All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Shirley:
Whilst Steve is correct about the Planned Engineering at Dover, it should not have caused the Hythe relay to lose signal for any lengthy period, but I'm afraid retuning when you have No signal or badly pixelated pictures is a bad idea. You cannot tune to signals that aren't there or can't be decoded, the usual result is to clear the correct tuning. Check in your TV Tuning section to be sure you are tuned to UHF channels C26, C23 & C30 for Hythe multiples BBCA/PSB1, D3&4/PSB2, BBCB HD/PSB3.
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Brian: Although the BBC and Freeview just call this Kent transmitter - Hythe (no marina bit).
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Simon Pryce:
Well that's an odd one - unless it's now fixed!
I've tried selecting two different PBS America programmes directly on the LCN100 page and they worked.
I've also just been trying various ways of selecting PBS America programmes that are available on Catch-up or via their own App selecting it either by the Freeview Play App (in the LG App tray) or the PBS America App on LCN100 and it's all working. I have an older LG.
Check in your settings >Programmes that HbbTV is ON. Having said that the way your later LG OS works may be different. On mine, if HbbTV is OFF, LCN100 won't display the Freeview Play menu page but I can select the Freeview Play App in the tray and then go to the PBS America App, or I can select an available programme via the TV Guide.
Do a;lso check your set has the latest firmware - check for updates. ("About this TV" setting) but I would expect that to make any difference to this issue.
Another thought your current internet IP address may have a problem with DNS for the PBS stuff or a direct PBS America streaming address (not sure how that all works fro streaming) but you could try changing your IP address (unless it's fixed) by dropping your PPP connection - log into the Router to do it rather than reboot - unless you are on a FTTP connection. Rebooting not always a good idea on ADSL or FTTC connections - could depend on the Service Provider.
Another (remote) possibility - the Wrekin is having Planned Engineering and maybe some of the "links" on LCN100 aren't being correctly provided at present - seems rather odd if that were so, but I'd expect the Freeview Play App from the LG Tray to suffer the same issue if that were so. Can't think of anything else to try atm.
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Typo in previous post - I would NOT expect the firmware version to have any effect on this issue.
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Owen:
I think you'll find that all the aerial manufacturers are well aware of the fact that Group T or W aerials are no longer required, only Group A or K are needed. Even Group B is a bad idea as most of them go above C48.
Most manufacturers and suppliers will have a stock of W, T and B to get rid of, as no doubt will many retailers and installers! I doubt any can "afford" to scrap stock.
It's also likely that some manufacturers won't have "redesigned" Group K aerials for all their models as this obviously costs money and in the current economic climate they likely won't be rushing to do it!
As far as the 700MHz Clearance goes, it was well publicised by Freeview and DUK (as well as others) that COMs 7&8 would continue on UHF C55 & C56 until June 2022 on those main transmitters that were continuing to carry them (not all were). However COM8 closed in June 2020 for commercial reasons - the drop in advertising revenue affecting broadcasters during the Covid-19 pandemic. All that information was posted many times around this site on relevant transmitter pages by myself and a few others.
As far as anyone with an existing W, T or B aerial (and even possibly A or K in worst cases) who starts getting interference issues from new/upgraded phone masts, they can get Free Filters from Restore TV.
If you want a flatter gain response then a log periodic would be the best BUT you need a good enough signal as they can't give the gain that some of the very high gain yagis can give.
The answer is to check the manufacturer's gain curves before you buy (IF they actually have one, if not, go to another manufacturer if it's that important).
Oh, and just to clarify my remark about Dallington Park, it was just a suggestion to see of you could get enough signal off the BACK of your Sandy aerial (probably not) IF you were suffering interference on the Sandy PSBs (By the way, it's listed by OFCOM as 50W).
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Tuesday 4 March 2025 3:33AM
Donna Lewin:
Our apologies, we seem to have missed your post until now.
The Sandy Heath transmitter has been undergoing Planned Engineering which may have affected your signal. Also despite the fact that you should get a good signal from Sandy Heath, you aren't in the best of locations as you don't have line-of-sight to the transmitter.
I'm afraid Retuning is the last thing to be contemplated when you have No signal or badly pixelated pictures. You cannot tune to signals that aren't there or can't be decoded, the usual result is to clear the correct tuning.
Do check that your aerial is still pointing correctly for Sandy Heath, compass bearing 124 degrees - that's in-between ESE and SE, and its rods (or squashed Xs) should be horizontal. Check your downlead isn't flapping about in the wind.
It's also possible that retuning when there was missing/weak signals from Sandy Heath may have got you tuned to weak/poor signals from another transmitter.
Assuming your aerial system is ok, it'll probably be best to try manual retuning for the missing multiplexes (ie. not an auto retune), by going into your TV Tuning section.
Check in your TV Tuning section that you are correctly tuned to Sandy Heath's UHF channels.
They are C27, C24, C21, C33, C36, & C48 - that's in multiplex order -
BBCA/PSB1, D3&4/PSB2, BBCB HD/PSB3, SDN/COM4, ArqA/COM5, ArqB/COM6
(If you can normally get the Local multiplex from Madingley which I very much doubt, it's on C35).
If any of those are missing (or any different ones are incorrectly present) then manually tune the UHF channel for the particular multiplex.
Another possibility is some interference issues. You are surrounded by Mobile Phone masts and there could be a new/upgraded one now operating in the 700MHz band. You should have received a postcard from Restore TV..
See - https://restoretv.uk/postcards-not-sure/
I'd contact Restore TV and request a Free filter. Now as you have an aerial pre-amp/booster/splitter the Filter must be fitted before that. If the booster is fitted to your mast, you need to advise Restore TV and they should send an engineer Free of charge to install a waterproof one on the mast.
Post back if you need further help.