We are looking at advice on the easiest wat to get a TV signal please as rather unusually our van does not have an areial.
Its never been a problem before as we were at a site where each pitch had a tv connection to an aerial and have recently moved. We purchased an internal portable arial (a good one apparantly) but unfortunately it doesnt work unless one of us stands in the middle of the van holding it and even then it pixulates. We are not in strong signal area we've been told - Ive used an online postcode checker to find out.
So what are our options and the costs involved. Other users on site use their caravan arials with success in the majority. So having an arial fitted would be an option but we've no idea of cost. Is there an easier way?
What about satelite systems - are they esy and guaranteed to work, Again what would the cost be all in.
BTW we are seasonal so no worries about having to move it etc. Thank you
If you are on a seasonal pitch, just get a directional aerial on a pole and mount it on your A-frame.
Its easy, cheap and works.
A satellite system is dependent upon you having a pitch that can `see` the satellite (no high buildings or trees in the way), and in bad weather conditions you can still lose the signal or get pixelation anyway.
Thank you for your super quick reply....please excuse the super thick novice questions - where do you get an arial from on a pole and how do you attach it to the A frame?
Quote: Originally posted by CatieB on 03/4/2016
Thank you for your super quick reply....please excuse the super thick novice questions - where do you get an arial from on a pole and how do you attach it to the A frame?
You can a pole and aerial from most caravan accessory shops or e-bay. Think I`ve still got one kicking around the garage, but you`re a bit too far away or you could have had that one. They aren`t expensive, and just clamp to the A-frame without drilling.
You can buy a sky dish (small ish) and a good tripod and a SAT finder from eBay for about £50. You then take your skybox from home and set the dish outside the van, plug into sky box, aline dish (now takes me less than a minute) and you can watch all your sky channels, anything recorded etc. I am in Northern Ireland and have never had a issue on any site, and I believe NI should be worse than GB.
I feel like breaking into song .... A whole new world. Lol.
Unfortunately this isn't the system for us as we always forget to take something with us, so in order to minimise our distress we organise things so that there is very little we have to grab and go. We like to keep the van set up so that it is there and ready to use. Imagine if we forgot the TV system, our 11 year - I'm so bored - would drive us insane!!! Thanks though for the idea.
For UK use you only need a small satellite Dish, the Arcon Sweety at just 40cm would be ideal, or even better still a SelfSat Flat Panel Antenna.
Satellite reciever of choice would be a Humax Freesat Box, especially the models that are also a PVR.
Probably the best camping satellite receiver around is the SAB Titan Micro HD, although only FTA not Freesat, not that it makes much difference, the SAB Titan Micro is the size of a fag packet, and can be a PVR as well, being so small it can be attached to the rear of the TV out of the way.
Hi catie, I know where your coming from, on our second trip I forgot hdmi lead, on another trip I forgot power lead and last weekend I forgot sky remote! I was able to buy from local shops. Upside is I now leave everything in van so I only have to lift skybox. I should have done that on first trip as it's unlikely I will forgot the skybox.
In theory you could buy a sencond box of eBay for peanuts and then just take your card (you would need to rev for 2nd box every time)
Quote: Originally posted by josey60 on 03/4/2016
We have a set up like this and always had good results.
We use this to locate a decent signal. .
You can get the aerial set from any good caravan accessory shop eg http://www.towsure.com/vision-plus-image-620-caravan-tv-aerial-system
Hope this Helps
This is pretty much exactly the same system we use and for the most part it works perfectly. Same as any system it does not like things in the way though.
Periodically, stores like Aldi and Lidl sell portable satellite kits for around £50 and includes a dish and decoder. Best attached to a tripod that you can buy separately. Generally very easy to set up and will give you freesat channels.
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Topic: TV advice please
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