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UK Free TV fix 3: fix everything else...

Finally, I have managed to get all the things that were out-of-date corrected, so UK Free TV can run for some more years, given the site is now 21 years old!

A few more fixes  Photograph: Shutterstock
A few more fixes Photograph: Shutterstock
published on UK Free TV

Yes, UK Free TV did just pass 21 years online!    We started here back on 5th July 2002!

I've fixed several things:

  • I've removed all the out of date URLs on the site - especially those on https://ukfree.tv/channels/compare_tv/Defunct
  • I have activated all the URLs in comments that were pending my approval
  • I've fixed the code to allow it to run as PHP8.2 which has some annoying a new "features" in that it stops working with a "500 error" when the code fails to pre-define object variables.  
  • The site has HTTP2 enabled now
  • I've changed the way the page cache works so people comments appear quickly.
  • I have disabled about 1,000 "Bounce and complaints" email addresses
  • I've removed a few spam messages that got thought the filters
  • I've set all the Archived pages to show up in their menus again: I was using Google Analytics 3 to do this and it's been discontinued.  

As far as I can tell pages like https://ukfree.tv/extras/BBC_Engineeering are still working and the TV prediction an DAB radio prediction still show their maps and station lists.

I will, shortly be writing some "content" about the future of Freeview and DTT, but I needed to get everything else working first.

B

 



Help with Freeview, aerials?
How do I get a test card with Freeview1
I would like to know if it is possible to receive UK terrestrial Freeview servic2
I have been told I would receive too much singal from my Freeview tansmitter as 3
Can my Freeview box receive more than one BBC and ITV region?4
Is it true that my 87 year old mother is entitled to a FREE upgrade when the ana5
In this section
UK Free TV fix 2: update IP address tables 1
UK Free TV fix 1: postcodes up to date2
UK Free TV twitter cross-posting to stop on 9 February 20233
Privacy policy4
Podcast transcriptions, better Read Me, toxic Perspective and Twitter fixes5
UK Free TV Money Saver6

Comments
Thursday, 27 July 2023
Brian Butterworth
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

6:03 PM
Wakefield

I have also rejoined my posts into one section - All posts by Briantist | free and easy for 21 years

link to this comment
Brian Butterworth's 38,915 posts GB flag
Brian's: mapB's Freeview map terrainB's terrain plot wavesB's frequency data B's Freeview Detailed Coverage
J
js
sentiment_satisfiedGold

6:19 PM

Brian Butterworth: Well, thank you, kind sir. I see you took the garbage out, too.

I think, maybe, "feedback" has gone missing, where I seem to remember, there was a useful post stating that urls with embedded postcodes like this were possible:

Freeview Detailed Coverage Checker | Freeview

I could be dreaming.




link to this comment
js's 841 posts NL flag
J
js
sentiment_satisfiedGold

6:26 PM

Brian Butterworth: Don't know why I couldn't find it

link to this comment
js's 841 posts DE flag
Friday, 28 July 2023
Brian Butterworth
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

12:55 AM
Wakefield

js: The links are back as "Freeview Detailed Coverage"

link to this comment
Brian Butterworth's 38,915 posts GB flag
Brian's: mapB's Freeview map terrainB's terrain plot wavesB's frequency data B's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

1:16 AM

js:

Oh well done, that was the very thing I was trying to find yesterday to ask Brian about.

Brian:
Stirling work, thanks very much. Did the transmitter names include Preseli/Presely ?.

link to this comment
Chris.SE's 4,358 posts GB flag
Brian Butterworth
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

1:24 AM
Wakefield

Chris.SE: Preseli (Pembrokeshire, Wales) Full Freeview transmitter | free and easy for 21 years works as link but not the auto-inserted one. I will look at the tomorrow.

link to this comment
Brian Butterworth's 38,915 posts GB flag
Brian's: mapB's Freeview map terrainB's terrain plot wavesB's frequency data B's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Saturday, 29 July 2023
Brian Butterworth
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

6:35 AM
Wakefield

Another day, another list! These are the BBC names for transmtiters compared with Ofcom, and mainly for radio.

