We all know how frustrating it can be when you have to battle it out with a TV that doesn’t work the way you want it to. But, to be fair, most of the time, it’s not the TV that’s the one to blame – it’s the aerial.
Things break, and the aerials and antennae aren’t any different. There could be many possible reasons why yours has gone haywire, and unless you know what went wrong, you can’t really fix it, can you? You can’t just call up a repairman every time something’s off, right?
So, what do you do? Well, if you’ve come to us for advice, our advice would be you learn how to identify and fix simple problems so that you don’t have to rely on professional help in the time of need.
On that note, let’s get right to business. Let’s take a look at the possible reasons why your TV aerial is not working and how to fix it.
1. It Is Not Connected
Believe it or not, we’ve talked to a few professionals in the field, and according to Digital Aerials Edinburgh, most of the time, when they receive a call about a faulty TV or an aerial, it’s because the aerial isn’t even connected in the first place.
To be fair, we doubt that anyone would forget to plug in their antenna to the TV, but accidents happen, and things get unplugged. Sometimes the cable is just too heavy and isn’t inserted properly, so it falls out on its own after some time.
Since we wouldn’t want you to feel silly once the repair crew arrives at your home just to plug in a simple cable, we strongly urge you to check your connectivity before you decide to call for help. Reach around the back and see for yourself if everything’s plugged in the right way. If it is, well, then it is up to someone with a little bit more experience to handle the issues. You can sit this one out.
2. It Is Not Plugged In The Right Way
Once again, we have a possible connectivity issue on our hands. More often than not, an aerial is not working simply because it isn’t plugged in the right way, and that’s it. To be fair, this can’t happen out of the blue, and it is a problem that only happens if you move some stuff around or you’re just installing a new TV, but either way, before you blame your aerial for dying on you earlier than it should, make sure you’ve plugged it in the right way. This shouldn’t be too hard because most modern-day TVs have only a single port that’s designed for the aerial signal, but still, as we’ve said – accidents happen.
3. It Is Not Pointed In The Right Direction
There are several types of aerials that are available. There are indoor and outdoor ones, but since the indoor ones usually don’t suffer from directional problems, we’ll focus on the latter. The most popular and most commonly found outdoor aerials in the UK and Ireland are the Yagi aerials.
You may not know the name, but you most certainly recognize the iconic look of the Yagi aerial. Even though they might look a bit different depending on the manufacturer, the basics are always pretty much the same. You have the long rod called the boom that carries smaller conductive elements that pick up the signal. Behind it, you have a back reflector used to block out the unwanted signals from the back.
This is a so-called directional aerial that needs to be pointed in the right direction in order for you to get the best possible signal. The better the signal, the better the image and sound quality. So, if you if notice some discrepancies in the image quality between the channels, that’s usually because your aerial is pointed in the wrong direction and is only picking up the stronger signals.
An easy fix would be to just climb up to where your aerial is, adjust it accordingly, and that’s it. However, if you’re not too confident about climbing the roof or whether your antenna might sit, we suggest you leave this to someone that is. After all, a snowy picture isn’t worth injuring yourself, right?
4. It Is Dead
Sometimes, we just have to face the music and accept that our antenna has died and that we need a new one. On the bright side, this one requires the least effort to “fix”. You probably know where we’re going with this one, don’t you?
Now, let’s take a look at some other aerial problems that aren’t strictly aerial.
5. The Amplifier Or PSU Are Off
Another common problem that puzzles average TV-watchers is quite an easy one to fix. Namely, one of the most common problems with your aerial isn’t with your aerial at all. It’s in the amplifier or the power supply unit. Any one of these could be easily turned off because most people aren’t aware that these need to be on in order for you to get the best possible picture.
As you’ve probably deduced by now, the fix is to simply turn on the amplifier and the power supply unit, and that’s it. Your problems are solved.
6. Faulty Coaxial Cable
There are a few cables that are absolutely vital for you to get the best image quality and enjoy some quality time in front of the TV, but the one known for causing the most problems is the aerial, coaxial cable. Most of the time, the coaxial cables that we get with the antennae are absolute garbage, and that’s putting it mildly. They’re low quality, skinny, and they don’t deserve to be in your home.
But, there’s an easy way to fix this problem. Just go out and get a better coaxial cable. It will cost you a few quid, but unless you want to suffer, over and over again, you’ll do it. Trust is – it’ll be worth it.
Conclusion:
In our own opinion, these were the most common reasons why your TV aerial is not working. If you happen to struggle with any of these, we sincerely hope we’ve been successful in showing you how to fix it.
