DSE: Digimatch Compact Digital UHF/VHF Outdoor TV Antenna $64.50 Delivered
This was posted 1 year 3 months 13 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal
I was going to buy this antenna on Sunday at DSE and the sales person unbelievably told me not to buy it because it will be half price on Tuesday. It has great reviews.
It 50% off right now with free delivery.
Closest price I could find was $105 shipped. Most retailers are selling it for $130+.
http://www.247deals.com.au/product/974
IVI on 06/03/2012 - 12:55 Comment score below threshold (-21).
Telios on 06/03/2012 - 13:39 Comment score below threshold (3).
+24 votesI'm going to let you guys in on a secret, customer service isn't dead, your level of service depends on how you treat the staff member serving you. You bitch, moan or grunt you get bare minimum, talk to them like you would a friend, you get better service, spread the word!
+3 votescheapo.one on 06/03/2012 - 19:00 ¶best comment i have ever read on ozb.
i sell and know others that sell in retail stores that many of you frequent and we follow this same principal - be the hardass prick that demands a discount and we won't budge a cent (I have many a time preferred to sacrifice the sale than deal with BS), be friendly and I do my best to get the financial scales tipped in your favour.
Looks identical to the LT-3195 on the jaycar website:
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=LT3195&form=CAT2...
Specs are very similar too.Does anyone know if these are decent antennas?
young_dazza on 06/03/2012 - 23:04 ¶The DSE one apparently has the following gain:
VHF 6.5dB, UHF 10dBWhereas the Jaycar one has
VHF 7dB, UHF 11dBSo the Jaycar one is in theory very slightly better, but surely not worth the extra $90
- young_dazza on 06/03/2012 - 23:06 ¶
BTW if u want higher gain for a cheaper price, how about this one for $37 + postage (VHF 8dB, UHF 11dB)
http://www.academytv.com.au/products/ATVMMLP345F-Log-Periodi...Or if you want much higher gain go for separate UHF & VHF antennas. eg if you got both of these for $100 you'd get a VHF gain of 11-12dB and a UHF gain of 8.5-15dB
http://www.academytv.com.au/products/ATVD10-10-Element--%28D...
http://www.academytv.com.au/products/ATVUX20-20-Element-Digi...
We just moved into a new place and the reception is crap! (I'm tired of having to move the rabbit ears).
I've picked this up (can't pass on the price!), now I just have to figure out how to get it on the roof — Lucky Dad will be here soon :)
Does anyone know the rules for Strata corporations with respect to Free To Air reception? I'm supposed to get it yet I can't without the assistance of an antenna. Failing that, what about just mounting it on the ground outside?
+1 voteIf you have a tiled roof without 'sarking' or silverpaper just mount it in the roof cavity on a pole.
if you get reasonable signal on rabbit ears, then it will be fine.
If you have colourbond or similar you will need to mount it outside and point it towards the TV transmitting towers
Disagree. I have an antenna mounted under a tile roof, without sarking (thanks to Cardiffair-type house ventilation). While it works fine in dry weather, the signal becomes unwatchable when the tiles are wet. The roof has clear line-of-sight to the transmitter, which is only 10km away.
Your mileage may vary - try your rabbit-ears antenna, inside your roofspace, while it is raining.
Cheers. Cheapest 10m cable I can find on eBay is below if anyone is interested. Half the price of the DSE one.
http://tinyurl.com/7a582p9
+2 votesYeah that cable will be shit and has PAL type connectors and not the F-type ones that the termination on the back of new TV wall sockets, cable splitters or the antenna itself uses.
Since you are buying a new antenna make sure you go for RG6 Quad Shield cables as well, its what is recommended for digital TV. Not sure what it goes for by the metre but I bought a 300M drum for a bit under $100. Still have plenty left so if anyone in the Wollongong area needs some $0.30/metre…..
Also don't buy your terminations from DSE, your local electrical wholesaler will sell F type for around $0.40….
+1 voteGood price.
For those looking to buy an antenna, you can find the antenna recommended by Matchmaster (maker of Digimatch) for your location on the following site:
http://www.matchmaster.tv/Cetnaj have a good deal on the bigger 01MM-DC23A antenna good for metropolitan areas up to 100kms from transmitters. Price is ~$110 which I believe is also about 50% off.
Refer p7 on http://www.cetnaj.com.au/pdfs/powercom/current.pdf
petestrash on 06/03/2012 - 14:25 ¶Be careful using the matchmaster recommendation. If I went with it, I would probably not receive Channel 44 (some would say no loss).
Also this is pretty much a digital only Antenna (not sure if there is anywhere that does not have digital yet?).
Good price, Just a heads up.