"Rowridge Vp" => "Rowridge",
"Rowridge Hp" => "Rowridge",
"Neath Abbey Vp"=>"Neath Abbey",
"Neath Abbey Hp"=>"Neath Abbey" ,
"Bleach Green Vp"=>"Bleachgreen",
"Bleach Green Hp"=>"Bleachgreen",
Storeton Wales"=>"Storeton",
"Caldbeck Scotland"=>"Caldbeck",
"Tickhill"=>"Tick Hill",
"Arfon North"=>"Arfon",
"Arfon South"=>"Arfon",
"Newquay Hillcrest"=>"Newquay - Lane Theatre",
"Mynydd Machan"=>"Mynydd Machen",
"Felixstowe Walton Av"=>"Felixstowe - Academy",
"Maidenhead Hyde Farm"=>"HYDE FARM MAIDENHEAD",
"Gillingham Testing Centre"=>"Gillingham",
"Torpoint Withnoe Ln"=>"Torpoint Withnoe Lane",
"Caterham Oldpark Wd"=>"Caterham",
"Pontllanfriath"=>"Pontyllanfriath"

This is used to cross-reference BBC Transmitter Engineeering information | free and easy for 21 years with the transmitter pages for TV and radio.

link to this comment
Brian Butterworth's 38,915 posts GB flag
Brian's: mapB's Freeview map terrainB's terrain plot wavesB's frequency data B's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Sunday, 30 July 2023
Brian Butterworth
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

3:30 PM

I've been working on stopping the server crashing since Wednesday. I've done several things (new hardware, more database, code changes to use less database connections).
I've also had a go at guessing which transmitters are which from the list of BBC names. I still have no clue as to the location of "Freeth Allotments" and "Constantine Farm" but the rest
"Beccles South Road" => "Orfordness-A",
"Bodmin"=>"Penaligon Down",
"Bourton On The Water"=>"Icomb Hill",
"Caister Ormesby Road"=>"Great Yarmouth",
"Cale Cross House"=>"Wrekenton",
"Cefn Eglwysilan"=>"Rhondda",
"Danbury Bakers Lane" => "Danbury",
"Edinburgh SHF"=>",Braid Hills ",
"Etchinghill"=>"Horn Street",
"Forden"=>"Long Mountain",
"Glasgow William St" => "Glasgow West Central",
"Hull MF Clough Road" => "Hull MF",
"Hunterstone" => "Hunters Stone",
"Ibthorpe"=>"Hurstbourne Tarrant",
"Ilimington"=>" Leamington Spa",
"Kidderminster VHF" => "Kidderminster",
"Kirkby Underwood"=>"Gunthorpe",
"Largs Holehouse"=>"Largs",
"Merseyside"=>"Mersey Tunnel",
"Monmouth UHF" => "Monmouth",
"Nuneaton"=>"Hartshill Quarry",
"Penmon"=>"Llanddona",
"Sedgley Beacon" => "Sedgley",
"Sideway"=>"Fenton",
"Sittingbourne Stockers Hill" => "Sittingbourne - Swale House",
"South Benfleet" => "Benfleet",
"Spalding Drove"=>"Gunthorpe",
"Swaffham"=>"Daffy Green",
"Wroughton"=>"Blunsdon"


link to this comment
Brian Butterworth's 38,915 posts GB flag
Brian's: mapB's Freeview map terrainB's terrain plot wavesB's frequency data B's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

4:44 PM

Brian Butterworth:

Great stuff Brian, many thanks. All these things help.
Please try and sort out the TV Transmitter page Postcode links at the top RHS of their pages so that they go to the Detailed Coverage (as mentioned at https://ukfree.tv/extras/…591) because they've been going to Freeview Homepage (now "Everyonetv") ever since DUK changed the Platform Management urls ages back.

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Chris.SE's 4,358 posts GB flag
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