I've just purchased a 12Volt Digital TV with Freeview and am yet to try it but am wondering whether it is likely to work with my original roof mounted 2004 aerial. I'll be giving it a try this weekend. If the reception isn't up to much or is Zero;
What do you guys do? Digital Aerial strapped on a pole outside / Roof mounted Digi Aerial like Status 330/530? Or Satellite dish on tripod and a Maxview 12v Digital Satellite Receiver? Which option is the quickest and least frustrating to set-up?
Most of the time I'll be at sites with no ground hook-up hence 12V everything....
Satellite is a good option, Lidl were doing 80cm Dish for £9.99 and LNB for Dish at £4.99 a couple of months back, and B&Q were knocking out FTA satellite receivers for £24.99 add to that a Satellite Dish Tripod say £30 and your up and running for £70! with a system that will get you UK TV, just about anywhere in Europe.
If you want to use a Sky box on 12v, then you need a Pace 2000 (aka Javelin) receiver, little hard to find, although got mine out of a skip lol.
Add a FreeSat card £25 to the Sky box, happy days.
Don't think they do a Freesat box from the BBC/iTV (no card required) that runs of 12v.
No reason why you can't use an Inverter, to run a mains only receiver of 12v of course.
Quote: Originally posted by Jon0 on 22/8/2011
...What do you guys do? Digital Aerial strapped on a pole outside / Roof mounted Digi Aerial like Status 330/530? Or Satellite dish on tripod and a Maxview 12v Digital Satellite Receiver? Which option is the quickest and least frustrating to set-up?
Most of the time I'll be at sites with no ground hook-up hence 12V everything....
There isn't a digital specific TV aerial, it's a marketing ploy. You don't mention specifically which type of aerial you currently have on the van so it's awkward giving a decent opinion, but to relate my experience I found the Status omnidirectional (commonly reffered to as the 'flying saucer' aerial) to be far better than expected and it works for me most of the time. For those occassions I find it doesn't, I have a Vision Plus 420 that I pole mount off the jockey wheel and this works very well and easy to set-up.
Remember you'll need to re-scan your Freeview at each site you visit due to the way terrestrial TV is broadcast.
There are pro's and con's of either Freeview or satellite. Satellite can be a fiddle to set-up until you've gone thru the process a few times. I used to use satellite, but as I only used it as-and-when, I found the kit took up too much space just to have with me for ad-hoc use, but the aerial and pole just sit neatly under one of the seats and take up no room at all. On the very rare occassion I don't get any TV reception, I pack the TV away and get my Kindle ebook reader out.
Finally, if you're relying on 12v, consider the implications of other kit too. A dedicated 12v satellite receiver with your TV would be fine if you opt for the satellite route. Personally, I found using an inverter to be fairly inefficient. As mentioned, the Pace Javellin is an excellent 12v receiver (but like hens teeth to find at a decent price), but the Comag receivers commonly found in the all-in-one cased systems is also 12v.
The Bush Freesat HD box BFSAT01HD can be run off 12V as it comes with 230V to 12V plug top PSU. Also sold as Goodmans GFSAT200HD and Grundig GUFSAT01HD.
There are also SD versions: Grundig GUFSAT01SD, Bush BFSAT01SD.
Note the model numbers as later versions were 230V only.
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Topic: Digital TV - what aerial? Satellite?
