I was going to buy this antenna on Sunday at DSE and the sales person unbelievably told me not to buy it because it will be half price on Tuesday. It has great reviews.
It 50% off right now with free delivery.
Closest price I could find was $105 shipped. Most retailers are selling it for $130+.
http://www.247deals.com.au/product/974
+1 for us, but no wonder wollies can't make any money from DSE.
They want to boost up DSE revenue and then sell the whole chain.
UNBERIEVABLE!
impossibruuu!!
This isn't relevant to the deal?
Stop spouting bs and trying to promote some random book.
This is a good deal for a Digital antenna though.
The DSE person placed "Customer First" - Onya!
my + is for that salesperson-and if you had a name i would buy from that person only! honesty is such a rare thing in the sales game, so rare i feel obligated to reward it when i find it
I'm going to let you guys in on a secret, customer service isn't dead, your level of service depends on how you treat the staff member serving you. You bitch, moan or grunt you get bare minimum, talk to them like you would a friend, you get better service, spread the word!
So true. Giving them every reason to want to help you and convey a good-natured expectation that they will. Have fun with it.
With the added plus you'll make new friends all over the place and get recognised when you walk through the door.
best comment i have ever read on ozb.
i sell and know others that sell in retail stores that many of you frequent and we follow this same principal - be the hardass prick that demands a discount and we won't budge a cent (I have many a time preferred to sacrifice the sale than deal with BS), be friendly and I do my best to get the financial scales tipped in your favour.
Tempted to buy this, even though I don't need one! Bloody ozbargain and it's unnecessary temptations
hehe didnt need one, but bought it anyway. planning to update the old rabbit ears at some stage, good a time as any. thanks.
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Thanks. Ordered.
may be wrong place to ask: do builders provide a TV antenna with a new home construction? They provide TV points, does this mean that the TV points will actually be connected to a rooftop tv antenna?
Depends on the agreement you have with the builder/electrican.
99.999999999% positive that you'll get nothing.. Our house came with a single tv point (extra tv points were $62 extra) and no antenna..
Much cheaper if you install yourself. A bit of cable ($10) and a wall plate ($5). Very easy once you do a few Googles
We got our included (we didn't even ask)
they'll provide outlets, and then cable up to the roof… but in most cases no antenna connected.
Looks identical to the LT-3195 on the jaycar website:
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=LT3195&form=CAT2…
Specs are very similar too.
Does anyone know if these are decent antennas?
The DSE one apparently has the following gain:
VHF 6.5dB, UHF 10dB
Whereas the Jaycar one has
VHF 7dB, UHF 11dB
So the Jaycar one is in theory very slightly better, but surely not worth the extra $90
BTW if u want higher gain for a cheaper price, how about this one for $37 + postage (VHF 8dB, UHF 11dB)
http://www.academytv.com.au/products/ATVMMLP345F-Log-Periodi…
Or if you want much higher gain go for separate UHF & VHF antennas. eg if you got both of these for $100 you'd get a VHF gain of 11-12dB and a UHF gain of 8.5-15dB
http://www.academytv.com.au/products/ATVD10-10-Element--%28D…
http://www.academytv.com.au/products/ATVUX20-20-Element-Digi…
We just moved into a new place and the reception is crap! (I'm tired of having to move the rabbit ears).
I've picked this up (can't pass on the price!), now I just have to figure out how to get it on the roof — Lucky Dad will be here soon :)
Does anyone know the rules for Strata corporations with respect to Free To Air reception? I'm supposed to get it yet I can't without the assistance of an antenna. Failing that, what about just mounting it on the ground outside?
If you live in a unit/townhouse/villa, you need to get approval for anything you do external to the unit. In this case, if you need to mount an external antenna, you need approval. There is a chance they may not approve it if none of the units have external antenna.
lucky for me, all the other houses around us have antennas — in fact someone in the same strata has a satellite dish :)
they've approved a WiMAX antenna so hopefully this isn't much more of a stretch
If you have a tiled roof without 'sarking' or silverpaper just mount it in the roof cavity on a pole.
if you get reasonable signal on rabbit ears, then it will be fine.
If you have colourbond or similar you will need to mount it outside and point it towards the TV transmitting towers
Disagree. I have an antenna mounted under a tile roof, without sarking (thanks to Cardiffair-type house ventilation). While it works fine in dry weather, the signal becomes unwatchable when the tiles are wet. The roof has clear line-of-sight to the transmitter, which is only 10km away.
