TELEVISION AERIALS
I am heavily committed to performing quality television antenna installation work, using quality components at a reasonable price. However, I am not the cheapest contractor you could get in to work for you. I say you get what you pay for. Pay peanuts - get monkeys doing the work!!!!! If you want a cheap and nasty job done, perhaps I'm not the right person for you.
I install Two Way Radio systems.
I find interference!
I hold a number of technical Qualifications;
- Certificate of Technology (Communications)
- Other stuff related to microprocessors and stuff
- Broadcast Station Operators Certificate of Proficiency
- S Grade Electricians Licence
- Technicians Certificate (Telecommunications)
- Amateur Radio Station Licence - VK3LR if you're that interested in these things
- Some sort of telephone wire putter on'ers certificates
- probably others - I can't be expected to remember everything
I am a member of a couple of Trade Associations, the Antenna Technicians Association and the Television Electronic Service Association and as such I am committed to upholding all of their technical and ethical standards.
I AM BASED ON THE WESTERLY EDGE OF GIPPSLAND, VICTORIA
I generally restrict myself as far as domestic work goes, to an area ranging from Dandenong in the west, to Bunyip in the east, and generally stay south of the Princes Highway. I cover all of the towns straddling the Princes Highway in this zone.
In respect to Commercial work, (MATV systems and similar) - Blocks of flats, units, motels, hotels, I range much wider, and I travel anywhere in the Melbourne Metropolitan Area and to the east and cover all of West Gippsland, which is to say, about as far east as Warragul and everything south of the Princes Highway to the South Coast.
I install Satellite receive systems when requested and when I can't squirm out of it. I don't get involved in those cheeky receive Pay TV without a subscription systems. The problem with satellite receive systems is that the customer expects they are going to get something really impressive, and although it technically is very impressive, it's something for a hobbyist rather than as a serious alternative for local television. Without fail, the customer has to search around for things to watch, and then just as they start to settle into a routine, some inconsiderate mongrel on the other side of the world decides that they are going to change to digital, or use a different footprint, or stop transmission altogether, and the customer gets cranky, and who do they blame? Seeing as how I am serious about having uncranky customers, this has the potential to cause me sleepless nights and gastric complaints. If you want a satellite receiver installed, by all means. But please, remember that the program material is out of my hands. P.S. I only use quality materials and they are more expensive than the quote you just got. Some of my customers live in such atrocious TV receive locations that they end up subscribing to something called RABS (Rural Area Broadcasting Service). It gets them TV, but at a price. Talk to me if you want to know more about this service.
To cater for Melbourne and Gippsland audiences, I carry a range of aerials and ancillary equipment to suit the Melbourne TV Broadcasts from Mt Dandenong and Gippsland broadcasts from Mt Tassie (which is south of Traralgon).
CONTACT DETAILS
TELEPHONE 0500 513 550 or 03 5997 7232 MOBILE 0419 313 550 FACSIMILE 03 5997 7401 elray@sympac.com.au
Digital TV is with us NOW. Want to know more? Click here.
The following tables might be of interest to you to understand what channels you might be watching. I've also listed the digital channels that are currently broadcasting so, if you haven't got Digital going yet, you can consider what you may need to get going.
