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Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV For the last six years, I have answered many thousands of personal emails that you have sent to UK Free TV.
Sadly, I am unable to offer this personal service at the moment.
Until I can restore this service, please can you leave any questions you have on an appropriate page, where they will be answered as soon as possible, or below, if you can't figure out where to ask.
I look forward to your questions!
Help with TV/radio stations?
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Wednesday, 21 May 2014
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Claire Butland 10:13 AM
London
Claire Butland : hi, I'm really concerned as I live in a housing assiation flat and because I've attached an extra TV ariel to their existing outdoor one( drilled hole in wall) to put TV on wall, will it get in trouble as there coming tomorrow , I also cannot c any similar questions for help here & no one is replying? Please help
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Steve P7:44 PM
Your tenancy arrangements are rather outside the scope of this forum but you should check your lease for what you can and cannot do without permission. I doubt they will get upset about you fitting a TV but you will have to make good if you leave.
I don't understand what you have done re the aerial but if you have interfered with the central system they have every right to object - especially if it doesn't work now!
If the TV works without an aerial - quite usual in strong signal areas, you have not got a problem have you?
It may be that the aerial signal is too strong - especially if it is amplified to supply several flats.
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michael7:50 PM
Claire, the reference to an FM aerial might suggest that this is the issue. If you had TV reception when the aerial was unplugged, you should be able to disconnect the communal aerial and use an indoor TV aerial pointing to the transmitter, perhaps through a window. If this makes sense, buy a cheap indoor aerial and experiment.
If it works well, you are lucky; if it works with some picture break-up, a high-gain indoor aerial might be worth the investment. The housing association may not be happy if your extra aerial is connected to theirs, so be ready to apologise etc etc.
Mounting the 42" TV on the wall should not be an issue, but you might have to return the wall to its former glory when you move one. Sorry I can't pop round in person to help out, but hope you get a good resolution. What you have already paid seems exhorbitant, so be wary of further offers.
As I type, Steve has responded in similar vein. We wish you well, Claire. There are many with similar reception issues who receive woeful neglect from the powers-that-be.
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LindaB8:52 PM
I've always wondered why people mount the TV up on a wall so it is above their normal viewing position. That usually gives rise to neck problems as you are forced to look upwards when your neck is not used to that position. I have our TVs at just below head height when sitting so we look very slightly downwards, a natural position for the head/neck.
Plus, having the TVs at that heaight means I don't need to make holes in the wall, so no worries about lease terms or having to 'make good' afterwards.
As far as I know, carpenters are good at woodwork but not necessarily at electrical or electronic work.
PS: gold plated plugs/sockets are no benefit at all, just more expensive.
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MikeB10:17 PM
Claire Butland: I can only agree with Michael - it could be that your signal is just really strong. Since you gave a postcode, you can see that your not far from Crystal Palace. You could just have a really powerful signal, even without an aerial. In fact you can check yourself on the TV.
LindaB has an excellent point - gold plated cables make no difference at all. However, its now really difficult to find ones that are not gold plated! And thats a very good point about carpenters as well...
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Thursday, 22 May 2014
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Claire Butland 10:54 AM
London
Hi guys above, thank u soo much 4 all ur replies, my TV is on wall yes but it's low down, anyway, I've just had the cable guy who fitted our small block 2 yrs bac round & he agreed gold nobs don't do nothing, he said the cable the carpenter used wasn't w f 100 double screen but he said the picture isn't that bad as even though it's patchy colours that's the TV, it's only wen it gets interferance,will it be the ariel, & and further more he can't help with cable guy used as it's not his JOB!.....(thought he mite say that) but is asked how comes it works without it being connected to point ? It's picking up reception thought the ariel..... Oh I said, but I said even if I pay to get this w f will it make a difference? Proberly not.... So that was that and he left, . On replying to ur answer about getting an indoor ariel? How would I plug it into a TV on the wall and wouldn't it look garstly ? Gotta go out now hope to hear from u guys soon, have a great day.
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Claire's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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michael10:51 PM
Claire, it is difficult to give certain advice without seeing your situation and setup first-hand. Your description suggests you have a strong signal and would get an acceptable service with an indoor aerial - or even just with a piece of flexible wire pushed into the centre of the aerial socked on the TV. Wiggle it about and you just might be lucky. Otherwise try a cheap indoor aerial to experiment with. If that works, you could then replace the cheapo with a better and more aesthetic one and place it so as to get a good signal and not to be too intrusive in the room . Of course, the housing association TV wall-socket should provide you with a good TV signal. If there is more than one socket, try the other(s), one would be for TV and another for FM radio and possbly a third for DAB radio. It is unlikely, but conceivable that they were incorrectly wired up and that you would get the TV signal from a socket marked for radio. Perhaps more likely, as suggested, the signal from the communal aerial is so strong that it is overloading your TV. If an indoor aerial or a short piece of wire does not give you a reliable signal, you could try a "variable attentuator" from a TV shop or Maplin and connect it between the communal aerial socket and the TV. Then twiddle the little adjuster for best picture. You may need the help of a friend with some technical knowledge - or an honest professional who will not fleece you. Again, we wish you well!
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Friday, 23 May 2014
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Claire Butland 6:50 PM
London
Thanx ever so much, I will keep all this information for future reference, at mo it's going better, I think with the housing electrician who came kinda just done something with the silver male to female it seems to have worked, but I've got all ur replies in my inbox now so great cheers ,have a nice wend.
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Claire's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Saturday, 24 May 2014
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ange hitchenor7:32 PM
I am unable to get ITV4 in Wales. Is there anything I can do?
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KMJ,Derby10:38 PM
ange hitchenor: You do not say whereabouts in Wales you are located, so it is not possible to give advice as to which services may be available to you.
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