Help with Freeview, aerials?
Monday, 27 May 2013
D
Duncan11:39 PM
Hi jb38,
I seem to have solved the interference just by moving the DECT base station about a metre away from the TV. It seems like it is the base station itself which was causing the problem.
The base station was sitting right in front of the TV and the BT socket for our landline is behind the TV so yes, the coax runs near the cable to the landline socket.
The interference only happened once you dialed a number.
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Tuesday, 28 May 2013
J
jb3812:32 AM
Duncan: Thanks for the update as I did have my suspicions that this might be the case, because even although the digital "noise" (i.e: of non specific frequency) that radiates from these type of devices can be quite intense, thankfully its of a very localised nature when the phone is in standby mode, but with this intensifying once a call is being made because the power rises.
By the way this digital noise can be heard if you place a small portable LW/MW radio thats not tuned to a station anywhere near to the outer casing of either the base station or a handset, as phones radiate all the time they are switched on whether or not they are being used.
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D
Duncan2:40 PM
Hi JB38,
Our phones (Siemens C595:http://gigaset.com/hq/en/product/GIGASETC595.html) don't radiate much when not in use - we use their "ECO mode plus" setting which substantially reduces this (reducing energy consumption and household EMR). When a call comes in, the base station starts radiating a signal first and the other handsets start ringing a second or two later. We're going to move the base station to another room though to ensure it's not interfering any more with the TV.
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M
MikeB4:25 PM
Peterborough
Duncan: You could have a look at your connecting cables - thin unshielded coax is going to be more likely to be effected.
ATV Sheffield is doing some excellent ones for just £3 each, which is about a third of the price of a thin rubbish bit of coax I saw in a supermarket the other day.
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MikeB's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
J
jb385:29 PM
Duncan: Well Siemens equipment has always been regarded by engineers as being top brand, and on a browse through the spec of your C595 it certainly appears as offering virtually every facility that one could desire in a DECT phone.
But with regards to moving the base station, although your intention of moving the phone into another room is virtually guaranteed to eliminate any possibility of a re-occurrence of the problem, that is provided its not just on the other side of the wall, in practice you would generally find that the offending device need only be moved about 8 feet or so away from the receiver (including its aerial feed cable) to have the same effect.
By the way, although you will most likely have understood this anyway, but when I had mentioned "non frequency specific digital noise" I was not referring to the RF transmission side of the phone, but the noise that's radiated from any digital processing circuitry but which is mainly encased in plastic therefore offering zero screening, although your particular device will likely have an element of metallic screening around the processor area.
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Wednesday, 12 June 2013
B
Betty Harris2:27 PM
My BBC programmes from Pontop Pike are keep breaking up all of my other channels are perfect why is thid happening ?
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Monday, 28 October 2013
J
James Town11:45 AM
Braintree
Hi Steve,
I have recently purchased a Humax Freeview box. Our kitchen TV with built in Freeview does not lose it's signal a;beit with limited channel selection. The Humax is being used with a HD ready TV that does not have Freeview. This continually loses the signal for a few seconds and also the picture breaks up on some of the non-mainstream channels.
I have replaced the TV cable from socket to wall. Postcode is CM7 2LF.
Would the fact that there are 4 TVs in the house effect the signal?
Planes seem to effect the signal?
A surround sound is connected to the Humax box would this effect it?
Humax helpline have been worse than useless.
Many thanks for any help although I appreciate that your site may no9 longer be in operation.
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James's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
M
MikeB1:35 PM
James Town: I suspect that your kitchen TV is tuned to a 'light' transmitter (Burnham or Rouncefall?), hence the fewer channels.
The Humax is more likely to be tuned into Sudbury, which has a good signal path, and is only 22km away - so check the signal strength - Humax have sensitive tuners and it might be you have too much signal - see here: Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | Digital switchover | ukfree.tv - 11 years of independent, free digital TV advice
Of course it might be that you tuned into another transmitter, which might result in a very poor signal.so check whick transmitter it is and also which way your aerial is pointing.
If all 4 tv's are coming off the same aerial, then perhaps a powered splitter might be useful, but at least check signal strength first - you might not need it. If they are seperate, then that makes no difference whatsoever.
The surround sound system is also completely seperate from any reception problems, although ideally it should come out of the TV's digital optical rather than the Humax, but in practice it makes little difference.
Try checking signal levels, quality and which transmitter, and see how it matches up with the tradeview link next to your question, and tell us what it is, hopefully someone here might have an answer.
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James Town: First off, check that your TVs and boxes are tuned to the correct transmitter. I guess Sudbury is likely to be what your aerial faces, so bring up the signal strength screen on the following services and observe the UHF channel (frequency) it is tuned to:
PSB1 | BBC One | C44
PSB2 | ITV | C41
PSB3 | BBC One HD (if applicable) | C47
COM4 | ITV3 | C58
COM5 | Pick TV | C60
COM6 | 4Music | C56
One or more of your receivers could, potentially, have tuned to Crystal Palace which is in the opposite direction and which, if available, would be found first during the scan. If so, you should be able to avoid this by having the aerial unplugged for the first 30% of the scan.
You refer to "limited channel selection". Would this be PSB channels only? If so and if your TV is tuned correctly (to Sudbury, I assume) then have you had your "old" aerial installed in the days of four-channel analogue replaced with a wideband one? If not, you may be able to workaround with a signal amplifier (booster).
You mention breakup on the Humax on "non-mainstream" channels. Would these be the COMs? And would these be the ones that the kitchen TV hasn't tuned in?
See this page for a full list of services by multiplex (PSB or COM):
DTG :: DTT Services by Multiplex
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Monday, 18 November 2013
M
Mandy 9:41 PM
Workington
we recently replaced our sky + box with an hd box and now seem to be having problems with freeview. To explain we have a set up as follows : main aerial into sky box TV link out of rf2 feeding to several other rooms in the house. all tvs have built in freeview no set top boxes. link box is powered by rf2 output. I have excellent signal when sky is in standby mode but when sky is switched on we lose all but one of the mux to the other Tvs. I have checked info and there are 2 free rf output channels in my area 38 & 52 I have tried changing output to these and retuning but the same thing keeps happening. full freeview when sky on standby only psb2 mux. any suggestions??!
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Mandy's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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