Full Freeview on the Belmont (Lincolnshire, England) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 53.335,-0.172 or 53°20'7"N 0°10'20"W |  | LN8 6JT |
The symbol shows the location of the Belmont (Lincolnshire, England) transmitter which serves 710,000 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 Belmont (Lincolnshire, England) mast?
BELMONT transmitter - DAB: Off the air due to essential engineering from 22 Nov 13:11 until 22 Nov 13:29. . 
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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
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Belmont 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
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Belmont transmitter?
BBC Look North (Hull) 0.7m homes 2.7%
from Hull HU1 3RH, 47km north-northwest (346°)
to BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire region - 4 masts.
ITV Calendar 0.7m homes 2.7%
from Leeds LS3 1JS, 106km west-northwest (299°)
to ITV Yorkshire (Belmont) region - 4 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 80% evening news is shared with Emley Moor region
How will the Belmont (Lincolnshire, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1965-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2011 | 2011-13 | 4 Mar 2020 | ||||
| VHF | A K T | W T | W T | W T | W T | ||||
| C7 | ITVwaves | ||||||||
| C13 | BBCtvwaves | ||||||||
| C22 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBCA | BBCA | ||||
| C23 | ArqA | ||||||||
| C25 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | D3+4 | D3+4 | ||||
| C26 | ArqB | ||||||||
| C27 | LDN | ||||||||
| C28 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBCB | BBCB | ||||
| C30 | -SDN | SDN | |||||||
| C32 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | _local | |||||
| C33 | com7 | ||||||||
| C35 | com8 | ||||||||
| C53tv_off | ArqA | ||||||||
| C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | C5waves | C5waves | COM8tv_off | ||||||
| C60tv_off | -ArqB |
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 3 Aug 11 and 17 Aug 11.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 500kW | |
| BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-5.2dB) 150kW | |
| ARQA, ARQB | (-7dB) 100kW | |
| Analogue 5, SDN | (-10dB) 50kW | |
| com8 | (-10.9dB) 40.9kW | |
| com7 | (-11.3dB) 37.1kW | |
| Mux 2* | (-14dB) 20kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux A*, Mux B* | (-17dB) 10kW | |
| LDN | (-20dB) 5kW | |
| Mux C*, Mux D* | (-21dB) 4kW |
Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Belmont transmitter area
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Wednesday, 6 September 2023
C
Chris.SE11:53 PM
A parks:
Whilst Arqiva do strive to avoid interruptions to prime time viewing when there is Planned Engineering, sometimes it can be unavoidable if parts of the work are essential.
Having said that I can't currently trace any record of faults or interruptions, however if they are operating at reduced power or from the reserve antenna then you might be more vulnerable to interference to your normal signals, either due to weather conditions or from new/upgrade phone masts especially as you are about 62km from the transmitter.
Roughly how old is your aerial?
Since the 700MHz Clearance and closure of the temporary multiplexes COMs 7&8, they are all now back in aerial Group A (where they were in the old analogue days pre-Ch.5). In the interim you would have needed a Group T/Wideband to receive all channels. If your aerial was replaced in the last 10 years you may have one of those, if it's been replaced in the last year, it should be a Group A (or possibly a Group K), the latter two significantly reducing reception above UHF Channel C48 where new/upgraded phone masts may be operating and so could cause interference.
Your postcode area should have had postcards from https://restoretv.uk
You may need a Free Filter which can be obtained from them.
Current weather conditions are also a problem. There's been quite a lot of strong "Tropospheric Ducting" which can occur with high pressure. This causes signals from distant transmitters in Europe of the UK to travel considerably further and cause interference to your wanted signals. However, whilst this can last for seconds, minutes and sometimes longer periods, it's unusual for ALL multiplexes (and hence all channels) to be affected at the same time.
Whatever the source of any interference, or if there is no signal/badly pixellated pictures, one thing that is NOT advised is to retine if you were previously correctly tuned as this can result in it clearing your correct tuning.
There are 5 possible transmitters you could receive in your locale (and that could be enhanced with current conditions), so do check that you are correctly tuned to Belmont's UHF channels (as listed at the very top of this page).
Also check things like your aerial looks intact is still pointing correctly, roughly NNW (compass bearing 341 degrees), that the downlead is undamaged, secure and not flapping in the wind, that your coax plug connections are clean, dry and free from corrosion. Also that you don't have any HDMI leads running close to your aerial or flyleads as this can sometimes be a source of interference.
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Monday, 2 October 2023
P
Paul Fearn 11:15 AM
This is getting ridiculous now with the TV reception. A month my TV has been barely watchable due to poor signal. My location YO164AL is on the edge of the boundary for signal and I begrudge paying for a TV licence for a poor service. Are they ever going to sort this transmitter out?
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C
Chris.SE2:47 PM
Paul Fearn :
Hmm, yes extended work like this doesn't help when you aren't in the best of reception areas. They could be running on the reserve antenna or reduced power at present, which will make things worse when you are much further away.
