All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Alexander Scott:
To add to what Steve has already said, we've made the presumption that your aerial is pointing at Preseli because you've posted on the Preseli page. If so, your aerial should be pointing at compass bearing 292 degrees, that's virtually WNW.
If it's pointing at Carmel, it should be compass bearing 108 degrees, that's almost ESE.
In both cases the aerial rods (or squashed Xs) should be horizontal.
It's not at all obvious why your aerial should point at Preseli as there are multiple (quite severe) line-of-sight obstructions due to the terrain between you and Preseli, whereas there is only one much smaller one between you and Carmel, which is also closer.
3 different reception predictors also suggest Carmel would give better reception, also the ArqA/COM5 multiplex is not predicted to be as reliable as the others from Preseli.
HOWEVER, predictions are not always 100% and there could be some very local conditions where a local installer has found Preseli to be better. If that's the case, do you know why?
Just to compound matters, both transmitters have been listed for Planned Engineering for several weeks recently, although the work at Preseli should have been finished as it's no longer listed - but we also know those lists are sometimes not 100%. Carmel is still listed.
How old is your aerial installation? Do check it's still pointing correctly , that the downlead isn't flapping about in the wind and that all accessible coax connections are free of corrosion and water.
Steve has mentioned the possibility of interference from a new/upgraded phone mast and if you haven't got a Free Filter for 700MHz (more commonly referred to as 5G) then you should get in touch with Restore TV.
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John Lucibello :
I can't find any reports of faults at Dallington Park (or its parent Sandy Heath) in the last 5 days.
As you haven't given a full postcode, we can't check your predicted reception either.
The channels you've mentioned are carried on the ArqB/COM6 multiplex which is not transmitted from Dallington Park as it's a Freeview Light transmitter with only the 3 PSB multiplexes, so your aerial could be pointing at Sandy Heath (Anglia) or even possibly Waltham (Central).
For which TV channels are carried on which multiplex, see Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview
you should also be missing other channels on ArqB/COM6.
There's also the possibility you may be suffering interference from a new/upgraded phone mast and perhaps had a postcard from https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/
When you found some channels missing (whatever the cause might have been) I hope you didn't retune - you cannot tune to signals that aren't there, the usual effect is to clear your correct tuning.
If you did retune, the signals may have returned and you won't know as you may no longer be tuned to them.
Without that full postcode, we can't offer any further advise other than to check some obvious things -
Check that your aerial is still pointing correctly and that the downlead isn't flapping in the wind. Check all you accessible coax connections to ensure there is no corrosion or water, and everything is plugged in correctly.
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Alexander Scott;
The list of transmitters on Planned Engineering has been updated during the week and Carmel is no longer listed, so it's presumed that Preseli and Carmel are operating normally.
Have your signals improved?
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John Todd:
As you've had this problem for a few weeks and on two separate TVs and aerials, then it's a reasonable assumption that it could be one of the two possibilities Steve has mentioned. It would not surprise me that whatever the engineering work for DAB, it could well have an impact on Freeview transmissions from time to time as you can't work on a mast near the antenna when they're at full power, and this has been an oversight where it's not ended up with a listing for impact on Freeview!
Do check if you've had or should have had a postcard https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/
There is another possibility, that some very local external factors may be the cause, such as a new tall building or scaffolding etc springing up on the line-of-sight to the transmitter. It's unlikely to be things like solar panels, water tanks etc if the aerials aren't in a loft.
BUT just to compound matters for the next couple of days (wouldn't have been the initial problem) and likely to get worse tomorrow, is the presence of some Tropospheric Ducting causing co-channel interference (continental interference in old money) mainly affecting southern parts of the country.
The BBC have issued warnings as well.
This won't necessarily affect all multiplexes or even more than one and the effects could be short - seconds or minutes, or even longer - several hours. It will depend on particular conditions and location at the time.
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Barry Frewin:
Hmm, the Heathfield transmitter was on Planned Engineering last week, but is no longer of the Planned Engineering list, but it's always possible work may have over-run!
That said, even though your are only 23km from Heathfield and there are some very large hills between you and Heathfield, 3 & 4 miles out but the worst 6 miles out, from you, the reception predictions are good. HOWEVER if they were operating on the Reserve Antena during the work, that could completely scupper your reception as it's lower down the mast!
Did you perchance retune when you had no signal?
This is never advised because you cannot tune to a signal that is not there and the net effect is often to clear the correct tuning you had, so you won't get the signals back when they return without further retunes.
If you did do that then I suggest you MANUALLY retune Heathfield's UHF channels as listed in the very top section of this page.
If you have no luck with that, then do check some obvious things, such as your aerial still pointing correctly at Heathfield - compass bearing 130 degrees for you, that's almost SE, and it's rods (or squashed Xs) should be horizontal. Also check all accessible coax connections and ensure they are free of corrosion and water. If you have an amp/splitter check it still has power.
