All posts by Paul Dursley
Below are all of Paul Dursley's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Chris.SE:
Evening - C22 is still up so that's a positive.
No obvious signs of damp, degradation or corrosion at the wall socket/plug even behind it.
I've got some spare coaxial cable so I'm going to get some new end terminations and build a new cable between the the wall socket and the TV - could be an interesting comparison test.
The aerial is a basic terrestrial item fitted new 20 years so not the youngest but not totally ancient. It's located on the side of my roof chimney and is not easy for me to access (I live in a house - a bungalow I would have clambered up and taken a look).
| link to this comment |
Steve Donaldson:
Evening - waiting on the filter to turn up, keen to get it fitted and see if that helps.
I agree that it's 'odd' that C22 seems to be the only multiplex affected from the Backwell transmitter. Maybe there is some local interference at around the C22 frequency - we'll see if the filter helps.
I'm going to try a new coaxial cable to the TV just as a quick check comparison with the current installation.
| link to this comment |
Chris.SE:
Evening.
The connector box on the aerial looks complete and intact through my binoculars - nothing obviously untoward.
A new coaxial cable has made no observable difference, i.e. no change to pre-existing signal strengths and quality. I'll keep the DVD HDMI cable away from the coaxial as best I can.
I do notice that C22 does seem to vary in signal quality dependant atmospheric conditions, so dull and dank gives poorer signal quality 4 to 5/10; bright and dry seems to take the quality level up to 6 to 7/10.
Looking forward to receiving an inline filter to see if this makes any difference.
| link to this comment |
Steve Donaldson:
Evening
Inline filter received and fitted - made absolutely no difference to C22 signal strength or quality; C25 and C28 unaffected.
Still, the original issue is 'resolved' in so much that I am receiving the BCC West HD and other C22 TV channels.
Not sure where that leaves the us with the discrepancy of signal strength and quality for C22 vs. C25 and C28 from the Backwell transmitter.
| link to this comment |
Steve Donaldson:
Hi Steve,
Thank you for your very thorough analysis of the signal transmission and reception between the Mendip and Backwell antenna. The analysis does fit my reported TV reception (or not, initially) symptoms over the past week or so from the Backwell transmitter and in conjunction with engineering works at Mendip.
The ineffective influence of the filter only bolsters the conclusion of your analysis.
You mention reporting the issue of reception by Backwell of the Mendip signal to the BBC - who would be responsible for making that report?
If it's me as a 'customer' of the BBC I will quite happily report this as an issue. Presumably there is no problem with referencing our discourse over the past week or so?
Once again thank you for assisstance with my reception problem.
| link to this comment |
Chris.SE:
Hi Steve,
Thank you for your assistance over the past week or so regarding my recent TV reception problems. The ineffective nature of the filter certainly supports the the conclusion of signal transmission and reception between Mendip and Backwell antenna.
I guess its an issue I'll have to live with unless the BBC can be persuaded to address it - not going to hold my breath....
Thanks again
| link to this comment |
Chris.SE:
Hi Chris thanks for your latest response.
I have a pretty standard Yagi style aerial - nothing special.
I've checked as much of the coaxial cable as I can get to including in the loft and it all seems pretty good - no obvious signs of distress or damp on it. Of course I haven't been able to get onto the roof and check at the aerial itself so that remains an unknown in terms of condition.
I think I'm the only one around here locally who has Luddite tendencies and is still using Freeview terrestrial TV. Did check with the local TV shop/installer who said that he had had nobody complaining of a lost terrestrial signal but that probably means not may people are relying solely on terrestrial TV.
I may just consider a new aerial installation and use manual tuning only to get the Backwell signals. However this will mean the loss of some channels I watch quite a bit but come in from Wenvoe.
Presumably there isn't an issue realigning/polarising the existing aerial to Wenvoe and adding a new Group K Log periodic for Backwell and splicing the cables before the wall plate.
It's either that or I may bite the bullet and plump for a Freesat installation!
Any thoughts?
| link to this comment |
Chris.SE:
Hi Chris - the neighbours I talk with went to satellite pretty quickly on moving here (a new build estate) given the poor Freeview TV selection from Backwell. Most recently satellite is being dropped in favour of internet TV now that we have a decent fibre optic connection. Seems its more reliable than than satellite apparently.
There are no other components between the aerial and the TV so nothing getting in the way there.
The aerial itself is 12 element, rounded dipole (not plate type) and single plate type reflector vertically polarised.
The Backwell signal strength vs insertion loss with a splitter might well be a problem. I think the splitters are cheap enough so I could insert one inline between the wall plate and the TV then check signal strength on the TV set up page(s).
As for having an HD TV, it was all I could get - they were sold out of the Black & White analogue ones!
| link to this comment |
Tuesday 9 April 2024 3:33PM
Paul Dursley:
Steve/Chris - hopefully you are both picking this message up.
Miraculously C22 has returned - it was there when I switched on sometime after midday. It was definitely absent before during the morning period. Coming through with a steady 6/10 for both signal strength and quality.
Not as good as C25 and C28 which are both 10/10 for quality and 7-8/10 for strength
We still have strong winds in the area through this morning and still blowing now. Atmospherics have improved though.
Other than speaking with Restore TV this morning I've done nothing to alleviate the problem.
Mysterious.....