# TV Aerial



## Ramalamadingdong (May 26, 2020)

I am trying to get Spanish TV reception with a decent indoor aerial but get nothing. Is that just the way it is or is it a case of I don’t know what I am doing.:confused2:


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## tarot650 (Sep 30, 2007)

Ramalamadingdong said:


> I am trying to get Spanish TV reception with a decent indoor aerial but get nothing. Is that just the way it is or is it a case of I don’t know what I am doing.:confused2:


Ask sat he is the man

https://www.satandpcguy.com/


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Ramalamadingdong said:


> I am trying to get Spanish TV reception with a decent indoor aerial but get nothing. Is that just the way it is or is it a case of I don’t know what I am doing.:confused2:


Well, they are widely available so they must work with with TDT. Did you buy it here?

Most Spanish channels are also available online, so f you've got a smart TV, an Android box or a Chromecast just download the app and watch them that way. Though you probably won't get the dubbed American channels.


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## Ramalamadingdong (May 26, 2020)

Alcalaina said:


> Well, they are widely available so they must work with with TDT. Did you buy it here?
> 
> Most Spanish channels are also available online, so f you've got a smart TV, an Android box or a Chromecast just download the app and watch them that way. Though you probably won't get the dubbed American channels.


Thank you Alcalaina

I bought the aerial at Carrefour a few years ago, it has mains plug in and booster adjustment. I have just plugged it into normal TV socket on back of TV. The TV is fairly modern flat screen but not smart TV. Works OK for Sky, but not a flicker when trying to find Spanish TV search.:Cry:


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Your TV either needs to have an internal TDT decoder, or you need to put an external one between the TV and the aerial.

It would be strange if your TV doesn't have a digital tuner, but there are still flat screen TVs old enough to not have them. Analogue broadcasts ended around 10 years ago IIRC.


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## Ramalamadingdong (May 26, 2020)

Overandout said:


> Your TV either needs to have an internal TDT decoder, or you need to put an external one between the TV and the aerial.
> 
> It would be strange if your TV doesn't have a digital tuner, but there are still flat screen TVs old enough to not have them. Analogue broadcasts ended around 10 years ago IIRC.


Thank you Overandout

How can I tell if it has TDT Decoder (whatever that is) It is a fairly old TV, a flat screen Philips that I got from a neighbour when they thrown the keys in and did a runner back to the UK. So no handbook or manual.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Ramalamadingdong said:


> Thank you Overandout
> 
> How can I tell if it has TDT Decoder (whatever that is) It is a fairly old TV, a flat screen Philips that I got from a neighbour when they thrown the keys in and did a runner back to the UK. So no handbook or manual.


A TDT decoder is needed to view Spanish TV channels since they all went digital a few years ago, so it may be that your TV doesn't have one built in. You can search online for a manual for any type of TV, it might give you an idea how old it is! They do still sell the decoders I think.


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## Pipeman (Apr 1, 2016)

Is the aerial a single concave unit or more like bunny ears ? 

Bunny ears are analogue and won't work with digital services


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Lots of decoders on sale at Amazon.es:
https://tinyurl.com/ybd49w5m


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

If you've used it for Sky then it must have a satellite receiver in which case you'll need a dish to pick anything up.

Clue is the type of antenna connector, if its a screw on then that's proof absolute that its a satellite receiver.

If still unsure post the make and model number.


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

For Spanish TV indoor aerial will usually only work if you have clear line of sight to the transmitter, and are fairly close. They are certainly not ideal, or as good as proper aerial on a roof and with, if needed an amplifier.

Most TVs built in the last 10 years have digital terrestrial tuners.
But how you access it and the listings can vary a lot from make and model
Some you just press Guide, others you press a ATV / DTV button to swap between analogue and digital.

But if you go into the menu system and scan for channels, it should tell you what it is capable of doing - ie analogue and or digital.If it does not have a built in digital terrestrial tuner, that is when you need either a new TV, or a separate "tdt" set top box



Pipeman said:


> Is the aerial a single concave unit or more like bunny ears ?
> Bunny ears are analogue and won't work with digital services


Any aerial / metal object will work to receive things, just depends on how close you are to the source...I watched La Vuelta on TDT HD a few years ago on my signal meter, no aerial attached, but had a small bit of cable taped to a road bridge metal rail I was standing on waiting for them to pass...perfect picture!



MataMata said:


> If you've used it for Sky then it must have a satellite receiver in which case you'll need a dish to pick anything up.
> Clue is the type of antenna connector, if its a screw on then that's proof absolute that its a satellite receiver.
> If still unsure post the make and model number.


People sometimes use the term "Sky" for any satellite transmissions, 
and you certainly cannot get any Sky pay channels using just a TV with built in satellite receiver, as the encryption they use now is pretty much unhackable.
You can only get three free Sky channels on satellite, Sky News, Pick and Challenge.
I suspect he means he uses a Sky box for satellite channels which he can view on the TV fine...


