All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Robert:
There are currently no reported problems with the transmitter and it's not been listed for Planned Engineering recently. This is an independent technical help-site so we couldn't cure a problem if there was one and for Planned Engineering you'd have to wait until work was complete.
What you are probably seeing is down to current weather conditions, there is some tropospheric ducting/temperature inversion which sometimes occurs with high pressure, more common in the summer but can occur at other times.
This produces interference as signals from other transmitter in Europe or the UK travel further than normal. The set will often initially see this as a reduction in signal quality until the point it cannot decode the signals and the signal can go to zero as it looks just like noise.
Current conditions are quite strong and are periodically affecting large parts of the UK.
Not all multiplexes will be affected at the same time, it'll depend on where the interference is coming from. Do NOT retune, retuning when you have no signal or badly pixellated pictures often just clears the correct tuning or you get tuned to an interfering signal which will disappear as conditions change.
The BBC have issued warnings.
For a simplistic explanation, see https://www.bbc.co.uk/rec…ure.
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Hater4life:
If you provide a full postcode, we might be able to offer some constructive advice or comment.
However, suggest you read the post about Planned Engineering just before yours.
Taken from the official list -
Planned engineering works by region
Region Transmitter Name Main/Relay Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 13/02/2023
Anglia Sandy Heath Main Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels
Apart from which, current weather conditions currently accompanying the high pressure will not be helping, for a simplistic explanation, see -
https://www.bbc.co.uk/rec…sure
This tends to happen more in summer, but can occur at other times.
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Val Allen:
At a guess, as it's analogue signals from this transmitter, it's being picked up by some of the wiring in your house. There maybe a bad connection somewhere which acts a bit like the "detector" did in old crystal radio sets (a bad joint can act like a diode).
Can you narrow down where the sound is coming from - is it coming from electrical mains wiring, or is it coming from cabling connected to TVs, radio sets & etc?
If it's coming from mains wiring, for example at a socket outlet it could be that if power is being used in the day the connection doesn't behave in the same way.
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Stephen Petitt:
Do NOT retune. There has been some quite strong tropospheric ducting/temperature inversion periodically affecting large parts of the UK in recent days. This is predicted to ease as the day progresses. Not all multiplexes will be affected, it depends on where the interference is coming from as it can be very frequency dependant.
It is never advised to retune when you have no signal or badly pixellated pictures as this usually just clears your correct tuning, or you end up tuned to some distant transmitter whose signals disappear as conditions change. You then have to retune again, which you may have to try several times as you won't know when the signals are normal!
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Val Allen:
Yes, that's what I would suggest if its coming from a socket where you have a plug. Check the connections in the plug itself if you are confident, get the electrician to check the connections to the socket. Loose or corroded connections are the usual culprits.
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Mark Barden:
Not quite, but close. I'm afraid there are a number of mapping errors for analogue transmitters on this site. I understand that most have occured with the incorrect "auto-copying" of the location from a site data source. This site's owner unfortunately hasn't had time to fix these (along with some other errors!).
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Terry:
Not the case. The reason they already had it is very simple, Wales, NI & Scotland each have only ONE region, whereas England has several (I think somebody counted 13 regions).!
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And that was no doubt due to a power outage, there are still many in adjacent/nearby areas.
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scott baker:
As per the post before your last, there is essential engineering work being done. Do NOT retune whilst you have no signal. If they knew how long the work would take, they would say so.
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Sunday 12 February 2023 11:09PM
Fred:
None of the predictors suggest that there's a chance of you getting a signal from Rowridge (whether vertically polarised or horizontal (Rowridge has both). Considering how close you are to that hill, whilst predictions aren't always 100%, I'd be surprised if you got anything. Even the RFC near the top of the hill is not predicted to get any reliable signal from Rowridge.
In addition to which the COM multiplexes are not beamed in a southerly to south-easterly direction from Rowridge to avoid interference to transmitters in France.
See Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview for which TV channels are carried on which multiplex.
You should have no problem getting the 3 PSB multiplexes from Ventnor, it's 2.5km away with clear line of sight, compass bearing 61 degrees (almost ESE), rods vertical.
The UHF channels are C33, C34 & C36 in the order BBCA/PSB1, D3&4/PSB2 & BBCB HD/PSB3.
Even with your aerial pointing at Rowridge (~NW), you are highly likely to pick up the signals from Ventnor off the side of the aerial. Check in your TV tuning section which UHF channels to actually are tuned to.
(Rowridge's are C24, C27 & C21 for the PSB's.
Frankly, I think trying to do any better than the PSBs on Freeview is a waste of time.
You have a greater choice on Freesat.