It should be remembered that it's a good 10 years since DSO and I expect loads of things need checking, some replacing. Lots of main transmitters and some relays have had extended periods of maintenance this year, and of course some work is extremely difficult in winter/bad weather.
The Bilsdale fire may well have made them do thorough checks to ensure similar is not likely anywhere else!
Hopefully the work will be completed soon - Arqiva never give details of the work, or how long it will take especially if some is weather dependent or awaiting spares!
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S
Steve Donaldson6:34 PM
Paul Fearn : As Chris.SE says, there is currently engineering works at Belmont. As you are on the very fringes, any reduction in output by the transmitter may be insufficient to serve you, and the most likely explanation may be that the transmitter is on low power or using the reserve antenna, which is lower down than the main one at the top.
Over the last 10 years or so, a number of new transmitters have been built to improve reception in poor areas. At digital switchover (DSO) and later at the 700MHz Clearance new transmitters came on air. The 700MHz Clearance programme occurred region by region between 2017 and 2020, reorganising TV frequencies in order to free the highest-most for use by mobile phone networks.
Prior to digital switchover in 2007, Bridlington was identified by TV-frequency planners as one of a nine places requiring its own transmitter. As detailed below, eight of these places saw the matter addressed at switchover -- only Brid was and still is outstanding. I suggest you write to your MP about this. Cite the report referred to below, pointing out that all but your location have had solutions put in place.
Also raise it with parish councils and the like, pointing out that this particularly impacts the elderly who often do not have or are not able to access TV broadcasts over the Internet. They may be isolated, relying on their TV for company and connection to the outside world.
Today, all TV transmitters are under the control of one company, Arqiva. In 2007, prior to DSO, there were two companies: Arqiva and National Grid Wireless (NGW). In preparation for switchover, these companies produced a "reference offer" report in which they provided details of their network of transmitters. Within the NGW document, Bridlington got a mention:
https://www.arqiva.com/do….pdf
See paragraph 4.6 on page 161 of the report (page 159 of the PDF). It says that the Joint Planning Project (JPP) had identified in its Spectrum Plan, nine locations, including Bridlington, in need of a new transmitter to alleviate poor reception. The JPP is chaired by Ofcom and includes Arqiva, the BBC and other broadcasters. The nine proposed transmitters were:
1. Rouncefall (South East Essex) -- Built. New at DSO. This by the River Crouch, upstream from Burnham-on-Crouch, and at 4kW is a second-most powerful relay in the country (joint second with Arfon in North Wales).
2. Broadstairs (Kent) -- No new transmitter. However, within a mile or so of Broadstairs are the transmitters of Margate and Ramsgate. At DSO, both had a considerable power increase.
3. Bridlington -- Not built.
4. Clacton (Essex) -- Built. New at DSO.
5. Lowestoft (Suffolk) -- Built. New at DSO.
6. Burnham-on-Crouch (Essex) -- Built. New at DSO.
7. Great Yarmouth (Norfolk) -- Built. New at DSO.
8. Budleigh Salterton (Devon coast) -- Built. New at DSO.
9. Bexhill (Sussex) -- Built. New at DSO.
As you can see, seven of these locations got a new transmitter, one other got increased coverage from two nearby transmitters and the other is Bridlington. Subsequently, at 700MHz Clearance, Sittingbourne, Gillingham, Ashford and Swindon saw coverage improved by way of new transmitters. In other places, there have been power increases at existing transmitting stations. This all goes to show it can be done.
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Tuesday, 3 October 2023
S
Steve Donaldson2:34 AM
Paul Fearn : This is a Coverage Plan document, dated September 2008, published by the BBC:
https://downloads.bbc.co.….pdf
As with the NGW report I referenced above, it was in preparation for DSO. It lists all transmitters as per the JPP (Joint Frequency Planning Project) Plan version 5.5.
It gives the location of the proposed Bridlington transmitter as Buckton Barn, with a power of 1kW per channel.
The question of where a new TV transmitter for Bridlington might be situated is a difficult one for planners, I think it's safe to say. I think ideally it should be to the south of the town because existing aerials are all pointing that way, and many people will be able to use it without needing to adjust their aerial. The problem in trying to achieve this is that the ground is flat to the south. There is high ground to the north, with a little to the west. There is already a lattice tower at Buckton Barn, used by mobile phone operators, Greatest Hits Radio on 102.4MHz and several DAB multiplexes.
What is more, paragraph 6.5 of the BBC Coverage Plan states, "In consultation with Ofcom and the other broadcasters, the BBC has agreed to build a small number of additional transmitting stations as part of the digital television network. These stations do not transmit analogue television as at the date of the Agreement. These stations are marked with an asterisk before their name in this section."
Bridlington, along with the other eight listed above are present in this BBC document with an asterisk.
So what happened? Why did Bridlington get canned?
