All posts by MikeB
Below are all of MikeB's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Michael Blakey: Thats tranmitter is know as the Skipton transmitter Skipton (North Yorkshire, England) Freeview Light transmitter | ukfree.tv - 12 years of independent, free digital TV advice , and seems to be fine, with no work on it since May. Which begs the question, why is your TV signal coming on at 7.25am? A postcode would be a great help, but judging by the local pub, your only 7km away with a good signal. Are you actually tuned to that transmitter? And is there any timer setting on your TV, etc? The other thing is, do you have any timer (thermostat, etc) which comes on/off at that time?
| link to this comment |
Susan: Humax is the brand we normally recommend at work, and they have excellent customer feedback, as JB38 (and Brianist) can confirm. You've got two leads, so you've got a twin LNB dish. Thats perfect for recording and watching (the people before probably had Sky+), and so the Humax 1000S (500gb) would do very well http://www.johnlewis.com/…2135 I can confirm that you can use the standard Humax wifi dongle to make it wifi. A customer had read somewhere that you could the other week, and it took half an hour to check that it did (not all do, and it would be nice if Humax could just say yes..). If you want 1TB with wifi built in (both models have Freetime, so you'll get all four channels on demand anyway), then there is the 1010S http://www.johnlewis.com/…1431 JB38 is right, you can buy cheaper brands, but Humax tend to just work (and the HDMI is included in the box, so its easier to get started) and have s decent remote control. Having said that, I have heard some decent things about Manhattan Freesat stuff, but on the whole, Humax is the best choice.
| link to this comment |
Phil: Although, if you look on the terrain link, you have something in the signal path about 2km away, DigitalUk reckons your fine on Rowridge VP. You say its deteriorated, so your not in a position where you've always had problems.
Assuming nothing else has changed (and Rowridge uses low RF channel's, which are unlikely to be affected by 4G), the only thing left is your aerial system. Your TV is telling you its a problem, hence the 'no signal' . Start from the TV and work backwards to the aerial. Could be a loose or fallen out aerial lead, but if not follow the path back. Its likely to be a frayed wire, loose connection, corrosion, moisture in a cable, etc.
If the aerial is in the loft, you can check back yourself if poss. If not, its a ladder or calling someone out. 4 years and there is already a problem...not great.
| link to this comment |
Carol: Frankly, my ones on the way out, so if your close to North Cambridgeshire....
Seriously, they cost about £20 or less new, and most people now have TV's with Freeview or Freeview HD included (in fact I'm amazed they still get people to buy TV's with just Freeview in them - an HD panel should really have an HD tuner), so its only older TV's without a digital tuner (or one thats stopped working) that really need them.
My best advice is to keep it for the moment. Always useful if someones box does pack up, and you can add it to an older TV, VCR or even a PC with a video card (to make into a recorder). Just box it up and stick it in the loft. At some point it might go to the tip, but at present, it just might come in handy.
| link to this comment |
Richard Chambers: The Samsung has a decent tuner, and what the 800 numbers are 'extra' channels picked up by the TV - so if you have BBC1, then 805 might be BBC1 as well, but for a different transmitter. This can be a pain - I've got four BBC1's on my Sony recorder (the tuner is really sensitive), pulled in from my main transmitter, plus 3 others. Unfortunately, the other three are just powerful enough to confuse the recorder, but not enough signal to actually record anything. In your case, I'd start by checking your tuned to Redruth, because that should be the BBC1 on channel 1 transmitter. If not , start with this page I get signals from two Freeview transmitters, but I don't have the BBC and I | Help! Freeview and aerials | ukfree.tv - 12 years of independent, free digital TV advice , and hopefully someone more expert than me will be able to answer your question!
| link to this comment |
Dave: Although there has been some complaints about Sandy Heath (as you can see), there has been no faults reported, nor any work done. Remember that even if 99% of people are getting a perfect service, Sandy Heath serves 920,000 homes, thats over 9000 homes with a problem, even if its in their own home.
Logically, its probably your system. Your signal strength is fluctuating between 100 and less than 50 %. Is there any corrolation with weather? Do you have an indoor or outdoor aerial? Do you have a splitter or booster fitted? And we really need a postcode, so we can see what the signal path is, etc.
However, it sonds like a fault with the system, so trace the signal back from the TV. Could just be a loose aerial lead, but sounds like a partial break, loose connection, corrosion or moisture getting into the system. The moisture getting via a loose or damaged section makes sense, because the signal is degraded, which might be due to water getting into the system during bad weather, but then drying out.
| link to this comment |
anthony: 'the fact that the 2000T has an insensitive tuner'?
Humax tuners tend to be on the sensitive side, if anything. There might be lots of reasons why Com 7 isn't showing up (you could just try changing the aerial lead - its worked for a couple of people who have posted here), but a Humax box being insensitive is seldom one of them.
| link to this comment |
David White: ' hurt my eyes , great quality though'
The quality should be good - its either going to be a Full HD 8000 series, so a 1200hz screen, or much the same, but in 4K. Hurting your eyes? I suspect that the size of screen (48in, 55in or 65in) was simply too large for the distance you were standing from the screen.
In reality, the curve is pretty subtle (a lot of customers dont even notice until its pointed out), and your paying less than you would have for the straight version last year. The proof on concept will be apparent in about six months - because thats when all the manufacturers will show of their new models at CES. If a lot of them are curved, then its a hit.
| link to this comment |
K Watterton: If your getting a 'weak or no signal' on another channel, and your only 49km with a clear line of sight, you really need to check your system. Although Anthony has a point with a possible change to the sensitivity of Humax 2000T boxes compared with the T2 (although the later batches of the T2 and the 2000T do apparently share the same tuners), there is no reason for any average Freeview tuner to be so poor as to loose a signal like this (although the reverse could be true - the signal hitting the upper limit and the box returning a 'no signal').
Try changing the aerial lead, and perhaps check what your TV is reading for signal strength on the same channel - it sounds more likely to be your system, and that way you can eliminate possible causes. And of course making sure you are actually tuned to Winter Hill, as Dave Lindsay suggests.
| link to this comment |
Monday 18 August 2014 7:50PM
Chrissy: ' Already had plumber and window repairer in and no cash left!!' - I know that feeling! Ok - thanks to putting your postcode into the website (which is SO helpful), you should be using either Waltham (althrough there is something in the way about 3km from you), or Sutton Coldfield. Both are fine. Your getting either 'no signal' or the BBC in minimal strength - so its highly likely to be a problem with the part of your aerial system at or above the splitter. You could start by bypassing the signal booster. You might not need it anyway, and if it is the problem, you can see instantly. Assuming its happy, and bypassing it makes no difference, check that your TV/box is tuned to Waltham, and what its signal strength is (probably zero, but at least you'll have checked). I've just reread your posts - you have a splitter in the loft AND a booster downstairs which supplies other TV's? Do you need both? However, its likely your problem is either a) the splitter, or b) something above it. Check the wiring back from the splitter (if its powered, then that could be a problem right there), and look for very loose or broken connections, frayed wiring, corrosion, etc. If your aerial is in the loft, check that too. Your system is just about hanging on, so there is unlikely to be a clean break, more likely something about to fail. Aerials & TV has loads of useful info Aerials, TV Aerial and Digital Aerial , and if you do need a replacement part, new cable, etc, you can either get it from them, or at least know what your looking for.