Your mileage may vary - try your rabbit-ears antenna, inside your roofspace, while it is raining.
Purchased, cheers. Anyone know if it comes with any cabling?
It won't. You will need to buy cable separately and fit the F type connector that comes with the antenna.
Cheers. Cheapest 10m cable I can find on eBay is below if anyone is interested. Half the price of the DSE one.
http://tinyurl.com/7a582p9
For digital, the recommendation is to go quad shield RG6. As mentioned elsewhere you can buy this cable by the metre from Bunnings, Jaycar as well as DSE.
You will need to cut open the cable and fold back the shielding to fit the connector.
Yeah that cable will be shit and has PAL type connectors and not the F-type ones that the termination on the back of new TV wall sockets, cable splitters or the antenna itself uses.
Since you are buying a new antenna make sure you go for RG6 Quad Shield cables as well, its what is recommended for digital TV. Not sure what it goes for by the metre but I bought a 300M drum for a bit under $100. Still have plenty left so if anyone in the Wollongong area needs some $0.30/metre…..
Also don't buy your terminations from DSE, your local electrical wholesaler will sell F type for around $0.40….
Good price.
For those looking to buy an antenna, you can find the antenna recommended by Matchmaster (maker of Digimatch) for your location on the following site:
http://www.matchmaster.tv/
Cetnaj have a good deal on the bigger 01MM-DC23A antenna good for metropolitan areas up to 100kms from transmitters. Price is ~$110 which I believe is also about 50% off.
Refer p7 on http://www.cetnaj.com.au/pdfs/powercom/current.pdf
Be careful using the matchmaster recommendation. If I went with it, I would probably not receive Channel 44 (some would say no loss).
Also this is pretty much a digital only Antenna (not sure if there is anywhere that does not have digital yet?).
Good price, Just a heads up.
There is no such thing as a "digital-only antenna". Antennas don't care that the signal is digital - it is just a standard radio-frequency signal, with a bandwidth of 7MHz, and transmitted on the standard TV frequencies. The only possible difference is that the digital TV signals are more likely to be transmitted on the UHF frequencies than VHF frequencies - and an "analog" antenna will receive them just fine. Likewise a "digital" antenna will receive analog signals fine, as long as it looks like a conventional TV antenna (some USB DTV receivers only come with a whip antenna - and they have terrible performance).
The whole "digital antenna" thing was a marketing gimmick, thought up and advertised by TV antenna installers, to fool people into thinking they need a new antenna when they buy a set-top box.
If you can receive analog TV signals fine, your antenna will be fine for digital TV signals. Only if you are in a fringe reception area, with a lot of "snow" visible on the screen, then the signal may be too low for a digital receiver. In that situation, a larger (higher gain) antenna may give you enough signal to get reasonable reception of digital signals - and it will give you better reception of the analog signals too.
In this case the "pretty much Digital only" I was talking about was the fact that it was not designed to receive the lower analog VHF Channels 2-5 and UHF 41-69.
Ah, understood. I thought you were re-quoting the myth that there are two types of antenna - one for digital, and one for analog.
That 01MM-DC23A one is also for analogue, more gain on VHF, but not community TV on digital, as petestrash said.
The birds will love those big elements for analogue ABC!!
As per petestrash comment, Matchmaster recommendation for my location behind a hill from transmitters was for a digital antenna with more gain than this deal, but lacking channel 44:
01MM-DC21A (6-12)(28-40) 21 Element: VHF Gain 7dBuV, UHF Gain 11dBuV
DON'T TRUST THE MATCHMASTER RECOMMENDED ANTENNA!!!!
Those cheeky buggers, no matter what Brisbane address I enter, it recommends the same antenna!!! Even on a hill near the transmitters.
if you are in clear view of the towers pretty much any antenna would be suitable, even a dipole, as often the multi element antennas have a single dipole per channel or are log periodic type.
Agreed. Wish I could see the towers - just on the other side of the hill. But recommending the same higher gain antenna no matter what your location, shows Matchmaster's recommendation site does not work.
I did all of the coax cabling in my house myself (antenna was already there though)…here is some links to some great info:
http://www.crystalclearantenna.com.au/images/pdf/DIY%20Kit.p…
http://www.swhowto.com/CoaxStrip.htm
BTW Bunnings has quad shield coax cheap, and Jaycar have all the fittings and wall plates you need ;)
Thanks orange123. Has anyone tried to install one of these themselves? Are the "F type connectors" "plug-and-play"?
