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Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV For the last six years, I have answered many thousands of personal emails that you have sent to UK Free TV.
Sadly, I am unable to offer this personal service at the moment.
Until I can restore this service, please can you leave any questions you have on an appropriate page, where they will be answered as soon as possible, or below, if you can't figure out where to ask.
I look forward to your questions!
Help with TV/radio stations?
In this section
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Susan:
You need to fit a 2 way splitter in the main room where the sky box currently is.
Connect the main aerial feed into the 2 way splitter, using the RF2 cable from the sky box (which currently runs the bedrooms) connect this to 1 of the outputs on the 2 way splitter, the 2nd output on the splitter can be used to connect a cable to your main tv.
regards
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jamie's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
MikeP
8:38 PM
8:38 PM
Susan and Jamie, et al
Using a simple splitter involves losses of signal strength, so if you have good strong signals it will not normally be a problem. But, if your signals are marginal you may find you're getting picture break up (pixelation) so a better option would be to use a powered splitter than has no additional amplification/gain (or an adjustable one set to unity gain). It should have one input and at least 2 outputs, one to feed the main TV and the other to feed to the other rooms.
One disadvantage of a simple splitter is that *all* outputs *have* to be connected *all* the time else mismatching will cause odd reception problems.
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Tuesday, 3 December 2013
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Dave1:37 PM
Sittingbourne
I'm very annoyed & frustrated!!!!! For the last 5 months on & off we have had signal issues via our bt vision box for receiving many channels at various times of the day! Bt state that it is nothing to do with them & is to do with ur aerial at blue bell hill & that you are doing work! Does this really take 5 months to complete!?
I have tried all the different suggested ways of re scanning & this can sometimes be successful then within a day all messes up again!
With some of the channels having childrens programmes on I have 3 screaming children not happy !
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Dave's: mapD's Freeview map terrainD's terrain plot wavesD's frequency data D's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Dave: BT is correct - the transmitter network and the receiving aerial system is nothing to do with it.
Retuning is only necessary if the receiver is tuned to the wrong transmitter. Where this is found to be the case then this cannot possibly be the fault of the transmitter to which it is not (but should be) tuned!
The point is that the receiver will give the best picture it can on the channel/frequency it is tuned, based on what is being fed into it from the aerial lead.
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Dave2:29 PM
Sittingbourne
Dave Lindsay: Well the aerial lead & aerial have not changed in the last 7 years since I had a new booster aerial installed so still totally unsure as to why the issues have started to arise in the last 5 months for no apparent reason
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Dave's: mapD's Freeview map terrainD's terrain plot wavesD's frequency data D's Freeview Detailed Coverage
M
MikeB3:09 PM
Dave: perhaps the fact you've had a new booster aerial fitted, when your just 16km from the transmitter. Check your signal strength - there is a good chance yours is too high, especially in view of the fact that your using a humax box, which is known for its sensitive tuners.
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Dave: Your point that this has happened for no apparent reason hits the nail on the head - that is the reason isn't apparent.
In order to solve an issue we must first accept that it exists. Giving in to frustration and saying that the problem lies elsewhere and is someone else's job to fix may get us nowhere.
Reception issues generally fall in to one of three categories:
1. Some fault with the viewer's equipment, wiring or aerial.
2. A change along the signal path (line) between the transmitter and receiver.
3. A fault with the transmitter.
Looking at your location, I think that it number 2 is quite possible (that's point number 2 above rather than some other "number 2"). Click "Terrain plot" at the side of your posting and you will see that the line (signal path) from your location to the top of the transmitter runs pretty low to the ground for about 4km (2.5 miles). Hover your mouse over the plot and the pointer will change to a crosshair. Click a point and it will show a map with a black marker which has a down-arrow on, this being the point you clicked.
The point 2.5 miles from you is Keycol Hill, just east of Newington Railway Station. I suggest that anything that has been built between you up to approxiamately Keycol Hill could "potentially" have an affect on your signal.
Before you consider the above, however, I would start off by checking that the BT Vision box is tuned to Bluebell Hill. If it is found to be tuned correctly now, should reception go poor then check it again (for the service tuned to).
The tuned UHF channel is usually given on the signal strength screen. There are five for standard definition and for Bluebell Hill they are as follows:
PSB1 - BBC One - C46
PSB2 - ITV - C43
COM4 - ITV3 - C45
COM5 - Pick TV - C39
COM6 - 4Music - C54
(PSB3 carries HD services only, so I haven't included it.)
Each signal, known as a multiplex, carries multiple services. A full list of service by multiplex is here:
DTG :: DTT Services by Multiplex
So when viewing the signal strength screen on BBC One, or any BBC service, it should be tuned to UHF channel 46 (C46), for example. CITV is carried on COM4, which is on C45.
The box could possibly be tuning to Crystal Palace, which slightly clockwise of Bluebell Hill. Its five standard definition channels are (just in case the show up on your check): 23, 26, 25, 22, 28. If it is found to be retuning itself then this is your issue and therefore we need to look at what could be done to stop it doing this.
I reitterate, if it's found to be tuned to Bluebell Hill then retuning is a waste of time and the problem lies elsewhere.
Incidently, I notice you've only made mention of the BT Vision box. Does the TV not have Freeview built-in and if so, how does this fair?
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Dave3:35 PM
Sittingbourne
Mike b the signal strength is 31 which looking at the registering line does not seem too high!
I still don't see why should only come across the issues lately when have been using the same tv , aerial bt vision box etc
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Dave's: mapD's Freeview map terrainD's terrain plot wavesD's frequency data D's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Dave: To summarise my posting above:
Is this signal one that is being broadcast by Bluebell Hill (showing as being tuned to UHF channel 39, 43, 45, 46 or 54)?
Or is it coming from Crystal Palace (22, 23, 25, 26 or 28)?
The UHF channel number is usually shown on the signal strength screen (I'm not familiar with the BT Vision box, so apologies if the information isn't given).
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RICHARD BUCHANAN10:05 PM
My sky box went off about 30 mins ago all cables are fine brand New box getting a nosignal message on screen tried removing the card now the programme i m recording has come back on TV but no other programme including another one that i am recording at same time what can i do
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