use the original TV antenna with the new head unit

[eliele]

Hi, I wanted to know if someone who had the Hiline system, installing new head unit was able to use the original TV antenna of the Hiline system.
Thank you

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by eliele

Hi, I wanted to know if someone who had the Hiline system, installing new head unit was able to use the original TV antenna of the Hiline system.
Thank you

I'm working towards doing this right now. My new DVB-T receiver, mounted in my wheel well, has two F-plug type antenna inputs and I have been attempting to source adaptors from the original plugs to F-plugs. I think the originals are called SMB - female.

I failed to find any adaptors, so yesterday evening I started to consider the alternative of cutting the plugs off, to fit F-plugs on the coax cable ends. Standard F-plugs are obviously intended for a much larger coax size than the ones from the built in TV antennas, but I came across some plugs designed for 4mm OD coax, which I think might just fit. The F-plugs are known as Shotgun F-plugs.

I have not yet cut the coax plugs off yet, so I'm just hoping the inner core is a solid wire - as needed for an F-plug, or that I can find some method to adapt it.

[mikefrew]

I am trying to do the same thing, could someone please post a picture of the aeriel connectors on the tuners and rear windscreen pillar with labels to which connection is which. Hoping to go straight from the amplifier instead of going from the boot.
Thanks,
Mike

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by mikefrew

I am trying to do the same thing, could someone please post a picture of the aeriel connectors on the tuners and rear windscreen pillar with labels to which connection is which. Hoping to go straight from the amplifier instead of going from the boot.
Thanks,
Mike

I originally looked at running a new coax all the way from the radio antenna amp to the DD, but found its plug to be a really strange one - I gave up and used the supplied adaptor to connect in the wheel well.

Has already said - I deliberately fitted my tuner in the boot, with the intention to try reusing the built-in antennas. My ordered F-plugs were delivered today and they look quite promising to fit that small coax. I might try to fit them a little later and see how it works.

[HarryM1BYT]

I've just had a go at fitting one of the Shotgun type F-plugs and checking reception....

I cut one of the original Rover TV SMB plug ends off in the wheel well fitted a plug and it worked. The coax outer was too small for the plug, so I beefed it up with a few turns of thin copper wire (30amp fuse wire), enough to make it grip the screen outer. The inner is a multi-strand flexible, so I twisted that and tinned it to make it rigid enough to plug in. A bit of a mess, but good enough to see if it works.

I unplugged both of the supplied with the receiver antennas and fitted just my one adapted Rover antenna - the receiver works by selecting which one of the two antennas provides best signal.

I got good solid reception of a of the available TV channels, whilst still parked in the garage, but just the alloy roller door open (as it is between car and Tx). Strangely, I only found 4 DVB-T radio channels and reception of those was poor. It was blowing a gale and raining heavily, blowing into the garage, so I gave up any further experiments for now - but at least it proved it works. These are the special small bore Shotgun F-plugs I bought - Ebay Item number: 270285116784

[HarryM1BYT]

Both antenna original Rover TV coax's now adapted to fit the new DVB-T box and a comparison made between the two antennas supplied with the box, which I had installed in the back window, versus the adapted Rover originals. For information - I carried out the tests with the car sat in the drive, in what is a reasonably good reception area for house roof mounted antennas - but pretty poor reception at car ground level. I get no usable signal to my caravan's own roof mounted antenna, with it also sat in my drive - so I was surprised the original car TV and the new DVB-T managed to work at all so low down.

The result of the test is - the original Rover antenna system work as well or even a worth while smidgin better than the pair of thin strip antennas supplied with the DVB-T - difficult to tell as both worked so well. If the antenna amp supply is turned off in the software, both sets of antennas would stop working - which confirmed that both did indeed have an amp fitted and working.

I found the best way to make the F-plugs fit the smaller diameter of the coax. Good quality satellite antenna coax has an outer screen made from both thin wire and a layer of copper sheet or strip. I removed some of this and wound it around the Rover's TV coax's enough to make the F-plug a tight fit. I have not found a better way than twisting the inner and tinning it yet, to make it rigid enough to plug into the F-socket, but I understand there might be some sort of furrel that does a better job(?) of it. Point is, it works and no obvious antennas in the back window to attrack thieves.

[EDIT] A quick update on reception using the adapted built in Rover TV antenna system.

After a couple of weeks of testing, I have now convinced myself that the built in Rover antennas are working very well indeed - so the two after market antennas supplied with the DVB-T will now be removed completely from the rear window. The DVB-T receiver is now getting its full complement of TV & Radio stations loud and clear.

[EDIT 2] Just to make it clear - If you want to reuse the two (or even just one of) the built in antennas, then the receiver must have an option to feed the antennas built in amp with 12v via the coax. Sean's (Radioguy) slightly more expensive unit described as MPEG2/4 has this essential ability to power the amp via the coax and can utilise both antennas. My now long term test suggests that TV reception with that particular unit combined with the built in Rover antennas, indicates that reception is as good as it gets - which translates to absolutely brilliant.

[Bernard LPG]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Has already said - I deliberately fitted my tuner in the boot, with the intention to try reusing the built-in antennas.

How do you control the tuner with it being boot-mounted?

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Bernard LPG

How do you control the tuner with it being boot-mounted?

I assume exactly the same way as everyone else who has one of these dVB-T boxes, even when its mounted at the front behind the DD unit. Mine has a mouse shaped plug in pick up unit for the remote control with a very long cable. When I fitted the DD I ran its cable from the boot, to just behind the mirror/ interior light at the front. The 'mouse' wedges in there perfectly and its makes it good angle to just point the remote at it too, when sat in the front.

[EDIT] The remote pick up head works perfectly if hidden behind the dark part of the interior light lens.

[Bernard LPG]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

I assume exactly the same way as everyone else who has one of these dVB-T boxes, even when its mounted at the front behind the DD unit. Mine has a mouse shaped plug in pick up unit for the remote control with a very long cable. When I fitted the DD I ran its cable from the boot, to just behind the mirror/ interior light at the front. The 'mouse' wedges in there perfectly and its makes it good angle to just point the remote at it too, when sat in the front.

Yet another cable to go through the car then.

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Bernard LPG

Yet another cable to go through the car then.

Only a tiny one

It only takes a few minutes in the 75, but unless you have a good reason not to - you could fit it all at the front. I deliberately fitted mine in the boot, to be able to do what I've just done, reused the Rover antennas.

[EDIT] Nearly forgot....

If you do put the TV in the boot, you will need to run L + R audio plus video RCA cables from it to the DD