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Ok guys and galls, dont want to get into a debate about TV on a campsite but looking for a small compact digital aerial. I have a V-Gear digital TV Receiver that I can use with my laptop (plugs in the USB the size of a memory stick), if I plug my house aerial not Satdish it works fine and picks up all the freeview channels with great pic quality.

So any help appreciated.

Victor

Emvid,

Sorry to hear about the Aruba on you other thread?? Was really after something to put outside, can get something to clamp on the jockey wheel of our trailer ideally.

Victor

Quote: Originally posted by Markos on 17/6/2007

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True, but it's not really practical for camping to take one, along with a pole.

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If you're camping within a few miles of a transmitter, you can probably get away with a damp piece of string.  For anywhere else, you need the same type of aerials the locals have on their houses.

Generally a satellite system is best for camping - the satellite is always in the same place in the sky so when you get used to finding it (and have the right kit), you can set up very quickly without having to research local TV transmitters & relays and the same dish will work in all of England & Wales, parts of Scotland and even much of France and Spain.

Quote: Originally posted by arthurdent on 18/6/2007

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Reading this just made me think - when the switch off happens over the next few years and there's no analogue TV left, there'll be a whole lot less TV being watched on campsites !

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Why?  Those who currently watch analogue TV will be able to change to digital for less than £20 if their current TV has a SCART socket.  For £80 at current prices from Tesco, you can even get a Freview box with integrated Hard Disc video recorder so price isn't a barrier.

And one reason why it's tough to get digital in some places is because much of the transmitter power is currently used to drive analogue.  When that analogue is switched off, digital will be even easier to get.

(At home in Milton Keynes, we don't have a local TV transmitter as it was decided in the 60s that we'd all have cable.  Many people have decided over the years that the local cable service isn't any good and have fitted TV aerials.  We've recently done this ourselves and can only get BBC1 on analogue from Sandy Heath but we can get all the Freeview channels perfectly.  When analogue is switched off, we'll probably find we can use a smaller aerial - not that I'm going back up to change it!)

For anyone considering using their laptop as a telly the Freeview USB gizmo I got for my laptop was only about £20. I had quite a good look around at them before I bought, and I opted for one with a proper aerial socket on it (so not limited to the tiny aerial that comes with it) otherwise you need an adapter to connect it to a proper aerial plug.

Here's a bunch of them on ebay: click here

Quote: Originally posted by PaulDG on 18/6/2007

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Why?  Those who currently watch analogue TV will be able to change to digital for less than £20 if their current TV has a SCART socket.  For £80 at current prices from Tesco, you can even get a Freview box with integrated Hard Disc video recorder so price isn't a barrier.

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Quote: Originally posted by arthurdent on 18/6/2007

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Simply because Freeview requires so much better reception than analogue - and that will be difficult in some rural parts of N. Ireland. I can see a lot of people not bothering with the better aerial and extra freeview box it will require.

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It only requires better reception now because of the current need to transmit both analogue and digital.  Once analogue is switched off, there shouldn't be a problem.

And, as I wrote earlier, at home we get much better digital reception than anlogue.

Also some campsites are providing Wi-Fi connections which will mean it's possible to access the streaming video services some of the TV companies are now rolling out.