Obviously when you get an Antenna professional out to your home to install or replace a TV antenna, you expect them to install good quality equipment and make sure you have good TV reception at all outlets. This just seems like a given.

However... We've noticed that the quality of antenna installations is sometimes just downright terrible.  It's almost like the installers have completely forgotten about safety, endurance and aesthetics. We are often fixing up antennas that are suffering from nothing more than poor installation.  

Some things to look for and EXPECT as standard from your antenna installer are:
​

• Neatly arranged cable (cable tied in place to the mast)
• Extra length of cable neatly looped on mast (this allows for enough cable in the event that your antenna needs replacing or new connectors need fitting)
• Good quality parts (connectors, mast, screws)
• Quality silicone used to seal mounting plates or other areas that may result in water seepage

​
Making sure your antenna installer covers these points along with quality antenna, RG6 cable and confirmation that your signal levels meet Australian standards (using a signal meter), you should have no problems with your antenna.

If you've had a dodgy antenna installation - give us a call, we'll help you get it sorted. 

WOW!  Last week we did some work for a Customer in Redcliffe.  He was having all kinds of TV reception issues and called us to help him get it sorted.  We did the job and then got this amazing review back via our feedback form on our website.  It was such a lovely review, we just HAD to share it. 

We want all of our Customers to feel this delighted after working with us. 

​Good Job Geoff -

There is quite a lot to consider when you are looking at installing a TV antenna.  If you google it, I’m certain you will find instructions or video’s on how to install an antenna. If you are quite handy, have the right tools at your disposal, have plenty of spare time for research and doing the work – maybe you could give it a go.  HOWEVER, this comes with a huge caution, because it’s not always as simple as it’s made out to be.
 
Here are a few other considerations before you even begin spending time or money on a self-installation:
 
The right tools
Professional TV antenna installers will have particular tools and equipment to ensure excellent digital reception to all TV points.  The most important of these elements is the digital signal meter, which will detail the exact strength of signal for each TV channel at each TV point in the home.  This equipment is worth thousands of dollars and isn’t accessible to the average home installer. As such you may be relying on a simple “point & shoot” method to get good reception, which is not reliable and doesn’t guarantee good quality signal across all channels.
 
Distance between the TV and antenna.
Digital TV signals can deteriorate through coaxial cables over longer distances. We recommend your antenna is placed within about 20 metres of your TV. If the antenna needs to be positioned at a further distance than this, then it’s important that the antenna is powerful enough to mitigate any loss of signal.  Alternatively, you could install an amplifier to boost the signal.
 
Where to mount and point the antenna
You will need to start by finding out where your local TV station transmitters are.  You can usually google this information or contact one of your local TV stations and ask them.  Best signals will be gained when the antenna is directed at your nearest TV transmission station.  This part can be trickier than it may seem at first;

1. You need to know the direction of the station as closely as possible
2. TV signal uses ‘line of sight’, meaning that trees, buildings, hills or other structures that block the physical line of sight between the antenna and the station will impact strength and reliability of signal. 
3. You will need to consider how high to mount the antenna.  Obviously the higher you go, the less likely you are to encounter line of sight issues.  So as a general rule, the higher the better.  However, it is not necessary to go with extra high mounts unless signal strength or line of sight is an issue.
4. You can get multi-directional TV antennas that pull signals from several directions, but it’s worth talking to an antenna supplier prior to purchasing any antenna to ensure it fits the purpose
5. Of course, you will want to consider the aesthetics of the home to ensure that you are happy with the location of the antenna and the look and feel of the home.  It is for this reason that some people choose to install internal antenna’s (which are installed within the roof cavity), rather than external.  We do not recommend this option, particularly in poor signal areas, as they are not usually a reliable option for good consistent signal. 

 
Cable and wall plates
Of course if you are installing a new antenna or new TV points, you will need to factor in the cost and skills required to run the cable from the antenna, through the wall/ceiling cavities, to the TV point/s in the home.  This can be tricky business for the home installer and can take an understanding of the structure of the home and how to safely get cable through the cavities.  Please ensure that you have checked the relevant building and electrical codes prior to running cable, to ensure that you are installing safely.  Be sure that you stay a safe distance from power cables (min distances vary by state depending on building codes).
 
So, whilst it is possible to install your own TV antenna, it is highly recommended to get a professional installer.  The use of professional signal meters alone, will save possible hours in trying to find signal and align the antenna, and get the best possible reception on each TV channel.  Experience also affords professional installers plenty of tips and tricks to antenna placement and installation that might just make the difference between OK TV signals and fantastic TV signals.  Of course the other major factor in considering a professional installation is safety.  Professional installers are trained to work at heights, trained to run cable safely within the cavities of the home and are insured in case anything goes wrong.
 