- +1 vote
There is no such thing as a "digital-only antenna". Antennas don't care that the signal is digital - it is just a standard radio-frequency signal, with a bandwidth of 7MHz, and transmitted on the standard TV frequencies. The only possible difference is that the digital TV signals are more likely to be transmitted on the UHF frequencies than VHF frequencies - and an "analog" antenna will receive them just fine. Likewise a "digital" antenna will receive analog signals fine, as long as it looks like a conventional TV antenna (some USB DTV receivers only come with a whip antenna - and they have terrible performance).
The whole "digital antenna" thing was a marketing gimmick, thought up and advertised by TV antenna installers, to fool people into thinking they need a new antenna when they buy a set-top box.
If you can receive analog TV signals fine, your antenna will be fine for digital TV signals. Only if you are in a fringe reception area, with a lot of "snow" visible on the screen, then the signal may be too low for a digital receiver. In that situation, a larger (higher gain) antenna may give you enough signal to get reasonable reception of digital signals - and it will give you better reception of the analog signals too.
- +2 votespetestrash on 07/03/2012 - 00:38 ¶
In this case the "pretty much Digital only" I was talking about was the fact that it was not designed to receive the lower analog VHF Channels 2-5 and UHF 41-69.
brucefromaustralia on 06/03/2012 - 15:42 ¶That 01MM-DC23A one is also for analogue, more gain on VHF, but not community TV on digital, as petestrash said.
The birds will love those big elements for analogue ABC!!As per petestrash comment, Matchmaster recommendation for my location behind a hill from transmitters was for a digital antenna with more gain than this deal, but lacking channel 44:
01MM-DC21A (6-12)(28-40) 21 Element: VHF Gain 7dBuV, UHF Gain 11dBuV- brucefromaustralia on 06/03/2012 - 16:58 ¶
DON'T TRUST THE MATCHMASTER RECOMMENDED ANTENNA!!!!
Those cheeky buggers, no matter what Brisbane address I enter, it recommends the same antenna!!! Even on a hill near the transmitters.- brucefromaustralia on 07/03/2012 - 09:27 ¶
Agreed. Wish I could see the towers - just on the other side of the hill. But recommending the same higher gain antenna no matter what your location, shows Matchmaster's recommendation site does not work.
+6 votesI did all of the coax cabling in my house myself (antenna was already there though)…here is some links to some great info:
http://www.crystalclearantenna.com.au/images/pdf/DIY%20Kit.p...
http://www.swhowto.com/CoaxStrip.htm
BTW Bunnings has quad shield coax cheap, and Jaycar have all the fittings and wall plates you need ;)
No you need a crimping tool for the proper F-type connectors. There might be screw on ones but they are inferior….
Also grab a stripping tool, worth every cent!
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Rotary-Coax-Coaxial-Cable-Cutter-...Cant personally vouch for this crimper, but I imagine it should be good enough for a home DIY job, I'd just use some electrical tape afterwards and tape over the crimp and cable to keep it well sealed…
Well it better perform better. It states on the product "Application: Best suited to metropolitan & regional areas up to 70kms from transmitter."
http://www.matchmaster.com.au/domestic/combination-antennas/...
Well, the antenna is installed and pointed at the transmitter (the same as the previous antenna).
Unfortunately, it hasn't made any difference to my quad tuner.
All channels can be viewed fine, but when two shows are recorded simultaneously, chopping occurs.
This hasn't made an improvement for me on my original 20 year old, non-digital optimised antenna.
Think I'll be sending this back to Dick Smith.PS. For anyone out there that wants to save themselves some money (all OzBs I would assume), have a read of this article from APC Magazine:
http://apcmag.com/how-to-fix-your-tv-reception-using-iphone-...
It will help you fine tune your antenna position.
-2 votesit's $5 more at jaycar, so if you miss out, then might as well go there and pick one up, otherwise the free delivery assists lazy people.
http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=LT3172&form=CAT2&SUB...
- +4 votes
LOL. That's not the same model. Thats a 7 element antenna used for caravans. This deal is a 27 element antenna for homes.
Jaycar is selling this same model for $149.95.
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=LT3195&keywords=...
eagleanthony on 06/03/2012 - 15:32 ¶Jay car one is good — very good brand IMHO — digimatch — I give it a good review. Looks like it will have a good long life in the elements!
maverickjohn on 06/03/2012 - 15:09 ¶I have this antenna myself, its great. Our location is poor with SBS and it still manages to get the channel most of the time.
- brucefromaustralia on 06/03/2012 - 15:36 ¶
Pity Matchmaster do not recommend this antenna for my location - not enough gain. This antenna is for good signal strength areas (line of sight to transmitters). Tried this one & returned it. Have a masthead amp, but still not strong enough. There is a mountain between the transmitters & home. DS have run similar discounts before on this antenna.
