'Bird Proofing' your TV Antenna
Yesterday as so often happens with my age group, I attended the Funeral of a relative by marriage at Oberon NSW.
Oberon was one of the few places after the analog service switched over to digital, the local Council upgraded their site from analog to Digital and as I hadnt been there since the changeover, I was curious to see what antennas were now being used.
Oberon, because of its elevation, had a 'window' of reception to Sydney and I always thought it had the most free standing towers mostly locally built with large arrays to receive Sydney than any other town its size.
I had noticed over a long period of time that there were fewer and fewer towers probably because of the local Council run self help size but yesterday, it seems that going Digital removed all but a few and none I saw had an antenna on them.
The antenna of choice being used now were shiny new 'Phased arrays', many surprisingly also had MHA's even though the transmitter site was clearly visible less than 3/4 of a kilometre away.
What really caught my eye on the antenna on the house was they had put on its front, a strip of that plastic bird deterrent you see on buildings and awnings, it was mounted vertically and another strip below the antenna was mounted horizontally above the MHA to turn the birds away.
I couldnt see from where I was how they had attached the strip to the antenna, maybe to the main support with the 'fingers' protruding through the elements which they did from what I could see.
I have no idea how good that deterrent is but after have some Black Cockatoo's chaw merrily though the coax 60 feet up the mast some years ago, anything is worth a try.
Last edited by gordon_s1942; 23-04-14 at 02:37 PM.
I stand unequivicably behind everything I say, I just dont ever remember saying it !!
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It would be interesting to see if digital signals can be received from Sydney - I assume that programming would be different so one could watch the footy or whatever.Originally Posted by gordon_s1942
PS. Personally I don't give a rats about footy. The challenge is in the receiving of the signal.
Last edited by Guiseppe; 23-04-14 at 07:06 PM. Reason: Added PS.
Most definitely Guiseppe, that would be interesting and it might well be a possibility but now the locals have all the channels 24/7 without any hassles such as fade and skip, I dont think the interest in chasing channels is there anymore as when they only had the ABC and one composite commercial channel coming direct from Orange before the Council installed the local translator.
Most towers went up simply because they had to have them and Hi Gain antennas to get any reception so it was no greater effort to rotate the antenna and see what you got plus back then, people would sit and watch the test pattern because it was TELEVISION !!!
You drive around most Country towns now and try and play 'Spot the Tower/Mast and Huge arrays' to mostly find they are very few in number, most often have only whats left of the array swinging in the breeze and no tape/cable connected to them.
Being 'Country', they often screen both football and cricket full matches Live that Sydney may either get on delay or only part of if the event is played there so the TV wont affect the Gate takings.
Another 'killer' for DX'ing is the Internet, far easier to use that buying antennas and climbing masts in all sorts of weather.
Last edited by gordon_s1942; 23-04-14 at 10:50 PM.
I stand unequivicably behind everything I say
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