Perfect TV Reception In 5 Simple Steps
Have you ever wondered what exactly causes poor TV reception, such as random artefacts showing on your screen, sound breaking up and picture tearing up and blocking? The answer is simple – poor quality signal. The question is – where does it come from?
The answer is simple: poor quality signal.
The question is, where does it come from?
Expert diagnosis of TV reception requires expensive field strength meters when used properly can pinpoint the exact cause of the issue.
The good news is that there are a few simple steps that can be taken to fix your TV reception without expert knowledge.
Your TV antenna system is made up of various components, all connected together by a coaxial cable.
Check Your Antenna
This one is a no-brainer.
The first and most important component of a TV Antenna system, is well, the TV Antenna. The condition of the antenna, model and design aswell as mounting location and direction all play a factor as to how strong of a signal it can receive.
Condition – Check for any corrosion or water entry around the connection point or balun box if your TV antenna has one.
Ensure all arms are in good condition, not bent, loose or broken
Design – Your TV Antenna needs to be the correct design to suit the area it is being used in, aswell as the channel ranges you intend to pickup. Old analog TV Antennas will not pick up digital signals as efficiently. An easy way to spot an Analog antenna is the two long arms at the back which were designed to pick up Channel 2, most commonly known as ABC. A true digital TV Antenna should not have any arms longer than around 842mm. Ensure you are using the correct antenna for your area, some areas require a UHF Antenna, and some require a VHF Antenna while others require a combination antenna.
An easy way to spot an Analog antenna is the two long arms at the back which were designed to pick up Channel 2, most commonly known as ABC. A true digital TV Antenna should not have any arms longer than around 842mm. Ensure you are using the correct antenna for your area, some areas require a UHF Antenna, and some require a VHF Antenna while others require a combination antenna.
Ensure you are using the correct antenna for your area, some areas require a UHF Antenna, and some require a VHF Antenna while others require a combination antenna.
Location – Your TV Antenna needs to be mounted high enough to receive a strong signal, mounting locations off the eaves or at the lowest point of the house generally are unsuitable for optimal TV reception. Your TV Antenna also needs to be pointed in the correct direction toward the tower. An easy way is to compare the direction the majority of your neighbours TV antennas are pointed.
Your TV Antenna also needs to be pointed in the correct direction toward the tower. An easy way is to compare the direction the majority of your neighbours TV antennas are pointed.
Cabling Is Important
Coaxial cabling carries the signal from your TV antenna throughout all the components in the system and eventually your TV.
Any faults or damage in the cabling can act as a bottleneck and degrade signal strength and quality.
Things to check is the condition of the external cabling from the antenna leading into the roof, ensure there are no cracks on the sheath or any sharp kinks as it enters into the roof.
All connection points on the cabling need to be in good condition. Ensure the correct type of cable is used, RG6 Quad Shield is the best choice and most commonly used.
Check The Splitter
The splitters job is to split an incoming signal to multiple cables, as well as to equally distribute the signal to all wall points.
When there is a fault at the splitter, this can cause a variety of different issues, such as variable TV reception across each TV point, or no TV reception to one room and perfect TV reception to another outlet.
Corrosion is the most common problem that affects TV splitters, from years of exposure to dirt and moisture, or water entry through coaxial cabling.
Often a perfect remedy is to remove the old splitter and to replace it with a brand new one. shielded splitters suited to analog TV, may not be suited to digital TV
The Wallplate
The wallplate, wall point, or wall socket is the connection point that feeds the signal to your televisions tuner. Over time with wear and tear wallplate fittings can often get loose, partially broken and corroded. A tell-tale sign is improved TV reception if you wiggle or apply pressure to the wall point. If you suspect a faulty wallplate, replace it with a new F type wallplate.
Over time with wear and tear wallplate fittings can often get loose, partially broken and corroded. A tell-tale sign is improved TV reception if you wiggle or apply pressure to the wall point.
If you suspect a faulty wallplate, replace it with a new F-type wallplate.
Do A Tune
The final and one of the most important steps to good TV reception is to do an Auto Scan. This ensures that all the channel frequencies are properly tuned into your TV. Your TV may have old channel data still present from another suburb, city, or country. If you have duplicate channels on your program list, your TV may be retaining old channels and in this case it is best to watch the channel that gives the best TV reception. Doing a factory reset on your TV can also help wipe old channel data before a re-scan.
This ensures that all the channel frequencies are properly tuned into your TV. Your TV may have old channel data still present from another suburb, city, or country.
If you have duplicate channels on your program list, your TV may be retaining old channels and in this case it is best to watch the channel that gives the best TV reception. Doing a factory reset on your TV can also help wipe old channel data before a re-scan.
