TV and aerial question.

[colinicky]

Looking at your second picture I don't think it is a different fitting ! It is the same but has a joiner screwed on ?

[Dave Crampton]

Originally Posted by colinpjenkins2

Freeview - Check Coverage

Feck!!

*** My Address and postcode ***

Unfortunately you can't receive the Freeview channels in your area now, but when your region switches to digital you should be able to receive the most popular channels.

Err Should, So if not, do I have no TV in between switch off and Switch on in my area?? OMG !!

(Actually I have a Digital arial in the right polorisation and we have 60+ channels of rubbish )

Don't beleive all you read on t'interweb!!

Originally Posted by Jules

.... At the moment the digital is only transmitted from the main transmitters , not the relays...

I think Bury is a relay and not a main transmitter.

[tom]

yes, definitely 3 wires.

You're right about the fitting - I just tried to unscrew it and you're spot on. So all three are the same.

So do these just plug into the back of a sky box? Maybe the people here before had three boxes? (although two go into the lounge, which seems a bit odd!)

[colinicky]

Originally Posted by tom

yes, definitely 3 wires.

You're right about the fitting - I just tried to unscrew it and you're spot on. So all three are the same.

So do these just plug into the back of a sky box? Maybe the people here before had three boxes? (although two go into the lounge, which seems a bit odd!)

Glad to help .Yes they just screw into the back of a sky box

[Alun]

Tom - on the satellite dish itself, is the lnb a single unit or does it have 2 or 3 units side by side? Is it a sky minidish or a bigger dish - this will determine which satellite its looking at. Sky digital is at 28 degrees East of due south, if you get your compass out and set it to that, is the dish looking in the same direction or slightly off to the right of this? If it's bang on, then all you have to do is get a second hand sky box and plug it into the dish.

You'll need a freeview viewing card for channel 4 and e4, which you can get by ringing up sky and asking for one, they'll probably charge you a tenner for it, but that'll give you access to all the channels that are free to air.

[Alun]

Finless -

The coax definitely needs changing. Water will eat the signal like nothing else.
TV aerials are easy to align, they literally do point at the transmitter. If you point it in the same direction as everyone else's WITH A NEW CABLE, the digital satellite one you've got will be ideally suited to this.

Oh and amplifiers - depends on why you've got a crap picture. If there is lots of noise as well as the signal (caused by water in the coax for example) then an amplifier won't help, as it'll boost the noise as well as boosting the signal.
If your problem is just a weak signal, but a signal that doesn't have lots of noise, then an amplifier can work.
You will see the biggest improvement by changing the cable though.

Can you tell I've had the same discussion with my mum recently......? :P

[tom]

Originally Posted by Alun

Tom - on the satellite dish itself, is the lnb a single unit or does it have 2 or 3 units side by side? Is it a sky minidish or a bigger dish - this will determine which satellite its looking at. Sky digital is at 28 degrees East of due south, if you get your compass out and set it to that, is the dish looking in the same direction or slightly off to the right of this? If it's bang on, then all you have to do is get a second hand sky box and plug it into the dish.

You'll need a freeview viewing card for channel 4 and e4, which you can get by ringing up sky and asking for one, they'll probably charge you a tenner for it, but that'll give you access to all the channels that are free to air.

Thanks Alun -

I've just been outside with my big zoom lens...


This is what the dish looks like. It does point approximately south.



There appear to be four empty sockets on the base of the LNB, with wires going to three of them



Nice of them to leave the label on - Googling for the part number tells me it's a Quad LNB (as the label says) that would presumably have been used as part of a Sky multiroom setup?



Unfortunately my eyes tell me the connections / wires look a bit shagged!




I'm trying to decide whether to get a box and hook it up to this, or just to rip it off the wall. If I do keep it, I may only use a box in one room - is it OK just to unplug and remove the other wires?

Thanks again...

[tom]

Originally Posted by tom

nto the back of a sky box? Maybe the people here before had three boxes? (although two go into the lounge, which seems a bit odd!)

Ah, OK, Just been reading about Sky+. That apparently needs two wires going to the Sky+ box. And one of them is near the telephone point, which makes sense. Obviously the previous occupants had Sky+ in the lounge, and a second box upstairs in their bedroom. I think I'm starting to understand...