I think it may be useful to see the JPP Plan. I wonder if it gives such detail as the reason for the transmitter, the number of people the transmitter would bring reliable service to whose reception (from Belmont) is otherwise marginal or below marginal. This situation cannot have changed to this day, and therefore justification for the transmitter given by the JPP back then still holds, hence why I say it might be useful to see it.
I also wonder if a subsequent version of the Coverage Plan sets out the reasoning for not building the Brid transmitter.
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In a 2013 consultation response to Ofcom, Digital UK (a consortium of the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Arqiva) tears into Ofcom on the matter of the erosion of acceptable level of coverage. The subject of the consultation is the use of "white space" in the TV band of frequencies for uses other than broadcast TV.
Under the subheading "Degradation of DTT coverage thresholds" Digital UK says, "We are *concerned* that the starting point for this Consultation is that degradation of existing DTT reception, a licensed service, to permit the introduction of TV white space, a licence-exempt service, is both inevitable and acceptable." The asterisks indicate words emboldened in the consultation response.
The next paragraph opens with the sentence, "We are *concerned* that this proposed change comes on top of the fact that the definition of what constitutes a DTT service has been, and continues to be, eroded, with each change seeming insignificant compared to the previous position, but which cumulatively constitute a significant move."
It goes on to list several bullet points following the statement: "The changes in DTT coverage definitions over the years have been a matter of public record, as set out in the following statements and extracts from the relevant documentation:"
[two bullet points which I have omitted set out how the TV coverage threshold has been revised downwards]
The final two bullet points are as follows:
[Quote]
- The broadcasters were obliged to commission the construction of additional relay transmitters as part of the Digital Switchover programme to ensure the continuing availability of a terrestrial television service in parts of the country where conversion of the existing transmitter network would not provide an adequate service after switchover, i.e. the 70% location threshold was not met. The new transmitters include those at Bexhill, Clacton, Rouncefall, Skelmersdale and Budleigh Salterton.
- Some areas of the country (e.g. parts of Bridlington and the South and East coasts) fall outside of official 3PSB marginal coverage but Ofcom agreed that a relay would not be provided as part of switchover on the basis that no suitable site was available and households in these areas were already using significantly better than standard receiving installations. Protection of reception in such areas is therefore required but is not addressed in this Consultation.
[End quote]
The response also says that the JPP has since become the DTT Frequency Planning Board. I wonder whether some 10 years later it is still called this.
Source reference for this Digital UK consultation response: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/….pdf
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Thursday, 26 October 2023
M
Michael7:25 AM
On Belmont Transmitter. Since Friday (storm Babet) we have had no channels on C30.
Freebies reset made no difference and when returned even the channel numbers disappear.
All other channel reception are excellent.
We have just lost C30 (comm4) channels but there is no report from Belmont of any reported
faults.
Our aerial is loft mounted and has been for years without any issues.
The aerial has been checked but no faults which I was suspecting due to all other channels being good.
Suspect there is a transmitter issue but not reported.
Anybody cast any light on this concern?
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S
Steve Donaldson12:16 PM
Michael: Both Freeview and the BBC are reporting no faults or engineering with Belmont, although this isn't a BBC multiplex, so the BBC is not likely to report on it.
The most obvious thing I can think of, other than a transmitter issue, is that some vegetation has been moved by the storm, vegetation such as a tree branch, which is somewhere in front of your aerial and therefore casting a shadow with respect to the TV broadcasts from Belmont.
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C
Chris.SE1:33 PM
Michael:
Belmont was listed for Planned Engineering last week and if you happened to try retuning at the wrong time it will most likely have just cleared your correct tuning, but in addition, as we don't know what work was being carried out, completion could have been delayed by the storm, so work may be continuing this week. We know the lists aren't always 100% accurate.
I'm never sure why if people were correctly tuned and they lose signal, which could be due to weather conditions, transmitter issues, or aerial system issues, they think that retuning is going to help since you cannot tune to a signal that is not there!
When you are correctly tuned it is never recommended that you try retuning if you have no signal or badly pixellated pictures as this often just clears you correct tuning.
Apart from checking Steve's suggestion, two things you could try, check in the EPG LCN 800s to see if for some reason all the COM4 channels have appeared there, otherwise try a MANUAL retune of UHF C30.
Also note all the COM muxes at Belmont, like several other main transmitters, are at lower power than the PSBs (to help prevent co-channel interference elsewhere). What sort of Signal Strength and Quality figures does your set show for each of the other COM muxes, and likewise for the PSBs?
If you provide a full postcode we can look at your predicted reception.
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M
Michael7:21 PM
Hi
All C30 channels are back this evening though pixelating quite a lot
Definitely no trees or vegetation blocking signal. I think the most probable answer
is the engineering work over running due to the storm like Chris suggested
Don't worry about retuning I carried out this manually so I didn't loose my original
settings
Cheers Michael
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C
Chris.SE10:59 PM
Michael:
Because your reception of the COM muxes may not be as good as the PSBs (I can't comment definitely without a full postcode) it's quite likely the reason you are still having pixilation will be use of the reserve antenna or reduced power.
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