TV Antenna setup

[willawake]

I am gonna put a new tv antenna . Maybe i will get a digital box also later.



I want to make it for two tvs and they gave me this splitter . I am not very familiar with this stuff and ask your assistance. Is this really what i want or do i need something better?

basically i am looking to have a very good signal in the end cos this stuff wasnt cheap.

[Fizzycapola]

Re: TV Antenna setup

DAT 45 best in the business. Splitter too. Only worry should be if it's "too good" as it were you'll have to increase the cable length to improve the reception perhaps.

[willawake]

Re: TV Antenna setup

if it's "too good" as it were you'll have to increase the cable length to improve the reception perhaps.

interesting. i have not been in that position before.

[Tom41]

Re: TV Antenna setup

If you're feeding several TVs from one antenna, you might need a signal booster. With each TV you add to the splitter, you're sharing out the signal and each TV gets a slightly weaker signal. The booster will take the incoming signal from the antenna, and amplify it enough so that it can be fed to all TVs without losing quality.

It's the same principle as Internet download bandwidth. If you have only one computer connected to the router and that's downloading, you'll get maximum speed. With each additional computer that connects to the router and downloads, the bandwidth will be shared out. If the total amount of requested data is greater than your connection can support, all the computers will experience a drop in download rate.

I have my antenna signal upstairs going through the cable TV box and DVD player; it's then split 3 ways to go to 3 different rooms. I found that the signal was weak giving a 'grainy' picture, so had to get a 3-way booster instead.

[willawake]

Re: TV Antenna setup

If you're feeding several TVs from one antenna, you might need a signal booster.

this is what i suspected. i will see how it goes

[willawake]

Re: TV Antenna setup

i like to ask another thing. in the hot mediterranean sun it is likely for any plastic cable tie to be destroyed in one season in the sun. So i try to avoid using this, but for instance if i use wire is it likely for the wire to heat enough to damage the cable?

[Galvanized]

Re: TV Antenna setup

Most white/clear zip-ties I've seen/used are not UV proof. Use black zip-ties or zip-ties that state they are UV proof.

In heavy construction the white/clear ones seem to last two seasons at most, while the black ones last forever.

[gonzo0815]

Re: TV Antenna setup

Or take some V2A zip-ties, theyr not that expensive. Is there still analog TV in Greek?
Do you intend to ground the antenna? Not that my sat dish is grounded, but here in DE it should be grounded by separate outdoor cable (if no lightning protection is installed) and put on the potential equalization panel with at least 6mm solid coper wire.

[willawake]

Re: TV Antenna setup

what the hell is V2A? any more ideas about the wire? a marine electronics technician friend had some electrical tape which he said was special stuff. we used it on the navtex antenna cable connector at the office. After much sun this stuff turns to like a rubber coating. pretty interesting, i dont know what it is but would like to get some.

yes there is still analog tv here. I also have pay-tv filmnet analog which is playing films without ad break and also one good hard porno a day...

need a crypto box to decode it. there is a software to watch it on the net for free which the programmer never finished properly. regularly the picture start to cycle horizontally and you have to hit a button (hahahaha...i rather pay) i think there was no sound also, cant remember.

They have this via sat as well with lots of other channels, even like national geographic with greek subtitles but its too expensive.

The analog channels are generally pretty crap with many many adverts. I dont watch much tv at all but i like to watch the news when something is happening and i like to watch a high profile football match. If i get the antenna setup working nice i might watch some films on the paytv because i am really behind.

then they also have the digital channels (actually i dont know anybody with a box) maybe i will check it out.

it is also possible to get sky tv by satellite here. It is actually not permitted here (they did not obtain license to transmit) but there are many installers and also in france, spain etc where all the uk expats are. The card is registered to some guy in ireland. Its really good like more channels than you can watch, a lot of repeats though, my parents have this. its very expensive though.

i am pretty happy to find this electrical shop though. they are stocking only the very good brands like televes etc. and with full stock for professionals. they even have some heavy duty power cables outside. i was surprised they had proper aluminium tv masts 2m, they even join together if you like higher.

I was getting some legrand electrical stuff at another shop but i like to avoid it now. i dont know what the hell kind of plastic they are using, it probably is to meet some regulations or something. if you drill too hard or drop it you shatter the piece completely.....

There is also some very good greek brands for electrical, telecomms etc. Honestly i did not find many that were crap, rather good in fact. I guess the stuff is never seen outside of east mediterranean though.

[Galvanized]

Re: TV Antenna setup

I think V2A means UV resistant cable ties.

I bought several small rolls of self-fusing silicone tape from Radio Shack when it was on blow-out sale for $0.49 per roll, PN 64 2336. T'was OK but kind of sticky and not that easy for me to work with.

