TV Aerial Repairs in Bideford

If you just bought a Smart TV and you’re not certain whether or not you’ll need to purchase an aerial to be able to access your favorite TV channels, then you’ve come to the right place! So many Smart TV owners also face the same issue and seek an effective solution to it. In this post, we aim to provide you with an insight on this topic to help you make the best-informed decision possible moving forward. Let’s take a look!

The short and simple answer to this question is no, you don’t have to buy a TV aerial to watch your smart TV. However, it should also be noted that you won’t be able to access Freeview or any other terrestrial broadcasts for that matter without a TV aerial. What’s more? You’ll also be restricted to the content offered by your television’s internet streaming app. To unlock Freeview channels, you can consider purchasing an affordable and portable indoor aerial for that purpose. So, what can you watch on your Smart TV without an aerial? Well, without a TV aerial, you’ll only be able to access mod boxes or media from other sources like Blu Ray players, gaming consoles, computers and more. In the event whereby your Smart TV is connected to the internet as it’s designed to be, you can also make use of a plethora of streaming apps to access plenty of media online.

If you don’t want to watch you TV with an aerial, the best option would definitely be to connect your router or broadband through an ethernet cable and make use of the featured streaming apps.

Basically, what a tv aerial does is simply to receive broadcasted tv signals from the television station, then transmit those vibrations directly to your screen. Just like any other antenna, the tv aerial is made of metal. How exactly does it work?

The small electrical currents present in the antenna is induced by the electromagnetic waves transmitting tv signals. The tv set then acts as an amplifier to the signal and chooses the information which carries the sound as well as vision. The tv aerials are also commonly referred to as “yagi arrays by engineers. The metal plates present at the far end of the array directs the signal back down its length. Meanwhile, the parallel rod-like structures which run along the aerial’s length are designed and spaced to improve the strength of the signal.

Generally, aerials are divided into two categories – indoor and outdoor. Indoor antennas are the types located on top of your tv set or next to it, while outdoor antennas are installed on top of your building and exposed to the elements. Most times, the type of aerial you’ll require will be determined by the location of your house. For fringe or rural areas which are far from the transmission stations and likely to be blocked by natural obstructions like trees and hills, outdoor antennas are more suitable.

The performance or effectiveness of your TV aerial can be affected by a couple of things. Firstly, it can be unaligned by poor weather which will affect the signal received and interfere with the picture quality of the TV. Secondly, the TV aerial cable can also become faulty or disconnected. This is mostly the case when you get a “no signal message on your TV screen.

Does your old TV aerial cable have a cut or tear in line? Well, good news is, you don’t have to discard it. When such problems occur, they can lead to loss of conductivity or interference which results in weak or poor reception or even none at all. With a few easily accessible coaxial repair tools which can be obtained from local stores, repairing your aerial cable can require a much less effort than you think. In this post, we’re going to take you through the TV aerial cable repairing process. Let’s take a look!

• Identify the part of your coaxial cable that needs to be repaired. Incorporate wire cutters to make a clean cut across the damaged cable portion.
• Close the RG-6 labeled groove of the crimping tool an inch down the cable and make a complete cut around the exterior part of the cable.
• Cut the exposed aluminum braiding around the insulation to leave the copper filament above the cut portion which is usually surrounded by a white PVC insulation.
• Using the part of the stripping tool labeled “inner, cut between the insulation down to around 1/3 inch. Once done, twist the stripper around the section to get a clean cut and take off the portion that is cut.
• Identify the copper filament positioned at the middle of the cable and surrounded by insulation and thread it through the twist-on connector’s base.
• Strip the damaged coax cable’s other end and add a twist-on connector to it.
• Use a coupler to connect the two repaired cables. To do this, simply screw one end of the first cable to one side of the cable coupler and do the same to the second cable to the other side of the coupler

The process you need to go through to install a TV aerial depends on the type of aerial you have. If you have an indoor aerial, it’s simple. Just plug the aerial into your TV and stand it up next to it. If the signal isn’t right, then try moving your aerial closer to a window or higher up. Make sure you rescan for channels every time you move it so you know if you’ve made an improvement. It’s also fairly easy to install a loft TV aerial – just take it up into your loft and position it in a convenient place. Again, experiment with angles and positions to ensure you get the best signal. Installing an outdoor TV aerial is a little trickier. Ideally, try to fix your aerial to a wall or chimney at a gable end – this will be much easier to access than a chimney in the middle of the roof. Follow the instructions that come with your aerial for mounting it – it’s usually best to lash your aerial on rather than use screws. If you’re not used to working at height or aren’t confident doing your own aerial installation work, it’s best to get in touch with a professional.