I want to get portable television for my father, who is in hospital. I am not sure if he will get good reception as he is a few metres away from the window, but it's worth trying.

I can see a lot of different models available in eBay and Amazon UK, so I am not sure what to look for.

This seems to be the sort of thing I need to get, as I would like a remote as that is what he's used to using, but it doesn't seem to come with the sturdy stand and aerial that they use in the picture.

https://smile.amazon.co.uk/portable-rechargeable-Suitable-European-countries-balck/dp/B08R8G336D

Any recommendations?

Cheers
ss.

On 07/11/2022 21:29, Jason Gomez wrote:
> I want to get portable television for my father, who is in hospital. I am not sure if he will get good reception as he is a few metres away from the window, but it's worth trying.
>
> I can see a lot of different models available in eBay and Amazon UK, so I am not sure what to look for.
>
> This seems to be the sort of thing I need to get, as I would like a remote as that is what he's used to using, but it doesn't seem to come with the sturdy stand and aerial that they use in the picture.
>
> https://smile.amazon.co.uk/portable-rechargeable-Suitable-European-countries-balck/dp/B08R8G336D
>
> Any recommendations?

Even when only a few miles from a powerful main transmitter, reception
of digital television on manageable sized indoor aerials is poor with
satisfactory reception of only some of the channels being the best you
can expect.

--
Brian Gregory (in England).

On 07/11/2022 22:25, Brian Gregory wrote:
> On 07/11/2022 21:29, Jason Gomez wrote:
>> I want to get portable television for my father, who is in hospital. I
>> am not sure if he will get good reception as he is a few metres away
>> from the window, but it's worth trying.
>>
>> I can see a lot of different models available in eBay and Amazon UK,
>> so I am not sure what to look for.
>>
>> This seems to be the sort of thing I need to get, as I would like a
>> remote as that is what he's used to using, but it doesn't seem to come
>> with the sturdy stand and aerial that they use in the picture.
>>
>> https://smile.amazon.co.uk/portable-rechargeable-Suitable-European-countries-balck/dp/B08R8G336D
>>
>> Any recommendations?
>
> Even when only a few miles from a powerful main transmitter, reception
> of digital television on manageable sized indoor aerials is poor with
> satisfactory reception of only some of the channels being the best you
> can expect.
>

Possibly a TV with an inbuilt DVD player may be better

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 07/11/2022 22:35, alan_m wrote:
> On 07/11/2022 22:25, Brian Gregory wrote:
>> On 07/11/2022 21:29, Jason Gomez wrote:
>>> I want to get portable television for my father, who is in hospital.
>>> I am not sure if he will get good reception as he is a few metres
>>> away from the window, but it's worth trying.
>>>
>>> I can see a lot of different models available in eBay and Amazon UK,
>>> so I am not sure what to look for.
>>>
>>> This seems to be the sort of thing I need to get, as I would like a
>>> remote as that is what he's used to using, but it doesn't seem to
>>> come with the sturdy stand and aerial that they use in the picture.
>>>
>>> https://smile.amazon.co.uk/portable-rechargeable-Suitable-European-countries-balck/dp/B08R8G336D
>>>
>>> Any recommendations?
>>
>> Even when only a few miles from a powerful main transmitter, reception
>> of digital television on manageable sized indoor aerials is poor with
>> satisfactory reception of only some of the channels being the best you
>> can expect.
>>
>
> Possibly a TV with an inbuilt DVD player may be better
>

What is the hospital Wi Fi like?

could a roku stick be used on a TV set with a HDMI input?

Or even a large sized tablet running BBC iPlayer, ITVHub, All4 and My5 apps?

Even if no Wifi, whats the mobile reception like as some tablets will
support a SIM and there are some good value data plans about, such as
Smarty's 50GB data a month for £10 monthly....

