All posts by Joan
Below are all of Joan's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Thank you jb38, your advice is much appreciated. I guess I will have to get someone out to turn the aerial to suit Rowridge instead. But I have to say I am a bit loath to do that, because I remember the tile damage done by the guys who put that aerial up about 5 years ago. The cost isn't just for the job, there's the other couple of hundred quid to mend the tiles they break clambering up the roof.
I don't think I have much option though, because all the channels are now starting to break up intermittently, which will only get worse as leaves come out fully. At least last year, during the summer, the BBC channels survived (and a couple of others some of the time) and there were the analogue channels. This year indications are that there won't be anything left at all. But what I just don't appreciate is how ridiculous it is that nowhere is there official acknowledgement that there are these problems. When I have phoned up to try to get advice, that any rain and leaves on trees are a factor is just completely denied. And not even just denied, the very very suggestion was derided, as I was an idiot. It was disgraceful! And there was no suggestion made then re changing to a different transmitter. The "problem" was just dealt with by deriding the problem.
What I don't understand, also, is why the aerial people that I had out to see if it could be improved, didn't tell me that I should be changing to Rowridge!
And re Rowridge I looked to see what manual tuning to Rowridge used frequencies produced. And there is absolutely nothing. There's no trace of recognition of any signal at all. I know the aerial is pointing the wrong way, and that it will (should) improve after the 21st, but I would have thought there still ought to be something getting through. But I haven't got a choice, I will have to try.
Thank you very much again for the advice....J
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Thanks again jb38. I don't think there is another option to at least trying the change to Rowridge. Out of curiosity, though, I am going to leave it until after the leaves do come out, just to check if it really is as I am expecting now. I think what I took to have been the start of interference by leaves was possibly rather the high pressure you have mentioned. I looked around and the leaves don't seem to be breaking enough to be having effect yet.
I learnt my lesson re tiles being broken before, though. The people I used before just denied responsibility by saying the tiles were already broken. And I couldn't "prove" they weren't, although they absolutely were NOT. This time I will have taken photos in advance, though.
But re checking for reception of any signal from Rowridge, it is ch24 that I have been manually testing already exactly as you describe. I haven't been retuning to it. And it is that that there is no trace of at all, 200kw or not. My aeriel is horizontal to the ground, though, as well as pointing to Hannington. It still surprises me that there is nothing at all.
Just one other query, since I will make the change anyway, if the vertical polarity is more likely to be better, should the aerial then be vertical itself or still horizontal as it is now? Advice appreciated again...Thanks J
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Wednesday 14 March 2012 7:17PM
Winchester
Hi...The analogue signal here was always fine, the digital signal here has always been lousy. In winter the signal has survived as long as there isn't any rain anywhere between transmitter and here. In the summer, all but the BBC channels were stopped by leaves on the trees. The signals only get through again when the leaves fall, as long as there isn't any rain.
I have had people out here to check the aeriel on the roof, just in case, but they just say it is fine. I am just on the extremity between Rowridge and Hannington, and unlucky. The signal I get (or don't get) is apparently just the way it is. And I just gave up on it.
What I have noticed now on looking at this site, though, is that I'm supposed to not have a problem. I'm theoretically supposed to get all the channels all the time. That's just not what really happens in practice, though.
My big aeriel is on the roof and it is tuned, as it has always been tuned, to Hannington. I retuned sucessfully, on changeover, although the limited 10K weak com5 signal for with Dave and E4+1 etc never returned afterward, although fine before. Now, however, the spec on this site has changed re the transmitter I should be looking to has changed. Since it has always been Hannington before, though, this strikes one as just passing the buck. A few weeks ago it said Hannington, now it is suddenly saying that I should be looking to Rowridge instead. But Rowridge is actually further away, and the maps etc claim that, even so, everything should still work fine from Hannington. That just isn't true, though.
After the changeover, then, since the signals are supposed to be stronger, I had hoped the higher 50,000W level would mean I would get to keep more channels during the summer. Leaf buds are now breaking, though, and signals are starting to be affected. And rather than more left working, conversely it is looking as if they are all failing this year. Whatever the changeover has done, the BBC signals are breaking up just as the others are. The 10K ones have gone completely already. So it looks as if, in a couple of weeks when leaves are fully out, nothing will be left at all.
Is there an official position? Advice appreciated.....J