# Terrestial TV antenna



## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

I want anexternal antenna for Tv to fit to my panel van. It needs to be able to receive freeview digital but I dont want it to stick up too much. I like the look and engineering of this one >>Status 315<< but it's 280mm tall.

Any ideas?

Note as well as the van being metal the windows are metallised.

Regards Frank

edited for link


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Hi Frank,

From previous experience the 315 is as much use as a one legged man at a bum kicking contest for recieving a decent signal.

Have you considered the status 530? According to the blurb it only protrudes 150mm above the roof. You will need some locker room for it to fold down into but the 530/5 has a shorter mast if space or locker clearance is an issue. We had one on our previous van and they work brilliantly and I think they are freeview compatible although you'd have to confirm this, in fact, we rate them so much it will be one of the next additions to our new van.

http://www.gradeuk.co.uk/store/product.asp?spc=04-3000/5&shelfid=44S45S1

pete.

ps, not sure of the relevance of having metalised windows ?


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi Frank,

I agree with Peejay. The Status 315 fittted as standard on caravans we've had in the past, is about as much use, as an ashtray on a motorbike.

Jock.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

"ps, not sure of the relevance of having metalised windows ?"

Means an internal antenna would be even more useless than it normally is.

Dave


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

> I think they are freeview compatible


They are indeed Pete/Frank and a first class bit of kit, compared to many on the market they look expensive but boy do you get what you pay for 10/10 for the 530/5 that I have
Geo


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## tonka (Apr 24, 2006)

Out of interest. I decided to not bother with a TV aerial.. As stated by others, not always effective enough. Having a Trigano tribute panel van ouselves, space also a problem..
Have had fitted a Maxview crank up sat dish with a Sky mini box (12v) in cupboard... We have no ch 4 or 5 but that can be resolved by getting an old sky card.. I know this is more costly but works a treat..
Got some pics but having issues with the uploading...


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

tonka said:


> We have no ch 4 or 5 but that can be resolved by getting an old sky card..


You know you can get a Sky card for £20 which will get you the encrypted, but free, channels.

Gerald


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## 100512 (Aug 13, 2006)

I have a 315 and it works fine but is an omni ariel. I have unscrewed the uppler wand to at the top to reduce height and it still perfoms fine. Youd need to reinstall it for vertialy polarised tranmitters though, its very easy.

The 530 is supposed to be an improvement as it is directional.


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## plumbill (May 6, 2006)

*Directional 530 tv ariel*

Hi Sallytrafic I have a directional 530 Status tv ariel that came off a written off caravan. I can let you have it for £35 plus postage. I have sent you a PM on it. Cheers Willie.


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Frank, 

That sounds like a bargain for that particular ariel.

Jock.


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Status*

Hi

I have a Status 530 (I think) which was OK, never brilliant but always watchable.

Rapide561


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2006)

There was a Status 315 already fitted to our van when we bought it. Reception varies from place to place.

On our drive it is fine, both for analogue and digital (through cheap set top box) but in other areas we found it lacking so bought a Vision Plus IMAGE 530/18 - see http://www.gradeuk.co.uk/products/antennas/vpimage.asp - which has given us better results.

Both aerials need booster boxes but as they are both made by the same company it is just a matter of swapping them.

Graham


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

I guess I was hoping that in the 40 odd years since I first came across log periodic antennas someone would have come up with something better.

I realise that a directional antenna would have a gain typically aroung 17-18 dB but when I saw that the omnidirectional Status 315 had a similar gain I thought someone had cracked it and overcome the laws of physics in some ingenious way. I now see its the amplifier gain. The 530 has a forward gain of 7dB which I still think quite low some compromises in its design I think.

For those of you idly reading this with no idea of 'gain' or 'dB' don't worry lots of antenna manufacturers don't either. The maths of designing a aerial are complex and even when you have manufactured one to exact calculations someone will come along with a bent coathanger and better its performance. I once designed and built a notch antenna for a TV which didn't work. Only to find it was perfect for the FM radio band.

Still if you have seen a better antenna than people have already mentioned I'd be delighted to hear about it. 
Regards Frank


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

*Re: Directional 530 tv ariel*



plumbill said:


> Hi Sallytrafic I have a directional 530 Status tv ariel that came off a written off caravan. I can let you have it for £35 plus postage. I have sent you a PM on it. Cheers Willie.


No pm received

Regards Frank


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

sallytrafic said:


> I want anexternal antenna for Tv to fit to my panel van. It needs to be able to receive freeview digital but I dont want it to stick up too much. I like the look and engineering of this one >>Status 315<< but it's 280mm tall.
> 
> Any ideas?
> 
> ...


I know sod all about this but I was thinking of going along the same lines as yourself but when I saw these sat systems in suitcases I am holding back I think to get one of these. I suppose you can't use it while travelling but I have never watched much Telly when I'm driving anyway.

About £80 in Maplins although I have from time to time seen them cheaper on deals in the Liddle shop and in the Bigger Maplins on special offer.


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Anyone used one of these see photo from >>Link to 12VTV.co<<.

It would be a pain to mount of course, and I don't accept that a shallow antenna improves directivity the reverse I would have thought.

I'm just trying to sort out all my options.

Regards Frank


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi Frank

Having done very much the same sort of research that you are doing to find an allround good aerial I have as they say "got the tee shirt", a few aerials in the dustbin and one still mounted permanently on the van but never ever used...the Status 315 "flying saucer"

Your vehicle is like mine on the small side and as such for easier stowage I needed a compact aerial.... my best find so far is a > VP530-14 Log Periodic < pole mounted aerial.. it works really well with Freeview and I have purchased a > Booster < from the same supplier....this I use in really poor signal areas only and then I usually use the analogue tuner in the TV. With digital you either get a pretty well perfect picture or none at all...thats when I resort to the amp and analogue....only happened once this year..near Bath , at a well known TV signal dead spot...but I could still get to see the news and weather.

I regularly travel with a friend who has the Status 530 fitted to his van, we have compared reception and the VP530-14 is on a par with the Status 530 even without the booster .
IMHO The Status 530 is one of the best I have looked at... if you have a van big enough to take it and a space for the mast to enter the van in a convenient place. This would be difficult for me to fit and I imagine that it may be difficult in your van too.

Mike

P.S. forgot to add ..yes I have tried one of those pictured in your last post... it was made in germany, fitted with a mains powered mast fitted signal booster it gave a superb picture in a low signal area. But I am sure you would find it to be way to big to carry around in the van.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Frank,

One can always quibble about gains to a couple of dB or so, but that apart, I wouldn't argue with the usability claims for that "flat" array, other than the fact that it works (gets the gain) by squashing the beam vertically, rather than horizontally, and as you typically adjust horizontally, of course, so that would seem to go against it.

I use, only as backup to satellite, an Image 530-18 (further down the page in Mike's link), purely because having used a more exposed type as the 540-14 in years of caravanning use, I got fed up of unbending the elements, things snagging on it where it was stored, etc.

If I could buy again I'd buy the same one, which is always the ultimate accolade, and it stores in less volume, and more robustly, than that flat vertical array. The elements can rattle in the plastic housing, but as it is stored between carpet and fabric, I never hear anything.

Dave G4WIZ


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