On Mon 07/11/2022 22:25, Brian Gregory wrote:
> On 07/11/2022 21:29, Jason Gomez wrote:
>> I want to get portable television for my father, who is in hospital. I
>> am not sure if he will get good reception as he is a few metres away
>> from the window, but it's worth trying.
>>
>> I can see a lot of different models available in eBay and Amazon UK,
>> so I am not sure what to look for.
>>
>> This seems to be the sort of thing I need to get, as I would like a
>> remote as that is what he's used to using, but it doesn't seem to come
>> with the sturdy stand and aerial that they use in the picture.
>>
>> https://smile.amazon.co.uk/portable-rechargeable-Suitable-European-countries-balck/dp/B08R8G336D
>>
>> Any recommendations?
>
> Even when only a few miles from a powerful main transmitter, reception
> of digital television on manageable sized indoor aerials is poor with
> satisfactory reception of only some of the channels being the best you
> can expect.
>
I wouldn't bother with that one - its resolution is only 480p which in
old money is VGA. He may also have to listen through headphones for
noise abatement reasons and that can also be an issue.

Get anything that needs to be plugged in in a hospital and it will have
to jump through the PAT testing loops if indeed the hospital will even
permit it.

I would agree that the likes of a tablet would be a better option, but
finding programmes through the various TV servers can be torturous even
when you know what you are doing!

On 08/11/2022 08:04, Woody wrote:
>
> Get anything that needs to be plugged in in a hospital and it will
> have to jump through the PAT testing loops if indeed the hospital will
> even permit it.

No one has ever raised an eyebrow in recent years turning up in hospital
wards with USB phone chargers etc

In any case they are Class 2 and therefore exempt ?

On 08/11/2022 08:19, Mark Carver wrote:
> On 08/11/2022 08:04, Woody wrote:
>>
>> Get anything that needs to be plugged in in a hospital and it will
>> have to jump through the PAT testing loops if indeed the hospital will
>> even permit it.
>
> No one has ever raised an eyebrow in recent years turning up in hospital
> wards with USB phone chargers etc
>

+1

--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 08/11/2022 08:04, Woody wrote:
> Get anything that needs to be plugged in in a hospital and it will have
> to jump through the PAT testing loops if indeed the hospital will even
> permit it.

Do they not recognise a PAT tested label on something. All that matters
is not being responsible themselves.

On 08/11/2022 10:51, MB wrote:
> On 08/11/2022 08:04, Woody wrote:
>> Get anything that needs to be plugged in in a hospital and it will have
>> to jump through the PAT testing loops if indeed the hospital will even
>> permit it.
>
>
> Do they not recognise a PAT tested label on something.
LOL.  You're clearly fortunate enough to have never been to a hospital !

On 08/11/2022 08:19, Mark Carver wrote:
> On 08/11/2022 08:04, Woody wrote:
>>
>> Get anything that needs to be plugged in in a hospital and it will
>> have to jump through the PAT testing loops if indeed the hospital will
>> even permit it.

I wondered about that having had a chiropodist say they shouldn't really
be using their electric nail file when my mother was in hospital, but
that was ten years ago.

>
> No one has ever raised an eyebrow in recent years turning up in hospital
> wards with USB phone chargers etc
>
> In any case they are Class 2 and therefore exempt ?

PATting (PAT testing is tautologous) is only specified in qualitative
terms. But the typical interpretation for double insulated devices is
that a visual check by a competent person is sufficient. That's not an
exemption, though. A hospital probably wouldn't consider a nurse
competent to do this.

The other potential issue is fire. The sheltered accommodation, where
she was before that, wouldn't let mobile phones be charged unattended or
overnight.

On 08/11/2022 10:51, MB wrote:
>
> Do they not recognise a PAT tested label on something.

A PAT test label only means that it was tested to the standards of the
organisation that affixed the label. As there is no detailed technical
requirement document, that standard may not be the same as that of
anywhere else where it may be taken.

"David Woolley" <david@ex.djwhome.demon.invalid> wrote in message
news:tkde9e$3t2ti$1@dont-email.me...
> PATting (PAT testing is tautologous)

Grrr. Why did they have to create an acronym that is the same as a normal
English word? "PATting" sounds like something you'd do to a dog or cat ;-)
I suppose you could say "PA testing". Likewise for PIN (number) - "PI
number", perhaps?

> is only specified in qualitative terms. But the typical interpretation
> for double insulated devices is that a visual check by a competent person
> is sufficient.

