TV Options for your caravan or motorhomeMost of us carry a small TV for caravan use and most of us frequently complain about poor reception and the limited number of channels we can receive. So does it have to be like this? Fortunately the answer is no – with a little knowledge and some expenditure things can be very different. This article explores the options from a new aerial to an all singing, all dancing, satellite setup. Words by Terry Owen most photos by Alison Owen |
Dealing with poor reception
The reason reception is often poor normally lies in the aerial. For 95% of us this means the ‘flying saucer’ status aerial on the roof of the van. These aerials a designed to work without any setting up – despite the direction of the transmitter, the frequency it transmits on, or whether the signal is horizontally or vertically polarised. They therefore need to, and can, pick up signals from all directions. One problem with this omni-directional approach is that they not only pick up the signals we want but also those we don’t.
Consider a caravan situated near to other caravans, trees or buildings. The signals from the transmitter can reflect off these objects arriving at the aerial a tiny fraction of a second later than the main signal. The result is ‘ghosting’ where a second fainter image appears offset from the main one and making the picture appear blurred.
Another problem with omni-direction aerials is that they have no inherent gain – i.e. they cannot amplify or boost the signal they receive. To some extent this is overcome by fitting a booster box but the problem with these is that they also amplify the noise picked up by the aerial and the result can be a grainy picture.
The simplest and cheapest solution is to buy a conventional aerial that has been designed for portable use. Many caravan accessory shops stock these, together with the masts to carry them. These masts can either be designed to clamp to the side of the van using the upper and lower awning rails or to the jockey wheel post. Look for aerials describing themselves as wideband, high gain and/or log periodic. These will give good performance over a wide range of frequencies and can often be recognised by the fact that they taper to one end.
When setting the aerial up plug it into the Status booster box in place of the downlead from the ‘flying saucer’ and look around to see what direction any other aerials are pointing. This should give a clue where the nearest transmitter is. Look also to see whether the other aerials’ metal elements are horizontal or vertical. If in doubt, simply try turning the aerial on its side to see if the picture improves.
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Many new new caravans and motorhomes are now being fitted with this Status 530 directional aerial. It comes in both short and long mast forms and performs well. The short mast version can often be fitted above an overhead locker. The long mast version requires more space and a wall mounting. For this reason it is usually mounted above a wardrobe. This aerial can be raised 550mm (21½”) above the roof for better reception. The 530 uses the same booster box as the 315. |
Digital terrestrial TV
Digital terrestrial TV, or Freeview as it is now known in the UK, has expanded rapidly from its early beginnings. Soon it will be the only terrestrial TV available so, unless you have a mobile satellite set up, you are going to need appropriate receiving kit. This means a good directional aerial and digital tuner. New TV’s have these built in but older ones will require a set top box. Gone are the days when you could watch a snowy picture caused by a weak signal. With digital it’s all or nothing.
For caravan use it’s important that any box is relatively compact and can work off a 12 volt supply. There aren’t many that are designed for 12 volt mobile operation but the Philips DTR220/12 is one. It costs about £60. Another is the Digifusion FRT101 but some examples have been prone to freezing so it may be best avoided. Bush produces a scart type box for about £50. This comes with a 12 volt power brick for main use but can be used directly on 12 volts (model DFTA100). In my experience some 12 volt kit will malfunction or even be damaged if the 12 volt supply exceeds a certain voltage. The answer is to use a 12 Volt stabiliser such as Amperor’s ADP-90DC-12S1 which will provide a stabiliser 12 volt output even if the input varies between 10 volts and 28 volts. Beware that many boxes do not have card slots so if you want to upgrade to watch the additional channels available via the new Top Up TV scheme then a conditional access module (CAM) will be needed. I haven’t seen any of these yet but my guess is that they will work via the SCART socket on the set top box and may need an additional power supply. |
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Bush DFTA100 digital receiver |
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Amperor’s ADP-90DC-12S1 12 volt stabiliser |
So will one of these set top boxes work via the Status flying saucer? Well, in my experience, quite possibly. Some channels may be missing or jerky but it may not always be necessary to put up a directional external aerial.
With the digital switch over already under way you cab check out the status of your destination by putting the postcode into the box on this website www.digitaluk.co.uk
Satellite TV
There’s so much up there that, given the right kit, many hundreds of stations can be received. The problem is who would want to carry all that kit around? For this article I will concentrate on what can be received with either a Sky Digibox or a digital free to air receiver.
Firstly some definitions are called for. Free to air describes channels that can be received with virtually any digital receiver. This means that the signal is broadcast without any scrambling or encoding. BBC1 and Sky News are good examples. Free to view however normally describes channels that are broadcast in a scrambled format but for which no subscription is necessary. ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are examples of these.
