View Full Version : TV reception / Broadband
I am moving to Caithness soon. I don't really watch TV but the kids want to know what the reception is like, if there is Freeview or Sky or BT Vision.
Which leads to the question of braodband speeds, which will entirely depend on distance to exchange. We are moving to Halkirk first, but are building at Shurrery next year.
Stefan
Depending on the time of year and the pull of the Moon on Earth's gravity, they can sometimes get 4 channels in Caithness, and on a good day they get it in colour too. :)
Depending on the time of year and the pull of the Moon on Earth's gravity, they can sometimes get 4 channels in Caithness, and on a good day they get it in colour too. :)
No body told me there was colour up here :lol:
what is broad band? A wifie with a wide hip circumference wearing a wide belt?
Broadbands Ok in Thurso - but land lines get bit a ropey out in the country - My sis gave up and uses Vodafone mobile network.
As for the tele - it doesn't get any better same old rubbish - i think I've seen every episode of the simpsons ever made at least 3 times by now, mind you after 6 months of winter cabin fever is starting to set in !
what,s a t.v. nothing wrong with the radio
teenybash
22-Mar-09, 22:39
MMMMmm, TV?? Now that's what all them fancy folk down south have...Can't say I know much about it personally........prefer dominos or mibbe gin rummy, though, Scrabble can be quite good on a Sunday evening.....;)
just cut a hole in the side of a box and stick it over your head. Endless fun
I am moving to Caithness soon. I don't really watch TV but the kids want to know what the reception is like, if there is Freeview or Sky or BT Vision.
Which leads to the question of braodband speeds, which will entirely depend on distance to exchange. We are moving to Halkirk first, but are building at Shurrery next year.
Stefan
Do you regret starting the thread? [lol][lol][lol]
DeHaviLand
23-Mar-09, 00:02
The TV reception will be just fine, once they get round to installing that new fangled electrickery in Caithness. These coal-fired TV's are the devils invention I tell you.
Hey folks, a new series of Muffin the Mule has just started on the Light Channel...and the strings are hardly visible. :D
The TV reception will be just fine, once they get round to installing that new fangled electrickery in Caithness. These coal-fired TV's are the devils invention I tell you.
Electrickery will never catch on. The future's hazy-the future's steam! ;)
DeHaviLand
23-Mar-09, 00:18
Hey folks, a new series of Muffin the Mule has just started on the Light Channel...and the strings are hardly visible. :D
I thought that was on the X Channel :confused
Have you not heard of the new machine made buy that guy in Dunnet. You get a giant wheel, stick a sheep on the inside with a neep attached to a bit of string. Instant power!
You can substitute the sheep for a coo
Metalattakk
23-Mar-09, 00:28
I am moving to Caithness soon. I don't really watch TV but the kids want to know what the reception is like, if there is Freeview or Sky or BT Vision.
Which leads to the question of braodband speeds, which will entirely depend on distance to exchange. We are moving to Halkirk first, but are building at Shurrery next year.
Stefan
Ok, no joking here.
TV reception is fine, big mast at Rumster serves the whole county well for Freeview/Terrestrial TV. SKY broadcasts come from a satellite, so are available right across the board, obviously.
We also have broadband but as you say, it depends on how far from the exchange you are. In Halkirk you'll be all right as it has been ADSLMax enabled for some time, but Shurrery is, I think, nearly 7 miles from the nearest exchange (Halkirk again, unless Reay is closer?) so speeds could be somewhat impinged upon, which again could affect BT Vision compatibilty.
In addition, in Caithness we have no DAB Radio, and there are no plans to implement it so don't expect it any time soon. FM/AM reception is fine though.
We also have just recently been upgraded by the Water Board, and now can proudly boast both hot and cold running water. ;)
We also have just recently been upgraded by the Water Board, and now can proudly boast both hot and cold running water. ;)
Surely you're joking? I'm still using the local stream......and it's no laughing matter going in there after Gizmo has had a curry!
ShelleyCowie
23-Mar-09, 00:46
Surely you're joking? I'm still using the local stream......and it's no laughing matter going in there after Gizmo has had a curry!