I hadn't realised that a PAT was ever purely visual: I thought it always
involved plugging the device into a tester to check for earth leakage, earth
connected to metal case etc. I can see that this might be superfluous for
double-insulated devices that have no connection to an earth pin (maybe even
a plastic earth pin) but I wasn't sure if that was sufficient to avoid the
need for avoiding electrical testing.

On 08/11/2022 11:24, David Woolley wrote:
> PATting (PAT testing is tautologous) is only specified in qualitative
> terms. But the typical interpretation for double insulated devices is
> that a visual check by a competent person is sufficient. That's not an
> exemption, though. A hospital probably wouldn't consider a nurse
> competent to do this.

Some years since I did any but from what I remember the regulation just
said that you had to have a system without being very specific.

We were authorised to do our own testing and I remember the sparky
saying the visual check was the most important part of the test.

In article <tkde9e$3t2ti$1@dont-email.me>,
David Woolley <david@ex.djwhome.demon.invalid> wrote:
> On 08/11/2022 08:19, Mark Carver wrote:
> > On 08/11/2022 08:04, Woody wrote:
> >>
> >> Get anything that needs to be plugged in in a hospital and it will
> >> have to jump through the PAT testing loops if indeed the hospital will
> >> even permit it.

> I wondered about that having had a chiropodist say they shouldn't really
> be using their electric nail file when my mother was in hospital, but
> that was ten years ago.

> >
> > No one has ever raised an eyebrow in recent years turning up in hospital
> > wards with USB phone chargers etc
> >
> > In any case they are Class 2 and therefore exempt ?

> PATting (PAT testing is tautologous) is only specified in qualitative
> terms. But the typical interpretation for double insulated devices is
> that a visual check by a competent person is sufficient. That's not an
> exemption, though. A hospital probably wouldn't consider a nurse
> competent to do this.

> The other potential issue is fire. The sheltered accommodation, where
> she was before that, wouldn't let mobile phones be charged unattended or
> overnight.

That's what worries me about shifting high loads to overnight. I have
friends whose dishwasher caught fire at night. Luckily they had a suitable
alarm.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England - sent from my RISC OS 4té
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

In article <tkdiho$3tfa3$1@dont-email.me>,
MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
> On 08/11/2022 11:24, David Woolley wrote:
> > PATting (PAT testing is tautologous) is only specified in qualitative
> > terms. But the typical interpretation for double insulated devices is
> > that a visual check by a competent person is sufficient. That's not an
> > exemption, though. A hospital probably wouldn't consider a nurse
> > competent to do this.

> Some years since I did any but from what I remember the regulation just
> said that you had to have a system without being very specific.

> We were authorised to do our own testing and I remember the sparky
> saying the visual check was the most important part of the test.

Well, it's certainly the first part of any test. But, the current
requirement is to comply with "In-service Inspection and Testing of
Electrical Equipment" For the testing bit, there are figures which need to
be complied with.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England - sent from my RISC OS 4té
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than die of boredom" Thomas Carlyle

On 08/11/2022 13:09, charles wrote:
> That's what worries me about shifting high loads to overnight. I have
> friends whose dishwasher caught fire at night. Luckily they had a suitable
> alarm.

That surprised me about the recent call to run things like that overnight.

I was surprised how little my washing machine uses when I measured it.

On 08/11/2022 13:09, charles wrote:
>
>> The other potential issue is fire. The sheltered accommodation, where
>> she was before that, wouldn't let mobile phones be charged unattended or
>> overnight.
> That's what worries me about shifting high loads to overnight.
I think by 'overnight' all they are talking about is NOT between 16:00
hrs to 19:00 hrs ?

On 07/11/2022 23:33, SH wrote:
> What is the hospital Wi Fi like?

I'll be surprised if it's good enough to allow many patients to stream
video. There are a lot of people with nothing better to do all stuck in
a small area.

