Oxford transmitter - service restricted until end of September 2010.
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV Information from Arqiva:
The main TV transmitting antenna on the Beckley mast was damaged beyond repair during the fire on 13 May. A replacement antenna has been ordered from a supplier and a realistic timeframe for the restoration of full TV services is the end of September. In the meantime, TV services in the area will continue to be transmitted from the reserve antenna, as they have since February.
Peter Heslop, DSO Programme Director at Arqiva: "We are really sorry for the inconvenience caused to some viewers in the Oxford area following the fire at the Beckley mast. We understand how frustrating this must be for viewers. Arqiva manages over a thousand TV and radio transmission sites and incidents like this are extremely rare. Since the fire we have worked very hard to investigate what happened and work out how to restore full services as quickly as possible."
"We need to install and commission a replacement main antenna for the Beckley mast. The antenna is a very specialist piece of equipment that is built-to-order by our suppliers. It's also a complex operation to mount the antenna at the top of the mast that is dependent on a numbers of factors outside of our control, including the weather. The end of September is a realistic timeframe for restoring full services but we will do everything we can to bring that date forward."
10:53 AM
When can I expect an answer to my email dated 7.2.11 from the Beckley Transmitter management?
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12:03 PM
Reading
Tony Mallett: perhaps you should actually contact the broadcasters rather than posting here? This is a 100% volunteer website where people with some knowledge about aerials and cabling choose to contribute. We're not aware that anyone with any power to make changes even bothers to read it.
Brian has replied to your message, on the page you left it on, already.
The tone of your message tends to drive volunteer contributors away.
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Mike's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
6:02 PM
Is there a problem with the Oxford transmitter again? The last couple of days I have been unable to use CH68 and the others are only 50% strength.
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Lynne Talbott: No, there are no problems at the moment. Can you see Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice please?
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4:11 AM
This week my anologe signal from Beckley has degraded. Has the signal been turned down.also my freeview is blocky. Is this to do with the switchover in Setember?
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Steve Paxton: No, the signal has not been "turned down". I would have a look at Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice .
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9:04 AM
Daventry
I am finding that I am unable to receive ITV, Channel 4 and 5 when the weather is bad but all other programmes are fine.
Is the Oxford transmitter at full power yet?
The date is 20 September 2011 and I live at Byfield, 10 miles northeast of Banbury.
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Alan's: mapA's Freeview map terrainA's terrain plot wavesA's frequency data A's Freeview Detailed Coverage
2:53 PM
Alan Bailey: Check that the cable insulation is sound, and all outdoor boxes are weather-proofed. Water penetrating into cable reduces the amount of signal that reaches the end, and this is worse at high frequencies than low ones. ITV1, C4 and C5 are on the highest frequency used in the UK.
Cables should not be able to move over bricks or tiles - this rubs through the insulation. The insulation also gets damaged over time by UV light exposure - plan to replace outside cables after ten years.
So far only the BBC services are on final power levels; the other multiplexes will reach final power when the remaining analogue services are turned off on the 28th. You will need to do a full retune to get all services back.
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