Getting flawless free-2-air TV without an aerial (in Melbourne)

GnarlyKnuckles on 10/02/2015 - 04:14

We live in Melbourne, and get crap reception on some of the free-to-air (F2A) channels when the downlights are on in the loungeroom. The TV is hooked up to the aerial on the roof correctly/the aerial on the roof is pointing in the right direction etc; it’s clearly an issue of the downlights interfering with the signal, cause everything is sweet enough when they’re not on.

Is there any way we can get PERFECT reception re the F2A channels, without actually using the aerial on the roof? Paying a bit per month for it (say, $10) would be fine, but it seems that’s not an option via Foxtel or the like; they simply DON’T DO the F2A channels. I visited a mate in Canberra a few years ago and he was living behind a mountain (every suburb in the ACT is apparently right in front of or right behind a sizable mountain, or actually built on it; a well-kept, and no-doubt potentially embarrassing national secret), and he had PERFECT reception on all channels. He said it was cause he had agreed to a trial of the services of some “Pay TV” mob called “TRANS-ACT” or sommat, and with their services came perfect transmission of all the F2A stations, via a cable.

Does anyone know of any solution vaguely like that we can utilize here in Melbourne? I’ve tried asking Optus, Telstra, Foxtel etc. about their “entertainment packages”, but they don’t seem capable of understanding that all we need is perfect reception of the F2A channels; in fact, they apparently have no such package whereby you pay a small amount per month to get just the F2A channels ‘cabled’ to your joint. These new internet (“BYO bandwidth”) TV services coming onto the market don’t seem to be the answer either (unless I’m missing sommat?), cause again, they don’t “channel” the F2A station-content in real-time; and even if they did, I suspect that while I was using it to watch sommat, then effectively no one else in the house would be able to use the internet at any ‘usable’ type of speed. Cause I’d be monopolising it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Except advice about changing the downlights situation, in an effort to improve the TV situation. That’s not an option.

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • 2jzzzz on 10/02/2015 - 07:38

    I think you simply need to call an antenna specialist out. They advertise they will get you perfect reception by playing with the antenna or maybe even a new one.

  • WalletMoth on 10/02/2015 - 08:16
    +1

    TRANS-ACT is a regional cable network essentially only in ACT hence the name. They are owned by iiNET.

    There service is not available in Melbourne, just get your lights fixed, sounds like your have some poor wiring or cheap unshielded cable.

    Whatever it is get it fixed.

  • ESEMCE on 10/02/2015 - 08:16
    +3

    Better yet, you know that the downlights are to blame.
    Why not fix the problem at its source?
    Find the transformer in the roof and put a metal bucket over the top of it. Probably EMI coming from that that's causing the issues.

    If it's not the transformer (ie if they're 240V lights and there is no transformer)
    Pull all the globes except one, then turn on the light, check reception, if OK, add another globe and repeat until you find the "noisy" globe.
    Pull it or replace it.

    Finally you may have a transformer per light.. the method above should identify that device too, but it wont be fixed by a new globe..

    • [Deactivated] on 10/02/2015 - 09:58

      Re: Transformers and this particular type of EMI - could be, but actually less likely to be a transformer problem, and more likely to be a LED driver/chip problem.

      I was an early-adopter of various brands of (bloody expensive) LED downlights (in MR16 form) and was led (unintended pun) on a merry dance in relation to interference - all of it LED-specific and unrelated to transformers used. Various grief - upper and lower band DTV + digital radio.

      Gnarly, if you don't want to replace your downlights (be they MR16 or other), if your antenna has a masthead amplifier installed, or is feeding an inside distribution amp, disconnecting and bypassing one or t'other may fix the problem.

      Using a cheap inside antenna (maybe even more counter-intuitively) also may fix the problem.

      Even in the absence of knowing the specific frequency or frequencies (or harmonics of same) that are causing the problem, one or more coax filters may fix the problem.

      There's always iView + other catch-up TV…

      As for getting some sort of extra-cheap paid deal just for F2A channels? Buckley's, I would have thought.

      I'm in glorious Brisneyland, in currently ungoverned QLD, and maintain a mobile-broadband plan with TransACT.
      As alluded to above, taken over by iiNet a couple of years ago.
      I forget the detail of all of their non-mobile plans, but they (at least they used to) service both the A.C.T and Victoria. That's as an aside.

      • ESEMCE on 10/02/2015 - 12:50

        Yeah, I was thinking it could be (cheap - or in your case old and expensive) LEDs, hence the suggestion to pop out all the globes to see if there's one (or multiple) troublesome unit.

        • [Deactivated] on 10/02/2015 - 13:27

          Many of the new, cheap, LED's people are buying online from China sellers, are an ongoing EMI mess.

          The lucky ones who strike trouble are just losing one or two channels groups.

  • emibel19 on 10/02/2015 - 20:34

    Your statement that Foxtel don't do the FTA channels needs clarification. In cabled areas, they do retransmit all the FTA channels. Via satellite, I believe they only do ABC and SBS (at least here in Adelaide). It would cost a minimum of $25 per month though.

  • Euphemistic on 12/02/2015 - 11:07
    +1

    Leave the down lights off and buy some lamps?

    It seems a strange idea to be interested in paying for a subscription service when you could either turn off the dos lights or replace/repair them.

  • decryption on 12/02/2015 - 12:07

    I've got Foxtel via cable and I get all the free to air channels except the local community TV station (Channel 31). Sign up for their cheapest package and there you go.

  • GnarlyKnuckles on 13/02/2015 - 20:44

    Thank you all very kindly for your info'/suggestions. Much to ponder.

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