Full Freeview on the Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter
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The symbol shows the location of the Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter which serves 2,690,000 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 Winter Hill (Bolton, England) mast?
Winter Hill transmitter - Winter Hill 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.
DTG-8 64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
DTG-2 16QAM 2K 3/4 18.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Winter Hill 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.
| Mux | H/V | Frequency | Height | Mode | Watts |
| PSB1 BBCA | H max | C32 (562.0MHz) | 726m | DTG- | 100,000W |
 1 BBC One (SD) North West, 2 BBC Two England, 9 BBC Four, 23 BBC Three, 201 CBBC, 202 CBeebies, 231 BBC News, 232 BBC Parliament, plus 17 others | |||||
| PSB2 D3+4 | H max | C34 (578.0MHz) | 726m | DTG- | 100,000W |
 3 ITV 1 (SD) (Granada), 4 Channel 4 (SD) North ads, 5 Channel 5, 6 ITV 2, 10 ITV3, 13 E4, 14 Film4, 15 Channel 4 +1 North ads, 18 More4, 26 ITV4, 28 ITVBe, 30 E4 +1, 35 ITV1 +1 (Granada), 71 That’s 60s, | |||||
| PSB3 BBCB | H max | C35- (585.8MHz) | 726m | DTG- | 100,000W |
 46 5SELECT, 101 BBC One HD North West, 102 BBC Two HD England, 103 ITV 1 HD (ITV Granada), 104 Channel 4 HD North ads, 105 Channel 5 HD, 106 BBC Four HD, 107 BBC Three HD, 204 CBBC HD, 205 CBeebies HD, plus 1 others | |||||
| COM4 SDN | H max | C29 (538.0MHz) | 726m | DTG-8 | 100,000W |
 20 U&Drama, 21 5USA, 29 ITV2 +1, 32 5STAR, 33 5Action, 38 Channel 5 +1, 41 Legend, 42 GREAT! action, 57 U&Dave ja vu, 58 ITV3 +1, 59 ITV4 +1, 64 Blaze, 67 TRUE CRIME, 68 TRUE CRIME XTRA, 81 Blaze +1, 83 Together TV, 91 WildEarth, 93 ITVBe +1, 209 Ketchup TV, 210 Ketchup Too, 211 YAAAS!, 251 Al Jazeera English, 255 FRANCE 24 (in English), 265 Rok Sky +1, plus 29 others | |||||
| COM5 ArqA | H max | C31 (554.0MHz) | 726m | DTG-8 | 100,000W |
 11 Sky Mix, 17 Really, 19 U&Dave, 31 E4 Extra, 36 Sky Arts, 40 Quest Red, 43 Food Network, 47 Film4 +1, 48 Challenge, 49 4seven, 60 U&Drama +1, 65 That's TV 2, 70 Quest +1, 74 &UYesterday +1, 76 That's TV 2 MCR, 233 Sky News, plus 13 others | |||||
| COM6 ArqB | H max | C37 (602.0MHz) | 726m | DTG-8 | 100,000W |
 12 Quest, 25 U&W, 27 U&Yesterday, 34 GREAT! movies, 39 DMAX, 44 HGTV, 52 GREAT! christmas, 56 That's TV (UK), 63 GREAT! romance mix, 73 HobbyMaker, 75 That's 90s, 82 Talking Pictures TV, 84 PBS America, 235 Al Jazeera Eng, plus 18 others | |||||
| LM | H -20dB | C40 (626.0MHz) | 572m | DTG-12 | 1,000W |
 from 1st October 2014: 7 That's Manchester, | |||||
| LL | H -17dB | C24 (498.0MHz) | 572m | DTG-12 | 2,000W |
 from 30th June 2014: 7 Bay TV Liverpool, | |||||
| LPR | H -20dB | C56 (754.0MHz) | 572m | DTG-12 | 1,000W |
 from 1st October 2014: 7 That's Lancashire, | |||||
| GIM | H -20dB | C57 (762.0MHz) | 572m | DTG-2 | 1,000W |
 Now 90s, Spotlight TV, Clubland TV, Country Music Entertainment , Classic Hits MCR, 77 That's 60s MCR, 78 TCC, 80 That's 80s, 86 That's 90s MCR, 88 TV Warehouse+1, | |||||
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
DTG-2 16QAM 2K 3/4 18.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Winter Hill transmitter?
