Full Freeview on the Ridge Hill (County of Herefordshire, England) transmitter
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The symbol shows the location of the Ridge Hill (County of Herefordshire, England) transmitter which serves 270,000 homes. The bright green areas shown where the signal from this transmitter is strong, dark green areas are poorer signals. Those parts shown in yellow may have interference on the same frequency from other masts.
Are there any planned engineering works or unexpected transmitter faults on the Ridge Hill (County of Herefordshire, England) mast?
Ridge Hill transmitter - Ridge Hill transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 04/11/2024 Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels 
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Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Ridge Hill transmitter broadcast?
If you have any kind of Freeview fault, follow this Freeview reset procedure first.Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Ridge Hill transmitter?
BBC Midlands Today 2.9m homes 10.9%
from Birmingham B1 1RF, 69km northeast (39°)
to BBC West Midlands region - 66 masts.
ITV Central News 2.9m homes 10.9%
from Birmingham B1 2JT, 69km northeast (39°)
to ITV Central (West) region - 65 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 80% evening news is shared with Central (East)
Are there any self-help relays?
| Whitton | Transposer | 35 km NW Hereford | 40 homes |
How will the Ridge Hill (County of Herefordshire, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1968-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2011 | 2011-13 | 1 Mar 2018 | ||||
| VHF | A K T | A K T | A K T | W T | W T | ||||
| C6 | ITVwaves | ||||||||
| C21 | +SDN | SDN | |||||||
| C22 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | +BBCB | BBCB | ||||
| C24 | ArqA | ArqA | |||||||
| C25 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | D3+4 | D3+4 | ||||
| C27 | ArqB | ArqB | |||||||
| C28 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBCA | BBCA | ||||
| C29 | D3+4 | ||||||||
| C30 | _local | ||||||||
| C32 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | com7 | |||||
| C34 | com8 | ||||||||
| C35 | C5waves | C5waves | |||||||
| C51tv_off | _local | _local | |||||||
| C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | COM8tv_off |
tv_off Being removed from Freeview (for 5G use) after November 2020 / June 2022 - more
Table shows multiplexes names see this article;
green background for transmission frequencies
Notes: + and - denote 166kHz offset; aerial group are shown as A B C/D E K W T
waves denotes analogue; digital switchover was 6 Apr 11 and 20 Apr 11.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-5 | 100kW | |
| BBCA, D3+4, PSB2 iw, BBCB | (-7dB) 20kW | |
| com7 | (-9.8dB) 10.5kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB | (-10dB) 10kW | |
| com8 | (-10.1dB) 9.8kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-17dB) 2kW |
Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Ridge Hill transmitter area
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Is the transmitter output the same in all directions?
Radiation patterns withheldFriday, 12 May 2023
C
Chris.SE12:39 PM
StevensOnln1:
I did suggest considering Freesat a few posts back, and if the set already has a satellite tuner, just dish and LNB required.
Richard Sutton:
Again, you are drawing false conclusions when it comes to interference. Just because nothing has changed in the house does not mean something isn't causing a problem. If you continue to ignore the possibility then obviously nothing will change. As for the power lines & pylon, it's highly improbable at the distance they are away that they'll have any effect whatsoever.
Any potential source of interference in the house (or very nearby) could fluctuate depending on the equipment responsible, but as the signal affected may also be varying, it may not take much signal variation for the interference to have a significant effect. If the set is capable of decoding the signal with few errors then you'll likely get 100% quality. The errors may only need to increase somewhat and decoding falls over the "cliff edge" - a phrase you may have heard of in relation to digital signals.
Without specialist equipment, like a spectrum analyser which a very qualified (probably CAI approved) installer may have, the only other way of eliminating as many possibilities as one can is to go round unplugging/totally switching off (not on standby) all electrical/electronic equipment).
There's also a possibility of something generating a harmonic RF signal, that "may" be getting picked up by any unused VHF input on the amp/splitter and make matters worse - I think that's less likely as the issue didn't seem to be better without the amp/splitter.
