All posts by KMJ, Derby
Below are all of KMJ, Derby's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Richmond: Digital TV and DAB radio both returned to service from Crockerton at 8.03pm according to BBC engineering information.
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Charles Stuart: COM7 uses a more efficient encoder, enabling greater capacity on the multiplex. Such is the improvement in technology in a short space of time!
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Dave Mitchell: The problem with trying to future proof your installation is the possibility that the goal posts might be moved by the regulators, politicians or broadcasters in an unexpected way or technology could advance so rapidly that it makes your once state-of-the-art equipment suddenly become redundant. The spec for the DAT boss 790 mentions that the design rejects signals in the C61 to C69 section of the UHF band. In the event that C49 to C60 is also sold off for mobile broadband etc there could be unwanted signals in the range over which the aerial is designed to work. It does however sound rather impressive, not having to worry about signal levels, as when the aerial is powered up it automatically adjusts the level to that which is required for good reception. What happens though, if there are strong signals on PSB muxes, weaker signals on COM muxes and a weak signal on the local TV mux (required) together with an unwanted weak signal from Holland? Or for that matter, during a spell of high pressure, a very strong signal from Holland on a clear frequency - would the gain automatically be lowered to the detriment of the wanted signals from Tacolneston? I wonder if a log periodic with a variable gain amplifier might be a better buy as you could set your own levels..
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Briantist: COM7 details are given after the Winter Hill local petal details in "non-DSO muxes".
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Ken Peck: Officially the COM7 mux is intended to encourage viewers to equip themselves with receivers that support DVB-T2 ready for a possible transfer of some or all services to DVB-T2 transmission from possibly as early as 2018. It is a low cost network which re-uses equipment taken out of service at DSO. The power of the transmitters at each site, I suspect, is somewhat experimental, but is set to cover the largest section of the population served by the chosen transmitters, whilst causing the minimum level of interference to other areas using the same frequency. In the case of Rowridge, most viewers living reasonably close to the mast will still be using horizontal polarisation, so it was decided to use horizontal polarisation only, thus saving the considerable extra cost that would have been incured by transmitting an additional vertically polarised signal. The lower power of C31 is necessary as Oxford shares this frequency for Com7.
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Sandra M Norton: Belmont serves East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, on BBC1 the news is broadcast from Hull. ITV shares whole output with Emley Moor at weekends, but does have a Belmont opt-out section on weekdays. South Lincolnshire is served by the Waltham transmitter on BBC East Midlands, East Midlands today includes some items for Lincoln and Skegness areas.
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MikeP: Even log periodics might be "grouped" Vision make a Group A version for use on Crystal Palace, Rowridge, Caradon Hill, Stockland Hill etc. It is well worth sourcing one of these aerials for those transmitters which are using entirely Group A channels. It is benchmarked class2, the wideband version is only class 4, so offers quite a bit more gain for viewers who need it.
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Gary: The main purpose of COM7 is to encourage viewers to equip themselves with receivers that support DVB-T2 transmissions and aerials that are capable of picking up signals in the C21 to C37 frequency range. This is in readiness for a proposed change for the COM muxes to adopt DVB-T2 working on C22, C25, and C28 from most/all full Freeview sites , starting possibly in 2018. PSB1 and PSB2 would, subject to Ofcom approval, also adopt DVB-T2 in the near future, this being subject to enough people having DVB-T2 equipment. The PSB transmissions currently using C49 to C60 would change frequency to enable more spectrum to be sold off for 4G/5G mobile usage.
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DenisW: Does this affect every mux or just certain ones? Can you receive Mustard TV from Norwich? If the problem is only with PSB1 (BBC channels) or PSB2 (Anglia, C4 etc) check that the receiver is actually tuned to Tacolneston frequencies C55 and C59, rather than frequencies for the local relay which might have been saved by mistake.
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Friday 27 June 2014 5:48PM
Karen: It is fair to say that most people living within range of a Freeview light transmitter who desire more than the basic channels will by now have purchased satellite receivers or have additional aerials pointing to a main transmitter. It could be argued that it would be a gross waste of licence payers' money to simulcast the satellite services on Freeview light transmitters with few, if any, viewers actually watching the extra channels.