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Chat => Tech Chat => Topic started by: tickmike on October 28, 2014, 12:57:49 AM

Title: TV Aerial Alignment Check
Post by: tickmike on October 28, 2014, 12:57:49 AM
TV Aerial Alignment Check.
Some of our Freeview TV channels are not too good at times, I was going to work out compass reading towards the 'Waltham' transmitter and check the alignment .
Then to fine tune can I used the 'TV signal strength meter' on the TV ?, get my wife to monitor that while I move the aerial a bit.

http://www.ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Waltham
Title: Re: TV Aerial Alignment Check
Post by: burakkucat on October 28, 2014, 02:26:03 AM
That reads like a good plan of action.  :)
Title: Re: TV Aerial Alignment Check
Post by: JGO on October 28, 2014, 06:22:20 AM
A point,

You may be having problems with reflections on some channels, in which case don't go for the "correct" compass bearing but try and place an aerial pattern null on the reflection direction ( eg hill, water tower etc) ; nulls are sharp, peaks are broader and less critical.   
Title: Re: TV Aerial Alignment Check
Post by: tonyappuk on October 28, 2014, 11:02:14 AM
How old is your aerial system? With the increased power now being radiated by many transmitters these days I would look at the aerial installation first. Water in the downlead or the junction box at the aerial. would be my first thought. How far are you from Waltham? I'm not at all sure that the signal strength indication on many TVs is reliable or quick acting enough to be trusted. JGO's point about reflections is valid and it may be if your TV can also show some sort of signal quality reading that would be a better measure of the accuracy of your aerial pointing as it depends on signal decoding not just strength.
Tony
Title: Re: TV Aerial Alignment Check
Post by: tickmike on October 28, 2014, 03:36:21 PM
It's about 10 years old, we are 46km from Waltham .
We are at 125 M above sea level and Waltham is 440M above sea on the terrain maps for my post code and at 90 degrees .

Looking very quickly (job for the weekend ;)) it looks like the gales in the beginning of the year (the same gales that's moved my 40 foot pine tree over from the vertical by 6 foot at the top )may have moved it as it looks about +10 degrees out, It's on the gable end wall for ease of access on a 20' pole.
Title: Re: TV Aerial Alignment Check
Post by: Berrick on October 30, 2014, 07:25:01 AM
You could of course take the less interesting route and buy a signal strength meter for about £12. I use this one http://cpc.farnell.com/slx/27867r/tv-signal-meter/dp/AP02083 (http://cpc.farnell.com/slx/27867r/tv-signal-meter/dp/AP02083).