TV signal

[Andy Norfolk]

On a site in Somerset where the TV signal is very poor. There are cable connections on the pitch. I've got a coaxial cable. Used it before with no issue plugged in to the van near the power connector.

This time nothing. Now run the cable from the post into the back of the TV directly. All works. Does this mean I've an issue with the external connection? Or is it a fluke?

 

[Woodentop]

Check the routing of the cable from the outside. You don't say make of van, but Bailey for instance will present it near the TV aerial amp so that it can be used to fed a TV in the awning.
To use it 'the other way round' you need to identify the outside cable near the amp and the cable feeding the socket inside the van and connect them together - note NOT through the amp. If they are TV (a.k.a. Belling-Lee) connectors then you will need a simple plug-plug or socket-socket adapter: If the connectors are F-type (more common these days) you will need a 'barrel' connector.
Where are you in Zummerzet? My experience is that TV coverage is not too bad - I was involved with DSO in 2010 and 2011 in that area. I would add that quite a few CMHC sites still have pillar signal feeds from the days of analogue when a stronger signal was needed. They have not corrected these entries since which misleads as digital TV will work with weaker received signals, and due to the different way digital signals are measured, most transmitters radiate more power. Have a look at Wolfbane.com under UK TV reception. It will give you a table of serving transmitters for your location and their bearings. If the signal is shown as about 44 or higher you should be able to receive a signal on your van installation.
Come back here if you need more help.

 

[Andy Norfolk]

Thanks for your response. All a bit technical for me! The van is an Adria, 2 years old. The external TV connection is next to the EHU connection. In the past when we've had a poor signal from the roof top aerial, I've just plugged a coaxial cable into the TV point and run it to the connection on the post. Always worked fine. But now only works if plugged from the back of the TV to the post. I assume I have a connection failure between the external TV point and the one near the TV.

 

[Jcloughie]

Your Adria MAY be like our current Alicanto. The outside coax socket is not for TV input as I expected. But for TV out so you can watch in the awning.

Others have done a little rewiring and changed it to an in-ut.

John

 

[Andy Norfolk]

Thanks. I don't think that's it. It's on the wrong side for an awning. I've also used it before in similar situations with poor signal and it's worked. So I think it's a loose connection somewhere.

 

[Buckman]

On a site in Somerset where the TV signal is very poor. There are cable connections on the pitch. I've got a coaxial cable. Used it before with no issue plugged in to the van near the power connector.

Poor Tv signal for some reason seems common in Somerset which is reasonably flat. If in the Brean area, mobile signal can be a bit of hit and miss although flat for miles around. Weird.

 

[Woodentop]

Thanks for your response. All a bit technical for me! The van is an Adria, 2 years old. The external TV connection is next to the EHU connection. In the past when we've had a poor signal from the roof top aerial, I've just plugged a coaxial cable into the TV point and run it to the connection on the post. Always worked fine. But now only works if plugged from the back of the TV to the post. I assume I have a connection failure between the external TV point and the one near the TV.

Silly question, but your aerial amp is switched on, isn't it?

 

[Andy Norfolk]

Yes. I've made that error before 🤣

 

[Dustydog]

Use a multimeter and do a continuity test on the Co ax circuit.
I had a similar issue earlier this year. A cable joint had separated behind the microwave!

 

[Andy Norfolk]

Use a multimeter and do a continuity test on the Co ax circuit.
I had a similar issue earlier this year. A cable joint had separated behind the microwave!

I think your right. My skills don't extend to a multi meter. When we get home I'll look at the easy obvious points. If that fails I'll get someone else to take a look. Thanks.

 

[birdman101]

Have you two sockets in caravan one marked TVand other Sat. It may be the one with Sat it is wired to. That one is usually wired straight from the external and does not go via the status. An coax to F type adaptor is used.

 

[SeaDog]

Our TV socket next to the 13 amp input is for satellite. When TV signal is poor I connect to an on-site bollard supplying a TV signal and have adapted a small length of cable which attaches from the van satellite socket to the TV.

 

[RogerL]

If a site's signal is poor enough to justify an aerial socket on each pitch, I avoid everything built into the caravan and plug straight into the back of the TV, with the cable through the nearest window - still allows full locking.

 

[otherclive]

If a site's signal is poor enough to justify an aerial socket on each pitch, I avoid everything built into the caravan and plug straight into the back of the TV, with the cable through the nearest window - still allows full locking.

And you can buy lay flat leads if you are concerned about the window seals. But I never bothered with them anyway.

 

[Woodentop]

Final but important note from me.

If you want Belling-Lee or F-type connectors buy them in packs of 10 from Toolstation or Screwfix. They are considerably cheaper than what you would pay at a DIT shed or a caravan dealer shop.

Also (suggest) get a reel of coax cable. You can get 10m reels but you can never have too much so I would suggest a 25m reel. DO NOT buy CT100, RG6 or RG59 as they often have aluminium screening which will oxidise if it gets damp. Other cables - anything xx100 where xx is two letters - use copper throughout. You will also need a sharp (Stanley?) knife and a pair of electronics sidecutters to make up the connector. There is tons of on-line help to show how to make up cables/connectors. Personally I use F-type wherever possible as they make a more secure and reliable connection. You must use F-type for anything to do with satellite as conventional Belling-Lee (i.e. common TV) connectors are not rated to the frequencies used by satellite* and they must have a solid connection as the cable from receiver to dish carries supply to the LNB** on the dish.
*Belling-Lee plug (which was invented in 1922) is only rated to 957MHz - terrestrial TV transmission today is up to channel 48 which centres on 690MHz so well within the rating. It also commonly carries 12V at maybe 10mA for masthead aerial amps although these are rarely need today.
F-type was specifically designed for satellite use where it carries signals in the range 950-2000MHz. The supply voltage sent to the LNB (the bit on the end of the dish stalk) is either nominally 13V or 18V which switches the reception from vertically polarised to horizontal, and a switched 22KHz audio tone on and off selects between two two frequency bands that the satellite uses.
**LNB = Low Noise Block which is a multi-function convertor. Satellite signals are nominally around 10-11GHz (that is 10000-11000MHz) for low band and 12-13GHz for high band. These frequencies ware difficult to handle in practice so the downlink frequency is changed to a frequency band that is easier to handle and (specifically) suffers much less signal loss on the cable between the LNB and the receiver. The LNB down-converts the 10-13GHz downlink signals to the operational band of the satellite receiver in 950-2000MHz The signals from the satellite are also switched between vertical and horizontal polarity and the supply voltage changing between 13V and 18V (both within a specified range) effects the polarity switching.