Basic Principles For Good TV Reception
There are a few basic principles for good TV reception which can help to find a better signal. Good TV reception relies upon many discerning factors, for example: The type of cable be to used, Aerial type, location of the Aerial and the line of sight.
For good reception, where possible a chimney mounted aerial will always fair better than those located in a loft as it will gain a lot more signal and the quality of that signal will be greater. Once a strong and good quality signal has been detected it is then transported to a TV tuner via the coaxial cable, the quality of the cable is important in delivering the signal to the tuner without any loss of quality or strength.
A good quality coaxial cable, such as CT100, will have a high copper content, the inner core will be pure copper and it will also be shielded with a copper foil. This type of cable is known as double screened. Standard type coaxial cables are not screened or only have a silver foil if they are screened.
A Good TV Aerial Doesn’t Cost Much
The Aerial to be used does not have to be the most expensive to be the best, most Aerials will perform well if they are installed in the correct location and aligned for maximum reception. Since the onset of digital, Aerials have changed in design and have to meet a standard benchmark, this meaning that most moderately priced Aerials will meet the benchmark standard.
The location of a TV Aerial is very important with lots of factors needing to be considered, for example: If you live in a detached property with two gable ends and a chimney, assuming your incoming signals were coming in towards the front of your property and there is a large tree in the front garden you would ideally site the Aerial where the incoming signal was not coming through the tree first. Check see to if one of the gable ends would give a clear line of site to the side of the tree, this would be the best place to site the Aerial.
TV Reception For Large Buildings, With Rebounding
If you live in, or near a town centre with large buildings you will probably suffer from poor TV reception and picture break up known as pixelation. Fortunately there is a way of overcoming this, I personally have installed with such surroundings and have been able to establish TV signals that have been more than adequate for TV reception. Below is an example of rebounding signals.
Above is a typical situation of a broken line of sight. If (A) is where you are trying receive a TV signal and (X) is the transmitting line from a transmitter, you can see that (C) a block of flats or large building is blocking the signal. If you positioned your Aerial at (B) another large stationary building you will receive the signals via a rebounded signal. This is not just theory, but something I tested and worked on whilst at Matthew Boulton College, studying Digital Theory and Signal Pathway.
Trees cannot be used to rebound signals because they don’t remain completely static. The main trunk and branches of the tree do create a static obstacle, but the movement of the foliage makes it unable to rebound signals properly.
If you have a tree in the line of sight, the incoming signals will be deflected in a sporadic manner sending signals in all directions. This is made worse when the leaves on a tree are wet, as the leaves act like mirrors deflecting signals and scattering them. If a tree is blocking signal it is generally best to reduce the height of the Aerial to try and collect the signal below the greatest density of foliage. I have witnessed installers attempting to install a very tall pole, this proves to be wholly ineffective due to the greater density of foliage towards the centre of a tree.
Call In The Experts
I’ve got a great deal of experience in finding the best signal for home-owners and businesses around the West Midlands and surrounds. So if you need a better TV signal, don’t hesitate to call. I am always pleased to arrange to visit. The best way to advise you is to see your exact situation, so that I can work out how to get you a great TV signal.
