On Sat, 09 Apr 2011 23:36:27 +0100, John Rumm
wrote:

On 09/04/2011 20:55, MM wrote:
On Sat, 09 Apr 2011 20:35:42 +0100, John Rumm
wrote:

..... Of possibly you had some physical stress on
the cable (kink, crush, fold etc) that was impairing its performance,
and moving it has released that.

Well, indeed, the cable *was* kinked somewhat at the point it turned a
right-angle, then lay along (parallel to) the eaves. That is, the
cable was laid loose (resting on the plasterboard of the ceiling
beneath) until the right-angle, and at that point the installer had
secured the cable with a cable clip, then turned it through 90 deg to
go under the eaves. However, if that was an electrical cable it would
not affect anything, so is an aerial cable different (more
susceptible) in this respect? Of course, I am well pleased with my

Very much so. With power, as long as the two wires are kept apart and
insulated from each other and the surroundings, then a cable will carry
on doing its job. With radio (i.e. TV) frequency signals the behaviour
of cables gets significantly more complex, and the design and geometry
of the cable has a big effect on how well it carries the (massively more
delicate than mains power) signal. Deform the spacing between the centre
conductor and the screen of the co-ax and it can significantly alter the
amount it attenuates the signal passing through it.

stint in the loft this afternoon, 'cos I had visions of chasing a new
cable route down the wall, since the cable appears to be a tight as a
duck's arse inside the conduit down to the living room.

Well it sounds like you have escaped that for the mo, although with the
switch to digital you may not be out of the woods yet ;-)

Thanks for the above and previously. What might I have to do when the
new telly arrives next week? It's a Samsung LCD with Freeview (not
Freeview HD).

By the way, I already have a Freeview USB stick connected to the PC.
This is connected to exactly the same wall plate that feeds the
analogue TV, if I had one in the computer room. The Freeview reception
is excellent and I can receive a large number of TV and radio
channels. This little gizmos has been absolutely fantastic and cost
about 20 quid from Amazon about two years ago.

So, the aerial + amplifier appears fine for receiving Freeview
already.

MM