For example, many people had to choose between pointing their TV aerial toward better signals or toward more TV channels or services. Did this ever happen to you? What would you choose, quality or a broader spectrum of services? Even if you apparently set the antenna in the right direction, you may experience blurred signals due to obstacles in its way. It may be a tall nearby building or even a tree. In this case, you will have to adapt your strategy and redirect your TV aerial. So, continue reading the article and see how you can improve the quality of your TV-related experiences or find solutions to existing problems.
What you need to know about TV transmitters
The most important TV transmitter is the main transmitter, which is usually the one that usually covers an entire area. More precisely, the main transmitters are located approximately 35 miles apart from one another, as they are capable of transmitting signals over longer distances than compared to relay transmitters. If you want to get all the TV services available in your area, it’s best to go for the main transmitter.
In spite of the fact the TV transmitters are rather powerful and capable of broadcasting TV signals over large surfaces of land, sometimes it is not possible to use them. This usually happens when the shape of the landscape, a high number of trees, or existing tall buildings in the area come in between your TV and the main transmitter. Thus, the signal never reaches your TV aerial due to large obstacles. To help those that cannot receive a signal from the main transmitter, relay transmitters were positioned in strategic points, allowing everybody to reach the signal, regardless of geography and obstacles. Of course, the frequency of receiving relay transmitter signals will be different.
If you’re tempted to think that relay transmitters are the same, it’s time to know that there are also Freeview Lite transmitters. Many relay transmitters are part of this group. Unfortunately, the bandwidth for TV signal shrunk over the years, as large parts of it were sold for the 4G network and, recently, for the coming 5G technology. This means that they can only provide half of the available TV services, as there isn’t sufficient room for them to offer a full range of services.
Your area’s postcode can be of great help
You see, even if the suggested TV transmitted is nearby, a large building in your proximity can come in between you and enjoying a clear signal. What does this mean? It means that you won’t be able to use that particular transmitter because the quality of the received signal will be undesirable. This will take you back to searching for a transmitter, more precisely one that will provide a much better signal. Or you have the possibility to use the suggested transmitter, but settle for a lower number of TV services. This can be possible by realigning the aerial so that you get a better signal, although this may mean that you won’t be able to enjoy all the services provided by the transmitter.
In spite of the fact that it may sound simple, there is one major downside to using postcodes when looking for TV transmitters. And that’s the fact that you will find out about the most likely transmitters and not all the transmitters in your area. So, if you want to have alternatives, you’ll need to use more than one method to detect them. In other words, if the postcode-based search method returns one suggested transmitter, it doesn’t mean that there is only one in your area. There might be more, especially relay transmitters, which might work better. Thus, it is worth giving them a shot as well, once you manage to find them.
Check out the kind of aerials used by your neighbours
If you see several aerials pointing toward one single direction, then you might just find the most used transmitter. But, if you notice that the aerials of several neighbours are pointing in different directions, like each searching for a different transmitter, then it’s an indication that you’re living in an area with poor signal. This happens when a TV user lives in a border area, which is around the outer limit of a transmitter’s signal.
If you see several high-gain aerials pointing toward a direction and a couple of smaller aerials set in a different direction, then there must be one main transmitter nearby, but also a relay transmitter, like a Freeview Lite transmitter. Again, the Freeview Lite transmitter will offer fewer TV services, but its signal may be of better quality for some users. Those that have high-gain aerials may have been fortunate enough to get a signal from the main transmitter in the area, enjoying a more generous offer of TV services.
As a tip, look for the aerial polarisation and how it has been mounted on the aerial. This will offer even more clues that will lead to the identification of the main transmitter or, at least, the most used transmitter in the area. This is, as a general rule, the one that provides the best signal for the provided TV services.
The nearest TV transmitter is not always the best for you
Ideally, you should do your best to align your TV aerial in the direction of the main transmitter. This is usually the best solution in terms of signal and available TV services. Doing so is even more important if you can’t seem to find a relay transmitter nearby, one that may represent a better option than the main transmitter. You should bear in mind that, in many cases, a relay transmitter may be much closer to your location than the main transmitter.
However, it is worth installing your aerial in the direction of the main transmitter instead. It’s not because the relay transmitter is not offering good quality signal, but because the main transmitter provides more TV services. So, if you have the chance to get a great signal from the main transmitter, in spite of the fact that it is further away, then you will also gain access to more TV services as well.
So, whenever possible, try to aim for the main transmitter, even if you have a relay transmitter closer to where you live. Main transmitters emit stronger signals, so there’s the chance for your aerial to get them if it is properly aligned. If this is a success, your TV will offer a higher number of TV services. Relay transmitters should be used only when there’s no way to get the signal emitted by the main transmitter. After all, this is why relay transmitters were installed in the first place.
As a conclusion, when looking for the best TV transmitter in your area, do your best to find out as many as possible, if not all available in your area. This way, you will locate the main transmitter and existent relays, having the possibility to choose the one that works best in your case.