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All posts by Chris.SE

Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.


In recent times I have found that the ability to search the OFCOM website for useful information has markedly reduced. Maybe this is part of some government policy to limit the information that can be discovered by us mere plebs. Whilst I will admit my search efforts have not been totally exhaustive, on this occasion I have been unable to locate any current documents on the OFCOM site that refer to channel allocation!! Nor can I find anything on Arqiva's site.
Briantist: perhaps you'd be kind enough to clear this up for us, and if possible, links to any relevant documents.

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Mike: as mentioned by StevensOnln1, True Movies/Christmas is being broadcast on the Local TV Mux (LBS UHF Ch51), so if you can't get 'Made in Bristol' (LCN 7) or 'True Crime' (LCN 60) also Kix (LCN 127) then you won't get True Movies. Not only is the LBS signal directional but it is also lower power.
MikeB: The listings here by Briantist: are out of date I'm afraid.

Others reporting occasional loss of channels/muxes - propagation conditions can affect the received signal strength of some of the muxes if you don't have a strong signal, particularly the LBS (Ch51), COM7 (Ch33) and COM8 (Ch35) so if your received signal is marginal you will experience occasional loss especially if interference from other transmitters on those UHF channels gets stronger.

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Col: & others
I also use Mendip as my primary signal source and can also confirm that there are no transmitter problems - which in any event would be reported here if there had been any.

As has been said many times in the past, weather patterns can have significant effects on signal propagation, and that is not just whether it's raining or there is a high pressure system (although the latter frequently can have an effect) it is far more complicated than that. So if you have a "marginal" signal - which can be either because the signal is weak OR too strong, then changes in propagation can result in changes in signal strength and/or changes in co-channel interference which can result in intermittent loss of the wanted signal. It's also possible for mobile phone signals to cause problems especially if aerial amplifiers are in use.
The result of this with digital signals can be pixelation, intermittent sound and/or (intermittent) complete loss of signal.

Col: As you say "yet again", follow MikeB & MikeP's advice - there is no point in me repeating it.
You mention you all have to use boosters otherwise you don't receive anything BUT was that based on a need prior to full digital switchover in April 2010?

Where is the "amplifier" located? is it at the aerial or indoors somewhere?

Look at the Tuning section of your TV's programming and look at the strength and/or quality of the various signals with and without the amplifier. You mention dropping to 1 or 2 but don't say what it "normally" is, or what the scale on your particular TV is, the maximum may be 5 or 9 or 10 etc.

Also check that your are in fact correctly tuned to the Mendip UHF Channel Muxes (and not any of the Wenvoe ones).

Lastly, there is a Mobile Phone mast located quite close to you just off the line-of-sight, so when you have checked all the previous suggestions have a visit to at800 | 4G & Freeview | 4G interference | 4G Filters | 800 MHz , you might (note I said might) need a filter.


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The BBC wouldn't have to cut things like live Radio 2 overnight if it spent less money on Football! The amount it spends on Football is disgusting.

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Aanton Mann: Get back to At800 and request another filter. The first one may be faulty, but also the Mobile mast signal may be that strong a second filter in series could be needed as one alone is not giving sufficient attenuation.
However, there will be "insertion" loss from a filter, so I hope you freeview signal is strong enough in the first instance and a second filter will increase the insertion loss further.

Briantist: The page selection bar here doesn't appear to be working properly. I had to resort to some juggling of the url to read all 3 pages.
Also, I guess where you haven't listed any Local muxes, their channel allocation is not yet known?

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Adrian: There is no mux officially being broadcast on Ch:29 from Hannington - at least not currently according to DigitalUk's coverage checker. But Ch.29 is listed elsewhere as being for a local mux.
What are the TV stations on this mux? It is possible that it may be the local mux starting up which isn't yet formally listed and will have limited coverage. I note that there are engineering works going on at Hannington according to DigitalUk. Also That'sTV have a That's Thames Valley listed as coming soon, so maybe that's it!

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C
Feedback | Feedback
Sunday 5 March 2017 9:04AM

Briantist: Brian, could you possibly sort out linking my posts. I updated my email address some while ago, and unfortunately the system lost the connection to my previous 251 posts, the last of which before I changed the email address was My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+1, has no sound o
As you can see the current postings listed with the current email address are only showing 16 posts (presumably when this one is posted).
I am getting email updates OK btw.
Thanks.

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StevensOnln1: et al
You might be interested in articles on the following links, the ATV one (at the time of posting) gives a bit more history about the original plans for the Mux - Hannington Transmitter
The Digital TV Banter also has a bit of history and some quite funny comments from a few posters -
Local Muxes from Hannington - Digital TV Banter

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Briantist: Thanks Brian, page select bar working fine. Please see my post on Feedback when you have time.

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Dave: As you already know you are very definitely in a fringe area. If your normal reception during hot weather (eg. last year or any previous occasions this year) is ok, then something may have changed. This could be something in your aerial system/coax/connections as already mentioned/suggested by the two Mikes which has now made your reception marginal/weather dependant. It may also be something directly in the direction of the transmitter - eg. tree growth now at a height that is causing issues, but I think that less likely as you have reported good reception in the wet weather on Monday.
I suspect that it may be interference of some sort, possibly from another transmitter (that could even be a new/upgraded mobile phone mast) which may be weather dependant but possibly made worse if something in your installation has degraded - things can do so over time, it's no good saying nothing has changed, I've done nothing etc etc.
As already suggested, give your installation a thorough check-out first.

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