13/01/2023
Here at TekHed we can solve any technical issue with most forms of public access infrastructure* and the common issue isn’t if it’s possible, rather is it worth it?
*Free To Air Tv / Radio (FTA), Internet & Phone Services.
As a example let’s summarize FTA services that A LOT of people in the Benalla region seem to have problems with.
At our own office address in the core of the town we can receive EVERY STATION CRYSTAL CLEAR and have only had a single channel outage in the last 3x years when a PHYSICAL BROADCAST TOWER WENT DOWN, outside that through rain or shine we have FTA signal.
It wasn’t always that way and since taking over the building we have had to make sure we have the following:-
-A full UHF/VHF Dual Point FTA Aerial /Antenna.
-A 3G/4G Shield linked to the FTA Aerial cable run.
-A 4x Point Powered Booster installed in the roof and attached to the cable between the Aerial 3G/4G shield and each TV we run in the building.
-All 4x TVs are modern with support for all known “codec types” and are tuned every time station number are adjusted.
If even a SINGLE variable doesn’t match modern standards then your service will suffer some form of degradation, be if pixelization through to complete drop outs.
Since AU moved to the DTV standard we are able to fit more channels into a reduced spectrum but alot of houses still only have low end Aerials / Antennas attached and they can’t receive the required frequencies being broadcast from a tower if the “receiver” doesn’t support the exact required bands.
Benalla sits between 2x points of broadcast and you need clear LINE OF SIGHT from the tower and your Aerial to obtain a decent signal strength.
We solved this at our office by using a DUAL POINT Antenna and angling it so it receives broadcast from both Albury & Shepparton at the same time, if we didn’t do this we would need to pick a SINGULAR point of access and angle towards that and we would have constant lack of signal on some channels vs others.
Depending on the locations you might even need 2x Antennas pointing in completely different directions to obtain full link to both towers and if your surrounded by trees be prepared to install a MASSIVE mast on your roof to increase the height of the aerials get out a chain saw.
Next issue is “spectrum blead”, while Mobile & Fixed Wireless NBN Towers don’t broadcast at the same frequencies that FTA TV / Radio does depending on your area and what device you run at your house that access the mobile networks you can have “noise” on your FTA signal which can lead to pixelation & drop outs, that’s what a 3G/4G shield is for.
Once you have a full spectrum functional Aerial /Antenna array installed next question is HOW MANY TV’s DO YOU PLAN ON RUNNING /PORTS ARE IN THE BUILDING!
Every additional device you add to the FTA Antenna connection reduces overall signal from Aerial so you will need a standalone POWERED BOOSTER before every Tv or a high-end multipoint booster installed in the roof as a “hub” for each access point cable that is plugged in.
We run 4x TVs at the TekHed offices so we installed a 6x point booster in the roof, FTA antenna lead runs to it, 4x leads then run from that to each wall point in a separate room so the base end Aerial signal is “amped up” to match the need of all screens running at the same time.
With out this as each additional Tv is power on over all signal strength is reduced till none have a clear picture.
We were lucky as there is already a normal power points in our roof space, if you don’t have this then you either need one installer in the ceiling to run the powered booster or one before each TV that is power via inside power points.
Once you have a working aerial and powered booster(s) matched to the amount of TVs you want to run next step is about “having TVs with DTV boards that support the broadcasted Codec Type”.
A Codec is a form of “digital code” that can be converted to image / sound as its received, some examples are MPEG, DIVX & MKV.
Modern FTA DTA signal is actually a compressed digital stream which is converted back to standard analogue signal at the device level.
If a new channel is launched and its broadcasting in a codec your DTV board in your Tv doesn’t support you won’t be able to watch it, that’s why Digital Set Top Boxes exist as they can read all know codec types where as old TVs can’t.
Lastly as the different channels blocks (ABC, SBS, 7, 9, 10) launch new stations they adjust what frequencies they broadcast the existing channels on, you need to RETUNE your system every time they do this.
We have our own TVs set to AUTO RETUNE every 128 days at 1:00am which means we never need to worry about doing it manually but you need a TV or Set Top Box that supports said feature (as well as have to set it up) or you need to do it every time a new station is launched.
There is no way to know what is causing a problem at one location vs another without testing the variables but we have never seen a problem with FTA signal we haven’t been able to fix with the right tech plus installation.
Catch 22 is if the cost and effort is worth it.
As with digging up front yards and replacing lead ins so people can have FIBRE TO THE POINT NBN internet access or installing a $1500 to $3000 CelFi Booster to solve mobile access issues, question is rarely if its possible but always if customer is willing to have us do it.
Photo is of our Dual Point Antenna / Aerial setup with the Mobile Signal Bleed Shield attached and that’s just what’s required OUITSIDE the building, inside is even worse.
Of cause there is alternatives in the form of IPTV but that requires constant and reliable internet access which is just as complicated to achieve.
So long rant short – “Yes we can solve your FTA TV & Radio access issues but is it worth it?”
