Welcome to Motorhomefacts, we are a thriving motorhome community (Largest in Europe). Why Not JOIN NOW and get instant access to more of the website. It costs nothing to join and only takes a few minutes. We have 200,000 different people visiting our site monthly and this amount of motorhomers in one place guarantees a fast response to any questions you may have. We also have unique facilities not found elsewhere such as our Online Logbook, stopover tracker, Motorhome directory with Ebay type feedback and the largest repository of motorhome campsites reviews found anywhere
We use a portable satellite dish very successfully on most sites. However, as our TV has built in Freeview, it would be handy to use it when just parked up, if I could only tune it in! (we've got a portable aerial that has worked ok on the (very) odd occasion I've found a signal!). Has anyone used one of these signal finder and did it help?
A signal detector or meter would be handy. One with LEDs would not be as easy ti use as one with a needle and a scale. These are available at Maplins. A word of caution, all of the DVB-T signal detectors have F Connectors for the cable input and output, this is not compatible with the RF Coaxial plugs used on a UK TV aerial, so an adapter would be needed.
All Freeview receivers have a signal meter within the menu structure and this would be far more accurate than an in-line meter.
Most important thing is to understand the Freeview signal in the area that you will be using your TV. What we do is to check the postcode for where we expect to be against the official postcode checker at:
www.digitaluk.co.uk
If you enter the postcode and tick the box to say that you are an aerial installer, the next page will show you the transmitters available, the compass bearing, and the predicted reception possibilities. It will also list the UHF channel numbers for each transmitter. Point your aerial in the correct direction and tune in remembering that every time you tune the Freeview TV you must carry out a first time installation. It will not work if you just add more channels to those already found.
Final point is the aerial, in pre-switchover areas a simple portable aerial is unlikely to be strong enough to get a good signal.
Gerry
When we are wild camping or on a site just as a stop over we don't use our dish and use the aerial instead.
The main problem was pointing it the right way, digital seems a lot more sensitive than analogue.
I would turn the aerial and SWMBO would watch the tv until the picture was good but this was quite frustrating and didnt really work as there must be a small delay.
I picked up the exact signal finder in B&Q and it came with the various adapters to allow you to connect the coax plug.
This little gadget makes it a lot easier to set the aerial and I don't think I could manage without it now.
Thanks all! I'll try a cheap one - only a little to lose. We have picked up a digital signal with the indoor aerial in the past (our TV has no analogue tuner) so hopefully it'll do for the odd occasion we might want it. TBH, as we've managed without all this time it's more of "I wonder if we can" than any kind of necessity
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
France
I'll try a cheap one - only a little to lose. We have picked up a digital signal with the indoor aerial in the past (our TV has no analogue tuner) so hopefully it'll do for the odd occasion we might want it. TBH, as we've managed without all this time it's more of "I wonder if we can" than any kind of necessity 
