Sandringham Estate TV reception

Wellys and Mac
Wellys and Mac Forum Participant Posts: 447
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edited January 2019 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

Has anyone any experience of this site and the reported poor reception? 

Just how bad is it, and does a plug in signal booster help? 

Also long shot, I have a Three mobile with unlimited internet, the coverage checker is saying Good, again anyone with experience to confirm or deny if this is true?

Comments

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited January 2019 #2

    All I can tell you is that I made a number of long phone calls on EE with no problem

  • Wellys and Mac
    Wellys and Mac Forum Participant Posts: 447
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    edited January 2019 #3

    Thanks Mr T, if the wife can't watch her evening soaps, I'm a dead man.

    🙁

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited January 2019 #4

    Perhaps  one  ought  to  have  purchased  a  " Crown"  brand  Television  !!

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,867 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2019 #5

    The TV booster on the electric bollard should give you a perfect picture providing the connections are not damaged. You will need your own cable although usually sites with such a facility sell them in reception. One thing to remember about such connections is that sometimes they are not very tolerant of going through a whole series of internal connections. If that happens I would take the cable through a window and connect it directly to the TV.

    David

  • Wellys and Mac
    Wellys and Mac Forum Participant Posts: 447
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    edited January 2019 #6

    Hello again!

     

    And thanks again,

    yes I read about booster being available on the site page, but in my stupidity I thought they referred to plug inside caravan type, never dawned on me about the bollards, I have all the external connection kit too, been a busy few days, how embarrassing 😡

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited January 2019 #7

    No  need  to  feel  embarrassed   W & M,  little  slips  like  that  are  the  fastest  way  to  learn,  and  every  day  is  a  school  day  as  some  on  here  were  quick  to  remind  me embarassed !!

    There  ain't  many  sites  without  some  form  of  TV  available  either  via  your  aerial  or  the  bollard  and  the  few  that  still  exist  will  have  it  very  clearly  indicated  on  the  Site  Guide  pages.  {  Look  up  Altnahara  in  Northern  Scotland  --  as  it  says  if  you  want  it  there  you'll  need  a  Satellite  Dish  }

  • mickysf
    mickysf Forum Participant Posts: 6,474 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2019 #8

    Don't forget to retune the TV once connected to the bollard! And yes, David, the more signal splits and connectors involved in the internal wiring of the van the more the signal drops. Like you, I'd 'hard wire' direct from bollard to TV via the window if still experiencing issues such as loss of channels or pixilation.

  • ABM
    ABM Forum Participant Posts: 14,578
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    edited January 2019 #9

    P.S.    If  you  are  using  the  Bollard  feed  for  T.V.  you  may  well  get  a  LIMITED  SERVICE.  So  you  should  get  the  good  lady  a  treat  or  six  just  in  case  innocent

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,684 ✭✭✭
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    edited January 2019 #10

    We were there last February / March (in the snow!) and I don't seem to remember a problem with TV reception.  I know I didn't take the satellite dish and I'm certain we weren't plugged into the bollard.  We have a Status directional aerial and Avtex TV if that helps.

  • Wellys and Mac
    Wellys and Mac Forum Participant Posts: 447
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    edited February 2019 #11

    So we are here!

     

    Top bit is closed off  no idea why, seems the better part.

    Anyway taking note of advice we opted for a pitch that backed onto a bollard so we could plug the telly in. Every channel is available, Michelle is happy, she's sat here playing along to Tipping Point.

     

    Now my phone is on the Three network, I have unlimited internet  which, because I have a Samsung TV and mobile I can stream all the players Netflix and Amazon without incurring streaming data usage, I've actually out foxed the World Wide Web.

     I ONLY HAVE 4G, watched a film after setting up via Netflix's, so yes it's actually working.

     

    We chose a pitch in the middle bit, just up from reception, no trees. It's on a bit of a left right slope, so I broke out the Millenco  Leveler, second time in 4 years! Remembered now I dont like what it does to the tyre, need a bit of wood,. In a forest how hard can it be?

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2019 #12

    We chose a pitch in the middle bit, just up from reception, no trees. It's on a bit of a left right slope, so I broke out the Millenco Leveler, second time in 4 years! Remembered now I dont like what it does to the tyre, need a bit of wood,. In a forest how hard can it be?

     

    I was of the same opinion. I think the last time I used ours, years ago, was at Sandringham. It has sat unused ever since in the garage.

  • Wellys and Mac
    Wellys and Mac Forum Participant Posts: 447
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    edited February 2019 #13

    Do I buy the Lock n Level for a single axle, or stick with a bit of wood?

    Not sure yet, I do like my Alko wheel lock, so sat pondering the easier to use option.

     

  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
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    edited February 2019 #14

    Just as an aside: if my OH referred to me as "the wife" he'd be a dead man surprised

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2019 #15

    A bit / bits of wood would be cheaper than a LnL and certainly easier than a ramp to position the wheel lock. However, some on CT rate the LnL for ease of use.

    We have gone for a slightly more expensive option and bought a Motor Home. How easy that is to level remains to be seen.😀

     

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,149 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2019 #16

    A tip, Steve. The Fiat/Peugeot based MHs tend to sit slightly nose down. If you can see a slope to the pitch, try to park with the front on the higher ground. Obviously the shorter MHs will have a less noticeable deviation from level than longer ones. 

    We rarely need to use our ramps. In fact, I only recall using them once with this 6m van.

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited February 2019 #17

    I visit around 22 sites a year and have done for over 10 years probably between 13 and 18 of which have been CC sites. The others have been commercial sites or C&CC sites and with my single axle find some 12'' long blocks do the trick and I would not dream of carrying a lock and level to use once every 40+ sites I have probably found a need to level across the axles less than half a dozen times. 

     

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited February 2019 #18

    As with Easy we visit plenty of sites per year 22 so far booked,and i have only ever used fiamma ramps only carry one now that we have had for about 20 years but is rarely neede to use it

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭
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    edited February 2019 #19

    Thanks TW will give that ago.

  • Wellys and Mac
    Wellys and Mac Forum Participant Posts: 447
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    edited February 2019 #20

    We think it's a lovely site, looking to come again later in the year.

    When we arrived, we had the advice recieved upper most in our minds, so as we pulled onto the site from reception one eye was on phone internet strength, the other bollard placements in relation to pitch.

    Both boxes ticked we thought this one will do, never gave slope a thought. Took the holdalls from the car into the caravan, Michelle's off to the supermarket shopping, I'm left setting up, a tried and tested system.

    That's when the degree of slope hit me, too late now  no car!

    The slope is so severe the shower would not have drained completely, not even close, and worst of all, Michelle wanted to try Tray Bakes for evening meals, last night we had Sausage and Boneless Chicken Thighs, veggies and spices all mixed into one, lovely, what would have happened, as the food cooked it would have slowly slid off the tray and onto the oven floor, so thankfully I had the leveller, which was ratcheted upto almost its maximum height, the tyre being bulged quite severely. I thought this could cause sidewall damage, hence yesterday me carrying 2 planks of wood I found on our walk, about 4 miles back to the car.

     

    So I think my solution is going to be, lengths of wood long enough for the wheel to rotate to allow the Alko lock to fit. Probably won't ever use them, but then how true is that of some caravan type stuff we buy.

     

     

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited February 2019 #21

    When I had a caravan I used to carry a couple of lengths of wood that previously had been used to chock the boat. I just had to remember to check the level "before" I unhitched!