alanh Posted December 28, 2004 Share Posted December 28, 2004 (edited) . Edited March 25, 2013 by alanh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtv Posted April 1, 2007 Share Posted April 1, 2007 Before deciding what is required to provide the best reception, first you must know what signal levels and quality are present at a given location. The key to digital reception is obtaining signals of adequate power and quality At THE ANTENNA. Amplifiers should only be used to compensate for distribution losses, not to try and increase signals which are too low/not present. Over-use of amplifiers without prior knowledge of signal power and Bit Error Rates is almost guaranteed to not only amplify existing problems, but to also create new ones. Selection of the correct antenna for a particular location, together with accurate digital measurements to locate the best mounting location for the antenna are things which make every installation unique. A "blanket post" across every regional area DTV forum recommending such bad practice may be considered 'trolling'. As you are a new member, having only joined the forum today, burnoutking2 perhaps you could share with us your location, what channels you are receiving and from where, and what antennas and amplifiers you are using to achieve this. I have my suspicions this poster is closely related to recently suspended troll, tyrewarmer20/dodgy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
culfy Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 Hi guys, Anyone know if there is an ETA on HDTV North of Adelaide in the known future? I'm waiting for it in Roxby Downs and wondered if anyone had any info on when it should arrive here. Analogue TV bites! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanh Posted May 22, 2007 Author Share Posted May 22, 2007 Culfy, There is DTV from the Bluff out of Port Augusta, but I doubt that it will reach you. In analog you currently have SBS 53, ABS56 & QQQ59 at 2kW each and IMP 62 @ 200 W Telstra site Olympic Road 1.5 km N of township ROXBY DOWNS. These programs and the radio programs except 5AU and 5ROX are repeating the satellite signals for remote Central & Eastern Australia. Your current TV is satellite fed and Broadcast Australia is yet to do installs for very small communities. I don't know about the commercials, but 5JJJ and probably 5ROX were paid for by the mining company. May be you could get the mining company to subsidise the transmitter installations to make the rollout sooner. You will then also get ABC2, a second SBS news channel as well. I suggest you also contact ABC SBS transmission 7 Central Impaja DTV at the bottom of the page Please post here how you get on. AlanH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Simpson2 Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 hello i live in kadina but my grandmother lives in moonta im just wondering if a tmx16 is all you need or do i have to have a tmx 18b5 to get better uhf signal from pt pirie because most of moonta has tmx18b5 but 1 or 2 might have tmx 16 and i get ok uhf pt pirie at my grandmothers and in their shed is what im talking about i dont always get good pt pirie unf on digital im just wondering why it would be. analogue is a bit funny at times as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalj Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 hello i live in kadina but my grandmother lives in moonta im just wondering if a tmx16 is all you need or do i have to have a tmx 18b5 to get better uhf signal from pt pirie because most of moonta has tmx18b5 but 1 or 2 might have tmx 16 and i get ok uhf pt pirie at my grandmothers and in their shed is what im talking about i dont always get good pt pirie unf on digital im just wondering why it would be. analogue is a bit funny at times as well. Homer Simpson2, Are you and Tyrewarmer20/Dodgy the same person? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tahoma Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 Homer Simpson2,Are you and Tyrewarmer20/Dodgy the same person? I think you're spot on digitalj, he might have changed his name but somehow just can't shake that writing style and turn of phrase. Tahoma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalj Posted October 24, 2007 Share Posted October 24, 2007 I think you're spot on digitalj, he might have changed his name but somehow just can't shake that writing styleand turn of phrase. Tahoma. It's a new account that was just registered yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curry2 Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 hi guys im wondering if you can buy a band 4 & 5 UHF Diplexer so i can diplex both band 4 & 5 uhf antennas from different directions into one cable so i can have both band 4 & 5 uhf antennas hooked up to the one uhf input on the booster. any help would be good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazza000 Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 I have a question for the Gurus as I cannot get SBS Digital where I am in Wistow near Mt Barker. I found out that the digital signal comes from the ntl tower summit rd Crafers, I got my GPS and put in the lat long for this spot and my antenna is pointing in the right direction. I thought that I may only have a VHF antenna only as SBS is the only station transmitted in UHF being channel 33 but I can get a rough picture on the old analogue TV so does this mean I do currently have a UHF and VHF antenna? as a bloke at work said that I had the wrong antenna but I'm not convinced. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I am not a duck Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 (edited) Dazza000, VHF antenna typical VHF UHF combination antenna typical If your antenna looks like the first one, it needs upgrading to a combination VHF/UHF antenna, or more appropriately, having an independent UHF antenna coupled to it for SBS reception. If it is like the second one, then it sounds like you have an antenna problem or the SBS UHF signal is attenuated by surrounding vegetation. (Did a repair for one of the rellys in Mt Barker coupla years ago and had problems with weak signals, got it to work in the end.) Edited December 29, 2007 by M'bozo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazza000 Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 Thanks for posting pics I reckon that it looks like the 2nd pic which suggests that it does both UHF &VHF, also considering that I can get SBS analogue which is cannel 28 UHF 527.224MHZ this would mean I do have a UHF capable antenna?. So it appears I have reception issues that I will to have to try to fix Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I am not a duck Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 Dazza000, In that case your antenna is UHF capable and I saw your comment earlier about the rough analogue picture. If your existing antenna is looking into a blocked signal path, then most likely a phased array with a masthead amplifier will be required to get things happening, this of course depends on a number of things, most importantly that you can get a quality digital signal at UHF with enough level to be able to amplify it into something useful. Of course it could also be your existing antenna has failed to be a UHF signal collector, but I would tend to doubt that. Marc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazza000 Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 Thanks Marc, I'm thinking I will have to get an installer in to find the best spot for reception as I have a problem getting UHF considering that the analogue signal is only just viewable (SBS) also an aerial upgrade to focus on the digital bands only and do away with analogue all together. Cheers again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I am not a duck Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 I'm thinking I will have to get an installer in to find the best spot for reception as I have a problem getting UHF considering that the analogue signal is only just viewable (SBS) also an aerial upgrade to focus on the digital bands only and do away with analogue all together. Probably the best way to go. I'll be over there end of next month but I'm flying in this time to pick up a car so won't have my gear with me to do any installs. Good luck with it, and let us know how you get on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanh Posted December 30, 2007 Author Share Posted December 30, 2007 Marc, Read Get the Best Reception, Regional SA and read the links. If you also read the antenna basics link, there is drawings of the different types of antennas including phased arrays. AlanH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtv Posted January 5, 2008 Share Posted January 5, 2008 Homer Simpson2,Are you and Tyrewarmer20/Dodgy the same person? Yep...... one and the same... and he's also using the name.. curry2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celani Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Thanks for this info. I'm currently in the Riverland, SA. Since I'll be getting a 52" Sony X in the next few months I was wondering if it is possible to get a 'booster' of some sorts to be able to tune into Adelaide HDTV channels. I'm under the impression that WINTV (apart from the fact only having two of the three 'main' channels (7/9/10)) doesn't broadcast in HD. It would probably be too expensive for them to, so I don't blame them. Is there any way to spend about $1000-1500~ to somehow receive Adelaide HD channels (Seven / Nine / Ten are my main concern)? Sorry if this has been asked before. (First DTV post - This place is heaven for educating a new HT enthusiast) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanh Posted April 25, 2008 Author Share Posted April 25, 2008 Celani, It is true that WIN in the Riverland is allowed to transmit a pair of programs from different networks in your area due to the low total population in the viewing area. If you put your town, I will be able to calculate the distance to the Adelaide transmitters. You will need a CA16 phased array antenna, a Kingray MHV44HLG mast head amplifier, with RG6 cable. The antenna should be on a guyed mast. You will also need probably existing UHF antenna pointed at Loxton for the WIN transmitters, ABC & SBS. This signal can be feed into the U input of the masthead amplfier and fed down the same cable. Remember that digital needs a certain range of signal strengths. As soon as it goes outside this range the pictures