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Thread: Need some advice/recommendation on TV Antenna equipment please

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    Default Need some advice/recommendation on TV Antenna equipment please

    Hi, First of sorry for the long post, just wanted to make sure I gave you guys as much info as possible to make a informed decision based on my needs.

    Now, need some recommendations with setting up a new TV antenna, splitter & amplifier in a recently fully renovated house.

    About a year ago I bought a Matchmasters "budget" TV antenna designed for inner city, for $50 off a guy that i knew that works at Jims Antennas or whatever it's called.
    Not that I knew at the time it was considered a budget type antenna. But anyway.

    The ant. i bought is a
    it's still in the box as I haven't set it up yet.


    When I did a search for the antenna on the Matchmaster website (selecting 6 outputs & I live in western suburbs of Melbourne) they gave me these results, which along with a different antenna model recommendation, here is what I got:

    ----------------------

    Recommended Antenna:


    ----------------------

    Transmitter:
    TXA Ornata Road Site Tower 12 Ornata Road MOUNT DANDENONG
    Tower Broadcast Australia Site Eyre Road MOUNT DANDENONG
    11 32 6 8 12 7
    Bearing: 107.1 deg., Distance: 50.7km.


    ----------------------


    Few questions:

    Is this antenna I already have going to suffice?

    The coax is quad shield RG6 throughout the house, but the position of the ANT is on the other side of the house which is of course on the other side of where the hub is (which is a Hills Home Hub) and these hubs a nightmare let me tell you.
    Apart from the hub having very limited room to work with due to them being designed to be used with their products made for the hub itself, it's just very hard to work with, especially with all the network stuff , had plans for a security system, foxtel distribution, then the damn thing is positioned directly under our electrical switch board, even if that's not enough, the damn thing is on one end of the house, no where near the center where it should be, and it's on the other end of where the antenna is and. so the RG6 from the ANT. to the hub (splitter) is the longest run, then there's one of the main TV's on the end of where the ANT is situated..ughh..I can provide pics of the hub and even a floor plan if if would help to understand.

    So if this antenna is going to be fine, i'm going to need the rest of the stuff: 6-way Splitter, MH Amp., Dist. Amp:

    These are the 2 6-way splitters that showed up on the MM search.

    Not sure on the differences/pros & cons etc. for my application, so which would be better?:




    ----------------------



    ----------------------

    Here is the recommended Masthead Amplifier:



    ----------------------

    Here is the recomended Distribution Amplifier:



    -----------------------

    Also, have seen this: over at bunnings, would this suite my needs? They any good?

    -----------------------


    There is cabling for more than 6 points, but I cant see us having more than 6 TV's going. We originally had the Hills mulitswitch splitter/amp whatever it is that came with the hub (that recently blew) was 12 way, and I had dummy loads on most of them, so, 6 should be perfect.

    So any recommendations and/or advice would be greatly appreciated. I will take everything any one of you say into serious consideration, made the mistake of not taking advice before with the network side of things, made things harder and more expensive and not necessary any better, possibly worse, and and am not too happy with my self for that. So I will appreciate and take any advice into consideration.

    Thanks for any help. and let me know if you need any more info. cheers
    Last edited by plzrnpain; 17-05-17 at 03:01 PM.

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    Thanks for the detailed info.

    A good start, having RG6 quad to all outlets.

    Both antennas you posted will work, but it's a gamble, just how well.

    The antenna you bought is a log periodic type... they work well in good signal areas.

    The other Matchmaster antenna may not necessarily perform any better on VHF than the other antenna.

    Personally, for your approx location (an actual suburb name would have helped a little) I wouldn't select either antenna.

    Both of those are combination VHF/UHF and as Melbourne is now all VHF, it's pointless using a combination antenna, when a VHF-only antenna will capture more signal.

    In your area and given the number of outlets you plan to connect, I would normally install one of .

    Depending on signal levels, you may not even require an amp at all, just a splitter.

    Amp if needed... depends on signal levels at the antenna. If they are good, a distribution amp is what I would usually install as they typically have lower noise levels than masthead amps.

    If signal levels are a bit low at the antenna, or if you may have significant loss in a long cable run from the antenna, a masthead amp may be more suitable.

    Even though in your case you mentioned a long cable run from the antenna to the distribution box, I expect signals from a suitable antenna should be OK.

    4G LTE filtering is preferable on any amp, as it minimises potential interference.

    Splitters... either one you linked to is OK. One has power pass on all ports, meaning you could connect the power injector into any outlet to power the amp remotely (and move it to other outlets later if you wanted to).

