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Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV For the last six years, I have answered many thousands of personal emails that you have sent to UK Free TV.
Sadly, I am unable to offer this personal service at the moment.
Until I can restore this service, please can you leave any questions you have on an appropriate page, where they will be answered as soon as possible, or below, if you can't figure out where to ask.
I look forward to your questions!
Help with TV/radio stations?
In this section
Monday, 9 December 2013
S
sally4:15 PM
London
Hi Dave
Could you explain what you mean by at800? We never had any issue and in the years I was at my old address never had so much as a tuning out. We never had any other equipment other than the cable which came from outside via the wall.
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sally's: mapS's Freeview map terrainS's terrain plot wavesS's frequency data S's Freeview Detailed Coverage
sally: The latest generation of mobile phone services (known as "4G") operate on frequencies just above those given to television broadcasts, these being in and around 800MHz. Consequently, some TV receivers will be affected by these signals - these will typically be in close proximity to the 4G mobile transmitters.
Because of this interference, the mobile companies were compelled to set-up a company to remedy it. The company's name is "at800" - it has "800" in its name in reference to the aforementioned frequency of 4G signals that can affect TV reception.
The solution is a filter, which is a little box that is connected into the aerial lead. This blocks the offending 800MHz 4G signal coming down the aerial lead whilst allowing the TV signals through. at800 provides one of these devices per affected household and they are free of charge.
The 4G transmitters have only been coming on the air over the last half-year. I mentioned that proximity is a factor in who is likely to be affected. Where a TV transmitter being used uses frequencies closer to 800MHz (which is where the 4G signals are) then this increases likelihood of an issue. Woolwich transmitter's signals are just below 800MHz whereas Crystal Palace's are a lot lower. (Because you received the channels ITV3, ITV4, Pick, Dave, Yesterday etc. you must have been receiving from Crystal Palace.)
I think the first possibility which must be tested is whether your issue is caused by a 4G transmitter. It is a cost-free service; an aerial engineer is likely to charge for his time, even if it turns out to be interference caused by 4G.
You don't have to have received correspondence from at800 previously in order to speak to them. Their website is at800 | 4G & Freeview | 4G Interference | 4G Filters | at 800 MHz
Pictures on this page shows filters being fitted:
The Solution to 4G Interference in the UK | at800
They send them out to people who are suspected as having an issue caused by 4G. In your case I suggest you contact them and they may post one out to you.
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J
julie8:31 PM
We have a decent aerial in the loft, however sometimes bbc1, bbc2, bbc3, bbc4 break up, never have the problem with itv channels, channel 4 or channel5, could an aerial booster help with this? Many thanks
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julie: Queries about reception can only really be answered with knowledge of the location, this being in the form of postcode or that of a nearby property such as a shop. This is for the purpose of checking on expected signal levels.
In general though, aerials that worked for the former analogue should be expected to receive BBC, ITV, C4, C5 etc without any requirement for any booster that wasn't necessary before.
Has the problem just started?
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Nick Anderson8:58 PM
Does the signal for the new local TV multiplex have a strict cut off at the edge of the transmission area? I am thinking of the forthcoming "That's Solent" station due to begin eminating from Rowridge later in 2014. Will the station be receivable on Hayling Island with a good external aerial?
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Nick Anderson: No!
Although I'm sure that politicians would love this to be the case, engineers have yet to re-engineer the laws of physics and make signals stop dead at predefined boundaries.
What will happen, though, is the signal will be broadcast from a directional antenna, as shown on the page for the Rowridge transmitter - click "LSOH" on the map. Don't draw too much from any "line" formed around the edge of the coverage map.
One warning: the Local multiplex will apparently only be broadcast horizontally, as too will the two new HD multiplexes. All channels are within Group A, so an aerial installed in the days of analogue should work. A wideband yagi aerial is not advised for Rowridge.
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J
julie9:20 PM
Wakefield
Dave Lindsay:
It is a property we moved into recently. this has been the case since moving as I said only now and again it breaks up, my post code is WF1 4AH. Dont know what happened with previous occupier! many thanks julie
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julie's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
julie: Definitely not!
You are just over 9 miles from the Emley Moor transmitter which is very powerful and therefore very strong in the Wakefield area.
If you go up on your roof you may even be able to see the red lights on the tower.
The first thing to check for is that, for BBC services, you are actually tuned to the signal from Emley Moor and not that of Belmont in Lincolnshire, or perhaps Bilsdale on the North York Moors.
Bring up the signal strength screen on BBC One. It should tell you what UHF channel/frequency it's tuned to. For Emley Moor it is C47 (682MHz); Belmont is on C22 (482MHz) and Bilsdale is C26 (514MHz).
For ITV, it should be tuned to C44 (658MHz).
It might have tuned to Belmont as it is picked up before Emley Moor during the scan, owing to the fact that it broadcasts on a lower frequency.
Unplugging the aerial lead for the first 30% of the scan should miss out Belmont and Bilsdale if it proves to be the problem. If your TV, having carried out the scan, gives you a choice of region, select "Yorkshire".
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J
julie9:49 PM
Dave Lindsay:
Thanks Dave will give that a try and get back to you.
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J
julie10:52 PM
Hi Dave
Have retuned and it is showing as 47 for bbc and 44 for itv. Will see if any break up tomorrow and let you know. Many thanks
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