All posts by Mike Dimmick
Below are all of Mike Dimmick's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Harry Lee: Some equipment gets confused if it finds more than one copy of a channel, or has information stored from before switchover. Try doing a first-time installation/full retune/factory reset.
I'm afraid I can't find an LG TV with that model number, can you check whether there is a longer model number on it anywhere?
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damo: It is your equipment. I've been using Crystal Palace fine all week, and I'm much further away than you are.
If there are any boosters, check that the power supply is on and working properly. If you can, remove or bypass them, you shouldn't need one where you are.
Otherwise I suspect a broken cable or connection.
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Ann Tait: Note that Digital UK predict 100% reception on digital, *after* switchover. That would suggest very high signal levels, which I would expect at 3 miles from a relatively high-power relay.
Your switchover starts tonight - BBC Two analogue will disappear some time shortly after midnight. ITV1 analogue will move to BBC Two's frequency, so will appear on button 2 for the next two weeks. BBC digital services will start up some time during the day, expected to be by 6am but keep an eye on Digital UK - Relay transmitter switching times .
On a TV with built-in digital tuner, you may have to press the Source button on the remote to switch between the BBC channels on digital, and ITV1 and Channel 4 on analogue. With an external set-top box or PVR, again you need to select the TV's SCART input to watch BBC digital channels. If your TV doesn't have a SCART socket, you will need a set-top box or PVR that puts its output on a spare RF channel (has an RF modulator), and tune a spare channel on the TV into the box's output.
The remaining analogue channels will be switched off after midnight on the 31st, i.e. in two weeks' time, and replaced by the remaining digital services.
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Gareth: Unfortunately many installers aren't worth the name - they don't have the right equipment or the right training. Even at 5kW there was plenty of signal (some transmitters intended to cover an area of a few miles, such as Nottingham or Sheffield, have far less than this even after switchover).
A high-gain aerial leads to a good chance of intermodulation problems if you're that close to the transmitter. A high-power analogue signal actually does much less damage to a digital signal through intermodulation than a high-power digital signal does to itself or to other digital signals. They're probably suffering with break-up problems that would be easily corrected with an attenuator.
Technically, Wenvoe required a Group K or wideband aerial before switchover, and the wider the response bandwidth, the more elements are typically required. The 'X'-type directors and active element have a wider bandwidth and more gain than a plain dipole does, so higher gain can be achieved from fewer elements than an equivalent plain Yagi, but there's not a lot in it.
A Group B still has substantial gain down at C30, one 18-element Yagi was measured at 8.3 dB on C30 and 10 dB on C34, so the difference of 3 dB between the power output on those two multiplexes probably offset the lower gain from the aerial.
The higher-gain aerial is usually more directional as well, which could be an advantage with nearby sources of interference, but as I say, best to couple it with some attenuation to offset the gain!
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Macca: It will depend on the aerial's position and orientation and your location, the distance from a main transmitter and the terrain between you and it. The UK transmitters won't switch over until next year, and it's looking like some time in the autumn since Digital UK haven't announced them yet.
Digital UK's predictor reckons you will have a very good chance of reliable reception from the Camlough and Newry South transmitters, but I'm afraid these will both be 'Freeview Light' transmitters, providing the Public Service multiplexes only. Film4 is on a commercial multiplex.
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Andy B: Wharfedale and Addingham will transmit the same channel line-up after switchover. Only Emley Moor, Idle and Keighley will transmit all six multiplexes, as they have done for at least 10 years.
All transmitters will transmit HD signals.
That doesn't mean that you can't get them from those transmitters, as power levels will be greatly increased from their current levels, and some directional restrictions may be removed.
The best way to find out is to use Digital UK's postcode checker at Digital UK - Home . If you provide a full postcode, we can check for you.
If the aerial points west, you should be tuned to Addingham. If it points east, you should be tuned to Wharfedale.
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jason carter: I'd suggest using a Log40 - Online TV FM DAB Aerial sales . See Loft and indoor aerial installations for TV, FM and DAB for thoughts on fitting - also see http://wrightsaerials.tv/….pdf .
I would strongly recommend *not* using a booster. The signal strength meters on most boxes are completely useless, not being calibrated to anything sensible, and you could well have too *much* signal, not too little. If you're having problems, and you already have a booster, try removing it. If that doesn't help, try adding an attenuator.
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Dave: The longer version is that the BBC are not allowed to set up their own local DAB multiplexes, they have to wait for Ofcom to license a local commercial multiplex to carry their local radio stations, and for that multiplex to start broadcasting.
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aaron: Digital services replace the analogue service from the Stamford transmitter. The BBC digital service replaces BBC Two tonight - you will probably have noticed that BBC Two has already gone off-air. Leave your aerial alone.
The digital service is expected to be up and running by 9am. Check Digital UK - Relay transmitter switching times for updates.
For the next two weeks, ITV1 analogue will be on button 2 on your TV, as it has actually replaced BBC Two analogue - this is due to ITV1 analogue having replaced BBC Two analogue at Waltham, in order that BBC digital can start up on ITV1's old channel there.
In two weeks time, the remaining analogue services will be shut down and be replaced by ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 digital (and some associated channels). See above for the list.
To check whether you could get a full service from Sandy Heath or from Waltham, we'd need a full postcode.
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Tuesday 16 August 2011 4:04PM
Jamie: For either Emley Moor or Belmont, the aerial's elements should go side-to-side. For Sheffield, they would be up-and-down. Most likely no-one on your street needs to use Sheffield, but you will see some aerials in the vertical position around the city, for those who do.