Andy

In message <tkc4k8$3m3ru$1@dont-email.me>, SH <i.love@spam.com> writes
>On 07/11/2022 22:35, alan_m wrote:
>> On 07/11/2022 22:25, Brian Gregory wrote:
>>> On 07/11/2022 21:29, Jason Gomez wrote:
>>>> I want to get portable television for my father, who is in
>>>>hospital. I am not sure if he will get good reception as he is a
>>>>few metres away from the window, but it's worth trying.
>>>>
>>>> I can see a lot of different models available in eBay and Amazon
>>>>UK, so I am not sure what to look for.
>>>>
>>>> This seems to be the sort of thing I need to get, as I would like a
>>>>remote as that is what he's used to using, but it doesn't seem to
>>>>come with the sturdy stand and aerial that they use in the picture.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>https://smile.amazon.co.uk/portable-rechargeable-Suitable-European-co
>>>>untries-balck/dp/B08R8G336D
>>>>
>>>> Any recommendations?
>>>
>>> Even when only a few miles from a powerful main transmitter,
>>>reception of digital television on manageable sized indoor aerials
>>>is poor with satisfactory reception of only some of the channels
>>>being the best you can expect.
>>>
>> Possibly a TV with an inbuilt DVD player may be better
>>
>
>What is the hospital Wi Fi like?
>
>could a roku stick be used on a TV set with a HDMI input?
>
>Or even a large sized tablet running BBC iPlayer, ITVHub, All4 and My5 apps?
>
>Even if no Wifi, whats the mobile reception like as some tablets will
>support a SIM and there are some good value data plans about, such as
>Smarty's 50GB data a month for £10 monthly....

BBC streamed TV looks fine on my smartphone (either via WiFi or the
phone signal). You soon get used to the small picture.
--
Ian

On 08/11/2022 19:47, Ian Jackson wrote:
> In message <tkc4k8$3m3ru$1@dont-email.me>, SH <i.love@spam.com> writes
>> On 07/11/2022 22:35, alan_m wrote:
>>> On 07/11/2022 22:25, Brian Gregory wrote:
>>>> On 07/11/2022 21:29, Jason Gomez wrote:
>>>>> I want to get portable television for my father, who is in
>>>>> hospital.  I am not sure if he will get good reception as he is a
>>>>> few metres  away from the window, but it's worth trying.
>>>>>
>>>>> I can see a lot of different models available in eBay and Amazon
>>>>> UK,  so I am not sure what to look for.
>>>>>
>>>>> This seems to be the sort of thing I need to get, as I would like a
>>>>> remote as that is what he's used to using, but it doesn't seem to
>>>>> come with the sturdy stand and aerial that they use in the picture.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> https://smile.amazon.co.uk/portable-rechargeable-Suitable-European-co
>>>>> untries-balck/dp/B08R8G336D
>>>>>
>>>>> Any recommendations?
>>>>
>>>> Even when only a few miles from a powerful main transmitter,
>>>> reception  of digital television on manageable sized indoor aerials
>>>> is poor with  satisfactory reception of only some of the channels
>>>> being the best you  can expect.
>>>>
>>>  Possibly a TV with an inbuilt DVD player may be better
>>>
>>
>> What is the hospital Wi Fi like?
>>
>> could a roku stick be used on a TV set with a HDMI input?
>>
>> Or even a large sized tablet running BBC iPlayer, ITVHub, All4 and My5
>> apps?
>>
>> Even if no Wifi, whats the mobile reception like as some tablets will
>> support a SIM and there are some good value data plans about, such as
>> Smarty's 50GB data a month for £10 monthly....
>
> BBC streamed TV looks fine on my smartphone (either via WiFi or the
> phone signal). You soon get used to the small picture.

an iPad with the 4g onboard option could be good for then getting TV
over Wi Fi and/or 4g? and has a bigger screen than a smartphone?

That is why most people go for a cheap tablet and hope internet coverage is
OK enough to use the on line versions of the channels.