In order to see free to view channels a suitable receiver and viewing card are needed. The receiver must have the necessary decoding circuitry (sometimes referred to as a conditional access module or CAM) and a card to switch it on for the channels you want to watch. If you are already a Sky subscriber then, regardless of your subscription package, you will already be able receive free to view channels such as ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
The problem is that if you purchase a second Digibox for use in your caravan then you will need a second card as the cards are box specific. Cards can be swapped but, in order to work properly Sky needs to re-authorise them. Clearly this is not practical for the odd few days away in the caravan. Free to view cards are available for a one-off fee of around £23. The scheme is administered by Sky to whom you will have to apply. Sky has a dedicated phone number for administering this card - it is 08702 438000. Another way to get a second sky subscription is to go for Sky’s Multiroom package, which gives you an extra card for £10 per month and a second Digibox for £99. The problem with this is that it is a condition of purchase that the second box is connected to a phone line so Sky can check it is where you say it is. Breach this too often and they'll charge you the full amount for the second subscription.
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Alternatively Sky Digiboxes can be purchased without a contract, either new or second-hand, but are likely to cost in excess of £100. Without doubt the best one for mobile use is the Pace “Javelin” Sky Minibox. This tiny box is only 1 inch high by 10 inches wide by 7 inches deep and will work off 12 volts (see pic). I’ve been told that this unit is no longer produced so, if you can find one, grab it. It costs around £190 dependent on the supplier. As an alternative there is the Pace ‘Rapier’ BskyB2600. Although much larger than the ‘Javelin’ it’s still small for a Digibox but requires a 230 volt ac supply. This can easily be provided via a small inverter when mains is not available. |
The Pace “Javelin” Sky Minibox |
There are currently some 114 free to air and 5 free to view channels available via a Sky Digibox. You can see an up to date list of these by visiting www.wickonline.com/fta.htm
Note that whilst Sky Digiboxes can receive programmes from "other" satellites they are not designed to do so and results can be patchy. However, it does provide a cheap way to try out other channels before deciding whether to purchase a (non Sky) digital free to air receiver. These are a little cheaper than Sky Digiboxes and can handle a wider range of signals. 12 volt models are available.
The choice of dish really depends on where you want to use it and what you want to receive. For Sky TV in the UK and near continent a 45-60cm dish should suffice. Go down to the south of France or Spain and the situation changes dramatically. The weakest channel is BBC 1 as its transponder is now weaker and aimed just at the UK. To receive this you will need a dish around 2.4m in diameter – clearly not very practical whilst caravanning. Having said this 80cm dish will receive signals from the ‘south beam’ but not all channels are on this beam.
Dishes come in various shapes and sizes but the two main types for portable use are 'offset arm' where the LNB receiver is held on an arm, and prime focus where the LNB is positioned centrally at the rear of the dish and receives its signal via a tube from centrally mounted reflector. Prime focus dishes tend to outperform offset arm dishes of a similar size. Dishes can be mounted on poles attached to the side of the caravan or to the jockey wheel clamp. Alternatively it is possible to buy suction mounts for roof fixing. It is possible to buy self seeking systems that fix permanently to the roof. These are great if you have a motorhome but I would not recommend fitting one to a caravan since caravan roofs are not designed to take this type of attachment. |
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This Arcon ‘Sweetie’ 43 cm prime focus dish gives similar performance to a 60cm offset arm dish. It comes with suction cup and pole mounts and costs around £130 |
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Lining up a dish with Sky’s satellite is not as difficult as it might first seem. All you need is a simple ‘sounder’ device and then aim the dish in a south easterly direction until you pick up a strong signal. The elevation of the satellite above the horizon depends on how far South you are, this is because all satellites are positioned above the Southern equator so the farther south you travel the higher the angle for reception is. Typically in the UK this angle varies from 20 degrees in the North to 30 degrees in the South. Fortunately the Astra satellite used by Sky at 28º East (i.e. east of south or 152º true on a compass) is the strongest satellite in our skies so it’s not that difficult to find. Occasionally it’s possible to lock on to the wrong satellite but, after a little practice it should be quite easy to get it right. With a lot of patience it is possible line up with the satellite using the digibox's signal level indicator. This screen is accessed by pressing SERVICES, SYSTEM SETUP, SIGNAL TEST on your remote control and provides useful information for setting the system up. See table below:- |
This dish has a folding arm for stowage |
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| SIGNAL STRENGTH | Should be around half way or above | ||
| SIGNAL QUALITY | Should be around half way or above | ||
| LOCK INDICATOR | Should say OK | ||
| NETWORK ID | Should say 0002 | ||
| TRANSPORT STREAM | Should say 07d4 |
Conclusions, further reading and useful links
With the right kit you should rarely be stuck for decent English language TV reception, even as far away as Spain. If using a satellite setup remember to check for any trees or buildings that could obscure the dish’s view of the satellite once you are pitched. Terrestrial TV is a little more tolerant of obstructions but it’s best to avoid them if you can.
I am grateful to Peter and Barbara Lovett for recommending a great little book to me. It’s called the TV Viewer’s Guide and details what equipment you need to pick up Sky, Freeview or cable. It also has details of transmitter sites for all UK analogue and digital television transmitters together with equipment advice covering TV sets, VCRs, DVD players and recorders. The book can be obtained by sending a cheque for £5.95 payable to ‘Radio Listener’s Guide’ to Radio Listener’s Guide, Freepost (SWB 40688), Plymouth PL8 1ZZ.
List of free to air digital channels on Astra 19.2º E |
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List of free to air digital channels on Astra 28.2º E |
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Satellite dish sizes required for Astra satellite reception in Europe |
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European satellite listings |