    The other splitter has power pass to one port only, meaning the power injector can only be connected to the outlet which goes to that splitter port.

    The single port power pass model is probably a bit cheaper than the all port power pass model.

    Matchmaster products are good quality, but I generally find them more expensive than several other products that are of similar quality.

    I do not recommend the Antsig product.

    With splitting, it makes no difference how many TV's are used/connected at any time, once a splitter is placed in the line, the signal is divided among the number of ports it has.

    In addition to all of the above... the most important thing of all is the mounting location of any antenna.

    A great antenna can be useless if mounted in a position that has poor reception.

    An antenna must receive good signal strength, but more importantly, high signal quality (low BER).

    A site test involves walking around the roof with an antenna connected to instrumentation which measures signal strength and quality to determine the position and height where the antenna provided the best result.

    It's certainly not uncommon to discover the best antenna mounting position is the furthest point away from the spot where all the distribution cabling is located.

    Providing you can get a cable from the antenna back to the distribution point, all is well.

    Ensure all connectors are F type crimp or compression... don't use twist-on type and use the correct terminating tool for the connector type.

    You haven't mentioned how and where you current antenna is mounted or what how good/reliable the reception is with whatever antenna you are using at the moment.

    Providing the antenna is clear of your roof (and neighbouring roofs) in the direction of the transmitters, that's a good start. Line of sight to the Mt Dandenong towers is ideal.

    If possible, can you provide any signal readings and if the antenna is connected to one outlet or if it's split at the moment.

    What I would suggest... you already have a new antenna, so just try it, you might get lucky.

    Connect it to a single outlet and check your signals, then connect it with the splitter and check signals again.

    To get the best-possible results, you really need to perform a site test with professional signal test equipment to determine the best type of antenna, it's mounting position, the type of amp (if needed) and to ensure levels at the outlets all have signals at ideal levels.

    Hope this helps.

    Let's know how you get on and feel free to ask if you need more help.

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    Thanks a lot for your reply, awesome info mate, very much appreciated.

    my suburb is Taylors Lakes, VIC, 3038

    there are currently only 3 TV's connected just to a 3 way splitter as the Hills Multiswitch? amplifier that came with the hub blew on us and a friend had a 3way splittter lying around so we're using that temperarely, it doesn't seem too bad.

    The only issue is, that the picture distorts when some electrical appliances are being used or turned on, a light switch, washing machine, even opening the fridge door creates the effect. I am guessing this is due to a coax cable coming into contact with some electrical cabling somewhere? But this also happened when we we're using the Hills amp. so I need to do some troubleshooting i guess.

    Our current antenna is a Hills one not sure of the exact model but it's either a "OMX100PLUS. OMX400PLUS, SMX24B4+, SMX24WB or SMX28B4+", that's all I'm gathering from the manual I found. But it is located in the ceiling not on the roof.
    The new antenna will be placed outside on the roof though.

    All connectors are F-type Compression (the foxtel approved ones from jaycar)

    How would I go about getting some signal readings? through a TV? or need a special tester?

    Also, are those signal meter devices worth getting? when aligning the antenna the LED's light up until you achieve optimal strength?

    Think I covered everything, sorry I'm in a rush to head out. let me know if I missed something or if you need any more info. But it sounds like I might just try a 6 way splitter on its own first and look into the amps. if need be.

    Thanks again for your help, very much appreciated!

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    The impulse noise interference will most likely be due to the antenna being in close proximity to electrical cabling.

    If it's an OMX antenna with long elements designed to receive the old analogue ABC channel 2, it will be even more prone to picking up the interference.

    An amp will amplify everything, including electrical interference, so you need to minimise signal getting into the system, because once it's in there, it's almost impossible to remove it.

    Sometimes these interfering electrical impulses can be entering equipment via the mains power connections, but it's far more common they are picked up from antennas and cabling.

    If it's and SMX model, designed for channels 6-12 & UHF, it will probably be a good antenna to use.

    Yes, it has UHF which you don't need, but the VHF section is good for your area and will likely work better than the new 'Jim's" antenna you have in the box....but.. it needs to be mounted ON the roof... not inside it.

    The test gear needs to display signal strength in industry-standard numerical values in dBuV, and signal quality in BER (Bit Error Ratio) and MER (Modulation Error Ratio).

    Cheap signal meters that display signal strength only are not suitable, but are better than nothing.

    The signal measurement displays from TV's are better, but you need to be able to see the screen whilst moving around the roof with the antenna and even then, are not accurate.

    Professional signal measuring equipment used by professional installers typically costs several thousands of dollars.

