14:04 Read about new trends 20 new Popular pages 10 new Your latest comments 10 new New UK Free TV articles 10 new TV network faults 2 new 14:04 Read about new trends 20 new Popular pages 10 new Your latest comments 10 new New UK Free TV articles 10 new TV network faults 2 new All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Darren Brown:
Hmm, those figures didn't quite behave as I was anticipating.
Interesting what you've said about having the two filters.
It's going to be a case of a bit of experimenting, Leave both filters in place.
Try first turning the gain down a bit at a time and watch the figures.
The try turning the gain up a bit at a time and watch the figures.
Make a note of the figures as you go, as well as the position of the gain control.
What you are looking for is 100% Quality with as high a signal strength as possible, but what you have to watch is if there's too much gain the strength "figures" start to creep down again and it can then have a detrimental effect on the Quality.
I can only guess we may have a combination of factors here, changes in propagation conditions as dusk approaches and some interference compounding matters.
If you can't find an optimum, then maybe a change to Pontop Pike maybe the next best thing to try. Can you safely access your aerial yourself?
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Darren Brown:
HI Darren, well that's certainly looking somewhat better.
Here's another experiment you can try -
Leave the gain where you have it and put both filters in series on the input to the booster and see how that affects the figures.
Post the results of that, it will be interesting whatever they do.
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Darren Brown:
I also have the search box issue, so it's the site!
The last set of figures you posted are excellent. I think that proves beyond doubt that mobile cell interference is a primary problem here.
Chatton is currently on Planned Engineering, so there can be other variations in signal, so some of the "drop-outs" may be just that. U&Dave is on COM5/ArtqA.
It's encouraging signal returned at about 9.30. I think as you have now got some good figures, it's a case of watching what happens for a while.
Post the figures when you get any noticeable changes that persist for longer periods.
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Harro:
This is most likely to be recent local weather conditions causing changes inn signal propagation, this can sometimes occur with high pressure.
Do NOT retune though. You cannot tune to signals that aren't there or can't be decoded, the usual result is to clear the correct tuning.
If you are now missing a multiplex ie. COM4/SDN then MANUAL tune UHF channel C32 until you restore it, then don't retune, you just have to wait for conditions to change.
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Mr Kevin Greenhill:
Your postcode was one of the random ones I checked in your locale. You should have no problem with reception from Sutton Coldfield in normal circumstances. Unfortunately there is still engineering work going on which might affect your signal from time to time.
I have read a few reports of similar issues others have had with a Humax box and ITV channels BUT that is supposedly now resolved. Do check that your Humax has the latest firmware/software.
Aerial location and whether you have any booster/splitter to feed more than one TV/box can also affect reception. Is your aerial external on a chimney? Do you have a booster/amp/splitter?
As mentioned previously, you can receive more than one transmitter in certain circumstances, albeit with poorer unreliable signals, which is why I said you should try and check you are correctly tuned to the PSB2/D3&4 multiplex on UHF Channel 46 for Sutton Coldfield (go into your TV Tuning section to check). If you attempted to do a retune at any point when you had no or very poor signal - badly pixelated etc, then this is when you may get mistuned. You cannot tune to signals that aren't there or can't be decoded, so the correct tuning is often cleared or you end up tuned to one of those weak unreliable signals.
Now despite https://restoretv.uk/postcards-not-sure/ saying your particular postcode has not had postcards, there are at least 3 mobile masts within 0.75 km of you, so I think it's quite possible that interference could be a cause if the issue persists and if so, if I were you, I'd be contacting Restore TV for a Free Filter.
Please post back with information about your aerial installation, it should be pointing roughly WSW, with its rods (or squashed Xs) horizontal. Do look and see if it seems intact and points correctly and the coax isn't flapping around in the wind.
Also tell us if you've checked your tuning. If you are incorrectly tuned you can always manually tune the correct UHF channels.
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jack:
As I've noted that you haven't given a full postcode at any point during any of your posts, so it wouldn't have been possible to comment on your predicted reception, you may be in a location that doesn't have the best of reception. I was suspecting that it may simply related to poor signals or issues related to your Humax etc.
