How to properly set up a DVB-T aerial?
There are many factors influencing proper reception of digital terrestrial television (DVB-T) signals by an aerial. And only uninterrupted reception will ensure the right level of transmission and picture quality of the TV.
These factors primarily include:
• The distance from our house/apartment to the DVB-T transmitter,
• topography of the terrain and immediate surroundings (presence of tall buildings or trees in the aerial-transmitter line),
• type of an aerial — is it suitable for the local reception conditions and the type of installation in which it will operate,
• proper aerial alignment with the transmitter (direction) and its proper installation.
Some of the elements mentioned, like the distance from the transmitter or topography of the terrain, are unfortunately beyond our control. Therefore, we should focus on those factors that we can decide for ourselves.
First of all, it is up to us to choose an aerial.
Equally important as choosing the type of an aerial is its proper positioning. And that's the issue we'll focus on in this post. Not all of us have a professional meter, which allows for the precise antenna orientation in relation to the transmitter.
So how to properly set up the aerial?
It turns out, quite simply. There are two uncomplicated and undemanding methods available.
1. “Neighbor orientation”: we check in which direction our nearest neighbors have their aerials set up, and we set ours up that way too.
2. Using dedicated free smartphone apps for this purpose, such as EmiMaps or DVB-T Finder. In a matter of seconds they will search for DVB-T transmitters within our range. At the same time, they will show basic information about the transmission parameters, such as emission power, distance from the transmitter, transmitted stations/channels, and indicate the correct direction to place the aerial. With these hints, it is easy to find the most favorable signal for our aerial array.
After setting up the aerial properly, we can move on to programming our TV. Due to various external conditions, we recommend choosing manual tuning instead of the automatic programming function. It is more precise. In the application (EmiMaps, DVB-T Finder) check the transmission frequencies of individual MUXes and select them on the TV. This way we can be sure that we will receive all channels available in our area, because even those with low signal strength will not be missed during tuning.
Of course, when building an aerial array we cannot forget about the quality of the coaxial cables used, the choice of connectors and the quality of the installation itself. All these factors have a significant impact on transmission parameters, and thus on our comfort while watching TV.