Digital TV aerial / microwave (1 Viewer)

[Old Betsy]

Just bought our first motorhome, a Talbot Elddis 320 Autoquest and are getting ready for our first adventure in a couple of weeks time. There are still a few things we need to get sorted before we go, and could do with a bit of advice.
The first, is what is the best digital TV aerial to use? we have a great TV with built in free view and heard about the telco teleplus omni directional aeriel. Is this the best choice?
We need a micowave and don't understand the difference between a normal microwave and ones advertised as caravan/motorhome low wattage micowaves. They both seem the same to us and and put out the same power? Is there any difference?
Old Betsy X

Sorry the telco teleplus is a directional aerial not a omni directional one.

 

[Reallyretired]

1. No omni directional aerial is much good for digital or analogue TV. You need a directional aerial like the status.

2. The biggest difference between the ordinary and ones sold specially for motorhomes is the price. There are 12v ones with a built in inverter but these are very expensive.


I would put in the link to Johns Cross for a suitable aerial but can't get into his site. Get it fixed Peter

 

[tonka]

Ref the microwaves.. As mentioned you can get 12v and 24v versions but they cost the earth..
Basic houshold microwave run at 700w and above but at start up they can draw almost double that power.. No issues if your on a good electric hookup on a UK sites which almost always have 16amp available.. Any old cheap micro will do if thats how your going to use it.
"Camping" low wattage microwaves tend to run at 500w, this way they dont trip out the electric supply when on sites with low ampage. You find this more on the continent and small sites where they limit the supply to stop people using high powered appliances like big heaters etc,, OH !! And a camping one will cost you more as well

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pappajohn]

i agree with nearlyretired.....

ideally you need an aerial which you can change the polarity from indoors.

if you dont understand what i mean, then polarity means the aerial body being horizontally or vertically orientated.
different regions use different polarity.

the status has a small handle at the bottom of the pole which is turned to change polarity from indoors.

STATUS


i reckon 12v microwaves are fine if you want to warm a pie or a plate of beans etc in a couple of minutes, but are very power hungry if used to actually cook food and will soon flatten your battery if not on hookup.
a 750w input/450w output oven will use approx 65amps per hour.

slower than a conventional 230v microwave too.

 

[GJH]

Aerials & microwaves - do you really need them?

For aerials see Link Removed.

For microwaves see Link Removed.

 

[Old Betsy]

Double Skillett

Hi, thankyou for the advice on the skillett, I had to look it up on the internet what one was. Now I want one after seeing a demo on Utube. :thumb:
Still want a microwave also

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Terry]

Hi OB,go for a directional Ariel like the Status :thumb: (I have the 530 - the 540 has a longer handle :thumb and a 30 quid micro that you only use on hook-up :thumb:-(Don't have a micro as I only boil a milky coffee in the morning with the one at home horrid things )
terry

 

[hilldweller]

the telco teleplus omni directional aeriel. Is this the best choice?

Link Removed

As you say, not omni, got one, works a treat.

 

[Jaws]

Something that really boils my blood is this 'digital aerial' thing.

There are actually no such things as a digital aerial or analogue one.

Do not fall in to the trap set by so many [STRIKE]stealers [/STRIKE] dealers, that only a DIGITAL aerial / antenna will work. That is just tosh.

An aerial is just a device to receive a transmitted signal. It does not / cannot differentiate between different types of transmition, only different frequencies.


Sorry of the following goes over previously covered ground but it is a cut and paste from part of a talk I used to give


For our use ( as in motorhome / caravan / wanderer ) application, you need a wide band antenna ( often called a logi ) which covers at least the three main bands of television transmiters in the UK ( A, B, C and if pos D band too but D band is rarely used on its own and is USUALLY encompassed within the C group type )

As others have already quite rightly said, a directional unit is really the only way to go nowadays, and you want one that will flip from horizontal to vertical, as more and more 'local' transmitters are using the vertical polarisation now.

Here is an antenna in the vertical position :
Link Removed

And in the horizontal position:
Link Removed

There are a couple of decent aerials that spring to mind... The first is of course the Status.
There are several models available, and generally, like most things in life, the more you pay the better you get..
Having said that
Telco are developing a unit that is at least equal to the Status offerings and promises to be cheaper **********

Whatever you go for do make sure it has some sort of amplifier with it.. you WILL need one !


End of cut and paste


As an aside, I am currently awaiting delivery of a small UHF signal strength meter

Why ?