Lol, going near any stream after anybody has had a curry is deadly! Lucky for some i dont eat curry.....But then again compared to you i must be posh since my hot and cold taps are running fine! :Razz
Infact....where is Gizmo? Not seen him around here in a while. Did he go in the stream after u had ur curry? :confused
Infact....where is Gizmo? Not seen him around here in a while. Did he go in the stream after u had ur curry? :confused
I saw him earlier heading down to the stream with a new fangled electric fire-said he was going to try heat the water with it. Personally, I'll be glad when someone invents the horseless carriage, I hate the distance we have to walk in the cold.
Have you not heard of the new machine made buy that guy in Dunnet. You get a giant wheel, stick a sheep on the inside with a neep attached to a bit of string. Instant power!
You can substitute the sheep for a coo
LOL!!! :lol:
I am moving to Caithness soon. I don't really watch TV but the kids want to know what the reception is like, if there is Freeview or Sky or BT Vision.
Which leads to the question of braodband speeds, which will entirely depend on distance to exchange. We are moving to Halkirk first, but are building at Shurrery next year.
Stefan
freeview is good, sat TV is good, broadband is ADSLMAX via BT line, currently getting stable 6-7Mb/sec. BT Vision is a ripoff - you just get std freeview + subsciption channels on demand [nothing that cannot be done via freeview card] & it slows your broadband when you use it to <2Mb/sec - avoid it!!
HTH
dx in Wick
Thanks for all the serious answers ;)
I have tried TV reception with a large antenna at shurrery and never managed to see more than snow... although I like snow, but more the cold type. I tried analogue and Freeview and got nothing.... but the antenna was only 2 meters above the ground. How high will it have to be ?
Sky is not available everywhere as you can live in a satellite shadow, so I've been told... and I don't fancy paying every month just to have some moving pictures in colour on that big expensive box...
Will see about broad band. I already have vodafone mobile broadband, which work really well down here in Engerland and it works at Shurrery but only on GPRS, which is dial up speed.
Any more thoughts on antennas and sheep powered satellite dishes welcomed :D
Stefan
[QUOTE=Metalattakk;522325]Ok, no joking here.
"We also have broadband but as you say, it depends on how far from the exchange you are. In Halkirk you'll be all right as it has been ADSLMax enabled for some time, but Shurrery is, I think, nearly 7 miles from the nearest exchange (Halkirk again, unless Reay is closer?) so speeds could be somewhat impinged upon, which again could affect BT Vision compatibilty."
Think Shurrery is fed by Reay exchange and depending upoun where you are going (last I heard) broadband doesn't work.
A guy who crossed our land to get to his cattle last year told me that he was from Shurrery Lodge and they can't get broadband... I hope we are close enough, although Halkirk is closer than Reay and there is also one at Westfield, which is as far as Reay...
Will have to hope for the best, in the meantime use mobile dial up...
Stefan
Thanks for all the serious answers ;)
I have tried TV reception with a large antenna at shurrery and never managed to see more than snow... although I like snow, but more the cold type. I tried analogue and Freeview and got nothing.... but the antenna was only 2 meters above the ground. How high will it have to be ?
Sky is not available everywhere as you can live in a satellite shadow, so I've been told... and I don't fancy paying every month just to have some moving pictures in colour on that big expensive box...
Will see about broad band. I already have vodafone mobile broadband, which work really well down here in Engerland and it works at Shurrery but only on GPRS, which is dial up speed.
Any more thoughts on antennas and sheep powered satellite dishes welcomed :D
Stefan
For Freeview I have my aerial in an upstairs window temporarily before it goes on the side of the house. Point it at Rumster. You might need a wide band antenna. If you are in a low lying area you might need to put it on a long pole or on the chimney. I found I didn't get a picture until I set the aerial down. While holding it I got snow so I must have been earthing it.
I guess you can be in a sateliite shadow anywhere in the country. Everyone I know who has got Sky here hasn't had a problem. My parents dish is on a post in the garden just a few feet off the ground and works fine. Depending on your surroundings you might need it higher up.
