Quick Question

[Ext User(news.iprimus.com.au)]

Sick of snowy VHF reception, I installed a cheap digital box using the old
analogue VHF / UHF antennae (mast head boosted). I have good reception for
Channels SBS, Prime, Sthn X, Win ( 7, 9 and 10 regional Victoria
equivalants). But no vision or sound for Aunty, or ABC2. The signal quality
stated for Aunty is just below 60% - the others are 70-80%.

One day last year whilst there was low cloud with continuous rain - I
discovered there was sufficient signal to receive Aunty on digital box.
Strange - to me the novice. All transmitters come from the same site. Any
ideas to why I can only receive Aunty on a rainy day/night.

I live in a valley behind a hill from the Baranduda transmitter near
Wodonga. Antennae elevation is on the roof. Go higher?

regards
Ron

[Ext User(atec77)]

news.iprimus.com.au wrote:
> Sick of snowy VHF reception, I installed a cheap digital box using the old
> analogue VHF / UHF antennae (mast head boosted). I have good reception for
> Channels SBS, Prime, Sthn X, Win ( 7, 9 and 10 regional Victoria
> equivalants). But no vision or sound for Aunty, or ABC2. The signal quality
> stated for Aunty is just below 60% - the others are 70-80%.
>
> One day last year whilst there was low cloud with continuous rain - I
> discovered there was sufficient signal to receive Aunty on digital box.
> Strange - to me the novice. All transmitters come from the same site. Any
> ideas to why I can only receive Aunty on a rainy day/night.
>
> I live in a valley behind a hill from the Baranduda transmitter near
> Wodonga. Antennae elevation is on the roof. Go higher?
>
> regards
> Ron
>
>
>
depends on the passband on the signal booster perhaps ?

[Ext User(Lozza)]

"news.iprimus.com.au" <haaNOSPAM@iprimus.com.au> wrote in message
news:4440e217$1_1@news.iprimus.com.au...
> Sick of snowy VHF reception, I installed a cheap digital box using the old
> analogue VHF / UHF antennae (mast head boosted). I have good reception
> for Channels SBS, Prime, Sthn X, Win ( 7, 9 and 10 regional Victoria
> equivalants). But no vision or sound for Aunty, or ABC2. The signal
> quality stated for Aunty is just below 60% - the others are 70-80%.
>
> One day last year whilst there was low cloud with continuous rain - I
> discovered there was sufficient signal to receive Aunty on digital box.
> Strange - to me the novice. All transmitters come from the same site. Any
> ideas to why I can only receive Aunty on a rainy day/night.
>
> I live in a valley behind a hill from the Baranduda transmitter near
> Wodonga. Antennae elevation is on the roof. Go higher?
>
> regards
> Ron
>
>
>

This link may help theres a link below the list of tranmitters that shows
the ABC coverage area http://www.dba.org.au/index.asp?sectionID=22


Lozza


I'm convinced humanity, in a number of different forms, is spread out all
over the universe. We are just a tiny fraction of what exist.
(A.J. Gevaerd Brazils leading UFOlogist)

[Ext User(news.iprimus.com.au)]

Looked at the map. It appears I'm on the boundary between main and adequate
coverage.
Thanks for your help.

regards
Ron


"Lozza" <lozza92@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:44418cfb$1@news1.veridas.net...
>
> "news.iprimus.com.au" <haaNOSPAM@iprimus.com.au> wrote in message
> news:4440e217$1_1@news.iprimus.com.au...
>> Sick of snowy VHF reception, I installed a cheap digital box using the
>> old analogue VHF / UHF antennae (mast head boosted). I have good
>> reception for Channels SBS, Prime, Sthn X, Win ( 7, 9 and 10 regional
>> Victoria equivalants). But no vision or sound for Aunty, or ABC2. The
>> signal quality stated for Aunty is just below 60% - the others are
>> 70-80%.
>>
>> One day last year whilst there was low cloud with continuous rain - I
>> discovered there was sufficient signal to receive Aunty on digital box.
>> Strange - to me the novice. All transmitters come from the same site.
>> Any ideas to why I can only receive Aunty on a rainy day/night.
>>
>> I live in a valley behind a hill from the Baranduda transmitter near
>> Wodonga. Antennae elevation is on the roof. Go higher?
>>
>> regards
>> Ron
>>
>>
>>
>
> This link may help theres a link below the list of tranmitters that shows
> the ABC coverage area http://www.dba.org.au/index.asp?sectionID=22
>
>
> Lozza
>
>
> I'm convinced humanity, in a number of different forms, is spread out all
> over the universe. We are just a tiny fraction of what exist.
> (A.J. Gevaerd Brazils leading UFOlogist)
>

[Ext User(Justin)]

news.iprimus.com.au wrote:
> Sick of snowy VHF reception, I installed a cheap digital box using the old
> analogue VHF / UHF antennae (mast head boosted). I have good reception for
> Channels SBS, Prime, Sthn X, Win ( 7, 9 and 10 regional Victoria
> equivalants). But no vision or sound for Aunty, or ABC2. The signal quality
> stated for Aunty is just below 60% - the others are 70-80%.
>
> One day last year whilst there was low cloud with continuous rain - I
> discovered there was sufficient signal to receive Aunty on digital box.
> Strange - to me the novice. All transmitters come from the same site. Any
> ideas to why I can only receive Aunty on a rainy day/night.
>
> I live in a valley behind a hill from the Baranduda transmitter near
> Wodonga. Antennae elevation is on the roof. Go higher?