Because up until now I have always just hit the analogue tune button and let the tv find any stations around

Once I have found SOMETHING, I then adjust the antenna for the best results.

Once maximised I then switch over to digital and hit the auto tune button ..

Anyone who has tried to tune and or find digital signals as a first move will know how problematic that is.. A digital signal will either give perfect pictures, no pictures, or blocky broken pictures, but due to the processing/buffering delay with digi reception it is very easy to miss the optimum position for the antenna

Using a small signal strength meter I can ( hopefully ! ) adjust the antenna for best possible reception before the television even gets switched on

Anyone contemplating this route look carefully before buying.

The cheaper meters use ( from memory ) 6 or 7 LED's. They are pretty hopeless as they require a BIG signal to work at all.

The better ones ( usually around the £24.00 to £25.00 mark ) have several more LED's and require little more than a sniff of signal to start working

just found the sort of thing I mean on fleabay:

Link Removed

These often come up 2nd hand but I would advise agin buying them that way.
They are a bit delicate ! Buy new and if there is an issue you can return it from whence it came


***********TELCO addendum
I think they are now out there for sale and have yet to hear one bad report on them )

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[GJH]

(snip)
Because up until now I have always just hit the analogue tune button and let the tv find any stations around

Once I have found SOMETHING, I then adjust the antenna for the best results.

Once maximised I then switch over to digital and hit the auto tune button ..
(snip)

Just as an extra aside. Sound method but it will not work in some areas of the country now and will not work anywhere by the end of next year as the analogue signal will be switched off.

Sorry John

 

[Jaws]

Graham, you are normally so careful about your replies !

But I did say up until now that is what I have done..
In other words I inferred why I recommend buying the signal strength meter.. the demise of the analogue signals

 

[Old Betsy]

Thanks Brian,
I have ordered a Teleco Teleplus yesterday, can't wait. Should get to go away for the first time next week.

Terry,
Thanks for the advice on the microwave.....Thats what my other half says, '£30 micro thats all we need.' however I read somewhere that 'normal' microwaves surge too much power on start up for campsite electrics. Have you ever come across this? :Blush:

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

1. No omni directional aerial is much good for digital or analogue TV. You need a directional aerial like the status.
2. The biggest difference between the ordinary and ones sold specially for motorhomes is the price. There are 12v ones with a built in inverter but these are very expensive.
I would put in the link to Johns Cross for a suitable aerial but can't get into his site. Get it fixed Peter

Blasted thing went down last night, back up now.

http://www.johnscross.co.uk/categor...atellite/Caravan--Motorhome-Aerials-Antennas/

http://www.johnscross.co.uk/categor...te/Caravan-Motorhome-TV--Satellite-Equipment/

 

[Terry]

Thanks Brian,
I have ordered a Teleco Teleplus yesterday, can't wait. Should get to go away for the first time next week.

Terry,
Thanks for the advice on the microwave.....Thats what my other half says, '£30 micro thats all we need.' however I read somewhere that 'normal' microwaves surge too much power on start up for campsite electrics. Have you ever come across this? :Blush:

never had a micro in the van :thumb: but on British sites you will be OK as a kettle takes more power :thumb: Got both gas and leccy kettle - gas cooker with leccy ring and other things like ramoska :thumb:
terry

 

[hilldweller]

Thanks Brian,
I have ordered a Teleco Teleplus yesterday, can't wait. Should get to go away for the first time next week.

Make sure you have a stiff drink ready, it's pretty scary when you attack the roof with a BIG cutter.

Measure once.

Measure twice, then get 'er indoors to tell you where you went wrong.

Look carefully to try and guess if there are any cables in the roof void.

We had a "flying saucer" aerial but the hole was in the wrong place for the pole inside. A "flying saucer" has only a 8mm cable hole so easily filled.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Terry]

Another thing you want is the hole coming in the cupboard or wardrobe :thumb: so that everything is out of sight :thumb:
terry

 

[Reallyretired]

Thanks Brian,
I have ordered a Teleco Teleplus yesterday, can't wait. Should get to go away for the first time next week.

Terry,
Thanks for the advice on the microwave.....Thats what my other half says, '£30 micro thats all we need.' however I read somewhere that 'normal' microwaves surge too much power on start up for campsite electrics. Have you ever come across this? :Blush:

You may even get one for £25 if you're lucky. Some French sites only give 6a EHU but that will still do the microwave, just make sure nothing else is on at the same time. A domestic electric kettle may be 2kw+ and thus can't be used on 6a EHU but there are low wattage ones available (ours came from Tesco and was diirt cheap)