If you want to save yourself, time, stress and money, get a professional to help you install your TV Antenna.  You won’t regret it.  ​​

​There is quite a lot to consider when you are looking at installing a TV antenna.  If you google it, I’m certain you will find instructions or video’s on how to install an antenna. If you are quite handy, have the right tools at your disposal, have plenty of spare time for research and doing the work – maybe you could give it a go.  HOWEVER, this comes with a huge caution, because it’s not always as simple as it’s made out to be.
 
Here are a few other considerations before you even begin spending time or money on a self-installation:
 
The right tools
Professional TV antenna installers will have particular tools and equipment to ensure excellent digital reception to all TV points.  The most important of these elements is the digital signal meter, which will detail the exact strength of signal for each TV channel at each TV point in the home.  This equipment is worth thousands of dollars and isn’t accessible to the average home installer. As such you may be relying on a simple “point & shoot” method to get good reception, which is not reliable and doesn’t guarantee good quality signal across all channels.
 
Distance between the TV and antenna.
Digital TV signals can deteriorate through coaxial cables over longer distances. We recommend your antenna is placed within about 20 metres of your TV. If the antenna needs to be positioned at a further distance than this, then it’s important that the antenna is powerful enough to mitigate any loss of signal.  Alternatively, you could install an amplifier to boost the signal.
 
Where to mount and point the antenna
You will need to start by finding out where your local TV station transmitters are.  You can usually google this information or contact one of your local TV stations and ask them.  Best signals will be gained when the antenna is directed at your nearest TV transmission station.  This part can be trickier than it may seem at first;

1. You need to know the direction of the station as closely as possible
2. TV signal uses ‘line of sight’, meaning that trees, buildings, hills or other structures that block the physical line of sight between the antenna and the station will impact strength and reliability of signal. 
3. You will need to consider how high to mount the antenna.  Obviously the higher you go, the less likely you are to encounter line of sight issues.  So as a general rule, the higher the better.  However, it is not necessary to go with extra high mounts unless signal strength or line of sight is an issue.
4. You can get multi-directional TV antennas that pull signals from several directions, but it’s worth talking to an antenna supplier prior to purchasing any antenna to ensure it fits the purpose
5. Of course, you will want to consider the aesthetics of the home to ensure that you are happy with the location of the antenna and the look and feel of the home.  It is for this reason that some people choose to install internal antenna’s (which are installed within the roof cavity), rather than external.  We do not recommend this option, particularly in poor signal areas, as they are not usually a reliable option for good consistent signal. 

 
Cable and wall plates
Of course if you are installing a new antenna or new TV points, you will need to factor in the cost and skills required to run the cable from the antenna, through the wall/ceiling cavities, to the TV point/s in the home.  This can be tricky business for the home installer and can take an understanding of the structure of the home and how to safely get cable through the cavities.  Please ensure that you have checked the relevant building and electrical codes prior to running cable, to ensure that you are installing safely.  Be sure that you stay a safe distance from power cables (min distances vary by state depending on building codes).
 
So, whilst it is possible to install your own TV antenna, it is highly recommended to get a professional installer.  The use of professional signal meters alone, will save possible hours in trying to find signal and align the antenna, and get the best possible reception on each TV channel.  Experience also affords professional installers plenty of tips and tricks to antenna placement and installation that might just make the difference between OK TV signals and fantastic TV signals.  Of course the other major factor in considering a professional installation is safety.  Professional installers are trained to work at heights, trained to run cable safely within the cavities of the home and are insured in case anything goes wrong.
 
If you want to save yourself, time, stress and money, get a professional to help you install your TV Antenna.  You won’t regret it.  

OK so we all “kind of” know what digital TV is these days because by now, in Australia, we should have all switched to digital.  So what don’t you know about your new digital TV?  You might be surprised (or not) to learn a little more about your digital TV experience.

What is digital TV and how is it different from analog?

Digital TV is the sending and receiving of moving images, sound and other data by means of digital processes on radio of discrete (digital) signals, in contrast to the analog processed signals used by analog TV.

Why did we switch to digital?

Digital TV provides improved picture and sound quality as well as greater programming choice.  Using digital TV signal, broadcasters can provide viewers with access to a greater range of other features including:

·         additional channels
·         high definition channels
·         widescreen pictures not available via analog
·         ghost free reception
·         surround sound
·         electronic program guides (EPG)
·         datacasting services
·         closed captioning
·         interactive services, and
·         over the air upgrades for receiver operating software.