You've had this problem for several years, I cannot understand why you stubbornly don't try and eliminate as many potential causes as you can that don't cost anything to do.
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R
Richard Sutton3:03 PM
As I said, there is no unused input on the booster.
I just don't understand what it is that I am supposed to be turning off? Are you suggesting every electrical device in the house or just those which are on the floor which has the loft or the bedroom floor below. Surely the internet router on the ground floor could not interfere with something two floors above and interfere so as to block the signal one day but allow 100% quality the next?
There is nothing electrical which is on on the top (loft) floor.
The central heating and the microwave, also two floors below the router, are off although the central heating is not turned off at the mains. There is one electrical device on the bedroom level which is a mains alarm clock and that is now off.
There is a Humax recorded in the lounge although I have had three of those over the last 20 years and the problems have always existed but I have just tried turning that off at the mains as well and it makes no difference.
I've just tried turning off the router even though it is two floors down but it doesn't make any difference. The fridge-freezer is on, of course, but the dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer are all off. However, these are all two floors down from the booster.
I checked the C25 quality but turning those appliances on the ground floor off haven't made any difference either.
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Chris.SE11:25 PM
Evesham
Richard Sutton:
Sorry, I did miss your comment about only one input on the booster, I was side tracked by the pylon & power lines :(
Quote "I just don't understand what it is that I am supposed to be turning off? Are you suggesting every electrical device in the house ...... "
YES, everything electrical/electronic. I did say "Any potential source of interference in the house (or very nearby) could fluctuate depending on the equipment responsible, but as the signal affected may also be varying, it may not take much signal variation for the interference to have a significant effect.
I did make reference to the "cliff-edge".
Interference doesn't just get radiated (transmitted) it can travel along mains wiring direct to equipment but the wiring can also radiate the interfering signals as well. Worst case scenarios are eg. interference from faulty street lights as it's often difficult to track down, but they re usually easy to eliminate if the interference is 24/7 and the street light is only on after dark rather than stuck on!
Don't overlook anything that may have some sort of electronic control - a lot of modern fridge freezers for example have electronic controls as does modern central heating.
Some LED or fluorescent lighting etc can also cause issues but again only when on unless it's PIR or dawn/dusk controlled.
Digital/electronic anything has potential, if poorly designed or has developed a fault - not necessarily outwardly noticeable!
It's simply just easier to eliminate something by unplugging it at the mains, or switching off a circuit at a Consumer Unit (if it's not the one with the distribution amp or the TV!).
Even if you find nothing in the house (including outbuildings), at least you know it not something you can have control over.
Whilst it's rather obvious you are in a rural location surrounded by low hills, you are taking "line-of-sight" a little too literally, a low hill that's not immediately close to you and some distance away usually doesn't have that much of an effect on a powerful transmitter whose mast is around 400m asl even if you can't see it (Sutton Coldfield) or around 360m asl (Ridge Hill). In any event reception predictors take account of this sort of thing, some can check line-of-sight (that doesn't necessarily mean that it's physically visible to the eye), it's the direction of the transmitter from your location and obvious permanent obstructions and tell you how far away the obstruction is). What predictors cannot take into account is very nearby trees like your conifer, or eg. a neighbours very tall barn with a tin roof that's directly on the line of your aerial !
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Chris.SE's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Thursday, 22 June 2023
TV lost signal for 2 days now ridge hill showing planned engineering works when will these be complete ? and signal restored ?
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Chris.SE1:59 PM
kevin bond:
Arqiva never state how long particular works may take or what is involved.
It is highly unlikely that there is no signal otherwise there would be thousands of complaints around various forums.
Also, there has been some quite variable weather related Tropospheric Ducting in recent days which can affect reception because of interference being received from more distant transmitters in Europe or the UK - not all multiplexes are necessarily affected, but this isn't normally sustained for any lengthy periods, nor is there normally any lengthy interruptions to transmission during engineering and even if they are on reduced power for a while, or the reserve antenna are being used you should still be receiving signals unless you are in a weaker signal area.
As you haven't provided a full postcode we can't advise or comment on that.