No you need a crimping tool for the proper F-type connectors. There might be screw on ones but they are inferior….
Also grab a stripping tool, worth every cent!
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Rotary-Coax-Coaxial-Cable-Cutter-…
Cant personally vouch for this crimper, but I imagine it should be good enough for a home DIY job, I'd just use some electrical tape afterwards and tape over the crimp and cable to keep it well sealed…
I got a quote between $200-250 to replace my existing antenna with this new one I just ordered and 2 additional antenna outlets in the house. Is that reasonable price? Does anyone know of a good installer in Thomastown area, VIC?
Is that reasonable price?
It's not terrible, but if you're handy with a drill and don't mind roof spaces, you could DIY for a quarter of that price.
awesome work - thanks.
Just ordered. I have a quad tuner tv card in my media centre that struggles when recording more than two channels currently. Will give feedback on its performance, hopefully, I'll see an improvement.
Well it better perform better. It states on the product "Application: Best suited to metropolitan & regional areas up to 70kms from transmitter."
http://www.matchmaster.com.au/domestic/combination-antennas/…
Well, the antenna is installed and pointed at the transmitter (the same as the previous antenna).
Unfortunately, it hasn't made any difference to my quad tuner.
All channels can be viewed fine, but when two shows are recorded simultaneously, chopping occurs.
This hasn't made an improvement for me on my original 20 year old, non-digital optimised antenna.
Think I'll be sending this back to Dick Smith.
PS. For anyone out there that wants to save themselves some money (all OzBs I would assume), have a read of this article from APC Magazine:
http://apcmag.com/how-to-fix-your-tv-reception-using-iphone-…
It will help you fine tune your antenna position.
it's $5 more at jaycar, so if you miss out, then might as well go there and pick one up, otherwise the free delivery assists lazy people.
http://jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=LT3172&form=CAT2&SUB…
LOL. That's not the same model. Thats a 7 element antenna used for caravans. This deal is a 27 element antenna for homes.
Jaycar is selling this same model for $149.95.
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=LT3195&keywords=…
oops my bad.
Jay car one is good — very good brand IMHO — digimatch — I give it a good review. Looks like it will have a good long life in the elements!
but it's not the same size (and therefore signal strength will vary) as this deal. if you want one for the house, this is the better option. my mistake before and i apologise profusely. i bow to the ozbargain correction gods.
I have this antenna myself, its great. Our location is poor with SBS and it still manages to get the channel most of the time.
For some reason SBS is the only channel I can get using an indoor antenna. What region are you from?
western sydney
Pity Matchmaster do not recommend this antenna for my location - not enough gain. This antenna is for good signal strength areas (line of sight to transmitters). Tried this one & returned it. Have a masthead amp, but still not strong enough. There is a mountain between the transmitters & home. DS have run similar discounts before on this antenna.
Specs & instructions:
http://www.matchmaster.com.au/domestic/combination-antennas/…
thanks bought one, was looking to upgrade my crappy antenna
Good deal because I actually need one of these for my new TV (the Hitachi 42"). The problem is, how do I install these?
The cheap antennas found on eBay work just as good, they all do the same job, just make sure you buy the right one for your area.
Regarding installation, you'll need to simply run a co-axle cable from the antenna plug to the back of your TV. Its not hard when you've got a success path mapped out, done this a few times.
When you install it, look at the way your neighbors antenna is pointed and point it in the same direction, it may need a little adjustment, so have someone with you so they can check the signal on the TV while you make adjustments.
I just moved into a new rental house. I had a choppy signal and then upgraded the connection cable to RG6 and now most channels are clear with the exception of channel 1, and 10-13. Do you guys think upgrading the antenna would fix this? I was also thinking that maybe the cable going up to the antenna from the wall is not RG6 and may be the problem. And should this be paid for by the home owner or me? Thoughts?
It should be done by the home owner, but if you ask the home owner to do heaps of things, your rental will most likely go up.
It could just be the position of your antenna, maybe wind messed up its adjustment or you have a rust build-up?
If there is a TV point on the wall the landlord is obligated to have it operating correctly, unless he told you prior to renting it didnt work properly.
how do u define 'working properly'? It works for at least one channel…
Good luck.