I have however just thought, that since you mentioned an amplifier at some point, and your recent comment which suggests you may be suspecting some interference to be the cause, the most obvious possibility might be interference from a mobile mast near you.
Have you ever received a postcard from Restore TV?
Put your postcode in on here https://restoretv.uk/postcards-not-sure/
If it says yes, then certainly I'd be in touch with Restore TV for a Free Filter. If you have a masthead amp, then they should be sending an engineer free of charge to fit an external filter on the mast (all filters must be fitted before any amplification).
Even if it doesn't say yes (we've known cases where postcards haven't been sent), it could still be interference from a mobile mast, so I'd still contact them anyway, they can be quite helpful judging by some feedback people have posted here.
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Keith Pugh:
Could you please provide a full postcode, it's otherwise impossible to comment constructively on your predicted reception and the possible cause of reception problems.
Also, do you have any aerial amp/splitter? If so, make/model might be helpful.
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jack:
Hi jack, I must have missed that post with the checkout before. Anyway, no harm in looking at this at bit more.
Humax issues (especially older boxes), I've seen a variety of reports over time where people have these sorts of issues. The impression gained is that there are some weird incompatibility issues and Humax don't seem too interested in solving them on older boxes.
Problems with just one channel as opposed to one multiplex would likely be a Humax bug of some sort, if it were interference, it would affect all the channels on the same multiplex!
As far as interference goes, I think it highly unlikely that it's radio amateur stuff, because you nearby amateur is highly unlikely to be on ait 24/7.
Do you know the amateur? They should be fairly clued up on interference type issues from amateur transmissions, it might be worth introducing yourself and explaining that you are having some weird Freeview reception problems which although you don't think is radio amateur originated, you thought they may have some knowledge on other things. They may even have the same Freeview problems and be able to say what (if anything) they've been able to do
As far as the airport goes, again I doubt it's radio transmission, it's more likely to be signal reflection off the bigger aircraft which causes brief multipath reception which the TV receivers can't handle! This could be especially difficult as the airport (and it's runway directions) seem to be roughly on a line with the back of your aerial and the direction it points to the SC transmitter, so guessing the flight paths some of the time will be right over you. Do any of your neighbours have similar issues?
What type of aerial have you got and have they got?
Aerial amp/splitters will certainly add to interference problems if the interfering signals aren't filtered out. You should have had a postcard from Restore TV, so mobile mast interference is a strong possibility. Follow the link I gave and then the "Contact Us" on the site and get onto them.
If you have a masthead amp tell them (even if you can readily get to it yourself) because they would normally send an engineer free of charge to install an external filter on the mast before the amp BUT the big advantage of this is that the engineers they send have ALL the kit for looking at the interference issues etc. They have even been known to replace aerials if the need arises!
If I've repeated anything you've already looked at, let me know.
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I.Hart-Walsh:
You are not predicted to get the best of reception from the Lancaster Freeview transmitter in your postcode.
Make sure that your aerial is still pointing correctly, compass bearing 266 degrees - virtually due W, and that it's rods (or squashed Xs) are vertical. Check your coax connections at all accessible points for water or corrosion, and that the downlead is secure, isn't flapping in the wind and is undamaged.
Do NOT retune whilst you have no signal or badly pixelated pictures, the usual result is to clear the correct tuning.
Check in your TV Tuning section that you are correctly tuned to Lancaster's UHF channels.
These are C27, C24, C21, C25, C28, and C22. That's is the multiplex order BBCA/PSB1, D3&4/PSB2, BBCB HD/PSB3, SDN/COM4, ArqA/COM5, ArqB/COM6.
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Wednesday 9 April 2025 12:10AM
Darren Brown:
This is looking a bit like too much signal. In that situation, the front end of the receiver is overloaded and signal strength readings go down because of the way AGC circuits work and so does the signal quality.
Turn the gain down a bit more and post the new figures.
The primary reason the filter needs to be on the aerial side of the booster is so you don't amplify the interfering mobile signal which could also saturate the booster as well as the TV receiver because the filter on the "wrong" side may not reduce it enough either.