Melbourne (Mt Dandenong)
Melbourne Stations
Analogue Channel number
Equivalent Digital Channel number ABC
2
12 HSV
7
6 GTV
9
8 ATV
10
11 SBS
28
29 CTV
31
not available yet
Gippsland Stations Analogue Channel number Equivalent Digital Channel number ABC (2) 40 42 PRIME TV (7) 46 33 WIN TV (9) 43 36 TEN VIC (10) 37 39 SBS (28) 34 30
The Como Centre (South Yarra) (click here to return)
Service Analogue Channel number Equivalent Digital Channel number ABC
61 60 HSV
49 63 GTV
52 51 ATV
55 54 SBS
58 57 CTV
64 not available yet Ferntree Gully (click here to return)
Service Analogue Channel number Equivalent Digital Channel number ABC
56 47 HSV
65 41 GTV
59 44 ATV
62 54 SBS
68 50
Service Analogue Channel number Equivalent Digital Channel number ABC
39 47 HSV
42 41 GTV
45 44 ATV
48 54 SBS
51 50
Service
Analogue Channel number Equivalent Digital Channel number ABC
57 47 HSV
60 41 GTV
63 44 ATV
66 54 SBS
69 50 Arthur's Seat (Safety Beach coverage) (click here to return)
Service Analogue Channel number Equivalent Digital Channel number ABC
61 60 HSV
49 63 GTV
52 51 ATV
55 54 SBS
58 57 Rosebud (Shire Offices) (click here to return)
Service Analogue Channel number Equivalent Digital Channel number ABC
56 60 HSV
59 63 GTV
62 51 ATV
65 54 SBS
68 57 Monbulk (click here to return)
Service Analogue Channel number Equivalent Digital Channel number ABC
56 - HSV
59 - GTV
62 - ATV
65 - SBS
68 - Warburton (click here to return)
Service Analogue Channel number Equivalent Digital Channel number ABC
61 60 HSV
49 63 GTV
52 51 ATV
55 54 SBS
58 57
Generally, I have in stock:
Medium size Melbourne combination Aerials for installations nearer to Mt Dandenong such as Dandenong or Narre Warren - 12 element aerials Larger Melbourne combination Aerials for the more distant areas such as Berwick Pakenham or Bunyip - depending on how you count, 18 to 23 element Aerials VHF Aerials for reception of Melbourne Band III TV signals. I use Matchmaster yagi style - either six, ten or eighteen elements in size UHF Aerials for Melbourne, where reception difficulties warrant separate aerials, or where a customer's installation simply requires upgrading to receive UHF signals. UHF Aerials for Gippsland TV, to achieve reception of analogue and digital services between channels 33 to 46. Other UHF Aerials, such as dedicated Band V aerials to receive translator signals like those being broadcast from Arthur's Seat, the Como Centre, Fern Tree Gully, Selby, Upwey and similar. For all UHF installations, 5 options are available; small 10 element yagi, large 18 to 20 element yagi, large yagi style (referred by some as 43 and 91 element yagis), and then both large and small phased arrays.
A number of manufacturers contribute to this range of aerials. In particular I use either Matchmaster or Hills. These manufacturers are both all Australian. Hills is based in Adelaide with an outlet in Dandenong. Matchmaster is a Sydney based company and their local outlet is Winscot Trading in South Melbourne (Gidday Boys :o) ). I sometimes use other companies products, such as Wisi, where there is a specific need. It has to be good quality though.
CABLE. Many people will think nothing of spending a huge sum of money on an aerial, and because they have overspent the budget there, or perhaps they just don't understand, they scrimp in the purchase of the cable. WRONG. The excellent aerial signal you just got off the beaut aerial has attenuated before it gets to the TV set, or else there are structural flaws which reduce the clarity of the picture. I use RG6 cable exclusively. Wherever possible, I use "F" connectors and compatible signal distribution equipment. The cable I use is quad screened RG6 style of cable.
AMPLIFIERS. Mast head or Distribution types. There are considerations that need to be considered when deciding what sort to select. It's probably best to leave it to an expert ( like me) to make that selection for you. Its no good feeding a tiny, tiny signal into an amp and expecting all your problems to evaporate. Amplifiers are not intelligent, they amplify everything equally - desired signal, noise, interference, everything. If you have very weak signal, it would be better to upgrade the aerial, cable and distribution components before considering whether an Amplifier will be of any benefit to you or not.
Final note. Don't do it yourself. The additional cost of a professional installation is more than offset by the savings in blood pressure tablets alone. Find a member of a Trade Association to do the job for you. There's nothing worse than paying the same amount of money to an incompetent monkey as you would to a committed professional and finding out 6 weeks later, that the coach screws he used were too small, he's gone out of business, or worse, he dropped the aerial on your nice new shiny Jag in the driveway. Insurance? What Insurance? Members of these Trade Associations are required to carry insurance as a protection for YOU and are in the industry for the long haul. If you need them, they will be there.
If you'd like me to give you a quotation, please call 0500 513 550. I give free quotes in most domestic circumstances. The only variation to this is where more than an hour is spent to provide the quote or the drive to your home and the quote is more than an hour. In this case there is a service charge, which I will happily deduct from the price of the job if you say "go ahead" - How do you tell if it's more than an hour to quote? Generally, look at your neighbours TV aerials. If they all look like a normal domestic aerial on a fascia board mount, I'm unlikely to be more than an hour giving you a quote. If there are monstrous masts up everywhere, or your building is of some strange construction, or the task you ask is fairly complicated, it may follow that I'm going to be there for a long time. Have a look at the Melways. Spot up where you live and then look for Bayles, south of Pakenham. If it's 50 km or more away, I'll be more than an hour quoting your job. These matters are common sense. Oh and I am Les by the way!!!
