All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Cliff:
Drama, Paramount and Sony Movies Action are all on the COM4/SDN multiplex. See Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview for which channels are on which multiplex.
Now, although there was some transmitter work at Winter Hill recently which was initially unlisted (and supposedly finished a week or so ago) it might be that this multiplex got tuned to another transmitter (possibly Storeton or Moel-y-Parc)) when Winter Hill was off-air or weak signal, it wouldn't be as good a signal and this could account for the picture break-up.
BUT..... you mention "paramount ch.31 & sony ch.40". Now those programmes are no longer on those LCNs (as you may have noted from the list I linked above) they all moved up one channel due to changes on the 4th November Updates and alerts | Freeview
This means that you need a full retune. Now the trick of doing one with the aerial removed first doesn't work on the Youview box IIRC, but should on your TV. For the Youview box if a normal retune doesn't work you may have to do a reset (refer to the manual) this might mean you have to reprogram any recordings you've set up.
So try the full retunes and see if that restores everything correctly and solves the problem.
You may want to check in the tuning sections that you are tuned correctly to the Winter Hill UHF channels -
The main multiplexes are C32, C34, C35, C29, C31, C37, C55 for PSBs1-3, COMs 4-7.
The Local ones are Local Manchester, Manchester GI on C24 & C27.
Liverpool Local mux on C21, Preston Local mux on C40.
Which Local multiplexes you may get will depend on your precise location.
If you are still having problems post back with a full postcode so that we can look at our predicted reception and see if there's any faults listed affecting your locale.
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M Ball:
Well it's not realty "selected areas", nor is it "the powers that be". Other than the BBC, the location of transmitters and the services carried are commercial decisions by the operators under licence from OFCOM. As a general rule, areas that have low population densities may not have coverage of all the commercially available services. This is simply because the advertising revenue as a result of the smaller number of listeners doesn't always justify the capital expenditure of a transmitter to serve the area. (That doesn't mean that they'll never add one at some future date).
Now Jazz FM transmits in DAB+ so you need a radio capable of decoding DAB+ not just plain DAB. It's carried on the SDL multiplex which has lower coverage that the other commercial D1 multiplex. That said, whilst you say you cannot receive it, the predictors on sites such as DAB Digital Radio - Pure, Roberts, Stations, DAB, Evoke, In Car, Online, Portable, Digital Radios, Highway, One, Station, Sony (press return on that site - the submit button doesn't work at time of posting) or ukdigitalradio: Home say that you should have good reception of them at your postcode.
It looks as though you should be able to receive -
The BBC National multiplex on Block 12B: 225.648 MHz
The D1 National multiplex on Block 11D: 222.064MHz
The SDL National multiplex on Block 11A: 216.928 MHz
A Local multiplex on Block 12D: 229.072 MHz
Whilst it seems there's several transmitter you may get signals from that carry most of the multiplexes, the only one I can see carrying the SDL multiplex is Emley Moor. So assuming you are using a portable radio, try moving it/its aerial around so there there's a good line of sight to Emley - no thick walls or large metal objects in the way - eg. fridges cookers etc. Also try manual tuning, sometimes auto-tune can miss a weaker signal.
You may have noticed a link in the post before yours where Arqiva gives some details about the multiplex. If you browse around that site there is other information you may find interesting. Likewise if you are into lots of technical information, have a browse around DAB Ensembles Worldwide | Latest News & Updates
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M Ball:
There has been some recent major work at Emley (which was previously unlisted) see https://www.freeview.co.u…ters which supposedly has finished but it wouldn't surprise me if work is carrying on if/when weather permits etc. This may be giving rise to the problem you are seeing. There may be some other cause!
Make sure you are tuned to all the correct UHF channels for Emley, it's possible that during the work if there was no or weak signal you may have got tuned to another transmitter -
Emley's Multiplexes & UHF channels are now as follows, in the order -
PSBs1/BBCA, PSB2/D3&4, PSB3/BBCB HD, COM4/SDN, COM5/ArqA, COM6/ArqB, COM7 HD, & Local
C47, C44, C41, C33, C36, C48, C55, & C39. Whether you get satisfactory reception of COM7 or the Local multiplex will depend on location.
If the problem continues, post back, further information may have come to light.
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Cliff:
Ah, I can see where there maybe a bit of confusion. As has been mentioned a few times around this site, many pages haven't been updated with the correct information since the 700MHz Clearance program and the channel usage pages are another example I'm afraid - the site owner just doesn't seem to have had time!
C32 is no longer used by Moel-y-Parc, it was previously used for COM7 before that was moved to the SFN channel of C55.
As you've obviously noted, you've got tuned on occasion to Welsh channels which might come from Moel-y-Parc or Storeton which also relays the Welsh variants. It might be an idea to look up at you aerial and make sure it appears undamaged and is pointing in the correct direction. Missing or damaged elements will affect its directional capabilities and ability to reject unwanted signals from the wrong direction, although most aerials have what are called "side-lobes" and will pick up some strong signals at other angles.
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Graham Langhorn:
Hmm, this sounds like a confusing situation, so let's try and get some clarity.
COM7 is not known at ArqC, in fact it's referred to as Multiplex E in the OFCOM licence, but everywhere else it's now just plain COM7.
The two channels you mention 72 & 34, I assume if there's no typos there with the numbers, you mean channel locations LCNs in the EPG but neither of those are on COM7. 72 is on PSB3/BBCB HD and 34 on PSB2/D3&4.
See Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview for which channels are on which multiplex.
You mention Winter Hill and Storeton, so if you've been picking up channels from more than one transmitter, they could be in all sorts of places in your EPG, depending on how your set has allocated them. However that may be, the current tuning needs to be totally cleared, so that on a retune things will hopefully go back to the correct places.
We need a full postcode to look at your predicted reception, it may be that getting COM7 could be marginal, and clearly you can get more than one transmitter and I can't give you the correct bearings for the transmitter(s) without that full postcode.
Storeton broadcasts both Granada and Welsh services on different UHF channels (but no COM7), Granada channels are vertically polarised whereas the Welsh ones are horizontal. Storeton does have a Granada Local multiplex. You may also get signals from Moel-y-Parc depending on location just to add to the confusion.
Unfortunately the site owner hasn't had time to update all the channel listings since the 700MHz clearance program, so you'll need to check that you are tuned to the correct UHF channels for Winter Hill which are -
The main multiplexes are C32, C34, C35, C29, C31, C37, C55 for PSBs1-3, COMs 4-7.
The Local ones are Local Manchester, Manchester GI on C24 & C27.
Liverpool Local mux on C21, Preston Local mux on C40.
What you can reliably receive obviously depends on location.
You need to start by clearing the existing tuning as already mentioned, do this by unplugging the aerial then as follows - (the manual for your (and many) Samsung set(s) is IMHO abysmal, however) from the e-manual p103 -
There's this to set correctly (MENU/123) MENU Broadcasting Channel Settings Country (Area), To change the country for digital channels, select Digital Channel (you might have do this first) then,
Tuning digital channels - (MENU/123) MENU Broadcasting Channel Settings Manual Tuning Digital Channel Tuning - Select New Search to scan for digital channels automatically and store the scanned channel list in
the TV. As no channels should be found that should have cleared existing tuning (I hope that' manual is right!).
With the aerial plugged back in, I hope you can manually tune each UHF channels for Winter Hill -
(MENU/123) MENU Broadcasting Channel Settings Manual Tuning
In my view the manual is unclear, but you probably know the tuning section better.
Somewhere there should also be an indication of the Signals Strength and Quality (or Bit Errors) for each UHF channel, posting back with that and your full postcode would be helpful if you are still having problems getting everything correctly.
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Ian:
It's not up-to-date. The site owner doesn't seem to have had time to do all the updates resulting from the 700MHz Clearance program, nor any of the recent channels shuffles that Freeview insist on doing!
See Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview for which channels (&LCNs) are on which multiplex.
Sandy Heath's channels are C27, C24, C21, C33, C36, C48, C55 in the order PSBs1-3, COMs4-7. Also note C35 is a Local multiplex for Cambridge from the nearby Madingley transmitter, which you may or may not receive depending on your location.
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Cliff:
Now you've told us that your aerial is 20 years old, that's the problem. Since the end of the 700MHz Clearance program (last changes at Winter Hill were on August 12th) you need a Group T/Wideband aerial to get all mutliplexes.
Freeview's advice if you are still missing channels after a full retune is -
Contact the Freeview Advice Line free on 0808 100 0288. You may be eligible for free in-home support, including aerial work if needed.
Providing it's your own home, not rented from a landlord (ie. the aerial is the landlord's responsibility) then Freeview should put you in touch with DMSL (Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited) to arrange an appointment for a free aerial upgrade. Make sure you say that since the changes you have been losing signal from a variety of channels including BBC ones and your aerial is 20 years old and you've been told the aerial needs an upgrade.
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Chris Atherton:
Assuming your postcode is LL32 8RY, then the Freeview Detailed Coverage Checker suggest that you ought to get a good and reasonably reliable signal (but perhaps not that strong) from Winter Hill - but not COM7, but you might also get the Liverpool Local multiplex but that signal could be poor and not very reliable.
I'd be guessing but your location might be too much in the valley or there's too much high ground to the west of you to get a signal from Llanddona as there's no prediction. (PS. you've posted on the DAB transmitter page rather than the Freeview one, but no problem).
Have a look round at your neighbours rooftops to see what aerials they have.
The Conway transmitter (a "light" relay of Llanddona - PSB multiplexes only) is at bearing 151 degrees (~ slightly S of SSE) and uses vertical polarisation (aerial rods vertical).
Winter Hill is at bearing 67 degrees (~ENE) and uses horizontal polarisation (aerial rods horizontal).
Llanddona would be approx. slightly W of WNW using horizontal polarisation.
Ask any neighbours that have aerials pointing at either of the main transmitters how reliable their signals are and if they can recommend a good local aerial installer would should know what you may expect.
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Stanley:
I'd have a chat with your local authority planning department to see if they can offer any advice.
Also, if they are Sky dishes, they will have been installed by/on behalf of Sky and I'd have though you might have some redress there by telling Sky to shift them or you'll take legal action AND have them removed and they will get the bill! (Wouldn't make you popular with the neighbours!!) BUT do see what the Planning authority advises.
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Friday 18 December 2020 10:32PM
mike duxbury:
To give you any idea of your predicted reception, we need a full postcode. That said, I doubt it, you'll most likely need an external aerial - look around at your neighbours.
The area typically may be able to receive several transmiiters, but it looks as though none of them will give good reception for all multiplexes, some are better than others.
It may turn out to be a case of - if you have a window in the direction of the most likely transmitter, then suck it and see, but looking at immediate neighbours aerials might give you the best clues.