"David L. Jones"
Ok, I love my digital TV, but interference from other stuff in the
house is really starting to bug me. Almost anything that switches on
and off will usually interfer in some way (lights, dishwasher, fridge,
appliances etc), and the roller door shuts the box down completely.
Anyone got a good solution that has worked for them?
** First thing to work out is the nature of the interference problem.
If the picture is momentarily freezing or pixelating, then the data stream
is being corrupted due to * in-band* electrical impulse noise ( in-band =
in the same frequency range as the digital transmission). If s not, then
the noise is not in-band at all.
Which channels are most affected ??
In order to seriously corrupt the digital signal, the impulse noise needs to
be of comparable strength to the level being delivered by the antenna - so
the signal strength at the particular reception location plus the relative
gain and directivity of the antenna in use are important. A weak signal is
vulnerable and a strong one is not.
Since the energy spectrum of impulse noise falls with increasing frequency,
the UHF band is far less vulnerable and so too are channels 11 and 12
compared to channels 6 and 8 in the VHF band.
Channels 7, 9, 10 & 2 transmit digitally on channels 6, 8, 11 & 12
respectively.
SBS transmits digitally on UHF 34 ( 571.5 MHz) in Sydney.
In-band noise interference is likely to be picked up directly by the antenna
itself, rather than the connecting cable, in the average house situation.
Improving the cable shielding will not help if this is the case. A communal
antenna system, cabled to many residents in a unit block, may be different
matter since the co-ax cable may run in close parallel with installed AC
power wiring.
Probably, the thing most likely to work for those in average to weak signal
area is a better antenna - one with more gain than the usual general
purpose antenna and designed only for that part of the VHF band from
channels 6 to 12 plus the UHF band.
I note that WES finally have such an antenna on display at Ashfield, for
not too many dollars.
Looks like a strangely overgrown UHF type.
........ Phil