DIGITAL TELEVISION (click here to return)
Digital Television is here!!!!!!!! Don't get conned that your current set, isn't Digital compatible. Digital Set Top Boxes (STB) are the way to use your current TV with the new Digital TV Broadcasting. These boxes are cheap and getting cheaper. Don't get ripped off by being told a "high definition" set top box will give you a better looking picture on your normal TV. The older style TV sets are all "Standard Definition" and will only produce the goods available from a Standard Definition STB. If you have one of the new wide screen Plasma, LCD or really expensive rear projector TV sets, maybe you can think about a High Definition box. Don't expect HD pictures all the time though, it's only available on a very select number of programs.
Don't be conned into buying a special "Digital Aerial" either. In most cases, your existing Antenna will perform quite adequately. Do you remember when colour TV was introduced? I do. A lot of people were sold "colour TV antennas". It was just a way for unscrupulous traders to lighten the weight of your wallet. With Digital, there may be problems in individual circumstances, especially when it comes to receiving the Melbourne ABC digital signals, which are on channel 12. In these very limited circumstances, the older antennas will not perform in a suitable manner across the wider channel range that is now required and it is then that you may need to consider upgrading your antenna. It's probably best to get someone in (like me) who has a few skills, to look at these issues for you. Don't expect someone with a couple of weeks practical instruction on how to put up antennas real kwik and a nice new signwritten van, to be an expert in these matters.
In relation to "Digital antennas", there are some manufacturers who have bitten the bullet and have redesigned their range of antennas to include all of the bandwidth that will be necessary for Analogue as well as Digital broadcasts. If you are just commencing to have an antenna installed, one of those newer style may be a better option for you than the cheap and nasty one that the former pastry cook out in the driveway, is planning to stick up for you. Ask what he intends to install and its bandwidth. Look for the specifications on the packaging material or if there are none, ask to see the manufacturer's specifications. What? They don't produce specifications? Tell them where they should really stick up their antenna. If you want it to provide both Analogue and Digital channels, it has to have a bandwidth from channel 2 to 12 for Melbourne use. The best manufacturer's to consider, in my view, are Matchmaster or Hills - Sorry - Hills or Matchmaster. Now they both have their name first. Both of these Companies produce antennas that they have had a real shot at improving for the new digital environment. Don't just accept the statement that the antenna in the unmarked brown wrapping is a "digital antenna". It has to be backed up with its design parameters, the bandwidth, the matching network to connect the cable and in all likelihood, there is an F-connector to connect the balun to the cable. Ring the antenna manufacturer and ask them what their rationale is for claiming their antenna is a "digital" one. After all, it's your money Ralf. In some of these instances, the "manufacturer" is somebody assembling parts delivered to him in a container!!!!!! They are copies of other company's products and there has been no testing to determine their characteristics. After all, all these things add cost to the final product, and the really cheap end of the market is only interested in get in, get out, maximum charge for the minimum outlay - would you like a serve of chips with that antenna, madam- no commitment to quality!!!!!!!!!
There have been serious changes in frequencies in rural areas to allow digital in Melbourne. For example, Gippsland had channel 8 broadcasting out of Mt Tassie. It had to go. Channel 8 was relocated to channel 37. All homes in the region have had to retune their TV and Video/s to continue reception. Some VCRs and perhaps some video games will be in trouble because they also output on channel 37 or very close to it. These devices will have to be moved away from 37 and TV sets retuned to accept them. Fun and games when the available tuning range is only from channel 30 to 40. Have a look at the Melbourne and Gippsland charts above. If you live in Gippsland you will eventually find TV transmitters on channels 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 36, 37, 39 and 40. It might be time to bite the bullet and get yourself a nice shiny new VCR, which you can tune to channel 55 or some such channel and avoid all this stuff. They aren't all that expensive these days.
IF YOU'RE THINKING OF PURCHASING NEW VCR OR OTHER ANCILLARY DEVICES, CHECK THAT IT WILL WORK ANYWHERE OVER THE UHF BAND, SO THAT YOU CAN FIND A CLEAR SPOT TO USE IT.
Other difficulties that will knock digital TV around will be current installations where careless installations of Amplifiers (boosters) result in poor Carrier to Noise Ratio. Additionally, all amplifiers will have to be de-rated to handle the extra power coming down the antenna lead in cable. If the Amplifier was just barely coping before, digital will, in all likelihood, push it over the edge. Finally, adjacent channel problems and "intermodulation" products may start to cause serious problems for the cheaper installations. If youre having an installation done now, ask the installer if the Amp he is using will cope with digital. Tell the installer you want something with a metal housing with F-Connectors in and out of it. It's likely he will squirm because he doesn't carry these - insist and if the price suddenly goes through the roof, get another quote.
