What is going on with my signal!?%$£*

[Steviecuk]

Hi. I live in a 10 year old semi which came pre wired but had no aerial in the loft or outside. In facet no-one on this estate has them outside.

I fitted one of the ones below (exactly the same but a four splitter output version, still powered with a power supply) and also bought one of the cheapish signal meters. I matched it up ok and got 3 lights signalling 70dB and all TVs worked fine.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-log-loft-wall-aerial/75506#product_additional_details_container

https://www.screwfix.com/p/slx-digital-signal-finder/58244

However a few months ago all of the TV's just dropped out. No picture nothing. I investigated and it was not showing 1 light which is 50dB. I now only have it connected to 2 TV's but still not getting a picture with it on 50.

I have tried moving it all around the loft and changing the F port that the power supply is plugged into (it says it can be plugged into any of the outputs) and every time I do, I get 3 lights and it works fine. Then between half hour to an hour later... dies again and goes back to 1.

I then changed the lead going from the power supply to the aerial as the other one looked like it was a little tatty and instantly got 3 lights. FANTASTIC. For an hour, then went back to one.

I have since bought one of these... tried all over the loft, managed to get a max of 2 bars which is 60dB from it (even tried with the booster from the other one and got no improvement) however this was not good enough for the TVs to pick up.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/labgear-x-beam-mast-aerial/30515

A local sole trader aerial man has quoted me a minimum of £200 just to come and have a look! Hence I would really love to crack this on my own.

Has anyone seen this before or have any ideas as to what it could be? It was fine for about a year, then started playing up.

 

[telectrix]

£200 is cheap in essex when you consider the costs of his fake tan, facial and chest hair removal, not to mention his waxing of his wedding tackle.

 

[Wilko]

Hi - sounds like the power to the original antenna's amplifier is not reliable. Hard to say where the problem is, but the coax connections are always a good place to start.

 

[Deleted account]

I'm no expert on Ariels so I'd Pay the money. He will probably diagnose within moments. Where as it could take you hours of research/ labour to achieve nothing.

I've started using all the trades in decorators, plumbers carpenters carpet fitters than do it myself as they get it done in half or even a quarter of the time it would take me.
This means I can go out and earn more as a sparky than what I would save on getting the correct trades.

 

[Steviecuk]

I'm no expert on Ariels so I'd Pay the money. He will probably diagnose within moments. Where as it could take you hours of research/ labour to achieve nothing.

I've started using all the trades in decorators, plumbers carpenters carpet fitters than do it myself as they get it done in half or even a quarter of the time it would take me.
This means I can go out and earn more as a sparky than what I would save on getting the correct trades.

I know what you mean but I like doing things myself if I can. Have done the whole house up and did it all myself including electrics (that I'm allowed to do obviously), taking walls down, putting walls up, rip out, redesign and refit kitchen and 2 bathrooms including plumbing, changed radiators throughout, decking the lot... yet this poxy aerial has me stumped. Its not just the saving of money, I don't like things to beat me and I want to find out WHY this has occurred so I can fix it and will know for the future of if anyone else has a similar problem.

 

[Steviecuk]

Hi - sounds like the power to the original antenna's amplifier is not reliable. Hard to say where the problem is, but the coax connections are always a good place to start.

Was just on SF website looking for another booster and see that they sell replacement PSU's. Hopefully because this sort of thing happens. Quick and easy fix... fingers crossed (probably won't be, isnt how my luck runs.)

 

[snowhead]

Has there been any building work, new tall buildings for example, in the area recently?
Or aerial masts for non mobile comms?
Or buildings demolished?

I'd get a local Aerial guy, they know all the local issues.

 

[mhar]

If you are getting 70dB of signal, the last thing you want to be doing is amplifying it.

Signal strength is far less relevant than signal quality

 

[Pauls0212]

no-one has mentioned the obvious .... power supply failure. he goes up switches it off and it cools enough to last about 30 mins when he switches it on again

sorry wilko might have mentioned it

 

[Shoei]

Check out what frequencies your transmissions are on, there have been barely announced changes all over the UK to move transmissions away from 4G phone frequencies.

Digital UK | About the coverage checker - http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/operations/about_the_coverage_checker

I'm on Winter Hill and have lost a bunch of stations because they moved a multiplex to a lower frequency which is outside the range of my aerial. Winter Hill has always needed C/D group but in future will need a wideband to also cover the A group.

The whole thing sucks, the government required the phone companies to pay costs to resolve problems with 4G rollout. For them that means sending you a cheap filter if you get an interference problem but they don't take responsibility if your perfectly good aerial is made obsolete by changes made for their benefit. And when your TV stops working they don't bother to tell you why, they leave it for you to fork out for an aerial installer to give you the good news.

 

[Steviecuk]

If you are getting 70dB of signal, the last thing you want to be doing is amplifying it.

Signal strength is far less relevant than signal quality

I wasn't, I was getting 70 when it was working, >=50dB when it would cut out.

 

[Steviecuk]

Thanks for everyones help and advice, as a couple of you mentioned to try the power supply/booster which I was planning on doing tomorrow (but shot to screwfix tonight after a couple of you mentioned it too) and got a replacement power supply... hooked up and working fine. Went straight to 70dB like the other one but 3 hours in and staying as it. Awesome.

Lucky I didn't just take the advice of 'call a professional' and tried it myself first. Ended up costing me £15 instead of the £200+ that it would have been... minimum.

 

[Edtwozeronine]

I had to reterminate the cable on our ariel recently, we somehow lost all channels after the TV was vacuumed behind. The plug was a bit rusty too so I put a new one on.

 

[ruston]

Well done Steve.
Pleased you did not end up like Rod.

 

[Silly Sausage]

Thanks for everyones help and advice, as a couple of you mentioned to try the power supply/booster

Result!
Sounds like you owe a few guys a beer or three.