Aerial Setup
Update: You'll probably get more accurate results with the offical SAORVIEW coverage checker.
Using the below tool you will be able to find what transmitters are in your area and what frequencies these transmitters are using.
To use the tool, zoom into your location and single click on the map to insert a marker. The marker is draggable so you can fine tune its location. Click process when done.
| Transmitter | |
|---|---|
| Muxes | |
| Direction | |
| Polarization | |
| Aerial Group | |
| Distance |
Note:
The closest transmitter may not be the best for your location. Factors like the terrain profile between you and the transmitter come into play. Also some transmitters broadcast at a higher power than others.
Direction is given as True North.
Aerials for Digital Terrestrial Television
DTT is transmitted on the UHF band. In general if you can get good TV3 or TG4 analogue reception (these analogue channels are broadcast on UHF on all transmitters) then you have a good chance of picking up DTT with little change to your aerial.
UHF aerials come in various "indoor" (or set top aerial) and "outdoor" configurations. In strong signal areas an indoor aerial should do fine. Placing an indoor aerial on a high surface or in the attic will improve it's performance.
In medium to weak signal areas an "outdoor" aerial is required, either in the attic or mounted outside. The weaker the signal area the higher gain aerial you need, with masthead amp where necessary.
Aerial Groupings
A grouped aerial is an aerial which is designed specifically for a range of frequencies. A wideband aerial is an aerial which is designed to work across all of the UHF frequencies, but because of its generic nature a wideband aerial will not perform as well as a grouped aerial.
| Aerial Group | Channel Range | Colour Code |
|---|---|---|
| A | 21 - 37 | Red |
| B | 35 - 53 | Yellow |
| C/D | 48 - 68 | Green |
| K | 21 - 48 | Grey |
| E | 35 - 68 | Brown |
| Wideband | 21 - 68 | Black |
Cabling
"Satellite grade" coax cable should be used where possible. The coax cable should consist of:
- outer plastic sheath
- woven / braided copper shield
- foil shield
- inner core insulator
- copper core
On cables that run outdoors, a plastic core insulator is superior to a foam core insulator, as the foam over time can soak up water and render the insulation useless.