All of the above I’m sure you will agree increases our viewing experience, even if we aren’t yet seeing the introduction of lots of cool new interactive features by FTA’s.

While we are seeing an overwhelming benefit to digital TV, there are a couple of things that you may have noticed since having your digital TV in place…

[A couple of my recent customer calls.  “Every time I use the washing machine, my TV pixelates”.  “Every time I turn the lights on and off, my TV goes funny”. ]

The ‘digital cliff’

With digital TV, it is important to have a good quality signal because the picture and sound will suddenly break up if the quality falls below a threshold (‘digital cliff’ effect). Unlike analog TV, which gradually fades quality when signal strength or quality decreases, digital TV is excellent at correcting signal interference to keep the picture perfect.  But if the signal disturbance is too great, the signal can go from perfect to disappearing completely.  This behaviour is known as the digital cliff and describes the sudden loss of digital signal reception (take a look at the below image to get a better picture of the digital cliff). 

So you may have had this experience;

-          perfect picture
-          pixilation (as you approach the digital cliff)
-          picture loss (you have just leapt off the cliff)

If you are sitting close to the cliff’s edge you may experience intermittent pixilation or signal loss, often caused by something simple like a windy or rainy day.

Also with digital TV picture break-up can be experienced from interference generated by electrical equipment especially with arcing contacts e.g. motors in hair driers. This is known as electrical impulse noise and was a contributing factor in the cases of my recent “washing machine and light switch” customers.  So keep an eye out the next time you are using your hair drier.

What can I do to keep away from the digital cliff edge?

Ensuring that you have good quality equipment (antenna, cable, and connectors) is the first step, but more important will be ensuring you have good signal strength and quality being received.  Your local TV antenna installer can perform digital reception test to check the signal level and quality margins (basically see how close you are to the cliff’s edge).  If you are too close and experiencing signal loss, your installer may recommend a Masthead or Distribution amplifier to boost the signal level and support higher signal strength and better signal quality to the TV.


Talk to us today about getting your digital TV performing at it's best.

In more recent years, this is a really common question as the family dynamic and access to technology increases.  With many of my customers having TV’s in multiple family rooms, bar areas, media rooms, sheds and bedrooms, the desire for good signal across the whole house is certainly there. So how many TV’s can you have running off the 1 antenna???

Well, the answer varies I’m afraid. It will depend on a number of contributing factors such as:

-          Signal strength and quality in your area
-          Quality and condition of your antenna
-          Quality of cabling

As a rough guide you could say that in a good signal area, with the right antenna and cabling, you could run up to 6 TV points off the 1 antenna.  More common however is around 4 TV points running off a single antenna before you begin to experience degradation in the quality of picture.  Some of my customers in more challenging signal areas, struggle running even 1 or 2 TV’s off the 1 antenna.  
Arrange for a signal strength test.

In terms of the antenna, the age, type and brand of your antenna can play a large role in the quality of signal that you receive.  Despite the hype, there is no such thing as a “digital” antenna, but the modern antennas are better at filtering out external noise, ensuring that the quality of the signal is maximised which is crucial to a good digital reception.   There are many different types of antenna’s available all of which have a use and a role in this digital world.  The different types of antennas along with their use will be covered in a future article.  

Get a quote for a new antenna.

Then there is the cable to consider.  You want to ensure that you have high quality RG6 quad shielded coaxial cable.  Today’s digital TV’s require a certain signal level and quality in order to function at the highest level of picture quality.  With only a finite amount of signal coming into the antenna, its imperative that there is minimal disruption to the cable between antenna and TV before it starts to lose signal and degrade quality.  Some of the older air core RG6 and RG59 cables will experience greater signal loss and are more affected by other factors such as noise.  It’s a much safer bet to ensure that you have good quality cable carrying a strong signal all the way to the TV points, with minimal interference. 

Talk to us about a cable upgrade.

How will I know if I am getting the best quality picture on all TV points running off 1 antenna?

You will either notice picture quality issues (e.g. pixilation) or signal loss on 1 or all of the TV’s, which could be caused by this signal deterioration due to overload on the cable.  Or you can ask your local TV antenna installer to test the signal strength for you.

What if I don’t have enough signal strength for the number of TV points I want to run off the antenna?

You could install a Masthead or Distribution amplifier to boost the signal level and support higher signal strength and better signal quality to the TV.  This is a totally suitable solution for improving signal strength however does come with some considerations, such as additional cost and the need to have a power supply available.

If you would like further information or to book a service to get your TV picture up to scratch, give me a call.

Geoff.