I would be surprised if you get broadband in Shurrery looking at where it is.
I am moving to Caithness soon. I don't really watch TV but the kids want to know what the reception is like, if there is Freeview or Sky or BT Vision.
Which leads to the question of braodband speeds, which will entirely depend on distance to exchange. We are moving to Halkirk first, but are building at Shurrery next year.
Stefan
If you want satellite, either Sky or FreeSat, from Halkirk (probably much same throughout Caithness), according to website I use:
http://www.satellite-calculations.com/Satellite/lookangles.htm
The dish will be pointing to about 144 degrees true (i.e. about 36 degrees east of true south) and will be at an elevation of 18 degrees.
You can make a very rough estimation if it is possible using a compass and a spirit level which can measure angles.
The dish needs a completely clear line of sight, thinking ahead to where trees will produce foliage, etc.
If there is a clear line of sight the height does not matter, although if there's kids I would put it out of reach!
Try to pick a shetlered spot and use a perforated dish to decrease the wind loading. I have installed a couple of (bigger) dishes for my stepson to allow his wife to watch Polish TV and we lost the first one because the Aldi dish mount wasn't strong enough, and the second dish (on massive T and K mounts) actually sheared the dish where it was screwed to its backing frame.
I have both Freeview and Freesat (using the Humax Freesat box which outputs HDMI) and can detect better quality using Freesat.
I am aware that the Panasonic LCD TV model up from the one I bought has FreeSat built in. I prefer these to be separate. If you subscribe to Sky these would be separate in any case.
I'm sure there will be professionals up there that will be happy to give advice, but if you're a DIY enthusiast it's easy enough to do.
JimBews
If you want satellite, either Sky or FreeSat, from Halkirk (probably much same throughout Caithness), according to website I use:
http://www.satellite-calculations.com/Satellite/lookangles.htm
The dish will be pointing to about 144 degrees true (i.e. about 36 degrees east of true south) and will be at an elevation of 18 degrees.
You can make a very rough estimation if it is possible using a compass and a spirit level which can measure angles.
The dish needs a completely clear line of sight, thinking ahead to where trees will produce foliage, etc.
If there is a clear line of sight the height does not matter, although if there's kids I would put it out of reach!
Try to pick a shetlered spot and use a perforated dish to decrease the wind loading. I have installed a couple of (bigger) dishes for my stepson to allow his wife to watch Polish TV and we lost the first one because the Aldi dish mount wasn't strong enough, and the second dish (on massive T and K mounts) actually sheared the dish where it was screwed to its backing frame.
I have both Freeview and Freesat (using the Humax Freesat box which outputs HDMI) and can detect better quality using Freesat.
I am aware that the Panasonic LCD TV model up from the one I bought has FreeSat built in. I prefer these to be separate. If you subscribe to Sky these would be separate in any case.
I'm sure there will be professionals up there that will be happy to give advice, but if you're a DIY enthusiast it's easy enough to do.
JimBews
What a well thought out and informative post,well done you!!!!
I'll second that.
Hadn't thought of FreeSat, that might be the answer to my questions....
anneoctober
23-Mar-09, 15:35
I'm in Shebster, about 3 miles from Shurrery. I have bt broadband at home and in the garage office, so hopefully you'll no need to worry about that aspect. BTW welcome to the Org and on your sensible decision to come to live in Caithness !:lol:
Thanks for the welcome.
Shebster is much closer to Reay than Shurrery and on the "main road". I am still hoping we can get some kind of broadband 256 or 512 would be ok. I am not expecting anything above that, not even 1MB.
Stefan
I am moving to Caithness soon. I don't really watch TV but the kids want to know what the reception is like, if there is Freeview or Sky or BT Vision.
Which leads to the question of braodband speeds, which will entirely depend on distance to exchange. We are moving to Halkirk first, but are building at Shurrery next year.
Stefan
If you want to know if you could get SKY TV I would suggest you contact Moonboots here on .org as he is a Satelite Installer, ;) He is also Very Good.
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