Advice Needed New aerial on old house / chimney

[statalite]

Unfortunately every thing I own seems to break.
Now my UHF loft box distribution amplifier in the loft has given up the ghost after about 10 years of service. It doesn't give any quality reading.
I suspect it was over amplifying to compensate for a mediocre signal coming from our loft aeriel.

Anyhow I'm seriously considering getting an aerial on the chimney.
The house is over 100 years old, is terrace with a slate roof.
I have been advised that the slate roof can have an adverse affect on the down lead as the slate is more likely to cut into it (weather I guess) is this true?
The main question is we live around 30 miles from the desired transmitter, with this in mind I'm torn between either (not going into details of models) a medium sized and a large aerial. My worries are that the neighbour already has a large aerial on the chimney, so I'm concerned if I add another it may possibly cause the chimney some damage, both by its weight or by bad weather?

 

[rolfw]

Firstly check that they haven't just turned up the 4G transmitter local to you, these signals can easily swamp a loft based amplifier. If you have a Sky box running through it, try disconnecting the aerial input to the loftbox and test the picture for the Sky analogue picture, if that's OK without the aerial connected, but doesn't work when aerial is connected, then it's 4G and easily rectified with a filter in the loft.

Regarding slate and aerial cables, I've not found it to be any worse than course clay rooftiles and it tends to be the constant exposure to wind, rain and UV light that splits the cable.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Ask (nicely) if you could share the incoming signal from the neighbour's aerial, it may save you quite a bit of money

 

[digi247]

you could always try to blag a free filter first and try this before anything else:

https://at800.tv/

 

[statalite]

I have purchased another amp which filters out "lte / 4g" but its about 50% less amplification that the old amp. There are continuing problems with having the aerial inside, trees in line of site with leaves in summer.

I wouldn't mind putting it on the chimney but should I be concerned with the weight of a big aerial especially when it comes with a cradle?

 

[Archived-1]

I wouldn't worry about it, someone put a 1.8 CM on theirs last year , if the chimney is in a bad state of repair a good installer would refuse to fit it .

 

[PaulR]

Why do you think you need a big aerial? If you're only 30 miles from a transmitter then, providing it's not a very low powered repeater, signal strength should be reasonably strong. I think that a log periodic (rather than the standard Yagi array) might be best for you as it has a relatively low weight and good rejection of spurious signals.

 

[Archived-1]

As Paul says you don't need a massive aerial , I use this and get midlands no problem along with a fair few more areas .
https://www.satellites.co.uk/forums/threads/my-motorized-aerial-with-camera.163637/

 

[rolfw]

I have purchased another amp which filters out "lte / 4g" but its about 50% less amplification that the old amp. There are continuing problems with having the aerial inside, trees in line of site with leaves in summer.

I wouldn't mind putting it on the chimney but should I be concerned with the weight of a big aerial especially when it comes with a cradle?

You'd have been better off calling a local experienced installer, he'd have checked the incoming and outgoing signal and been able to advise exactly what the problem is and whether the loft aerial is viable. All you're doing now is trial and error, which will take a lot longer and probably not be significantly cheaper.

Problems with terrestrial reception can be much harder to cure than those with satellite.

 

[statalite]

Ask (nicely) if you could share the incoming signal from the neighbour's aerial, it may save you quite a bit of money

I thought this would pose a problem electrically so I won't ask, plus I think the neighbour will say on your bike.

Why do you think you need a big aerial? If you're only 30 miles from a transmitter then, providing it's not a very low powered repeater, signal strength should be reasonably strong. I think that a log periodic (rather than the standard Yagi array) might be best for you as it has a relatively low weight and good rejection of spurious signals.

If I'm going to put one on the roof I'm going to try and receive Waltham which is about 30 miles away.

Will ask installer about a log periodic, they do look lighter.

 

[Archived-1]

If I'm going to put one on the roof I'm going to try and receive Waltham which is about 30 miles away

Any specific reason for wanting to receive Waltham please ?.

 

[statalite]

Any specific reason for wanting to receive Waltham please ?.

East Midlands news over West Midlands.

 

[Archived-1]

East Midlands news over West Midlands.

Thank you, if you click on the link below and use the list top left of the map, it gives you a coverage guide line .

http://www.ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/WALTHAM

 

[statalite]

Thank you, if you click on the link below and use the list top left of the map, it gives you a coverage guide line .

http://www.ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/WALTHAM
View attachment 79712

Thanks have been using ukfree for a few years, good website.
The power output of Waltham is not as high as Sutton Coldfield but to appears to be flatter terrain.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Thanks have been using ukfree for a few years, good website.
The power output of Waltham is not as high as Sutton Coldfield but to appears to be flatter terrain.

A 30 mile distance may be more than a humble log-periodic can provide (9dB gain is about their limit).

 

[PaulR]

Certainly if Waltham is an out area transmitter and statalite is trying get the signal off the back. I was assuming that it was his local transmitter.

 

[statalite]

Certainly if Waltham is an out area transmitter and statalite is trying get the signal off the back. I was assuming that it was his local transmitter.

I live on the edge of the coverage map within the East Midlands, my postcode is East Midlands. Aerials near my house are 50% Waltham 50% Sutton Coldfield.

 

[Archived-1]

I only have a motorised aerial for something to do and play with, is there an easy way to find out what transmitter you receiving the signals from please ?

 

[Archived-1]

East Midlands news over West Midlands.

At tea time tonight, I accurately pointed my antenna at Waltham, I am unsure what transmitter I was getting these from and don't know a way to check ?.

 

[statalite]

At tea time tonight, I accurately pointed my antenna at Waltham, I am unsure what transmitter I was getting these from and don't know a way to check ?.
View attachment 79751

After scanning my Samsung TV allows me to select the region. That's the only "easy" way I can think of. My TV puts the main region on channel 1 and 3.