Full Freeview on the Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 52.600,-1.835 or 52°36'1"N 1°50'5"W |  | B75 5JJ |
The symbol shows the location of the Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) transmitter which serves 1,870,000 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.
Are there any planned engineering works or unexpected transmitter faults on the Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) mast?
Sutton Coldfield transmitter - Sutton Coldfield transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 04/11/2024 Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels 
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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
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Sutton Coldfield 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
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter?
BBC Midlands Today 2.9m homes 10.9%
from Birmingham B1 1RF, 15km south-southwest (200°)
to BBC West Midlands region - 66 masts.
ITV Central News 2.9m homes 10.9%
from Birmingham B1 2JT, 15km south-southwest (201°)
to ITV Central (West) region - 65 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 80% evening news is shared with Central (East)
Are there any self-help relays?
| Burton (shobnall) | Transposer | 1 km W Burton-on-Trent | 60 homes |
| Coalville | Transposer | 18 km NW Leicester | 600 homes |
| Solihull | Transposer | Land Rover building | 400 homes |
How will the Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1950s-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2011 | 2011-13 | 7 Mar 2018 | ||||
| VHF | B E T | B E T | B E T | B E K T | W T | ||||
| C4 | BBCtvwaves | ||||||||
| C33 | com7 | ||||||||
| C35 | com8 | ||||||||
| C36 | LOCAL2 | ||||||||
| C39 | +ArqB | ArqB | |||||||
| C40 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | +BBCB | BBCB | ||||
| C42 | SDN | SDN | |||||||
| C43 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | BBCA | BBCA | ||||
| C45 | ArqA | ArqA | |||||||
| C46 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | D3+4 | D3+4 | ||||
| C48 | _local | ||||||||
| C50tv_off | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | ||||||
| C51tv_off | LB | ||||||||
| C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | COM8tv_off |
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 7 Sep 11 and 21 Sep 11.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 1000kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-7dB) 200kW | |
| com7 | (-10.5dB) 89.2kW | |
| com8 | (-10.7dB) 86kW | |
| LB | (-20dB) 10kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-21dB) 8kW |
Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Sutton Coldfield transmitter area
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Wednesday, 9 April 2014
K
KEVIN GARDINER2:57 PM
Stourbridge
I've recently read a technical release about the roll out of the new com7 multiplex. The following information refers to the transmitters which have switched on the new multiplex and have made changes to their ERP.
OXFORD: CH 31. 17.4KW UPTO 16.38KW.
RIDGE HILL: CH32. 6.3KW UPTO 10.54KW.
SUTTON COLDFIELD. CH33: 81.3KW UPTO 89.2KW.
WALTHAM; CH31. 8.7KW UPTO 10.6KW.
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KEVIN's: mapK's Freeview map terrainK's terrain plot wavesK's frequency data K's Freeview Detailed Coverage
K
KEVIN GARDINER4:10 PM
Stourbridge
SANDY HEATH: CH32. 43.7KW UPTO 49.5KW.
TALCOLNESTON: CH 31. 22.4KW UPTO 27.4KW.
WINTER HILL: CH 31. 24KW UPTO 25.7KW.
CRYSTAL PALACE: CH33. 36.3KW UPTO 43.09KW.
BLUEBELL HILL: CH 32. 3.7KW UPTO 4KW.
HANNINGTON: CH32. 29.5KW UPTO 36.7KW.
ROWBRIGDE HP: CH31. 23.4KW UPTO 24.4KW.
BLACKHILL: CH32. 39.8KW UPTO 42.8KW.
CRAIGKELLY: CH33. 9.3KW UPTO 10.84KW.
BILSDALE: CH31. 17.8KW UPTO 18.48KW.
PONTOP PIKE: CH 33. 33.9KW DOWN TO 33.84KW.
DIVIS: CH33. 10.5KW UPTO 12.4KW.
WENVOE CARDIFF: CH31. 40.7KW UPTO 46.9KW.
BELMONT: CH33. 33.9KW UPTO 37.14KW.
EMLEY MOOR: CH32. 50.1KW UPTO 54.82KW.
Hope that this data will be of use to you Brain.
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KEVIN's: mapK's Freeview map terrainK's terrain plot wavesK's frequency data K's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Thursday, 10 April 2014
K
KEVIN GARDINER4:15 AM
Stourbridge
It seems that the projected Erp of the new com 7 multiplex was somewhat under estimated prior to the launch date, and even the start date Erp's of the main transmitters were way out compared to actual erp that was being transmitted, if you look at the table above.Therefore, I'm wondering whether the local tv multiplexes are transmitting higher Erp's than is stated? I'm currently receiving the local tv multiplex on ch51 from SC and the signal strength is 85%. And the signal strength from all the other standard multiplexes is 92% except the com 7 multiplex which is 47%. Now the com 7's erp is 89.2kw, which is just under half that of the full powered multiplexes, so I'm thinking that the local tv multiplex may indeed be somewhat higher than we think it is.