If the work has over run, then in the meantime you could try and get some signals from the East Grinstead relay but it'll only be the PSB multiplexes. It's in a different direction - SW, but is only 1km away although it's vertical polarisation you might get some signal off your aerial side-lobes.
Try a Manual tune on UHF channels C29, C31, & C37. Signals may be poor.
Post back if you are still having problems with more details about when it happened and what you've done/checked.
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A Bancroft :
Hi. As your postcode is near Littleborough, I assume that is why you've posted on the Littleborough transmitter page, but you certainly won't be getting 200+ channels from that transmitter as it is only Freeview "Light" with just the PSB multiplexes. It is much more likely that you are receiving the main 6 multiplexes from the Winter Hill transmitter, and so your aerial will most likely be pointing at compass bearing 266 degrees (virtually due W) with its rods (or squashed Xs) horizontal.
I'm not certain where you get your 200+ channels from as there are only 133 discrete channels including radio, Freeview Play, the Accessible TV Guide and streamed children's channels. Then there's BBC Red Button and a further 28 streamed channels and 6 on Local multiplexes and 5 in the Adult section, so 173 in total, therefore I'm assuming you must have been receiving some duplicate channels from the Littleborough Relay and It will be highly unlikely that you will receive any Local multiplexes as they are on the same UHF channels used by the Littleborough Relay. Although this is at compass bearing 83 degrees you may probably be getting it on a rear side-lobe of your aerial as it's only 2km away.
For which TV channels are carried on which multiplex, see Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview
Now, assuming you got them before, if you are no longer receiving even the channels from the Littleborough relay (or Winter Hill), something major is wrong. Neither transmitter has any reported faults.
Do some basic checks first. Check that your aerial looks intact and is still pointing correctly, also check your downlead isn't flapping in the wind, and check all accessible coax connections to ensure they are clean, free of corrosion and water and properly connected.
If you have an amp/splitter to feed more than one TV, check it still has power, check if it's not working by connecting the aerial plug direct to one TV's coax feed using a coax coupler.
Did you by any chance retune when you lost some channels? This is never recommend if you'd been tuned correctly, you can't tune to signals that aren't there and the net effect is often just to clear the correct tuning, so you receive nothing until you are correctly tuned again.
You could try an automatic retune to see if it restores all your channels, but otherwise try a MANUAL retune of the following UHF Channels for Winter Hill -
The main multiplexes are C32, C34, C35, C29, C31, C37
That's in the multiplex order BBCA/PSB1, D3&4/PSB2, BBCB HD/PSB3, SDN/COM4, ArqA/COM5, ArqB/COM6
If you are still having problems, another possibility is that you may now be getting interference from a new/upgraded mobile phone mast. You should have received a postcard from Restore TV, you can check here https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/ but we do know people haven't always received them!
You should get in touch with them 0808-1313-800 to request a Free Filter to block 700MHz mobile transmissions (sometimes called 5G).If however you have an external pre-amp mounted on the aerial pole tell them as they'll need to send an engineer (free) to install an external waterproof filter.
All filters are always fitted before any amplifier.
If none of the above solves the problem, post back with more detail about the aerial installation, how old it is, any amp/splitter model numbers etc. any changes to the installation/equipment.
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Mrs s smith:
It could have been the recent weather , there's been a very brief period of "Tropospheric Ducting" causing interference affecting some in the south of the country.
If you had been correctly tuned, I hope you haven't been retuning, You cannot tune to signals that aren't there or can't be decoded, the usual effect is to clear the correct tuning or maybe get incorrectly tuned to weak signals from another transmitter. You then might have to try retuning several times to get your signals back to normal!
We can't check your predicted reception without a full postcode, if you continue to have problems, post back with a full postcode and some information about your aerial installation and which way it points (rough compass bearing) etc.
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Steve Old:
Whilst you posted on the Freeview page, there's no additional information on the DAB page, and I can't currently find any listing of faults or engineering, however finding such information for commercial multiplexes is like trying to get blood from a stone!
I suspect that even if you provide a full postcode it might not be possible to give any definitive information.
GB News is on the D1 National multiplex Block 11D: 222.064MHz.
Are you having any reception problems with any other stations on that multiplex but especially LBC News which uses an identical transmission mode?
If you use your set's Menu/Info, is the signal strength normal? Are the errors low?
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Pete Howell:
Did you add UHF Channel C31 to tune for the Local TV multiplex - mentioned in his second response which he forgot in his first!
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Saturday 9 December 2023 9:24PM
Bruce:
Hi Bruce. The service hasn't been cut, it is still working.
Mendip has been on Planned Engineering for a few weeks, whilst we've no idea of the exact work that has been done, PSB1 appears to have been on reduced power or the Reserve Antenna this week and it's possible there may have brief interruptions to the service but not that I've noticed.
I've used it during the last couple of days and it was working earlier and just now.
Do check obvious things such as your aerial still pointing correctly, check all your accessible coax connections for corrosion or water and check the downlead is not flapping in the wind.
And of course check you are still tuned to Mendip PSB1 on UHF C32.