Full Freeview on the Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 51.324,0.520 or 51°19'25"N 0°31'13"E |  | ME5 9RD |
The symbol shows the location of the Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) transmitter which serves 200,000 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.
This transmitter has no current reported problems
The BBC and Digital UK report there are no faults or engineering work on the Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) transmitter._______
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 Bluebell 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 Bluebell Hill transmitter?
BBC South East Today 0.8m homes 3.2%
from Tunbridge Wells TN1 1QQ, 28km southwest (218°)
to BBC South East region - 45 masts.
ITV Meridian News 0.7m homes 2.7%
from Maidstone ME14 5NZ, 5km south-southeast (155°)
to ITV Meridian (East) region - 36 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 50% evening news is shared with all of Meridian plus Oxford
How will the Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2012 | 2012-13 | 19 Jul 2018 | |||||
| E | E | E | W T | W T | |||||
| C21 | _local | ||||||||
| C28 | _local | ||||||||
| C32 | com7 | ||||||||
| C34 | com8 | ||||||||
| C39 | +ArqA | ||||||||
| C40 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | +BBCB | SDN | ||||
| C43 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | D3+4 | ArqA | ||||
| C45 | SDN | BBCB | |||||||
| C46 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBCA | ArqB | ||||
| C54tv_off | ArqB | ||||||||
| C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | COM8tv_off | ||||||||
| C65 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves |
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 13 Jun 12 and 27 Jun 12.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 30kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-1.8dB) 20kW | |
| com8 | (-7.8dB) 5kW | |
| com7 | (-8.1dB) 4.7kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-10dB) 3kW | |
| Mux 2*, Mux A* | (-11.8dB) 2kW |
Local transmitter maps
Bluebell Hill Freeview Bluebell Hill DAB Bluebell Hill TV region BBC South East Meridian (East micro region)Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Bluebell Hill transmitter area
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Friday, 8 December 2023
C
Chris.SE8:06 AM
cyril horton:
Apologies for having missed your post until now.
As you haven't given a full postcode, we can't check your predicted reception or advise on the possible reasons for your reception problem.
If you are in a weaker signal area, Planned Engineering could see your signal affected periodically.
IF you are correctly tuned, then if at any time you have no signal or badly pixellated pictures, then do NOT retune. You can't tune to signals that are not there, or cannot be decoded.
The usual effect is to just clear the correct tuning.
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Wednesday, 7 February 2024
D
David Austin3:21 PM
Wadhurst
My aerial has been directed towards Bluebell Hill Transmitter by the TV Aerial Technician. My Post Code is TN5 6HZ. Normally I receive all channels with no problems. Occasionally, often during periods of inclement weather we lose the BBC and ITV HD channels but not the BBC and ITV SD channels. Can you suggest why. Many thanks for your help.
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David's: mapD's Freeview map terrainD's terrain plot wavesD's frequency data D's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris4:10 PM
Chatham
David Austin: I also have the same problem with the Bluebell Hill transmitter. I live much closer in postcode ME5 8UN. It is fine most of the time but occasionally I have problems with it frequently cutting out or no signal at all on the HD channels. I can also view the SD channels during this fault. It has been doing this for a few years now and it drives me nuts because 99% of the time it is all perfectly ok.
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Chris's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris.SE11:59 PM
Chris:
Well that's extremely surprising as you are only 2km from the transmitter. Have you checked that you are correctly tuned to Bluebell Hill's UHF channels as listed in the very top section of this page? C45 for the PSB3/HD multiplex.
If you are correctly tuned, you must either have a very poor aerial installation or possibly be suffering interference, maybe from a nearby mobile phone mast, you are surrounded by at least 4!
You should have received a postcard from Restore TV https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/
If you haven't got a 700MHs ("5G") filter fitted (and/or ideally a Group K aerial) then get in touch with Restore TV for a Free Filter.
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Thursday, 8 February 2024
C
Chris.SE12:28 AM
David Austin:
How very odd as Bluebell Hill is not your nearest transmitter, nor predicted to give the best reception for your postcode, it's 32km away, whereas Heathfield is only 12km away. In theory, you are predicted to be able to get signals from 6 transmitters as you have clear line-of-sight to all of them, but by no means good reception!
Also check you are correctly tuned to Bluebell Hill's UHF channels.
Do you perhaps have some significant local obstructions in the direction of Heathfield, compass bearing 213 degrees, that's almost SW being between SSW and SW? Obstructions like large dense trees, tall buildings, metallic farm buildings and so on?
Whilst your postcode hasn't supposedly had postcards https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/ by pointing the aerial at Bluebell Hill, it's pointing straight at 2 mobile masts of the 4 nearby, so I'd think about investigating the possible interference issue as they may well be now operating 700MHz transmissions and causing problems.
In addition to which the recent Planned Engineering at Bluebell Hill may have overrun and could well be affecting your reception of the HD multiplex at the distance you are from it.
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Sunday, 11 February 2024
C
Chris9:29 AM
David Austin:
Hello David. It's 9.20am and I am having problems with signal quality from Bluebell Hill transmitter. Are you also having problems? I would really like to work out if it's my set up or the transmitter causing the problem.
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C
Chris.SE3:10 PM
Chris:
Did you not read the reply I gave you earlier? Trying to do a comparison with David Austin in his situation is like comparing chalk with cheese. I suggest you read my reply to him as well.
It would be helpful if you answered about whether you have a 700MHz filter.
Also go to your TV Tuning section and look for Signal Strength and Quality (or Error) figures, maybe in a section called Signal Test.
If you post both figures for each multiplex's UHF channel, that can give a feel for any potential problems.
I assume that you have checked that your aerial looks intact, is still pointing correctly with horizontal polarisation and that the downlead isn't flapping in the wind?
Check all your accessible coax connections, especially the end of the downlead for corrosion or water.
Do you have any other devices between the aerial and the TV? This could include any distribution amp to feed several outlets, or pre-amp, or boxes like PVR's etc.
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Sunday, 23 June 2024
B
Bert4:55 PM
Anyone else noticed the record signal not being sent out on ITV channels. My Panasonic HDD recorder not recording when it is set from the guide, other channels OK. I'm having to enter the start/stop timers manually. Just noticed this problem this past week.
I've cancelled the set up & retuned again, this made no difference.
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S
Steve Donaldson6:15 PM
Bert: While not related to your query, noting that in a 2018 posting you gave your postcode as in Sittingbourne, if you are not already aware, a new TV transmitter at the Stockers Hill reservoir came on the air in November 2019.
It is horizontally polarised and carries all six multiplexes. It is a single frequency network with Bluebell Hill, meaning it transmits in time with and on the same UHF channels as Bluebell Hill. If you have reception issues with Bluebell Hill it might be worth realigning your aerial to Stockers Hill at 1.7 miles out.
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Monday, 24 June 2024
C
Chris.SE1:24 AM
Bert:
I recall seeing another report about a problem with series recording of an ITV4 show recently and that was a Panasonic. I don't remember any other details atm, I'll post again if I discover more.
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