All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Roger:
Not necessarily BUT not all locations within the WV5 area will get good reception from Brierley Hill, we need the full postcode to check your predicted reception. If you do have a clear line-of-sight view and aren't too far away, then it may be good reception.
There have been no recent reports of transmitter faults or Planned Engineering.
Do you/have you ever received the Local multiplex (UHF C33 at Brierley Hill), you'll have a Local News channel at LCN7 in your EPG plus programmes on LCNs 50, 52, 61, 68 & 207.
Now if you are having problems with Channel5, you should also have problems with ITV, Channel4 and a number of their sister channels are they are all on the same multiplex D3&4/PSB2 on UHF C34 from Brierley Hill.
Check in your TV Tuning section that you are correctly tuned to UHF channels C32, C34, C35, C29, C31, C37 & C33. Your aerial should be pointing roughly SE to SSE depending on your exact postcode, with its rods (or squashed Xs) vertical.
Where is the aerial - roof or loft? Is the downlead secure?
You mention several TVs so do you have a distribution amp/splitter? If so what make and model and where is it located?
Also in your TV Tuning section there should be an indication of Signal Strength and Quality for each multiplex's UHF channel. It may be somewhere like Signal Test or in the Manual Tuning section, it's dependent on make/model.
Posting all the above information should help narrow down the problem.
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AGNES FARRIES:
It's very close to Buittle Mains but it's called Barskeoch Hill which is predicted to give you the best reception, although you're predicted to get reasonable reception from Cambret Hill but not all parts of your area will.
If you're getting signals from Cambret Hill, your aerial would be pointing at compass bearing 266 degrees - that's virtually due West and the aerial rods (or squashed Xs) should be horizontal.
For Barskeoch Hill its compass bearing 46 degrees - virtually NE and the aerial rods should be vertical.
Check your downlead is secure and not flapping in the wind.
You may have noticed from the post before yours that Cambret Hill is listed for Planned Engineering, whilst Barskeoch Hill isn't, however they are both relays of the main transmitter Caldbeck which is listed. So any work at Caldbeck could affect reception from Barskeoch Hill as well.
Now you've said you "reset" channels every morning. This really is not a good idea. You are not recommended to retune/reset if you have no signal or badly pixellated pictures as this usually just clears the correct tuning you had, hence on occasion you've got 0 channels. Also you won't know when the transmitter is back on air and so would have to retune again, possibly several times! The number of channels you may get will depend on which multiplexes are on air or off air.
There is virtually no need to retune at all on freeview Light transmitter such as yours as they only have the PSB multiplexes and those channel rarely change because of the Public Service Broadcast commitment. You would normally see an on-screen pop-up to retune on the very rare occasions when there may have been a change.
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john.s marjoram:
This is obviously a local issue to you. Please read the post before yours to give you an idea of the sort of things that can cause problems and the sort of information needed, but especially the full postcode.
We've no idea which transmitter you may be receiving, what your predicted reception may be, whether there is a transmitter fault or Planned Engineering or weather conditions.
Check your aerial looks intact and is still pointing correctly.
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Roger:
Hi. thanks for that. You are obviously in quite a good location and predicted to get a good signal from Brierley Hill apart from the Local multiplex, however that doesn't mean you won't get it!
The SE is the correct location as in your postcode the aerial should be at compass bearing 136 degrees - virtually SE.
Yes amps can fail, but less likely in a cupboard under the stairs, lofts are generally the problem place because of extreme temperatures in very hot and very cold weather.
So firstly, on the set that is getting good signals, try a manual tune on UHF channel 33 for the Local multiplex. Autotunes will often miss weaker signals. It may also help establish if the aerial is ok.
Then, because your location is also predicted to get pretty good signals from the main transmitters at Sutton Coldfield and The Wrekin, check it is tuned to the UHF channels mentioned in my previous post.
Even though the transmitters are in different directions, aerials have "side-lobes" and depending on siting can pick up signals from different directions so if you happen to retune when your wanted signals are off-air or have interference due to weather conditions etc you can end up tuned to the wrong transmitters with weaker unreliable signals.
Assuming you are correctly tuned, the next check will help establish if the aerial and hopefully the amp/splitter serving the good TV are ok.
First, write down the signal strength and quality figures for each of the UHF channels tuned.
Then disconnect the aerial input to the amp/splitter and check there is no moisture and corrosion. As these are most likely F-connectors, they unscrew.
Reconnect and check the TV signal on the good TV is still ok. Then disconnect the output to the good TV outlet, inspect the connection & reconnect and check the signals on the TV are still ok.
If all is ok so far, then disconnect the output to the good TV again, and disconnect one of the other TV outputs - preferably one that has a good tuner with detailed Strength and Quality figures, inspect for corrosion and connect that to where the good TV was connected. Check this other TV for tuning, signal strength and quality.
If all is good, then the aerial and this output seem ok.
Connect the "Good TV" connection to the other output you have disconnected. Check its' signal strength and quality. If it's bad, then check all the other outputs and if results are the same we may conclude the amp/splitter is faulty, but do check all the connections are clean and good with no corrosion.
For this final check which should establish how good a signal you actually get from the aerial, you are going to need an F-connector Straight Coupler similar to one of the following -
Close
PROception Inline Coupler Satellite F Plug | Toolstation
There are other sources and suppliers depending on where you have easy access etc. eg. some large supermarket may have one.
Connect the aerial connector direct to the TV outlet for the "good TV" and with the amp/splitter powered off, write down the signal strengths and quality for each UHF channel and compare to the original ones you had. Post all those figures here which may help with further advice.
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John Dale :
A full postcode would be needed to look at your predicted reception otherwise any comment or advice may not be relevant.
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Michael Withers:
Perhaps the listed Planned Engineering has something to do with it!
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Janet sheldrick:
Works ok for me. It could be the weather or your transmitter having maintenance, but as you haven't given a full postcode, can't check any of that or your predicted reception which might be marginal!
Is it now back, or are you missing other channels? Easier if I just list the LCNs for the TV channels on the same multiplex - 39, 44, 51, 65, 72, 77, 78, 82, 84, 92, 206, & 235.
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bruce tearle:
I'm sure StevensOnln1 will continue to help with your Humax issues (I dont' have one so can't), but I thought it worth commenting on terminology to avoid any confusion.
ITVX is not transmitted, it is not a Freeview "channel". It is a "streamed" service like iPlayer, All4 or My5 and many others you'll find on a Smart TV or Box that has an internet connection.
ITVX will not work on some boxes or TV's with older technology but All4 should continue to work at present as far as I know.
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Roger:
Glad you are getting to the bottom of things. You might find the aerial going through a 4G or 5G filter before any amplification which is the correct thing to do if a filter is required but it doesn't need both, a 5G (700MHz to be more precise) should do the job (as it covers 4G frequencies too).
Post back if you need further help or have queries.
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Thursday 19 January 2023 1:51PM
alan paterson:
Thanks for the postcode, you aren't in any not-spot for the signal from Mendip according to the predictions. UHF C32 & C34 could be the strongest according to the predictions. but there should be very little between them all.
Those Strength figures are quite low BUT it is the Quality figures that go with them that are very important. It would also be helpful to see figures for the other UHF channels without & with the amp.
Where is the Filter you currently have inserted. It should be BEFORE THE AMP !
At least you are getting good co-operation from restoretv.uk and yes they are responsible for resolving any issues due to interference from a mobile mast!