re-instate traditional aerial
 

hi -

i have just moved in to a new house. the tv aerial from the roof looks like it enters a telewest box on the outside of the house, and then that connects to a small white telewest box inside the house. that box has a wire, but it is not a standard tv aerial connection. does anyone know how i reinstate the traditional aerial. (i don't subscribe to telewest or have one of their digital boxes).

thanks for any help.

dg

Re: re-instate traditional aerial
 

:welcome: to Cable Forum :D

The easiest and most reliable way will be to run a new coaxial cable from the rooftop aerial to the TV point in you living room, thus bypassing whatever was done for the Telewest Installation.

An alternative (so you don't have to climb the roof) would be to cut the coaxial cable just before it enters the external Telewest box, make a reliable joint and attach a new length of coaxial cable between the joint and the living room wall point.

Of course with either of these options routing the new cable may be a challenge, getting it through walls.

The connector in the box in your living room will be a threaded "satelite" style fitting. It is possible to get adaptors that convert that to a standard fitting. Whether the existing circuit through the Telewest box could then be used, with a satelite to TV coaxial adaptor I don't know. Without a standard Telewest STB there may be too much interference.

Re: re-instate traditional aerial
 

Get a set-top one or get one fitted by an aerial installer, are the easiest ways.

Re: re-instate traditional aerial
 

Doh, forgot that bit :dunce: :D

Re: re-instate traditional aerial
 

An installer would also make easier work of re-routing past the TW cab/box thingie as well, they're used to faffing around with coax and holes in walls... bleh. :D

Re: re-instate traditional aerial
 

many thanks for your help

Re: re-instate traditional aerial
 

put your aerial in your loft . and run coax in to your bed room then down the the tv ,

Re: re-instate traditional aerial
 

If the roof aerial lead goes into the TW box then its signal will probably be present on the wire inside which probably has a F connector. You can get convertors from Maplins and the big DIY chains (B&Q, Homebase, etc) that will allow you to connect your TV fly lead to the TW F connector.

Re: re-instate traditional aerial
 

Hi, Seem to have the same query as d67, but am not nearly as clued up - only renting the property and telewest has been installed everywhere! All I want is to be able to use a freeview box with tv but there doesn't seem to be any aerial bar the telewest cable. Any Ideas?
Sorry for my lack of knowledge, at least I seem to have come to the right place for help!

Re: re-instate traditional aerial
 

If you're lucky and you live close to a Freeview-enabled transmitter, then a set-top aerial might suffice. Otherwise you need to get one into your loft space or on the roof and have some wiring done. If you're renting, then you will need to consult with your landlord beforehand.

Re: re-instate traditional aerial
 

Where do you live? You'd need to check if you can get FV first!

Re: re-instate traditional aerial
 

Heaton, Newcastle - Lived literally across the road last year with the FV box so Im pretty sure it'll work.

Re: re-instate traditional aerial
 

It will probably work then. Although you should get a good set-top if you're gonna get one- there's a Telecam one in Argos that I use for digital that seems to work well, and it's about a tenner. You may not need a rooftop aerial then :)

Presume you're on Pontop Pike transmitter... I wouldn't think a place the size of Newcastle would have any problems... but that said, 4 transmitters are supposed to serve Nottingham and none of them are particularly good at it... :(

If it's worked in the same area then as i said there shouldn't be a problem. Although:
- your existing aerial may not be high enough gain or in the wrong band
- your leads may not be any good even if you re-instate it...

TBH I'd try with a good set-top like the telecam. Argos also do a decent SLX 1-set booster (ca. 14 dB) which is also about a tenner and it's pretty good :)