Did you perchance Retune at any point when you may have had no signal for a short while either due to Interference or Engineering? If so this very often clears your correct tuning. It's not advised to retune when you have no signal or badly pixellated pictures if you were initially correctly tuned.
If you did, and you don't know if your tuning has been cleared, your best best will be to do a Manual tune for Ridge Hill's UHF channels.
They are C28, C25, C22, C21, C24, & C27 that's in multiplex order -
BBCA/PSB1, D3&4/PSB2, BBCB HD/PSB3, SDN/COM4, ArqA/COM5, ArqB/COM6
If perchance you want the West ITV Local news instead of Central you need to tune C29.
All the above assumes that you've checked all your coax plugs are plugged in, no power loss to any amps/splitters and your aerial hasn't fallen down etc. these are obvious things to do.
It's always worth checking with a very near neighbour if they have lost signal (and NOT retuned).
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Sunday, 2 July 2023
B
B Booker 9:20 AM
Transmitter engineering: Hi, I have been experiencing tv picture freezing , pixelation for a week or so, at first I assumed it was down to weather but now think the ridge hill work may be responsible. How much longer is it likely to last?
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Chris.SE1:53 PM
B Booker :
You are right about the weather, there has been some quite variable weather related Tropospheric Ducting recently which can affect reception because of interference being received from more distant transmitters in Europe or the UK - not all multiplexes are necessarily affected, but this isn't normally sustained for any lengthy periods, but that should have now pretty much disappeared for the time being.
As far as transmitter maintenance goes, Arqiva never say how long such work will last or what it entails, some of which can be weather dependent. It looks as though it is still listed for next week. Typically we've noticed that such work on Main transmitters in recent time has taken around 4 weeks. But unless transmission is all being done from the reserve antenna at present you should not have continuous problems.
As you haven't given a full postcode we can''t advise how good a signal you'd normally get, if you are in a weaker signal area this won't help.
Obviously check all you coax plugs, connections, flyleads etc, unplug connectors check for corrosion or other problems and reconnect them. Flyleads can be a common problem, try swapping them.
See what signal strengths (if any) and quality you are getting for the multiplexes (groups of channels) shown in your TV's tuning section, this might indicate potential issues with your aerial or downlead.
If you have a distribution amp/splitter, check that it still has power and check the connections to it.
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Thursday, 12 October 2023
M
Marion10:11 AM
No signal for over a week. No channels available at all and no information as to if or when service will be restored
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Chris.SE1:32 PM
Marion:
Did you retune when you had no signal? That will have cleared your correct tuning!
The Ridge Hill transmitter is also having Planned Engineering which will not help if you are in a weaker signal area but as you haven't provided a full postcode I can't check that.
Reception in many areas has been disrupted by the recent weather conditions -
They have been causing Tropospheric Ducting affecting much of the south coast and southern parts of the country on last Saturday and extending into the Midlands and North of the country through Sunday including East Anglia, then affecting all Wales and England. These conditions have been unusually quite extreme on occasion recently.
This causes interfering signals from distant transmitters in Europe or the UK to affect reception of your wanted signals. This can periodically last, seconds, minutes and sometimes much longer - Do NOT Retune. (If you'd been correctly tuned I cannot understand why people think retuning will help when the set says no signal, it's not going to get a signal that's not there!).
There is nothing you can do about this situation apart from wait for conditions to change, or use online streaming if available.
IF you did retune, you'd be best manually retuning the UHF channels for your transmitter, as detailed in the top section of the relevant transmitter page, or now as the conditions have substantially gone away an automatic retune may restore all your channels.
The BBC and Freeview had issued warnings -
High pressure weather conditions impacting TV & Radio services - from 07 October | Help receiving TV and radio
High pressure could affect reception across parts of the UK this week | Freeview
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Sunday, 15 October 2023
N
Nick 1:46 PM
What's happened to channel 21 multiplex. Did manual tune, 0 signal strength 0 signal quality.
All other multiplexes are normal in strength and quality.
Postcode GL52EL
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