bad reception.

[ImLostAgain]

A month ago I asked a question regarding my neighbour not being able to record onto his old video from his new tv.
Well he got that sorted when he bought a dvd recorder.
All has been running smoothly he says....until now. The problem seems to be that although he gets a lovely picture on the tv (most of the time),if he watches through the dvd some programmes disappear altogether and some freeze and/or break up.
I have checked the signal strength with the teletext 284 test and all is ok. Both his tv and dvd say the signal is fine!!
Could it be that although these tests say all is ok, he may need a new digital aerial?
As I said his picture, when it works, works fine.

[redman41]

This bad weather will cause Signal break-up.
Are you on the Winter Hill Transmitter ? If so, the final switchover takes place on 2nd December and a Full Re-Scan will necessary then.
If you are in a different region then there will be problems with the 'Freeview' signal until such time as you change over completely to Digital.

[redman41]

http://www.ukfree.tv/txdetail.php?a=SD660144

Check out the Power levels on here, because most multiplexes (MUX) at present are on reduced Power until the changeover.

[ImLostAgain]

Thank you redman41. That was a good site. No he is not on the Winter Hill Transmitter. I forget the name of his but the change-over will not happen until 2012 so I guess he'll just have to put up with it till then.
Thanks again.

[romko]

check the quality of the cable you are using to connect the devices. If it is one of those flyleads with moulded-on coax plugs, ditch it and get some good metal plugs and a length of double shielded coax (SAT standard), making up the cable yourself will probably solve marginal reception.

[ImLostAgain]

Hmm, that's interesting romko.
I've had a look at the coax he is using and it seems ok. Just to be sure we tried another neighbours cable (both with metal ends) and the problem persists.
I'll to talk him into trying the lead you suggest.

[whiskeryron]

http://www.radioandtelly.co.uk/connect.html

[romko]

I meant to ask: does the signal from the aerial come down into the tv room on one long run of cable terminated in a coax plug, or is there a coaxial wall socket in the room?

[ImLostAgain]

Another interesting site. Thanks for that whiskeryron.

romko, it is a wall socket. The tv is right next to it. I undid it and checked if it was connected ok, i.e no shorts or such. It seemed fine, and as I say I did a signal test for him and all was ok.
Three years to wait for a decent signal seems a bit much as he is in his late 60's.
Oh I meant to say, during the day he says it hardly ever, if ever goes wrong. That one beats me.

[romko]

Right. Try the good coax cable, and decent metal plugs. usually you'll need a female for the wall socket end and a male for the TV/video end. Keep the length down to what you need - 1.5m max. See what happens - fingers crossed!

[ImLostAgain]

Ah now, he's away for a couple of days so I've got time to ask you another question about the coax.
I don't understand what your saying about the male/female ends. Ok I see that on a RF lead but surely they are identical ends on a coax, or am I missing the point completely.

[romko]

see here:
http://ecx.images-ama...gEL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

usually the lower of the two goes to the wall, the other to the input of the tv or whatever. check the wall socket first though.

[ImLostAgain]

Ok my lack of knowledge is showing now. Those ends look like the ends for a RF lead to me. His coax, and every other one I have seen have have identical ends, i.e.those in the lower picture.His wall socket certainly is for the lower one. The other end(again the lower one) would normally go to the tv but now obviously goes into his dvd. That is when the RF comes from the dvd (the upper one) and the other end (lower picture) now goes to the tv.

I'm saying this in this manner more to get it straight in my mind than anything else romko. I feel your talking to me but I'm hearing something else. Sorry.

[romko]

ok, all you need then if you're sure the socket on the wall is female, are two male plugs. let us know how it goes.

[ImLostAgain]

romko, sorry about the delay. You were right of course, the two male plugs have apparently worked. At least that is what he has told me, I haven't been round to see yet. Many thanks.