Hi Paul
In Bath where I operate its often the way, locations like Westfield pk south is a typical example looking into trees and a hill which on the other side looks across to the mendips, If you go chimney hight or even add another 12ft to it your wasting your time due to season changes.
If you walk along that road and see 14 element 12db forward gain aerials, back end mounted directly into a stub mount with 15db mastheadamplifier,they are mounted half way up between the top and bottom front windows, some to the left others just above garage doors, houses without visable aerials are mounted in roof spaces with aerials just tucked under the eves, When doing the field checks for location your playing with inches both in hight and width, none todate that I have done above gutter level, once done correctly theres no comeback.
Most systems I installed along there are run into a balanced TV distribution systems using TX100LSF throughout.
The reason why I dont use larger higher gain aerials like the Quad 11 in those circumstances is because they would look just horrible in such a lovely lacation.
I would guess in your situation that your downstairs Aerial is working ok due to either you found a hole within the trees or your getting a good reliable reflection from the lower part of the trees or vally depending on your situation.
I wouldnt blame to much the company that Installed your roof Aerial it was proberly down to lack of experience in your particular location.
You have to bare in mind I only operate in Bath and have done so for the last 40years so of course I have advantage over the rest.
And may I add it doesnt depend on wether they have been on these few week courses and having the couple of logos stamped on there vans to portray being experts. alot of these so called experts need experience on the field with riggers that have been on the go along time and know the pit falls.
You know analog reception is oviously a different theory to digital,(we all know that even joe public)
I can honestly say that since digital reception life on the Aerial side of things has got easer.
For instances we have know more ghosting problems which in the past was a night mare in and around are city Hence the grid type aerial pictured above, we used thousands of them, infact still got one on my house even today works fine.
We also found doubleing up stright 18s and adjusting the distance between them worked in ghosty locations that had also lack of signal.
Far as the Balun, theres nothing new about that if hunting for that extra mile of signal we used to make them out of 2 cut lenths of coax, alot of the yagi types had them fitted anyway.
Meter wise we used a coverted portable TV added amlifier which was driven stright from the agc circuit, still use it to this day to set up security cameras.
No good really just having a bought meter because couldnt detect ghosting.
These days with Digital in most cases
If you have line of site and can use the meter which is by know means rocket science, just get good signal to noise ratio and keep your Bit error rates min and of course that much lacking in some common sense thingy lol
If you cant get terestrial then you got freesat, how more easer can it ever get
its happy days for everyone.
Food for thought:
I served 5 years apprentice in the Radio TV trade plus umpteen manufacture courses and even with those skills stick me in a fringe signal location say in swindon with a Aerial installer of 40 years under his belt with that location he would leave me standing know doubt.
Thursday 10 November 2011 6:58AM
Bath
Hi Paul
In Bath where I operate its often the way, locations like Westfield pk south is a typical example looking into trees and a hill which on the other side looks across to the mendips, If you go chimney hight or even add another 12ft to it your wasting your time due to season changes.
If you walk along that road and see 14 element 12db forward gain aerials, back end mounted directly into a stub mount with 15db masthead amplifier,they are mounted half way up between the top and bottom front windows, some to the left others just above garage doors, houses without visable aerials are mounted in roof spaces with aerials just tucked under the eves, When doing the field checks for location your playing with inches both in hight and width, none todate that I have done above gutter level, once done correctly theres no comeback.
Most systems I installed along there are run into a balanced TV distribution systems using TX100LSF throughout.
The reason why I dont use larger higher gain aerials like the Quad 11 in those circumstances is because they would look just horrible in such a lovely lacation.
I would guess in your situation that your downstairs Aerial is working ok due to either you found a hole within the trees or your getting a good reliable reflection from the lower part of the trees or vally depending on your situation.
I wouldnt blame to much the company that Installed your roof Aerial it was proberly down to lack of experience in your particular location.
You have to bare in mind I only operate in Bath and have done so for the last 40years so of course I have advantage over the rest.
And may I add it doesnt depend on wether they have been on these few week courses and having the couple of logos stamped on there vans to portray being experts. alot of these so called experts need experience on the field with riggers that have been on the go along time and know the pit falls.
You know analog reception is oviously a different theory to digital,(we all know that even joe public)
I can honestly say that since digital reception life on the Aerial side of things has got easer.
For instances we have know more ghosting problems which in the past was a night mare in and around are city Hence the grid type aerial pictured above, we used thousands of them, infact still got one on my house even today works fine.
We also found doubleing up stright 18s and adjusting the distance between them worked in ghosty locations that had also lack of signal.
Far as the Balun, theres nothing new about that if hunting for that extra mile of signal we used to make them out of 2 cut lenths of coax, alot of the yagi types had them fitted anyway.
Meter wise we used a coverted portable TV added amlifier which was driven stright from the agc circuit, still use it to this day to set up security cameras.
No good really just having a bought meter because couldnt detect ghosting.
These days with Digital in most cases
If you have line of site and can use the meter which is by know means rocket science, just get good signal to noise ratio and keep your Bit error rates min and of course that much lacking in some common sense thingy lol
If you cant get terestrial then you got freesat, how more easer can it ever get
its happy days for everyone.
Food for thought:
I served 5 years apprentice in the Radio TV trade plus umpteen manufacture courses and even with those skills stick me in a fringe signal location say in swindon with a Aerial installer of 40 years under his belt with that location he would leave me standing know doubt.
Regards