Digital tv antenna - what coax cable type should I get?

[beanzontoast]

I'm going to be putting in a new digital antenna for Freeview purposes in the next couple of weeks, but the one I'm looking at getting doesn't come with any cable. I've heard that I should use satellite-quality coax rather than the bog standard stuff. Is this really the case, or will I not notice any difference?

Presumably I can still fit a 'normal' tv coax plug on the end of satellite-quality coax?

Are digital antennas easy to install? (It's going in the loft, so no climbing about on rooftops involved!).

 

[marinyork]

Are digital antennas easy to install? (It's going in the loft, so no climbing about on rooftops involved!).

That's a big mistake imho. It may well (and I certainly hope) will work, but it's much better on the roof - the extra height and line of site rather than objects to go through is associated with considerable extra gain.

Have you bought a wide band aerial with many elements, is that what you mean by the so called 'digital' aerials which aren't actually anything of the sort. Yes they are easy to install though.

 

[Ghost Donkey]

Digital tv signals are in the same frequency ranges as analogue tv signals so with that in mind normal aeriel coax should be fine. If it's outdoors you could look at oil filled coax to stop water leaks in future if you don't have easy access but that might well be overkill. Buy your cable from a proper shop off a drum rather than going to a high street electrical store. The shop people should be able to advise on cable.

 

[beanzontoast]

That's a big mistake imho. It may well (and I certainly hope) will work, but it's much better on the roof - the extra height and line of site rather than objects to go through is associated with considerable extra gain.

Have you bought a wide band aerial with many elements, is that what you mean by the so called 'digital' aerials which aren't actually anything of the sort. Yes they are easy to install though.

Yes - that's what I'm thinking of getting. It's way bigger than the existing antenna. I get what you mean about loft mounting being worse than external, but the old small antenna has been quite good in the loft and I'm thinking / hoping that a bigger, more modern antenna should be even better in the same situation.

Are the wide band ones any harder to align with the transmitter? The old one has been a doddle - it doesn't have to be very exact; anything within about a 20 degree arc seems to give a reasonable signal.

 

[beanzontoast]

[QUOTE 1277138"]
I bought our aerial and cable off the roll from B&Q, and installed it in our loft. The freeview reception is excellent and the picture perfect.

I don't do ladders.
[/quote]

+1 - if it was going on the roof, I'd be getting a professional in to do it just for the sake of me not having to climb about up there.

 

[marinyork]

Yes - that's what I'm thinking of getting. It's way bigger than the existing antenna. I get what you mean about loft mounting being worse than external, but the old small antenna has been quite good in the loft and I'm thinking / hoping that a bigger, more modern antenna should be even better in the same situation.

Are the wide band ones any harder to align with the transmitter? The old one has been a doddle - it doesn't have to be very exact; anything within about a 20 degree arc seems to give a reasonable signal.

Well technically the in-group yagis are more exact and give you a better signal (before digital changes the frequencies), you may not notice the difference though. Rather than not taking into account the laws of physics like some other posters you're really best off trying wolfbane to get a field strength guestimate. http://www.wolfbane....gi-bin/tvd.exe? Imho log periodics are generally your best bet indoors.

 

[beanzontoast]

Well technically the in-group yagis are more exact and give you a better signal (before digital changes the frequencies), you may not notice the difference though. Rather than not taking into account the laws of physics like some other posters you're really best off trying wolfbane to get a field strength guestimate. http://www.wolfbane....gi-bin/tvd.exe? Imho log periodics are generally your best bet indoors.

Cheers for the advice. I'll try that site and see what it comes up with. Here in Derby we used to get our signal from Sutton Coldfield but I'm guessing the Waltham transmitter will be an option in the digital tv sense (and prob give us East Midlands news too).

 

[sheddy]

There are some truly awful Digital aerials that fall apart after only a few years just from fat pigeons pecking at them. Don't ask me how I know this.

Go ahead and try the loft, I know I will next time.