BBC North West Tonight 3.1m homes 11.8%
from Salford M50 2QH, 22km southeast (140°)
to BBC North West region - 92 masts.
ITV Granada Reports 3.1m homes 11.6%
from Salford M50 2EQ, 22km southeast (139°)
to ITV Granada region - 80 masts.
How will the Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1956-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2009 | 2009-13 | 2013-18 | 2013-17 | 20 Feb 2020 | ||
| VHF | C/D E | C/D E | C/D E | C/D E | C/D E T | W T | W T | ||
| C9 | ITVwaves | ||||||||
| C12 | BBCtvwaves | ||||||||
| C24 | _local | ||||||||
| C29 | SDN | ||||||||
| C31 | com7 | com7 | |||||||
| C32 | BBCA | ||||||||
| C34 | D3+4 | ||||||||
| C35 | BBCB | ||||||||
| C37 | com8 | com8 | |||||||
| C40 | LOCAL2 | ||||||||
| C48 | C5waves | C5waves | |||||||
| C49tv_off | ArqA | ArqA | |||||||
| C50tv_off | BBCA | BBCA | |||||||
| C54tv_off | -BBCB | -BBCB | -BBCB | ||||||
| C55tv_off | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | ArqB | ArqB | ArqB | com7tv_off | ||
| C56tv_off | _local | _local | _local | LPR | |||||
| C57tv_off | GIM | GIM | GIM | GIM | |||||
| C58tv_off | SDN | SDN | SDN | ||||||
| C59tv_off | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | D3+4 | D3+4 | D3+4 | |||
| C61 | ArqA | ||||||||
| C62 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBCA | |||||
| C65 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves |
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 4 Nov 09 and 2 Dec 09.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 500kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-7dB) 100kW | |
| com7 | (-12.9dB) 25.7kW | |
| com8 | (-13.4dB) 22.6kW | |
| Analogue 5 | (-16dB) 12.5kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-17dB) 10kW | |
| LL | (-24dB) 2kW | |
| GIM, LM, LPR | (-27dB) 1000W |
Local transmitter maps
Winter Hill Freeview Winter Hill DAB Winter Hill AM/FM Winter Hill TV region BBC North West GranadaWhich companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Winter Hill transmitter area
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Friday, 18 September 2020
A
Alison Foster6:46 AM
Since the retune that's happened in August we have had really poor reception on bbc channels but also many of the other channels too. About 70 % of the channels are pixelated. We get better reception from Wales but we don't watch Wales and we've never previously had a problem with receiving a signal from Winter Hill as we have a booster. It just seems odd as this has all happened since the last notification that there was an update'. I've tried repeatedly wiping channels and retuning and now, although I've set it as the northwest area I can only get Wales. Please can you help as I'm giving up and thinking of scraping the tv totally as I can't watch it with the pixels all the time! Thanks for your advice.
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C
Chris.SE8:12 AM
Alison Foster:
Apart from mentioning the BBC channels you haven't given details of the other channels that are problematic as well as those that are ok. Without a full postcode we can't advise on the predicted reception at your location.
That said, before this last change in August were you watching the BBC channels at LCNs 751 and up in your EPG?
The first of these final changes was made by Freeview last February where the BBC main multiplex was moved to UHF C32 with programmes at the normal LCNs 1,2,9 etc but the old one on UHF C50 was left simulcasting with the programmes at 751 et seq. Whilst a lot of people would be (and did) get satisfactory reception of C32, this was so that people who weren't getting satisfactory reception on C32 (which is generally due to having an old Group C/D aerial), had time to arrange for the free support for aerial replacement before the last change which was due in April but postponed until August due to covid-19.
(Since the changes you need a Group T/Wideband to get all multiplexes if you are predicted to get them all).
