Got a small tv in Luxembourg, no channels found (trying both SECAM and
PAL). I suppose I need an external antenna. Something cheap will likely
do the job as signals should be good in this area, but are there any
pitfalls to avoid in order to avoid a 100% useless antenna?

Jan wrote:

Got a small tv in Luxembourg, no channels found (trying both SECAM and
PAL). I suppose I need an external antenna. Something cheap will likely
do the job as signals should be good in this area, but are there any
pitfalls to avoid in order to avoid a 100% useless antenna?

Just about anything that conducts electricity will be an improvement
over nothing.

With enough fiddling the old traditional rabbit ears make a pretty good
antenna. Back when antenna lead-ins were a pair of screws you could do
quite well with a couple of coat hangers.

Probably any shop that carries TVs will have something.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

I recommend that you avoid fancy and expensive antennas that sit on top
of the TV and have lots of knobs and switches -- those are nearly 100%
useless. Begin with what we call "rabbit ears" -- a couple of
telescoping rods in a plastic base which you can adjust in length and
position. That should be adequate to get some TV signals in an area
where the signals are fairly strong. If you have trouble with "ghosts"
(multiple images spaced horizontally), you'll need a directional
antenna, outside or in the attic.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Jan wrote:
Got a small tv in Luxembourg, no channels found (trying both SECAM and
PAL). I suppose I need an external antenna. Something cheap will likely
do the job as signals should be good in this area, but are there any
pitfalls to avoid in order to avoid a 100% useless antenna?

"Jan" wrote in message
ps.com...
Got a small tv in Luxembourg, no channels found (trying both SECAM and
PAL). I suppose I need an external antenna. Something cheap will likely
do the job as signals should be good in this area, but are there any
pitfalls to avoid in order to avoid a 100% useless antenna?

Hi Jan

My personal favorite indoor TV antenna for use in metropolitan areas is
the "Apple Antenna" It is a plastic apple that is attached to the wall and
located several feet from the TV set. The Apple Antenna is then connected
to one of the two antenna terminals on the rear of the TV with a length of
copper wire. The instructions mention that the Apple might need to be
relocated for best reception.

Jerry

Got a small tv in Luxembourg, no channels found (trying both SECAM and
PAL). I suppose I need an external antenna. Something cheap will likely
do the job as signals should be good in this area, but are there any
pitfalls to avoid in order to avoid a 100% useless antenna?

I understand that all TV in Europe is on UHF in analog and digital formats.
Hope you are not looking on VHF.

Frank

"Jan" wrote in message
ps.com...
Got a small tv in Luxembourg, no channels found (trying both SECAM and
PAL). I suppose I need an external antenna. Something cheap will likely
do the job as signals should be good in this area, but are there any
pitfalls to avoid in order to avoid a 100% useless antenna?

If you live within about 30 km from a station, you should be able to get
some kind of a picture with nothing more than a 1 meter piece of wire
connected to the antenna terminal. Make sure the TV is set for antenna, not
cable. Don't k now the European frequency plan, but here in the US, TV
channels 14 and above are offset by 1/3 of a channel from cable channels in
the same frequency range.

Tam

Got a small tv in Luxembourg, no channels found (trying both SECAM and
PAL). I suppose I need an external antenna. Something cheap will likely
do the job as signals should be good in this area, but are there any
pitfalls to avoid in order to avoid a 100% useless antenna?

If you live within about 30 km from a station, you should be able to get
some kind of a picture with nothing more than a 1 meter piece of wire
connected to the antenna terminal. Make sure the TV is set for antenna,
not cable. Don't k now the European frequency plan, but here in the US, TV
channels 14 and above are offset by 1/3 of a channel from cable channels
in the same frequency range.

Tam

Found the following on the web. Note the channel frequencies are different
from North America. No mention of VHF for TV broadcasting in the UK.

http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk/...is_Ver_1.0.pdf

Frank

Probably because it covered DIGITAL TV. They have a few analog channels. The
last time I was there they had BBC1 and BBC2 on VHF. What I found
interesting is that a lot of Europe uses vertical polarization rather than
horizontal like we do. Every time I go over there it takes me a few days to
get use to the 50 Cycle refresh rate which I perceive as flicker. But at
least the "colour" is the same from all cameras.

"Frank" wrote in message
news:YR4gf.120103$S4.98713@edtnps84...
Found the following on the web. Note the channel frequencies are
different
from North America. No mention of VHF for TV broadcasting in the UK.


http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk/...is_Ver_1.0.pdf

Frank

"Fred W4JLE" wrote in message
...
Probably because it covered DIGITAL TV. They have a few analog channels.
The
last time I was there they had BBC1 and BBC2 on VHF. What I found
interesting is that a lot of Europe uses vertical polarization rather than
horizontal like we do. Every time I go over there it takes me a few days
to
get use to the 50 Cycle refresh rate which I perceive as flicker. But at
least the "colour" is the same from all cameras.

Fred, If you notice the document
(http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk/...is_Ver_1.0.pdf)
does refer to analog transmission in the UHF band.

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHF:
"British television originally used VHF bands I and III. Television on VHF
was in black and white with 405-line display. British colour television was
broadcast on UHF (channels 21-69), beginning in the late 1960s. TV from then
on was broadcast on both VHF and UHF, with the exception of BBC2 (which had
always broadcast solely on UHF). The last British VHF TV transmitters closed
down on January 3, 1985. VHF band III is now used in the UK for digital
audio broadcasting. Unusually, the UK has an amateur radio allocation at 4
metres, 70-70.5 MHz."

Possibly somebody from the UK could verify if all the VHF stations have in
fact closed down. It is true that they use vertical polarization. The
refresh rate is 25 Hz, interlaced, which is why the flicker is so
noticeable. NTSC color drift was cured in the late 70s. PAL was a genuine
attempt to fix the color drift problem -- with some loss of color
resolution. SECAM was invented by the French to be different to everybody
else.

Regards,

Frank

If you are trying to use this in the North American, South American
markets, no wonder it doesnt work! North american uses NTSC standard,
while PAL/and SECAM are European standards! Think there is also another
standard for Austrailia/New Zeland, tho they might also use PAL.
(and this is before you consider the tv station frequencies difference)!
Jim NN7K



Frank wrote:
Got a small tv in Luxembourg, no channels found (trying both SECAM and
PAL). I suppose I need an external antenna. Something cheap will likely
do the job as signals should be good in this area, but are there any
pitfalls to avoid in order to avoid a 100% useless antenna?


If you live within about 30 km from a station, you should be able to get
some kind of a picture with nothing more than a 1 meter piece of wire
connected to the antenna terminal. Make sure the TV is set for antenna,
not cable. Don't k now the European frequency plan, but here in the US, TV
channels 14 and above are offset by 1/3 of a channel from cable channels
in the same frequency range.

Tam


Found the following on the web. Note the channel frequencies are different
from North America. No mention of VHF for TV broadcasting in the UK.

http://www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk/...is_Ver_1.0.pdf

Frank