shortest possible. Also get a bag of 10 F-type plugs and a bag of 10 barrel (back-to-back) sockets to join the cables together. You can buy all from Toolstation (usually cheaper) or Screwfix - the bag of 10 plugs will probably cost you less that two plugs from a caravan dealer or a DIY shed. Also a good idea to come up with some sort of rubber tube or similar to put the joint inside to protect it from the weather if you ever need the full 25m. When plugging in as a matter of course I always wind a full turn of the cable round the power pillar so that if anyone trips over it they won't break the connection.
Finally of course you will need to get the cable into the caravan. If your caravan doesn't already have an external connection come back here and one of us will explain the best way to do it.
There are surprisingly few sites that need a booster system with digital TV, and others have the booster system as a left-over from analogue days. Always try your caravan TV system first before resorting to the pillar feed. If you have an Android smartphone you can download Freepoint UK which knows every CMC/C&CC site and CL/CS plus plenty of commercial sites as well and will show you which is the strongest signal and the direction to point your aerial. Two other apps that do the same thing but in different ways are DTV Alignment and UK TV Antennas - all are free. I believe there is a free iOS app called Antenna Point but I have never tried it - I wouldn't have an iPhone if you gave me one - as my daughter did!
CMC recommend a 25m cable, but cable is lossy so I would buy 25m of WF100 or similar and cut it into 10m and 15m lengths so that you can use the shortest possible. Also get a bag of 10 F-type plugs and a bag of 10 barrel (back-to-back) sockets to join the cables together. You can buy all from Toolstation (usually cheaper) or Screwfix - the bag of 10 plugs will probably cost you less that two plugs from a caravan dealer or a DIY shed. Also a good idea to come up with some sort of rubber tube or similar to put the joint inside to protect it from the weather if you ever need the full 25m. When plugging in as a matter of course I always wind a full turn of the cable round the power pillar so that if anyone trips over it they won't break the connection.
Finally of course you will need to get the cable into the caravan. If your caravan doesn't already have an external connection come back here and one of us will explain the best way to do it.
There are surprisingly few sites that need a booster system with digital TV, and others have the booster system as a left-over from analogue days. Always try your caravan TV system first before resorting to the pillar feed. If you have an Android smartphone you can download Freepoint UK which knows every CMC/C&CC site and CL/CS plus plenty of commercial sites as well and will show you which is the strongest signal and the direction to point your aerial. Two other apps that do the same thing but in different ways are DTV Alignment and UK TV Antennas - all are free. I believe there is a free iOS app called Antenna Point but I have never tried it - I wouldn't have an iPhone if you gave me one - as my daughter did!
Antenna point gets a 1 star rating in the App Store. I have Antenna Finder which has a 4.5 star rating, but it’s expensive at £0.99 but no ads. I don’t use it much as if there are other units on site I just look at their aerials for direction and alignment.
Hi,
Caravan Club sites' TV connection points are all the female equivelant of the Belling Lee connector Gabsgrandad illustrated.
You will need the male connector on each end of your cable (the socket on theTV and site connection point are both female )
Last season we went to Run Cottage Touring Park i had a problem with my tv connection could not get a picture with the caravan aerial ,
So I thought i would connect to the tv hook up with my caravan tv connection cable it would not fit ended up paying for a Free sat TV included box leads per day £2
But i have been on caravan club sites and this tv connection cable does work but not on here
So I thought i would connect to the tv hook up with my caravan tv connection cable it would not fit ended up paying for a Free sat TV included box leads per day £2
But i have been on caravan club sites and this tv connection cable does work but not on here
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I would suggest that if you can't get a signal with your caravan aerial on that site you are not doing it right. There is a 100W transmitter at Felixstowe about 4½m away, a 200W transmitter at Woodbridge about 6m away, and a 10KW transmitter at Aldeburgh about 10m away all giving saturation coverage at Hollesley. All will require vertical aerials, and only transmit the basic channels often known as Freeview Lite. If you want the full set of channels then satellite is your only option.
Hi Woodentop have you thought it could have been the hardstanding service pitch i was on there were big tree at the back of me seeing my caravan Aerial is there , and also the person next door had to hire the same package .
I won't dispute your site location, but given that the three transmitters are roughly SSW, W and NNE from the site you would have been able to get one?
Unfortunately the very good site that would show up the signal path profile is down due to Google having made unadvertised changes to how their software works.
The person said next door in his service pitch his van was newer and he said you will need what I have hired , (We tried our aerial out everywhere possible)
At the reception I ask about it they said some service pitches do not get a signal ..
At the reception I ask about it they said some service pitches do not get a signal ..
The make and model of the aerial is relevant as some are far better than others so while I have been able to pick up a signal on sites regarded as poor others have struggled. I did download an app on my tablet that allows me to locate the local transmitter which helps but mostly I just check what direction the others have their aerial pointed.
If you want to look at others, for a guide use the aerial that feeds the cabled system or the aerial on the wardens pitch - anyone else is probably guessing. It always amuses me when we arrive on a site to see the variety of aerial directions and polarities (including slant which we don't use in this country!) and they wonder why they cannot get a signal!!! I speak as a retired mobile radio and broadcast transmitter engineer incidentally.
Surely with digital, a wire coat hanger will work just as well as a fancy aerial?
I use ten of them around the van. Even get Spanish programmes too.
https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-build-wire-coat-hanger-tv-antenna
We have used a wire coat hanger for analogue transmission for a perfect picture as worked similar to the old bunny ears aerials. I have been in homes where there was no necessity to use anything as long as the socket was pointed towards the transmitter which was less than 1/2 mile away.
The wire coat hanger might work where there is a strong signal but I doubt you can beat a good aerial where the signal is week.
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