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Thread: How can I test a TV aerial?

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    Default How can I test a TV aerial?

    I can see channel 7 and SBS on my TV fine, all other FTA channels have disappeared. A friend has lost all FTA on his brand new TV, My initial thoughts were that those missing channels have shifted frequencies, but a scan failed to detect them. My only recourse, now, is to check the aerial to see if that is at fault. Given that 7 and SBS are both OK, I doubt it. FWIW I have a digital aerial installed by the govt contractors back when the changeover occurred. I also have an old VHF antenna that stopped working some years back that I've never bothered to investigate as it feeds the rest of the house and I rarely need a TV in any room other than my lounge. This is the reason I want to test to see if I am actually receiving signal on both aerials as, if I've got to climb into the ceiling space and onto the roof, I might as well fix both.

    SO...What is there to test incoming signal?
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    1. Thread moved to the correct section.

    2. There's no such thing as a 'digital aerial'.
    Aerials/antennas cannot tell the difference between analogue and digital. They are just designed to receive signals of particular frequencies/bands.

    Now to the actual issue...

    Has there been any storms/power failures where the transmitters for your area are located?

    It's possible transmitters are off air, so re-scanning will not find signals that are not there at the time.

    If your friend also receives TV signals from the same area transmitters as you and has also lost reception.... that's a good indication it's a transmission issue, not a reception problem.

    If you have re-scanned and not detected channels, you will have erased the previous channel memory of your TV.

    Check with neighbours if they are experiencing any reception issues.

    Also try re-booting the TV... unplug from power, wait a few minutes and turn back on.

    After confirming all TV channels for your area are actually transmitting, re-scan.

    Note my previous comment re: lost memory... you will need to re-scan.

    To test incoming signals at the antenna, you will need a digital signal meter/analyser.
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    Must have been the Tx as All working again tonight. Sorry about wrong section, missed the TV bit. I am aware that aerials are not too fussy re: digital/Analogue, couldn't think of the correct terminology at the time. The only real difference is the frequencies to which they are tuned. Anyway, is there a tool that can test signal strength? I'm thinking back to the 70s with CB radios where you used an SWR meter to tune your 1/4wave whip (I think that's right, I've forgotten more about 27mHz stuff than I ever knew!)
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    Quote Originally Posted by lsemmens View Post
    Anyway, is there a tool that can test signal strength? I'm thinking back to the 70s with CB radios where you used an SWR meter to tune your 1/4wave whip (I think that's right, I've forgotten more about 27mHz stuff than I ever knew!)
    Yes, as per my post above.. a digital signal meter/analyser.

    Most TV's have a tuning screen to give you an indication of signal strength.

    With digital, signal quality is more important than just signal strength.... it is measured in Bit Error Ratio (BER) and Modulation Error Ratio (MER).

    You would need a meter/analyser that measures Digital Channel Power (DCP = signal strength) AND BER/MER if you want accurate measurements.

    SWR is an entirely different subject, but you are correct, it relates to antenna tuning (primarily for matching an antenna to a transmitter).
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    Quote Originally Posted by lsemmens View Post
    I'm thinking back to the 70s with CB radios where you used an SWR meter to tune your 1/4wave whip (I think that's right, I've forgotten more about 27mHz stuff than I ever knew!)
    TV antennae are not tuned as they are designed to receive a (relatively) large bandwidth. You want to receive more than one group of TV stations.

    These drop outs happen a lot where I live and the Missus blames me(because of my electronic experiments) when certain stations are gone for a while but I think she finally has accepted the fact that things can break elsewhere too.
    The only two TV transmitters are on the only hill fairly close to each other and usually the lightning chooses one of them and no I didn't cause the lightning with my experiments
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    I can see channel 7 and SBS on my TV fine, all other FTA channels have disappeared.
    Depends where you are ; what transmitters you rely on. Just because you can see 7/SBS, that suggests someone had an oops with the BandIV UHF transmitter.

    Used to happen a lot out here rural, until they installed local repeaters

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    Quote Originally Posted by Uncle Fester View Post
    TV antennae are not tuned as they are designed to receive a (relatively) large bandwidth. You want to receive more than one group of TV stations.

    These drop outs happen a lot where I live and the Missus blames me(because of my electronic experiments) when certain stations are gone for a while but I think she finally has accepted the fact that things can break elsewhere too.
    The only two TV transmitters are on the only hill fairly close to each other and usually the lightning chooses one of them and no I didn't cause the lightning with my experiments
    Are you sure? With an avatar like that, you've probably got a Delorean hidden in your shed. LOL
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

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