Digital training for antenna installers is available, but digital is still not well understood by the great unwashed. If the person you're looking at installing your antenna claims to be "Digital Approved" or similar, look carefully - approved by who, for what. Installations I currently do are to the best of my skill and knowledge suitable for the reception of Digital signals. I use quality cable and every distribution component is connected with "F" connectors. I consider the effect of digital signals on every job I do, trying to anticipate problems that are coming. I recommend a quick browse of the ABA, Standards Australia Digital Broadcasting Australia, Digital Television Group or the CAI websites to get a feel of Digital Television and the installation of suitable distribution components to accommodate it. A suitably qualified ATA or TESA member is going to be your best bet in the future.
Stay tuned for Digital updates and the effects on aerial installations.
Last updated
20/07/2006 00:13
EXTRA STUFF
Australian TV Standards
If you need to reune your TV, check you have any options for Australian conditions set correctly.
Analogue TV
Colour Standard PAL (Phase Alternate Line)
Sound System B
Digital TV
Broadcast Standard COFDM (Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex)
No of Carriers 8K (approx 6700)
FEC 2/3 (typical)
Guard Interval 1/16 (typical)
Digital TV settings are critical when attempting to tune your set top box/integrated TV receiver. If you find that one or some or all of your channels cannot be found when tuning your receiver, consider the following;
It is common to find that when you enter the "tuning" menu, you will have an indicator showing the "signal strength" and another showing "signal quality". You may find that the signal strength bar has little or no relationship with reality. Large changes in signal strength may not be reflected as a higher signal strength reading. Initially, it may be best to assume you have sufficient signal strength and fall back on investigating this as a cause of your problems if all other improvements do not help your reception. Regardless, I'd hope you can see somewhere between 75 to 90 % of the bar indicating a received signal on the channel you are trying to tune in to.
Signal quality indicators are a different kettle of fish entirely. Your quality measurement should read "100%" or "<1E7" or whatever method your manufacturer uses to indicate perfect signal quality. In marginal areas, the quality will fall off and at some point the low quality will be reflected on the screen as digital failure - the picture will "pixellate" and the sound may be affected.
If the settings in the tuning menu are incorrectly set, the quality bar will show 0% (or its equivalent). If this is the case, you may need to change the settings to those matching the broadcaster you are trying to tune in to. When the settings match, like magic, the quality bar will spring into life and indicate 100% (we hope). If you have an option to select "auto" for the Guard interval and Forward Error Correction, try selecting that and look for the quality to be detected before continuing with your tuning attempt.
Make sure you have the right frequency. The table below is a good starting point, but confirm with the broadcaster you are trying to receive or try the ACMA website. Some Broadcasters are moved up or down slightly for technical reasons. You could try moving the tuning frequency, searching for the signal. Similar to the notes above, if you are "off frequency" you will not have an indication of 0% in your tuning menu quality indicator.
Australian TV Frequency Allocations
TV Channel number Analogue Vision Carrier frequency Digital channel centre frequency Band Low Band VHF TV Channels 1 57.25 N/A I 2 64.25 N/A II 3 FM Band N/A 4 FM Band N/A 5 FM Band N/A 5A 138.25 N/A High Band VHF TV Channels 6 175.25 177.5 III 7 182.25 184.5 8 189.25 191.5 9 196.25 198.5 9A 6 MHz wide channel. Digital radio testing 10 209.25 212.5 11 216.25 219.5 12 224.25 226.5 UHF Band TV Channels 28 527.25 529.5 IV 29 534.25 536.5 30 541.25 543.5 31 548.25 550.5 32 555.25 557.5 33 562.25 564.5 34 569.25 571.5 35 576.25 578.5 36 583.25 585.5 V 37 590.25 592.5 38 597.25 599.5 39 604.25 606.5 40 611.25 613.5 41 618.25 620.5 42 625.25 627.5 43 632.25 634.5 44 639.25 641.5 45 646.25 648.5 46 653.25 655.5 47 660.25 662.5 48 667.25 669.5 49 674.25 676.5 50 681.25 683.5 51 688.25 670.5 52 695.25 697.5 53 702.25 704.5 54 709.25 711.5 55 716.25 718.5 56 723.25 725.5 57 730.25 732.5 58 737.25 739.5 59 744.25 746.5 60 751.25 753.5 61 758.25 760.5 62 765.25 767.5 63 772.25 774.5 64 779.25 781.5 65 786.25 788.5 66 793.25 795.5 67 800.25 802.5 68 807.25 809.5 69 814.25 816.5
DIGITAL CHANNEL PLANS
Network Channel Comments TEN 01 ABC 02 SBS 03 HSV 07 GTV 09 TEN 10 11 TEN EPG 12 HD 13 14 15 ABC 20 HD ABC2 21 22 Should be the ABC EPG SBS 30 HD 31 SBS EPG SBS2 33 HSV 70 HD 71 72 73 77 HSV EPG GTV 90 HD 99 GTV EPG TEN 100 TEN EPG
EPG is "Electronic program Guide"
SOME COMMENTS ON THE CHANNEL PLAN
1 to 9 for abbreviated access to channels, ie one press of a button to get any required channel.