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## Ramalamadingdong (May 26, 2020)

MataMata said:


> If you've used it for Sky then it must have a satellite receiver in which case you'll need a dish to pick anything up.
> 
> Clue is the type of antenna connector, if its a screw on then that's proof absolute that its a satellite receiver.
> 
> If still unsure post the make and model number.


Thanks MataMata

The TV is digital, normal TV input connection and has a menu to tune in, search for channels and networks, but finds nothing. Says check aerial connection and aerial. The indoor aerial I am using has 2 telescopic antenna with mains plug in and adjustable signal booster; it might be about 8 years old.
Maybe impossible to get indoor signal in my location (just my usual luck) or aerial useless or not powerful enough. I did have another indoor aerial, but that never worked on any TV, it’s somewhere in the depth of the garage.
Satandpcguy has 3 months backlog of work. Spanish guests arrive next week.

The Sky system is fine for British guests but most Spanish are not fans of Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Bargain Hunt.


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

Ramalamadingdong said:


> Satandpcguy has 3 months backlog of work..


Where did you hear about that?
I am pretty much back to normal and have been for at least a month now, caught up with all install work work (apart for those people who where due out over easter) and was only not at work for 4 weeks at the start of lockdown as during "lockdown" i could work for emergency repairs.
I am sure I can help, if you are in my service area.


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## CltFlyboy (Feb 11, 2020)

sat said:


> For Spanish TV indoor aerial will usually only work if you have clear line of sight to the transmitter, and are fairly close. They are certainly not ideal, or as good as proper aerial on a roof and with, if needed an amplifier.


Do you know if there is a website in Spain like we have in the US called AntennaWeb (pop in 28202 for the search to see the stations in my local area and you'll get the idea)? If so I'd love to have that for future reference and thanks in advance. 

https://antennaweb.org/results

I've used this for decades, since I was a broadcast TV engineer. It is extremely useful to know where the transmission towers are for the DBS broadcasts so you can point your antenna towards it. And yes while any metal works as an "antenna" for DBS you'd probably want something along the lines of a Yagi or folded dipole for distant transmitters. And all bets are off if you are in a city with high rise buildings - DBS signal propagation is a funky thing and loves bouncing off of solid structures in strange ways.


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## sat (Jul 20, 2008)

There is tdt1.com which lists all channels and frequencies for all the main masts , by region and province, then main mast area.
It does not tell you exactly where the masts are
Nor does it tell you what is on local repeater masts
But gives a lot of other information


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## CltFlyboy (Feb 11, 2020)

sat said:


> There is tdt1.com which lists all channels and frequencies for all the main masts , by region and province, then main mast area.
> It does not tell you exactly where the masts are
> Nor does it tell you what is on local repeater masts
> But gives a lot of other information


Outstanding, thanks for that info, much appreciated!


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## xgarb (May 6, 2011)

We are having new electrics in a renovation project. We need to add a new antenna to the house for one TV point inside. The transmitter is on the other side of the valley and looks from Google Maps to be about 2km away.

The electrician has quoted 300€ for a new antenna, 3m mast, amplifier and power supply. I costed the same about 100€.

The question is, is it likely that the antenna will need the mast amplifier? The system would be a lot simpler without one.

One antenna option I've seen is this - Antena de TV TELEVES ELLIPSE + Alimentación 5G · LEROY MERLIN which has the amplifier built in. Supposedly it controls the amplification amount to avoid over amplification. I wonder if it would work unpowered to test if the power supply is really needed.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

xgarb said:


> We are having new electrics in a renovation project. We need to add a new antenna to the house for one TV point inside. The transmitter is on the other side of the valley and looks from Google Maps to be about 2km away.
> 
> The electrician has quoted 300€ for a new antenna, 3m mast, amplifier and power supply. I costed the same about 100€.
> 
> ...


As for price, I guess a lot depends on the work involved. We bought a house in January and had complete reforms done including a full rewire. The electrician sorted the antenna and as we live in the middle of nowhere it went on a huge long mast with metal cables for the wind (sits on the roof several metres high). The signal was very weak and sat just between two transmitters and as we are at the bottom of a sierra he has to put it high. But, no amplifier was needed in my case, just a very long pole and we have all the digital and HD channels perfectly! I guess all depends on the area, not really my speciality!

Now, my guy (Spanish) was doing a complete electrical installation from zero so obviously we got a deal overall when he offered to do the areal but he supplied and fitted the mast and antenna, the wind cables (or whatever they are called to stop it blowing over), and installed the cable tubes from the mast, all through the house inside the walls and ceiling to hide it all, fed through the antenna cable to the living room and porche, fitted the areal sockets along with the new electric ones in both places, as well as bringing in the internet cable for the internet antenna and fitting a socket to connect the router inside. He charged us 250 euros. So, I am guessing it depends on the work to be done as to whether 300 is good value or not!


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