The analogue to digital TV changeover has been talked about for a long time and although I’ve known it was going to happen I haven’t really thought about it in Motorhoming terms because at home I’m done.
The changes have now started and will be completed across the whole country in 2012 which seems a long way away but because it’s a spasmodic rollout you will be affected well before then. As an example Devon and Cornwall be be completed by August 12th this year and a number of areas in these counties have already had the change completed.
There are two ways of approaching this change and of course it does depend on how much you value watching your television when you’re in your Motorhome.
- Get prepared and make sure you can receive a digital signal on your television
- Ignore it until you can’t get a picture and then admit to yourself that it really is happening
Even if you only watch a TV in your Motorhome infrequently it’s best to go for number one because if you don’t you’re bound to miss the program you’ve always wanted to see your whole life.
I’m not trying to teach anyone to suck eggs but for those that haven’t approached this yet I’ll give you a few pointers as to what you need to do:
- First of all you need a good digital aerial, preferably fixed to the roof of your Motorhome and of course if you want to go mad you can use a satellite dish – I haven’t got one of these at home so having one on the Motorhome was not considered.
- Secondly you need either an analogue TV with a Freeview receiver, a digital TV with a built in Freeview receiver and a satellite receiver if you go that route.
If you are in this position then there is plenty of available advice from various sources and of course the Caravan Club and Camping and Caravanning Club will also advise you, not to mention the retailers.
Now I would like to say here that I have a digital Status 530 directional push up aerial ( the pointed one ) that came with my Motorhome and I have an Avtex digital TV ( W153D) and they work perfectly on some sites and will pick up all of the channels available at home, both TV and radio. The problem is that it’s very hit and miss. On one site I’ll pick up 35+ channels and on another 5. Now when you get 35+ you’re covered with all your favourites but when you get the 5 it’s always the ones you don’t want. Quite a few sites are in old quarries or surrounded by hills so you’ll be playing scrabble if you’re on one of these. Now that’s where a satellite dish comes into it’s own because you point it upwards ( somewhere ) and as long as you know in which direction the invisible satellites are floating you’ve cracked it. You can get some kind of X-Files satellite tracker I believe to help with this. So you see it’s not all plain sailing.
For those of you who like to travel around and not stay in one place too long this retuning will become a chore I can assure you; the digital signals come at you from all directions and you either get them or you don’t.
Good luck with this and I would suggest that you make sure you always have a good book or magazine with you and record you’re favourite programs at home and watch them when you get back.
Here are some links for you to get more information about the changeover and what’s available;
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