10 to 15 for access to TEN Network channels. The channel "10" should give us HD TV to fit in with other channels HD selection plans, but this may cause confusion in the minds of some viewers. A sad situation for TEN. 13 to 15 are Standard Definition channels, identical to 1 and 10. One day, when the government wakes up to its foolishness and limitations placed on broadcasters by their "triple casting" policy, they will allow broadcasters to multicast and finally digital TV will take off. The broadcasters, in their turn, will need to come to grips with advertising rates and program material sources to keep their income up - but there you go. Maybe if they dropped advertising rates and had more advertisers come on board (because finally they can afford it) you will not loose on the deal and the public will finally achieve some value from the digital conversion. It is OUR spectrum after all.
20 to 22 for access to the ABC network channels. The basic plan starts to be seen now. 2 indicates the ABC, 20 is their HD channel, 21 is the first extra channel within the ABC network and 2 followed by its network number (2) ie 22 gives us their EPG. The ABC has not implemented the EPG feature. How about it ABC. Get with it - or is it the Federal Government? Come on John and Pete. You folks wanted digital working so you can flog off the analogue spectrum and make a killing - sling the ABC a bit more dosh to get them up and going properly. Teletext no longer carries ABC daily programming. Our options are diminished not expanded.
30 to 33 for access to the SBS network. In a similar manner, 30 gives us access to the HD broadcasts. However, the dear folk at SBS have decided (in their wisdom) to go against the plans implemented by the other broadcasters. 31 is their EPG and 33 is their 2nd channel. How about it SBS. Swap them over. No argument about confusion with analogue channel 31. Let that get sorted out when they finally come on air - or better - how about you folks negotiating with the Government and the Community broadcasters and put them out on 31. You can broadcast SBS2 on 32 and put the EPG on 33 to fit in with everyone else.
70 to 77 for access to HSV7 channels (this proves I live in Victoria). The Plan continues - 70 is the HD channel, 71 to 73 are Standard Definition channels, identical to 7. 77 is the EPG. Likewise, when 7 is allowed to multicast, digital will take off.
90 to 99 for access to GTV9 channels. 90 is the HD channel and 99 is their EPG. The Nine network has shown no indication that they are interested in digital TV expansion. Perhaps this has something to do with the business dealings of the owner and their relationship with Pay television providers. Eddy!!!!!! You and Jamie need to talk. Where is the equivalent 91, 92, 93. TEN & HSV are leaving you for dead. Same deal as above. If GTV was broadcasting a movie channel, a Docco channel a News Channel and a Soapie Channel, Digital would bloom.
100 is an alternate channel to access the Ten Network EPG. Good on you Ten.
And finally - this nonsense with "High Definition". For the benefit of a tiny, tiny proportion of the population who own really expensive displays, (let's put a price on it - $15,000 and upwards - the rest of us are deprived of 3 or 4 standard definition TV channels from each broadcaster (15 to 20 TV channels). What a waste. How is the Public benefited by this policy? Certainly competition between the Free to Air broadcasters and the Pay TV providers is stifled. Government of Australia - Get with the Program. Multicasting is necessary for the future. Get your hand off the tiller. Perhaps on Sunday nights, the broadcasters might decide to simulcast SD and HD movies and the poor sods who have been conned into buying HD set top Boxes could tune in and kid themselves that they can actually see the difference on the screen, and those with the really expensive displays can kid themselves they didn't waste their money.
Time to get off the soap box. Why is it so clear to me and the Government still persists with their triple casting policy?