I assume you can no longer get any of the local multiplexes either (on lower channels than C32, although if you are in the Preston area you might as that one is on C40) but again without knowing the full postcode I couldn't be certain. My guess is not, as you mention about getting reception from Wales.
Just to make matters worse at this moment, there is some interference to signals due to "tropospheric ducting" (see Effect of tropospheric ducting on Freeview | Help receiving TV and radio for a simplistic explanation) This can be quite variable and will come and go, so a further retune to get Winter Hill back may help if signals are more stable.
However, to resolve the primary problem, providing you don't have cable or satellite (I again guess not from your comments) and it your own aerial on your home you can get free help from Freeview. You need to ring them on 0808-100-0288 and tell them that since the August changes you've had pixellation on the BBC and other channels, you had problems with the BBC channels since February, that you've retuned several times to no effect (and you've currently lost Winter Hill channels) and have been advised that your aerial needs replacing because it's an old Group C/D. They should put you through to DMSL who will arrange the free aerial replacement with you.
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S
StevensOnln19:35 AM
Alison Foster: It sounds like you have an older grouped aerial which is no longer suitable for reception of Winter Hill since the frequency changes were completed in August. If you don't have satellite or cable, give the Freeview Advice Line a call (see link below) and they should be able to arrange for someone to come out and fit a replacement wideband aerial free of charge.
Help | Freeview
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S
Sue2:29 PM
Hi,
I'm just curious if anyone else has lost their Freeview HD channels in the last few days?
All of a sudden 106 - 113 have disappeared from all the TV's in our house, and re-tuning has had no effect. I believe they are from COM7.
I can see a few posts above that may be of use but they appear slightly technical and not sure I follow!
Thanks,
Sue.
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Saturday, 19 September 2020
D
Dave10:45 AM
I lost com 7 yesterday too. I haven't found any changes listed anywhere so it's a bit of a puzzle. I don't think it's aerial or amplifier related as both have been working fine all the way back to when Winter Hill required wideband aerials and amplifiers.
Looking directly for CH55 in the manual tune menu shows no signal at all.
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D
Dave10:52 AM
To clarify, all my other channels are fine. COM7 was working fine on Thursday. I live in Chester....so quite a long way from Winter Hill.
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A
Andy12:29 PM
No Channel 55 Com 7 in Chester, could High Pressure be the problem as Sutton Coldfield on same channel as well
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A
Andy12:36 PM
Chester
No Ch55. Com7 . Postcode CH1 6BE, Could it be High Pressure be the problem as Sutton Coldfield on same channel.
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Andy's: mapA's Freeview map terrainA's terrain plot wavesA's frequency data A's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris.SE11:44 PM
Sue:
The problem explained in the posts previous to yours are more generally about people having problems with the normal BBC and ITV etc SD channels since the changes in August. Even if you didn't have those problems and also had an old Group C/D aerial, that old aerial picks up C55 COM7 with no problem.
The issue is more likely to be due to a lot of "Tropospheric Ducting" around causing interference, see Effect of tropospheric ducting on Freeview | RTIS for a simplistic explanation. Signals can travel from distant transmitters in Europe or the UK and "knock out" local signals for periods of time. It's likely to continue for a day or two more on current predictions.
Dave:
The "Tropo" is the most likely cause.
Andy:
Tropospheric Ducting can accompany High Pressure, but it's not high pressure per se that's the cause. Nor is it directly due to Sutton Coldfield being on the same channel, as COM7 operates as a "Single Frequency Network" (SFN) where the signals are synchronised, and the 25 main transmitters in the UK that transmit COM7 all use C55. The atmospheric conditions described can also disrupt that synchronisation so any transmitter could cause interference with others in some locations, but it can/will be quite variable.
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Sunday, 20 September 2020
D
Dave10:16 AM
Just noticed that Model y Parc.....the physically nearest transmitted to Chester is also transmitting COM7 on CH55. I wonder if they've changed the radiation pattern of Winter Hill to avoid interference? If that is the case, my best hope for getting the channels back is to wait for another retune event and keep my fingers crossed.
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