Bought three for the price of two rolls of black http://www.rescuetape.com/ at a old car swap-meet. Fantastic stuff!
Note the dielectric strength. It worked very well for splicing in new secondary ignition wires to coils with the old wires molded inplace.
If you want/need some of the above and need it forwarded...you just need to PM.

[gonzo0815]

Re: TV Antenna setup

V2A is a specific stainless steel which will not degrade and would only corrode under extreme condition (then you need some V4A, which is even more chemically resistive).
I have seen some zip-ties made from it here.

The self welding rubber tape is not bad, and i use it a lot for ignition wires with repeated marten bites ( i just put another layer over the old ones, as those ignition wires are about 60€).
The problem with this tape is, that it does not hold up that long if exposed to UV.
I used it to insulate the F connectors to my SAT dish, and well it sticks there, but it is getting porous with the time.

[willawake]

Re: TV Antenna setup

stainless steel cable ties wow. if its german we probably have it here

they are not getting hot though?

[Galvanized]

Re: TV Antenna setup

"repeated marten bites." ? I had to Google it.

I thought marten bites was an electrical term!

[willawake]

Re: TV Antenna setup

Do you intend to ground the antenna? Not that my sat dish is grounded, but here in DE it should be grounded by separate outdoor cable (if no lightning protection is installed) and put on the potential equalization panel with at least 6mm solid coper wire.

no i didnt ground any antenna but i try to always make sure it is not the highest. in this case the antenna will actually be on the balcony with line of sight to the transmitters. the 2m aluminium pipe mast will be clamped to the railings. i do this tomorrow. the problem is the roof is not flat and i dont like to be up there, also i cant make fine adjustments up there that way which is necessary for this type of antenna. if it sucks i will go on the roof.

the other pipe mast is for the office AIS antenna. i will do that next week. i might hijack someone elses mast and clamp it on. see how that goes

[Harvey]

Re: TV Antenna setup

a marine electronics technician friend had some electrical tape which he said was special stuff. we used it on the navtex antenna cable connector at the office. After much sun this stuff turns to like a rubber coating. pretty interesting, i dont know what it is but would like to get some.

Your probably referring to Self Amalgamating Tape, something like this:

http://www.wppltd.demon.co.uk/WPP/Co...tml#selfamaltp

Its great for waterproofing connectors, holding wires together, repairing minor leaks in water pipes & car radiator pipes.. and it probably loads of other uses to.

[Paul S]

Re: TV Antenna setup

You should always ground any external antenna.



The mast or tripod should be grounded, as well as any cable before it enters the building. Here is an example of a coaxial ground block:
Radio Shack Grounding Block

You need to pound a copper ground rod into the ground. 4 feet is too short, 6 feet is better. Attach all grounds to this rod.

My brother is a electrical contractor and a short wave radio operator, he told me all of this.

[Maxxarcade]

Re: TV Antenna setup

Oh shit, I've had an antenna mast on my roof for years and it's not grounded at all. I totally forgot to install the grounding cable. I might as well call it a lightning rod

Right now my antenna is 300 ohms, but has a balun on it to make it a 75 ohm coax. Problem is, the balun is likely no longer water tight, and I'm using cheap RG-59 cable.

I want to get a bigger antenna soon so I can receive HD over the air, but I basically need a whole new system since the rotator is dead also.

[willawake]

Re: TV Antenna setup

DAT 45 best in the business..

now i agree. this is a superb antenna, easily the best i have installed.

[willawake]

Re: TV Antenna setup

the pictures make it look a bit fucked up, like there is waaaay more tree in the way, anyway there is gonna be a little trimming next weekend. Its not really necessary though, picture is excellent.









looking down the antenna at the transmitters.

the kit actually includes a wrench which is pretty cool of them. what it did not include was one screw on cable connector though.....i used one from the splitter which is not installed yet. ran out of time for this weekend.

The only other complaint i have is that it is quite difficult to access the cable connector on the antenna once that unit is clipped in. Like of course i forgot to tape up the connector so it was a little pain to get it off. The whole unit is not unclipping once it is clipped in.

[Tom41]

Re: TV Antenna setup

Do you live in a flat, Will? If not, why not mount the antenna on the roof so it gets a clear line of sight? Most houses in the UK have an antenna on a pole attached to the chimney; all you need to do then is align it with the transmitter.

I used to get very good reception from Emley Moor transmitter from my house, but since I live near the bottom of a hill the antenna has to be up on a long pole. Sometimes, when there are gale force winds in the area, the antenna gets blown over and touches the roof. When that happens we have to cut out the bent area of pole and re-erect the antenna, lower down. I think the antenna has dropped at least 1.5ft since we moved to this house

I'm not really complaining though; got digital TV so I won't be in trouble when they switch off analogue!

Oh, just remembered - one time at college I was able to get a watchable picture by sticking my finger in the antenna socket of a VCR! I actually recorded a couple of TV programs this way - must have been quite near a transmitter and up on a hill to get a good signal!