Any advice on on these. For tuning my aerial to the best direction for a signal.
I've always just looked around the campsite to see where everyone else's aerial is trained, and wondered about a signal finder.
I have a Sat Dish as well and already have two Sattelite Finder gizmos.
Now I have not tried using one of those on the ordinary aerial will that work maybe ?
briggspc said
10:41 AM Dec 24, 2012
Hi there Mike, I have a app on my smart phone called Antenna Mate thats free I think and it works 100% all around Australia were you can get service.
Peter
elliemike said
08:09 PM Dec 24, 2012
Thanks Guys very interesting I will follow it up Apps and Signal Gizmos.
As I said earlier I usually observe the aerials in the CP/CS and go from there.
I was interested to see if these things work, as I have noted them while perusing Ebay.
Also just made a Fractal design type Aerial and tested it the other day (it worked great in the driveway) Did not even have to rotate it as I must have been bang on the signal.
-- Edited by elliemike on Monday 24th of December 2012 08:11:08 PM
PeterInSa said
08:18 PM Dec 24, 2012
Bought our Unit from memory from XXXXXX and the unit i purchased am not happy with it, it works but to me not as good as some units that I gave seen. has around 4 or 5 leds that go up in 10db steps, and you move the aerial around to get the led light on with the highest gain, thats roughly where the Signal is coming from, you then turn the TV on and mover the aerial around until the TV works best.
Have seen some units with a number of Leds going up in 2 db steps and some form of range adjuster so that when you move the aeriall and the highest LED signal light comes on you switch the unit to a different setting and on the higher range the lowest led light comes on, you then continue to fine tune the aerial position, this is similar to our Sat Finder unit. This unit cosrts around $100 at caravan shows.
Peter
Cupie said
06:41 PM Dec 25, 2012
elliemike wrote:
Also just made a Fractal design type Aerial and tested it the other day (it worked great in the driveway) Did not even have to rotate it as I must have been bang on the signal.
-- Edited by elliemike on Monday 24th of December 2012 08:11:08 PM
Had a look at a link found on Wikepedia Fractal Aerials. Tells you how to make one yourself.
They look good too ... just like snowflakes. It seems that they are used in mobile phones these days too. Etched into circuit boards.
Saw one on a van at Ballina last week. In fact he had two arrays on the mast. Didn't get a chance to talk to him. Had a whip aerial on top of the mast too (radio or 3G? maybe)
elliemike said
08:15 PM Dec 26, 2012
Cupie wrote:
elliemike wrote:
Also just made a Fractal design type Aerial and tested it the other day (it worked great in the driveway) Did not even have to rotate it as I must have been bang on the signal.
-- Edited by elliemike on Monday 24th of December 2012 08:11:08 PM
Had a look at a link found on Wikepedia Fractal Aerials. Tells you how to make one yourself.
They look good too ... just like snowflakes. It seems that they are used in mobile phones these days too. Etched into circuit boards.
Saw one on a van at Ballina last week. In fact he had two arrays on the mast. Didn't get a chance to talk to him. Had a whip aerial on top of the mast too (radio or 3G? maybe)
I got my info from the net and made the aerial a little bigger.
Istead of copper wire for the Fractals (Stars) I used 3mm dia Brazing rod. This is a lot stiffer than copper (could not find any heave 3mm copper wire) and I used a gas torch to bend it. Made a Jig for bending the Fractals around. Jaycar sell the Baylun 75 ohm to 300ohm Signal gizmo at about $4. In all it took very little time and was a great project. I have to wait till February to test it while camping though. Using a cake cooling tray as a reflector but I will need to source a heavier gauge tray as Ellie wants her tray back.
Next job is to try it with the Kingray Signal amplifier off the old aerial fitted.
Dougwe said
02:04 AM Dec 27, 2012
Just as well Ellie wanted the cake tray back Mike as you might have had good reception but only cooking shows picked up.
I use the Antenna Mate App for my iphone.
elliemike said
03:00 AM Dec 27, 2012
Dougwe wrote:
Just as well Ellie wanted the cake tray back Mike as you might have had good reception but only cooking shows picked up.
I use the Antenna Mate App for my iphone.
Jeepers It was Jamie's 15 minute meals when I did the Test, then the 30 minute meals. I stopped testing when Poh's Kitchen came on.
elliemike said
03:21 AM Dec 27, 2012
I don't have an iphone, But I came across someone who has all the signal towers as POI on the GPS so at least you get direction and distance of those in your vicinity. Might give that a go.
PeterD said
09:15 AM Dec 27, 2012
Here is a good website to find where your local stations are - web site - You can also change it over to find the Telstra mobile cell sites as well.
elliemike said
09:41 PM Dec 30, 2012
Thanks for all the info and discussion on this everyone.
Any advice on on these. For tuning my aerial to the best direction for a signal.
I've always just looked around the campsite to see where everyone else's aerial is trained, and wondered about a signal finder.
I have a Sat Dish as well and already have two Sattelite Finder gizmos.
Now I have not tried using one of those on the ordinary aerial will that work maybe ?
Peter
Thanks Guys very interesting I will follow it up Apps and Signal Gizmos.
As I said earlier I usually observe the aerials in the CP/CS and go from there.
I was interested to see if these things work, as I have noted them while perusing Ebay.
Also just made a Fractal design type Aerial and tested it the other day (it worked great in the driveway) Did not even have to rotate it as I must have been bang on the signal.
-- Edited by elliemike on Monday 24th of December 2012 08:11:08 PM
Have seen some units with a number of Leds going up in 2 db steps and some form of range adjuster so that when you move the aeriall and the highest LED signal light comes on you switch the unit to a different setting and on the higher range the lowest led light comes on, you then continue to fine tune the aerial position, this is similar to our Sat Finder unit. This unit cosrts around $100 at caravan shows.
Peter
Had a look at a link found on Wikepedia Fractal Aerials. Tells you how to make one yourself.
They look good too ... just like snowflakes. It seems that they are used in mobile phones these days too. Etched into circuit boards.
Saw one on a van at Ballina last week. In fact he had two arrays on the mast. Didn't get a chance to talk to him. Had a whip aerial on top of the mast too (radio or 3G? maybe)
I got my info from the net and made the aerial a little bigger.
Istead of copper wire for the Fractals (Stars) I used 3mm dia Brazing rod. This is a lot stiffer than copper (could not find any heave 3mm copper wire) and I used a gas torch to bend it. Made a Jig for bending the Fractals around. Jaycar sell the Baylun 75 ohm to 300ohm Signal gizmo at about $4. In all it took very little time and was a great project. I have to wait till February to test it while camping though. Using a cake cooling tray as a reflector but I will need to source a heavier gauge tray as Ellie wants her tray back.
Next job is to try it with the Kingray Signal amplifier off the old aerial fitted.
Just as well Ellie wanted the cake tray back Mike as you might have had good reception but only cooking shows picked up.
I use the Antenna Mate App for my iphone.
Jeepers It was Jamie's 15 minute meals when I did the Test, then the 30 minute meals. I stopped testing when Poh's Kitchen came on.
Here is a good website to find where your local stations are - web site - You can also change it over to find the Telstra mobile cell sites as well.
Thanks for all the info and discussion on this everyone.
Happy Yule and New Year
Mike