    Equipment with 'real time' spectrum displays are very expensive, so you can't expect a cheap device to perform like them.

    Taylors Lakes typically has good signals, although it depends what's near you, as there are some industrial areas .

    Can you see the Mt Dandenong towers in the distance from your roof?

    Is your roof tiled or metal? (I'm guessing tiled).

    If tiled, is there foil insulation under the tiles? (It would be blocking signals. So will tiles, but not as bad as metal/foil)

    Single or double storey?

    Check your TV signal display and post the readings... they may only show % but the info would be helpful.

    Regardless... putting the antenna ON the roof will make a big difference.

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    I'll get up there in the next day or 2 to see if i can find any electrical cabling near any coax, but it's a bloody hard roof to navigate, not much room at all, it was a nightmare even before the air con ducts went in (which i'm guessing could be blocking signals if laid around or in front of the antenna), but needs to be done, just hoping the issue is around that area (man hole, TV & ANT are all within a few meters of each other, and it seems to be affected with appliances around that area also, so fingers crossed.

    I actually thought I had found and fixed the problem the other day, I plugged in an air purifier my mother just bought to the same power board the TV is connected to and the picture on the screen went bananas every time I turned on the purifier, I took the power-board away and ran directly from GPO (TV connected in both cases to a Belkin surge protected double adapter (which also has F-Type TV/SAT protection on it, and I have tried with and with out those connected) and it seemed to fix the problem, turned the purifier on and off numerous times, not a single flicker. Then out of no where the issue began again, turning on lights in the room, washing machine running + opening fridge door (both of which are a couple meters from TV), so I dunno, need to have a long, hard troubleshooting session, that will be fun lol

    So you rekon the Hills antenna I am using now would be better than a Matchmaster? Interesting, why is that if you don't mind me asking? Or you mean just that particular model?

    I'll even try to find out what model the antenna that we're using while I'm up there, or at least find out if it's either OMX or SMX (whatever they mean)

    Not sure if I can see the tower on top, ill guess I'll suss it out when the time come to install it, the elevation seems to be 90.322m at my side up to 780.014m at the tower, with a distance of 50.7km, seems plausible i guess. And I'm guessing if I could see it that would make it child's play to align and be better for the signal as there would be none to little obstacles in the way to cause interference, right?

    Yeah. the roof is tiles, no foil insulation that I can remember, and single story.

    I'll check out the signal readings on the TVs and post them shortly.

    Also, if all I end up needing is just a splitter, what about this 4G/LTE filter I'll be needing, because the antenna itself isn't a model that has a filtration circuit/device inbuilt, and if I don't use an amplifier I won't get the added benefit of the filter feature inbuilt in that also.
    Would I need to get something like this: ?
    Would that be a good solution? and where abouts would it be installed?

    Many thanks for taking the time to help me out. very much appreciated.

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    The electrical impulse interference isn't so much the coax near electrical cables, but that doesn't help (the heavy shielding in quadshield helps reduce interference being picked up by the cable) but it's the antenna itself in the ceiling that will will be more prone to picking up the interference.

    The Hills SMX models you quoted will likely be as good if not better the the Matchmaster models you quoted.

    There are other Matchmaster models that may be better than the Hills SMX models, just as there are better Hills models that are more suitable than the SMX models... the Hills DY-10 model I mentioned is a good example.

    My point is, you already have quite a good antenna, even though it's a combination VHF/UHF type and you only need VHF, but it's worth trying it before spending more money on another antenna when the one you have (providing it's in good condition) may work quite OK.

    If you have line of sight to transmitters, that's a great start, but even then, you will find that signal will vary depending on placement position of the antenna, as signals can also be reflected off surfaces like nearby buildings, trees, even aircraft in your proximity to Melbourne Airport.

    LTE filters reduce strong broadband wireless signals. Sometimes these can interfere with TV signal reception, sometimes they don't. It's another thing professional instrumentation can determine, but it does no harm to add an LTE filter regardless.

    Yes, the filter in your link is suitable, although there's no specifications on it to indicate how much it attenuates LTE frequencies or the insertion loss, but I will probably work sufficiently.

    Any filter needs to be placed in-line from the antenna before any amp or splitter.

    Eg: you can connect the filter at the antenna input of the splitter.

    The biggest problem you have at the moment is having the antenna in your ceiling.

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    I'm going to leave you in the capable hands of mtv. I just popped in to say, welcome to Austech, and please, when your problem is solved, hang around and give us the benefit of your company. FWIW there is an Introduction forum to let us know a bit about yourself, we'd love to get to know you.
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

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    Any progress on this, plzrnpain?

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