Freeview reception advice wanted...

[Jock Strapp]

How many channels do you get on Free View. I have been with Virgin for 20 years. Getting a bit pricey and most channels are crap.
I bought one of those new antennas and asked my son to try it out on his TV as I didn't want to screw my TV up. The antenna found 106 channels.

[rebbonk]

With Freeview you can get 70 TV channels, 15 HD channels, and more than 30 radio stations, all with no subscription. This includes all the UK's most popular channels

Source: freeview website (http://www.freeview.co.uk)

We've only got freeview and it more than keeps swmbo quiet, but I think it total rubbish. Personally, I echo your thoughts Jock and I'd dump the bl**dy lot if I could.

[dutchman]

It depends where you live and what kind of aerial you have. Where I live in central Coventry with a rooftop mounted aerial I can receive something like 95 TV and 25 radio channels from the main transmitter at Sutton Coldfield.

I you are dependent on a local relay station such as Allesley Park the channel count will be a lot lower but will include all the most watched channels from BBC, ITV, Channels 4 and 5.

The results from set top aerials are extremely random and are not recommended.

[Jock Strapp]

Thanks for replies. We would get our signal from the Allesley mast if we had a roof top antenna. Ours disappeared years ago and we never discovered what happened to it.. As we had cable we never missed it. As for this antenna that I bought from Amazon, it claims to pick up signals from up to 60 miles away. Suppose I will have to bite the bullet and give it a try.
I served my apprenticeship building and repairing radios and TV sets but that was a whole world away from todays high tech stuff.

[rebbonk]

Generally, if you use the principle that radio is 'line of sight you won't go far wrong'. - Which is why if you live in a dip you can have trouble receiving signals.

[dutchman]

Thanks for replies. We would get our signal from the Allesley mast if we had a roof top antenna.

Almost everyone who previously relied on Allesley Park have since found they are now able to get reliable reception of the full service from Sutton Coldfield, albeit with a different aerial than before.

As for this antenna that I bought from Amazon, it claims to pick up signals from up to 60 miles away. Suppose I will have to bite the bullet and give it a try.

"Antenna" suggests an import from America where the transmitter powers are higher and the frequencies lower. They also use a completely different modulation system to the UK.