Switchover starts in East Sussex and Southwest Kent on Wednesday 30th May

If you live in the Hastings, Heathfield and Tunbridge Wells transmitter areas your digital switchover starts this week. If you already use Freeview you will need to retune - if you have never had Freeview, you will get the BBC services this week. Switchover will complete in a fortnight.

^{Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV 28th May 2012 at 22:12}

This week sees the first stage of the digital television switchover 277,500 homes in East Sussex (outside Brighton and Hove) and Southwest Kent.

From 6am Wednesday 30th May 2012, you must perform a "first time installation" retune (sometimes "Factory Reset" or "Shipping Condition") on your Freeview box or television set if you use the Hastings, Heathfield or Tunbridge Wells full service Freeview transmitters.

This is because the old low power "multiplex 1" BBC service will be replaced by the high power BBCA multiplex on the old analogue BBC TWO frequency:

• Hastings (6am) - BBC TWO analogue closes on C25, Mux 1 closes on C31-, BBCA starts on C25.
• Heathfield (6am) - BBC TWO analogue closes on C52, Mux 1 closes on C34, BBCA starts on C52.
• Tunbridge Wells (6am) - BBC TWO analogue closes on C44, Mux 1 closes on C55, BBCA starts on C52.

On Wednesday 30th May 2012 if you use the new Bexhill (11am), East Dean (9am), Eastbourne (noon), Eastbourne (Old Town) (noon), Ham Street 6am), Hastings (Old Town) (9am), Haywards Heath (6am), Hollington Park (noon), Lamberhurst (6am), Lewes (noon), Mountfield (noon), Newhaven (9am), Rye, Sedlescombe (6am), St Marks (9am), Wye (6am) relay transmitters you will be able to receive the BBC Freeview services (with the exception of HD) for the first time, and you will no longer be able to view BBC TWO on analogue.

Single Frequency Network

The Heathfield and Tunbridge Wells transmitters will, for the first time, provide a "single frequency network". This means that the two transmitters will use the same frequencies for each Freeview multiplex - the signals at the receiver will combine to provide excellent coverage. The calibration of a SFN may take some time to perfect on switchover day.

Coverage Maps

On these maps, the full-service six-multiplex transmitters are shown with the "red star" Freeview logo. The public service three-multiplex masts are shown with a brown indicator. The green areas on the maps, are the areas where the strongest signal is from the shown transmitter region, with the light blue showing overlap areas where signals from other regions are stronger.









You MAY find that old equipment will no longer work - see TVs and boxes that do not support the 8k-mode

Another common problem at switchover is the increase in signal will overload amplifiers and over-the-top aerial installations. If this is the case you will have to remove the booster or amplifier from the system, or perhaps fit an attenuator if you have no amplification. - see Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you.



On Wednesday 13th June 2012 will see the second stage of switchover, which provides the final Freeview configuration, including Freeview HD for all transmitters in this region - see UK Free TV soon for full details.

On this date, you will need, once again, to do a "first time installation" as indicated above.

If you are over 75, you should already have been supplied new equipment by the Switchover Help Scheme.