Specs & instructions:
http://www.matchmaster.com.au/domestic/combination-antennas/... 
The cheap antennas found on eBay work just as good, they all do the same job, just make sure you buy the right one for your area.
Regarding installation, you'll need to simply run a co-axle cable from the antenna plug to the back of your TV. Its not hard when you've got a success path mapped out, done this a few times.
When you install it, look at the way your neighbors antenna is pointed and point it in the same direction, it may need a little adjustment, so have someone with you so they can check the signal on the TV while you make adjustments.
I just moved into a new rental house. I had a choppy signal and then upgraded the connection cable to RG6 and now most channels are clear with the exception of channel 1, and 10-13. Do you guys think upgrading the antenna would fix this? I was also thinking that maybe the cable going up to the antenna from the wall is not RG6 and may be the problem. And should this be paid for by the home owner or me? Thoughts?
- young_dazza on 06/03/2012 - 23:21 ¶
how do u define 'working properly'? It works for at least one channel…
Good luck.
if you did the work without asking the owner for permission, not only to you have to pay but he can also ask that the work be 'rectified' by a qualified installer (at your cost).
my advice? dont tell the owner/agent anything. upgrade what you want, and then at the end of lease either leave it all in there, or replace it back to as it was.
+2 votesarigoldforpm on 06/03/2012 - 20:44 ¶Glad I tuned into ozbargain tonight. But outta time now, so I best be balun.
+6 votesTightBottom on 06/03/2012 - 22:27 ¶How do you spot an ozbargainer on a long weekend?
Likely found on the roof with a cheap crimping tool in one hand and scratching their head with the other.
How do you spot an ozbargainer after the long weekend?
Look for the Jim's antenna van in the driveway.
POWERevolution on 06/03/2012 - 23:22 ¶Do you need electrical license to install this?
If not how easy to DIY for 2 TV points?If you install ANY wiring of any type inside or through a wall, a license is necessary, according to many comments on Whirlpool about installing LAN cables.
Legislation was passed to make the license necessary, after a few people were electrocuted by LAN cables. Typical scenario was the LAN cables being run too close to mains cables, and the home owner had installed a picture-hanging hook, and the nail had penetrated BOTH cables.
And according to the Whirlpool posts, no, you can't just follow safe installation rules - the license is mandatory.
However, if the wire is already there, and you are replacing an existing antenna, then you are probably okay. I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
Here is a price list from DSE site.
Not sure how much it really gonna cost
http://dicksmith.com.au/help/mobile-techxperts-antenna-servi...
MTRECEPTIONReception Test and Assessment$98MTANTSWAPAntenna Swap over $198
MTANTSWAPKAntenna Swap over Bundle$278
MTRECABLEAntenna Re-Cable$178
MTANTCABLENew Antenna Outlet $148
MTANTCABLEADDMultiple Antenna Outlets $98
MTANTPREMPremium Antenna Installation$298
MTANTPREMPKPremium Antenna Installation Bundle$398
MTMASTHEADMast Head Amplifier Installation$98
MTADDMASTMast Head Amplifier Installation – Add on $48
I bought one of these bad boys the last time they were on sale in January to replace our old antenna that was giving us crappy SBS (in Greenslopes, Brisbane). Now we get 100% signal (according to our Windows Media Centre) on all channels all of the time. So from personal experience, I can recommend it. Mind you, when I climbed up to the roof to put the thing up, we've got a fairly unobstructed view of the TV towers from about 10km or so away, so we should be able to get 100% signal with a bit of chicken wire!
It's quite compact compared to our old antenna too, so not as much of an eyesore on the eve of our house.
- brucefromaustralia on 07/03/2012 - 17:59 ¶
If its line of sight of towers, this antenna will have no trouble. I am a couple of km east of you, behind Pine Mt, and have tried this antenna - lacked the gain necessary. That was last year when returns were easy at DS. Now they say they are unlikely to take it back.
- brucefromaustralia on 07/03/2012 - 18:36 ¶
As the 35 year old antenna has no problems with the signal & only have a couple of HD plasmas (720), have left it for the moment.
All antennas are on masts here. I did most of the installation years ago & added an amp, mainly to distribute to the 4 outlets. Moved the separate UHF antenna to the front of the house to get unimpeded signal up the street. VHF signal seemed to be OK where it was. But the birds have taken their toll on the old VHF antenna. The whole system including cables really needs replacing, but will need better advice, stronger gain antenna, & enthusiasm!
At least I have no problems with Optus or Vodafone coverage.
100
+1 for the salesperson :)