Put up your own antenna and take it down when you leave.
then you have to put up the old antenna, and ensure that it works like it use to.. probably cause more problems when it comes to the real estate releasing the bond
if you did the work without asking the owner for permission, not only to you have to pay but he can also ask that the work be 'rectified' by a qualified installer (at your cost).
my advice? dont tell the owner/agent anything. upgrade what you want, and then at the end of lease either leave it all in there, or replace it back to as it was.
Great deal.
has anyone put this inside their roof instead of on the roof? how does it fair there?
There's a thought! he he
It's in the dark. All I get is black screen.
check my reply above in the thread
this deal has had a good reception…..
We have nothing to gain from this comment ;)
I will 'plug' this reply with, 'signal' your 'pal' and 'f' off before the 'elements' head your way.
I don't mean to interfere, but it's about time this discussion broke up.
Glad I tuned into ozbargain tonight. But outta time now, so I best be balun.
How do you spot an ozbargainer on a long weekend?
Likely found on the roof with a cheap crimping tool in one hand and scratching their head with the other.
How do you spot an ozbargainer after the long weekend?
Look for the Jim's antenna van in the driveway.
Do you need electrical license to install this?
If not how easy to DIY for 2 TV points?
If you install ANY wiring of any type inside or through a wall, a license is necessary, according to many comments on Whirlpool about installing LAN cables.
Legislation was passed to make the license necessary, after a few people were electrocuted by LAN cables. Typical scenario was the LAN cables being run too close to mains cables, and the home owner had installed a picture-hanging hook, and the nail had penetrated BOTH cables.
And according to the Whirlpool posts, no, you can't just follow safe installation rules - the license is mandatory.
However, if the wire is already there, and you are replacing an existing antenna, then you are probably okay. I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
Here is a price list from DSE site.
Not sure how much it really gonna cost
http://dicksmith.com.au/help/mobile-techxperts-antenna-servi…
MTRECEPTIONReception Test and Assessment$98
MTANTSWAPAntenna Swap over $198
MTANTSWAPKAntenna Swap over Bundle$278
MTRECABLEAntenna Re-Cable$178
MTANTCABLENew Antenna Outlet $148
MTANTCABLEADDMultiple Antenna Outlets $98
MTANTPREMPremium Antenna Installation$298
MTANTPREMPKPremium Antenna Installation Bundle$398
MTMASTHEADMast Head Amplifier Installation$98
MTADDMASTMast Head Amplifier Installation – Add on $48
I dont even need one and I bought one ;).
Damn you OzBargain.
Oh well, I'll just tell the mrs that its always good to have a spare one in the garage :).
Definitely one of the funnier impulse buys I've seen.
I bought one of these bad boys the last time they were on sale in January to replace our old antenna that was giving us crappy SBS (in Greenslopes, Brisbane). Now we get 100% signal (according to our Windows Media Centre) on all channels all of the time. So from personal experience, I can recommend it. Mind you, when I climbed up to the roof to put the thing up, we've got a fairly unobstructed view of the TV towers from about 10km or so away, so we should be able to get 100% signal with a bit of chicken wire!
It's quite compact compared to our old antenna too, so not as much of an eyesore on the eve of our house.
If its line of sight of towers, this antenna will have no trouble. I am a couple of km east of you, behind Pine Mt, and have tried this antenna - lacked the gain necessary. That was last year when returns were easy at DS. Now they say they are unlikely to take it back.
Really? Yeah, Brizzie's a hilly place and not entirely surprising. What did you end up installing?
Wireless signals are fickle things. Even though we're 5km from the city centre, I struggle to get Optus coverage at our house. Crazy.
As the 35 year old antenna has no problems with the signal & only have a couple of HD plasmas (720), have left it for the moment.
All antennas are on masts here. I did most of the installation years ago & added an amp, mainly to distribute to the 4 outlets. Moved the separate UHF antenna to the front of the house to get unimpeded signal up the street. VHF signal seemed to be OK where it was. But the birds have taken their toll on the old VHF antenna. The whole system including cables really needs replacing, but will need better advice, stronger gain antenna, & enthusiasm!
At least I have no problems with Optus or Vodafone coverage.
wow that was quick…. mine just arrived!
same :D
I just now ordered one, I'm surprised they haven't sold out! Let us know if you run into any issues with installation.
+1 for the salesperson :)