Got bored this afternoon - now what?

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

If only I could identify those weird connectors.

And FINALLY I have.
They're called WICLIC connectors, not that it helps much......

Hopefully that will help someone else who is wondering what on earth these things are!

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

I'm not that hopeful of using the existing aerials

But I have had a moment of inspiration and am going to try something clever to use one of them at a time (switchable by replugging) for testing.

I happen to have (just kicking around) a spare "power supply" for an Antiference masthead amplifier. This is mains driven and puts 12V up the core on the aerial side.
So I've pulled it apart, removed the AC input side, checked how it works (pretty simple) and rewired/replugged it so that the incoming "power" cable is DC and puts that voltage out to the aerial but not the tuner. All tested, passes a signal OK and does what I want. Next I'll fit one of the WICLIC plugs I have onto the power lead and plug that into one of the 4 unused aerial sockets on the TV tuner - instant "phantom" power supply that (via the adaptor I've made) can now link to whichever of the 4 existing aerial leads I choose.

(To be honest I thought it was something like this that the guy in Edinburgh was making - a 3-way lead that picked up power from the tuner and passed it to the aerial while passing the TV signal in another direction - but it's not, just a simple unpowered connector)

It's currently a sizeable box (though will still fit behind the panel in the boot) but requires a collection of adapters on the aerial leads. If it works I'll repackage it in something smaller and solder on leads with more appropriate connectors. I might then fit the spare 4-way WICLIC socket that I have so that I can try multiple ariels connected in parallel, though I suspect that will have some very odd effects on the signals; well it would on analogue, on digital I'm not so sure....

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

If it works

Well it definitely works; signal strength 50% on my drive but negligible quality so won't tune a station, as expected and similar to other ground-level tests. I'll wait for my £5 screen aerial (as used by limoncello) to arrive and compare results before deciding which way to go.

Meanwhile I'll crack on sorting out a suitable 12V power supply for the DVB-T box.

[limoncello]

if your getting 50% on your drive in a known bad area that cant be bad

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by limoncello

50% on your drive in a known bad area

Yes, it's very marginal. Almost there.

While waiting for some bits to arrive I had a bit of a "play" with aerials and reception (tuner currently in my office on the mains). I took the stupid useless stubby (4"?) aerial that comes with the tuner and just connected a length of wire to it - centrally to make a sort of Y about a foot each side - then slung that out the window onto the bush outside. (similar dimensions to that aerial you have spare and I have on order, though even cheaper )

Bit of moving it around and the signal strength was up a tad - 53% from 48%ish - and I can now tune some of the stronger stations. Just watching ITV1 at 88% quality though main BBC stations won't tune in.

That gives me significant hope that when it's all wired up properly I should be OK. No use testing with the car at present as it's normally parked with the rear screen aerials pointing away from the transmitter, so 50% signal strength on that is quite a surprise.

[Architex_mA8tey]

It'll be interesting to see if we have to do this soon with all the technology changing so rapidly - something like a wifi dongle/mifi router on unlimited data sim plugged into the car feeding an iphone or ipad which outputs AV to the screen and then using tvcatchup or bbc iplayer to watch live or stored programmes, or even radio on iplayer now
Keep going though it's a really interesting thread!!

[HPsauce]

Thanks, I didn't know if people were bored with it....

Interestingly the strongest signals (56% currently) are on AlJazeera and Russia Today (TV) and several commercial radio stations, e.g. Kiss FM - all from Crystal Palace. I had been testing in the car on BBC channels which are significantly weaker (BBC1 currently 49% not tuneable) so maybe my "testing strategy" was a bit flawed and needs revisiting.

Also, not sure how many people have the really old tuner and WICLIC connectors, but at least I know now (roughly) in principle how to make a PROPER phantom lead that feeds power from the old analogue TV tuner (or any other DC source) to the OEM aerials but takes the TV signal to a new DVB-T tuner.

[limoncello]

al jazeera is often the strongest on the oem hybrid too, so looking good on your setup. on the oem the list constantly changes as you move through an area which is why you will need to readjust whenever you want to watch it


The antenna that comes with it was next to useless, being a mag mount that relies on the car to assist it, and our cars being alluminium they dont go well together, i got nothing from that antenna at all

[HPsauce]

First picture, achieved only using "wet string" aerial and in "letterbox" mode from indoor testing; still plenty to do though......

[Architex_mA8tey]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

Also, not sure how many people have the really old tuner and WICLIC connectors, but at least I know now (roughly) in principle how to make a PROPER phantom lead that feeds power from the old analogue TV tuner (or any other DC source) to the OEM aerials but takes the TV signal to a new DVB-T tuner.

Well I for one do and I have a lot more faith in you than Phantom Aerials after this lot!