Battery Operated Televisions

I currently have Freeview set up on a a portable TV with an ancient indoor aerial. Would an amplified aerial?

help to get a few more channels? I do have a proper aerial in the attic - would it be worth trying to connect it to that? I don't want to go to a lot of expense because I only bought it for the telly in the bedroom. The box only cost a tenner!

Public Comments

1. I tried an amplified aerial but the reception where I live is so bad I had to eventually get a really strong aerial to put on the roof and only then did I get good pictures. It was worth it though!
2. Getting an outdor aerial would be so much better. The gain of an amplifier is around 20dB whereas the attenuation of a brick wall is about 45dB or to put that in English an ampifier would only amplify a weak signal and a lot of noise which means your digital signal quality would be garbage.
3. From my experience you would not get more channels but you might get a sharper picture. I have an amplified arial with freeview on a portable and I find without it you sometimes lose the picture alltogether or it all breaks down into little squares. The picture is better with the amplified
4. The one in your attic should do nicely.
5. Use an outside aerial designed for Freeview, (the attic one may do). If you amplified a poor signal from an old indoor aerial, you would amplify the ambient noise as well as the signal. Amplifier law says Cr*p goes in and cr*p comes out. An outside aerial will give you a better signal with respect to ambient noise and probably more viewable channels.