It's strange that it's the ABC, as the ABC is on 9A there (in the middle
of the other stations. If people have probs in the capitals, it's
usually because their antenna isn't designed to receive Ch 12.

How old is your antenna? Another problem you sometimes see is where
notch filters have been used to filter out the channels around the
normal ones (from analogue days).

As a side note, Hills (& other antenna manufacturers) have made some
very specific regional antennas in the past. It may be that your antenna
has a bit of a gain problem in the 9A range. You only need a VHF band
III antenna (VHF 6-12), so it might be worth looking in to getting one
of those (ditching the VHF I & II & UHF parts), or at least an antenna
that doesn't have the I & II elements (often where you pick up the most
interference).

You could also look at replacing the coaxial cable from the antenna down
- this can make a large difference & there have been cases where it was
the cause of low signals on a particular frequency (rare though).

More height when you don't have line of sight is always a plus.

Good luck,

Justin

[Ext User(news.iprimus.com.au)]

Justin,
Good info, thank you.
Yes, it is an old antennae - a combined VHF - UHF. So a VHF 6-12 is
suggested. I'll look into it.

Should I keep the mast head amplifier?

regards
Ron



"Justin" <justinnospam@dontspamme.com.au> wrote in message
news:4445743c$0$7530$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au ...
> news.iprimus.com.au wrote:
>> Sick of snowy VHF reception, I installed a cheap digital box using the
>> old analogue VHF / UHF antennae (mast head boosted). I have good
>> reception for Channels SBS, Prime, Sthn X, Win ( 7, 9 and 10 regional
>> Victoria equivalants). But no vision or sound for Aunty, or ABC2. The
>> signal quality stated for Aunty is just below 60% - the others are
>> 70-80%.
>>
>> One day last year whilst there was low cloud with continuous rain - I
>> discovered there was sufficient signal to receive Aunty on digital box.
>> Strange - to me the novice. All transmitters come from the same site.
>> Any ideas to why I can only receive Aunty on a rainy day/night.
>>
>> I live in a valley behind a hill from the Baranduda transmitter near
>> Wodonga. Antennae elevation is on the roof. Go higher?
>
> It's strange that it's the ABC, as the ABC is on 9A there (in the middle
> of the other stations. If people have probs in the capitals, it's usually
> because their antenna isn't designed to receive Ch 12.
>
> How old is your antenna? Another problem you sometimes see is where notch
> filters have been used to filter out the channels around the normal ones
> (from analogue days).
>
> As a side note, Hills (& other antenna manufacturers) have made some very
> specific regional antennas in the past. It may be that your antenna has a
> bit of a gain problem in the 9A range. You only need a VHF band III
> antenna (VHF 6-12), so it might be worth looking in to getting one of
> those (ditching the VHF I & II & UHF parts), or at least an antenna that
> doesn't have the I & II elements (often where you pick up the most
> interference).
>
> You could also look at replacing the coaxial cable from the antenna down -
> this can make a large difference & there have been cases where it was the
> cause of low signals on a particular frequency (rare though).
>
> More height when you don't have line of sight is always a plus.
>
> Good luck,
>
> Justin

[Ext User(Justin)]

news.iprimus.com.au wrote:
> Justin,
> Good info, thank you.
> Yes, it is an old antennae - a combined VHF - UHF. So a VHF 6-12 is
> suggested. I'll look into it.
>
> Should I keep the mast head amplifier?
>
> regards
> Ron

Masthead amps are a bit of a mixed bag. It sounds like you'd still
benefit from one in your location, but your current one might not be the
best option. There are new ones that are supposedly more suited to
digital (& have a full metal casing, etc), but who really knows?

A 6-12 antenna usually looks like something like the bottom antenna on
this page: http://www.hillsantenna.com.au/catalog/digitel.htm

There are massive ones (3m in length) that have heaps of gain, but
that's probably a bit over the top.

You could also look at a phased array antenna (designed for homes behind
hills). Something like the Hills CA16 is popular in fringe areas (with a
masthead amp). They're arranged in 4 pairs of elements stacked
vertically (you'd probably see some around the area).

Justin