Testing TV aerial sockets

[mark]

Is it possible to tell if aerial sockets are working without connecting a TV?

mark

[Tricky Dicky]

Yes use one of these

Richard

[mark]

Thank you

mark

[Brian Gaff]

But of course the only way to know if all the stations work is to use a tv. Brian

[The Natural Philosopher]

...although that need be no more than a laptop and a TV tuner USB dongle.

[Johny B Good]

Yes, quite! You saved me having to suggest it. I've merely butted in to endorse your very sound advice. :-)

[ARW]

Thats's over 100 channels of shiteview to check.

[News]

In message , The Natural Philosopher writes

Do those things really work? Just had a look at eBay, and there are loads of 'em for less than a tenner, including postage. Seems to be the USB dongle itself, an aerial, a CD and remote control.

What is on the CD? Will that little aerial really work if you happen to live more than about twenty feet from a transmitter? Anyone any experience?

[Dave Liquorice]

Naw, just 16 TV channels here once you take out the +1's and HD versions and 11 (BBC only) radio stations.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - have a couple. Which only cost a few quid.

The aerial certainly didn't work well here - and I'm pretty close to the transmitter. So I hacked it off and fitted a coax plug. And then an extension to an outside aerial socket - I have one in every room. Then worked just fine.

[News]

In message , Rod Speed writes

Thank you, Rod and Dave.

[Graeme]

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Well, I took the plunge, and ordered a dongle and an amplifier, again USB powered.

Setup was simple but, using the supplied aerials (one came with the dongle and another with the amplifier) the software could not find any stations.

However, when connected to an ordinary roof aerial all works fine. Have not yet tried the roof aerial without the amplifier.