I've never had much luck with indoor aerials on digital, too many
reflections and absorptive masonry about. Of course some do have feeds for
TVs but remember unless in a private room headphones are mandatory usually.,
even for mobile phones.
Brian

--

--:
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...
briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Brian Gregory" <void-invalid-dead-dontuse@email.invalid> wrote in message
news:jstevkF21c5U1@mid.individual.net...
> On 07/11/2022 21:29, Jason Gomez wrote:
>> I want to get portable television for my father, who is in hospital. I am
>> not sure if he will get good reception as he is a few metres away from
>> the window, but it's worth trying.
>>
>> I can see a lot of different models available in eBay and Amazon UK, so I
>> am not sure what to look for.
>>
>> This seems to be the sort of thing I need to get, as I would like a
>> remote as that is what he's used to using, but it doesn't seem to come
>> with the sturdy stand and aerial that they use in the picture.
>>
>> https://smile.amazon.co.uk/portable-rechargeable-Suitable-European-countries-balck/dp/B08R8G336D
>>
>> Any recommendations?
>
> Even when only a few miles from a powerful main transmitter, reception of
> digital television on manageable sized indoor aerials is poor with
> satisfactory reception of only some of the channels being the best you can
> expect.
>
> --
> Brian Gregory (in England).
>

"Brian Gaff" <brian1gaff@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:tkg07o$6v45$1@dont-email.me...
> That is why most people go for a cheap tablet and hope internet coverage
> is OK enough to use the on line versions of the channels.
>
> I've never had much luck with indoor aerials on digital, too many
> reflections and absorptive masonry about. Of course some do have feeds for
> TVs but remember unless in a private room headphones are mandatory
> usually., even for mobile phones.

I managed with a cheap mini-Yagi aerial for my B&W TV at university in
Bristol. In the first hall of residence where I lived, at BS9 1JQ, I had a
good signal on all four analogue channels (before the days of Channel Five)
from Bristol Kings Weston Hill. Then in my final year I moved to BS6 7BG and
the reception from (I presume) Bristol Montpelier (or maybe Bristol
Ilchester Crescent) was dire: very snowy and ghosted, but just about
watchable at a pinch.

The most useless TV aerial I've ever encountered was a 6" vertical rod
mounted on a plastic base that was supplied with a DVB-T USB tuner that I
bought. I wasn't expecting it to work, and it proved me right ;-) As a
test, I drove with the aerial, tuner and my laptop to within a mile (line of
sight) of Oxford transmitter. Outdoors (so no shielding effect of the metal
car body) I actually got better reception with nothing plugged into the
aerial socket than I did with the aerial ;-) Analogue reception at home was
almost indistinguishably bad for both no aerial and the rod aerial - equal
amounts of snow, with not even the vaguest hint of a badly-synchronised
raster. That aerial really was a toy. I wonder whether it was intended more
for VHF reception in mainland Europe than UHF in the UK, since the tuner was
designed to work equally well in either locality.

On 09/11/2022 10:43, Brian Gaff wrote:
> I've never had much luck with indoor aerials on digital, too many
> reflections and absorptive masonry about. Of course some do have feeds for
> TVs but remember unless in a private room headphones are mandatory usually.,
> even for mobile phones.

Isn't DTT more resistant to reflections than analogue?

When it first started up I took the STB up to a friend's place in
Inverness. We got a perfect signal using my finger on the aerial
socket, I doubt whether it would work as well with analogue.

On Wednesday, 9 November 2022 at 13:50:00 UTC, MB wrote:

> Isn't DTT more resistant to reflections than analogue?

Yes.
>
> When it first started up I took the STB up to a friend's place in
> Inverness. We got a perfect signal using my finger on the aerial
> socket, I doubt whether it would work as well with analogue.
No you didn't get a perfect signal, you got signal adequate to allow the receiver to do enough error correction to produce a picture, at that particular moment.
Bill

On 07/11/2022 09:29 pm, Jason Gomez wrote:
> I want to get portable television for my father, who is in hospital. I am not sure if he will get good reception as he is a few metres away from the window, but it's worth trying.
>
> I can see a lot of different models available in eBay and Amazon UK, so I am not sure what to look for.
>
> This seems to be the sort of thing I need to get, as I would like a remote as that is what he's used to using, but it doesn't seem to come with the sturdy stand and aerial that they use in the picture.
>
> https://smile.amazon.co.uk/portable-rechargeable-Suitable-European-countries-balck/dp/B08R8G336D
>
> Any recommendations?
>
> Cheers
>
> ss.

I hadn't realised that portable TV sets were still a thing.

But that separate antenna looks like a faff and it would be necessary to
find a suitable adjacent flat surface with a line of sight to the window
(or something). Portables used to use a folding loop aerial attached to
the back cover.