and sound breaks up. So you may find that reception is weather dependent. Read the first post in this strand for further information. It may also be worthwhile to ask WIN if they plan to transmit an HD channel in the Riverland which would be a selection of different network's programs. AlanH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celani Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Celani,It is true that WIN in the Riverland is allowed to transmit a pair of programs from different networks in your area due to the low total population in the viewing area. If you put your town, I will be able to calculate the distance to the Adelaide transmitters. You will need a CA16 phased array antenna, a Kingray MHV44HLG mast head amplifier, with RG6 cable. The antenna should be on a guyed mast. You will also need probably existing UHF antenna pointed at Loxton for the WIN transmitters, ABC & SBS. This signal can be feed into the U input of the masthead amplfier and fed down the same cable. Remember that digital needs a certain range of signal strengths. As soon as it goes outside this range the pictures and sound breaks up. So you may find that reception is weather dependent. Read the first post in this strand for further information. It may also be worthwhile to ask WIN if they plan to transmit an HD channel in the Riverland which would be a selection of different network's programs. AlanH Cheers for the detailed reply Alan. I think I'd be pushing it since I'm in basically on the edge of the Riverland closer to the border -- Renmark. This is approximately 250Km from Adelaide according to wilmap & local signage -- that is by road though. It's nice to know its semi-possible though! I have no idea what all the equipment you listed costs though -- sounds very expensive. I could maybe justify $1000 - $2000 depending on what I think of WIN DTV here compared to watching HD channels in Adelaide at a show room etc. I'm assuming SD WINTV will look abysmal on a 52" Sony Bravia X though - although I will be getting a Yamaha 1800 which has upscaling capabilities, its just I'm not sure if you can run the antenna cable through it (HT virgin here). I think I'll definitely give WIN a call though and see if they have any plans of a HD roll-out in the 18 months~. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanh Posted April 25, 2008 Author Share Posted April 25, 2008 Celani, Being that far away, I would suggest that you will be disappointed in the investment. You may get occasional signals. In addition you will find that a lot of HD programs are upconverted by the TV stations and not giving true HD signals anyway. In your position I would still buy the TV, but buy a blueray disc player. Connect the two with an HDMI cable. The playing of the discs will give you the amazing quality that you can see with such a TV. You will be able to see the 720P quality from the ABC1's "channel" 20 and the 576P quality of SBS's "channel 30". I am hopefull, that there will eventually be a change to MPEG4 compression in DTV signals. Then you would be able to get all your channels in HD. This is what has happened in New Zealand. If this happens all you will need to do is to buy an new set top box. AlanH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celani Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Cheers for the sound advice Alan. Yeah I'm planning on watching a lot of blu-ray, but I'll be running it through a Pioneer or LiteOn blu-ray reader in my HTPC (DVI -> HDMI). HTPC will let run my playlist of 720 and 1080p music videos as well as the other videos I have stockpiled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest samick Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Can any one help me or at least give some advice?, I have a lcd flat panel (teac) we are down at Goolwa Beach area, We have no issues with analouge at all, only the digital-after a while it will pixillate badly, we have had the antenna guy come down and have an assesment done on the signal-according to him the signal is ok and there shouldn't be any problem. The tv has been back twice to be "repaired" 2electrolytic capacitors and pcb replaced, as I said no problems with analouge-the digital still pixilates and it's very annoying. Does any one know about reliability of teac tvs or had similar problems???-Help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanh Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 samek, Please read the first post in this strand. Include the SA link to identify the transmitter you should be receiving. Also, if you can connect a different digital receiver such as a set top box to the antenna cable to check. Please post progress here. AlanH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I am not a duck Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 samick, Had problems with a TEAC LCD191SD recently determined it was the digital receiver inside the screen, proved it by plugging another set top box in to show that. You could try ringing the TEAC TCCC (TEAC CUSTOMER CARE CENTRE) 1800 656 700 and run it past them to see if they have any clues. Might be another board changeover coming up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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