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KEVIN's: mapK's Freeview map terrainK's terrain plot wavesK's frequency data K's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Wednesday, 23 April 2014
K
KEVIN GARDINER1:11 PM
Stourbridge
I performed a regular re-tune today , which I do every few weeks to see if anything new is on or has a test card etc prior to launch. And today a new radio station Is on air today on standard free view. prior to launch without an EPG, the station was in test mode and couldn't be picked up without specialist equipment etc. The station has come out of test mode, and the new station is BBC RADIO WM on Freeview channel 722 in mono sound. The station is on the main BBC multiplex PSB1.
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KEVIN's: mapK's Freeview map terrainK's terrain plot wavesK's frequency data K's Freeview Detailed Coverage
K
KEVIN GARDINER4:18 PM
Stourbridge
Thanks for the link about the local radio in the UK regions Brain. Very informative. Have you read my two messages concerning the ERP of the com 7 multiplex? It seems that the projected ERP, even prior to launch, was way under estimated compared to the actual ERP transmitted on the launch dates. The ERP Of com 7 has since been increased to higher ERP'S and some have been slightly lowered, but most have had an increase. If the reported ERP'S are accurate and in operation currently, then the com 7 multiplex ERP'S on this site can be altered accordingly.
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KEVIN's: mapK's Freeview map terrainK's terrain plot wavesK's frequency data K's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Saturday, 24 May 2014
P
Pete D9:54 AM
Remember back over twelve months ago when someone transmitted something weird overnight & wiped out all the Sony RDR-HXD870,890 freeview recorders. (Blank screens strange epg? WELL ITS HAPPENED AGAIN My two sony hadr drive dvd recorders have been rendered useless as I presume have others across the country connected to main transmitters (I am on Sutton Coldfield) they did correct this problem eventually could you please get the powers that be to do the same again.
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P
Pete D9:58 AM
I have just recalled my old posts & last happened in July 2013.On a Saturday same as this time & it was corrected the next day. Sometimes lessons are NOT learned.
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Wednesday, 28 May 2014
K
KEVIN GARDINER4:31 PM
Stourbridge
I checked the technical specs of my HD tv today and found that the bit rate loss that I get on the main BBC HD multiplex has changed. My roof top antenna is pointed to Sutton Coldfield and the main multiplex has always given me a data loss reading of 700 to 800 bits. The new HD multiplex com7 is broadcasting at just under half the power of the BBC HD multiplex at 89kw ,and gives me a data loss reading of around 400 bits. The signal strength of the BBC multiplex is over 90%, but the data loss has dropped dramatically down from a constant 700 - 800 bits down to 40- 200 bits. The fact that the data loss of the low powered multiplex has stayed constant at 400 bits, and the BBC multiplex data loss has dropped dramatically, can only be that they may be in test mode, and have possibly altered the configuration to make the BBC HD signal more robust for areas where the terrain has plentiful of buildings or hills etc. Has anyone heard anything about this at all? Maybe Brian has an idea??
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KEVIN's: mapK's Freeview map terrainK's terrain plot wavesK's frequency data K's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Saturday, 7 June 2014
K
KEVIN GARDINER3:02 PM
Stourbridge
Today, I noticed that last weekend something has changed with regards to the bit rate loss that I receive from the Sutton transmitter. The bit rate loss has always been a constant 700 - 800 bits for the main BBC HD multiplex regardless of the weather etc, and 400 bit rate loss for the new Com 7 multiplex. However, starting last weekend, the bit rate loss had dropped dramatically from 800 down to max 200 bits for the main BBC HD multiplex, but the bit rate for Com 7 has never altered. I can only conclude that either the configuration is being temporary altered for test purposes, or they are going to increase the ERP, or is the ERP of the BBC HD multiplex not 200kw as we are lead to believe. I think that my problem with receiving HD is ERP related, because the COM 7 multiplex ERP is 89kw and gives me 400 bits data loss and the BBC multiplex gives me 200 bits data loss when they alter it. As soon as Monday comes around, the BBC HD multiplex reverts back to 800 bits data loss.
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KEVIN's: mapK's Freeview map terrainK's terrain plot wavesK's frequency data K's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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