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We have not caravanned much in the UK these past few years but we have a Status type adjustable directional aerial which has given us excellent reception on recent UK trips.

We also carry a sky box and dish which we have not needed to use so my question is - should we ditch the sky gear other than for European trips?  I understand that in mountains etc reception may be difficult but other than that is the digital signal reliable in most places?

Thanks

we used to use a sat dish pre digi switch over but since the big switch we haven't needed it, we've been up to cumbria, north yorkshire and the east coast of yorkshire , derbyshire, nottinghamshire,also been  down to norfolk in the not too distant past

so far everywhere we've been we've managed to get a good signal, via a digital aerial mounted on a mast attached to the jockey wheel, in fact on our last trip to Brid' we didn't even need that just used the old status omni directional aerial that was on the van when we bought it.

but we only use the built in freeveiw on the telly ,i suppose you'd need more kit if you want to watch 'sky' programmes

Hi Oxter we have found exactly the same since the summer this year!

With the Status directional all the sites we have visited this year, on arrival have just pushed up the aerial, run a scan on the TV which has built in Freeview and have loads of perfect clear channels.

I have not used my Maxview freestanding dish for my Sky satellite box which is fitted under one of the bed boxes once in the UK this year. I am starting to wonder if I need it in there now, bearing in  mind I have to cart around my 66 cm dish in the back of the car on the 'just in case' we dont get a signal on Freeview with the Status directional.

I think I will keep taking it during 2013 and if I find by the end of next year the signals on Freeview  / Status  keep as good as they are, I will take the Satellite dish only on my trips to France. 

Many thanks for the replies.  Very interesting.

We are not telly addicts but darker nights mean sooner indoors and as long as we have a reasonable selection of things to watch we'll be happy with that.  We are normally in France where the sky kit is essential for viewing when you can no longer sit out.  We are adept at tuning in and have a long co-ax for the tree problems.  But if we can at least get something to view in the UK in most places we might just live with the freeview selection, and leave the sky stuff at home.

Will be winter caravanning when possible and one summer holiday is planned for sunny Britain in 2013 so your comments are most helpful, thanks.