All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
peter :
Try Andrew Malkinson: 'The world finally knows the truth' - BBC News
I don't know if this is also of interest -
BBC Sounds - Stories of our times, Andrew Malkinson: One of Britain's biggest miscarriages of justice
also Andy Malkinson: review body to examine its role in case - BBC News
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Jon Henderson:
As you say, you may need a better aerial, but there's always the possibility you may have a fault on your existing installation. How old is the aerial, do you know what it is?
If you don't know what it, can you describe it, count the number of elements - rods or Xs. Is the rear a grid or rods? Can you give a link to a similar looking aerial.
Have you checked it's still pointing correctly? For Worthing it's about compass bearing 256 degrees, that's slightly W of WSW.
But as you haven't given a full postcode, there's a couple of things we can't check -
1) Your predicted reception - there's only a few locations in Worthing where there is predicted reception of the COM multiplexes that isn't very variable, even with VP.
2) Interference from a new/upgraded phone mast. Have you had a postcard from Restore TV?
Check here https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/
We know some haven't been received when they should have!
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Adrian Crafer :
It's highly improbable that Oxford has been off-air at all. I can't find any reports of faults or any Planned Engineering in the last 5 days, apart from which the place would be littered with posts if it were off-air.
Are you still in the same location as in 2015. If so, check your aerial is still pointing at compass bearing 56 degrees, that's 11 degrees E of NE.
If not, a full postcode is needed to check predicted reception.
Do check all obvious things such as your coax downlead not flapping in the wind, that all accessible coax connections are free of corrosion and water and are connected properly.
If you have an amp/splitter to feed more than one TV, check it's still powered etc.
There's always a possibility you could be suffering interference from a new/upgraded mobile phone mast. Check if you should have had a postcard from Restore TV, we know some should have but haven't!
https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/
If it says yes, you need to contact them for a free filter. If you have an external mast-head amp, you need to tell them that, as they need to send an engineer to fit an outdoor weatherproof one free of charge.
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Jon Henderson:
Well according to the RestoreTV link I posted in my last, they've supposedly sent postcards, so I would contact them for a free filter, see the website, try 0808-1313-800. IF perchance you have a mast-head pre-amp, you need to tell them that as they'd need to send an engineer to fit an external waterproof filter (free of charge).
Not sure what their hours will be over the Xmas period. As you have said this is only a recent problem, the Filter is worth trying first, it may solve the problem.
I know the type of aerial you are referring to, probably an older High-gain Labgear/Philex type. there won't be too many aerials much better.
Do you have an internal amp/splitter? Any filter needs to be before any amp.
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Adrian Crafer :
A check just now shows the BBC have not reported any faults for the Oxford transmitter. I find it highly unlikely that if the transmitter had been down there wouldn't have been several reports, not only here and a few other places, but certainly direct to the BBC.
I'm afraid a few reports solely on "isitdown" are no reliable indicator of a transmitter fault,.Considering the weather we've just had (and based on previous experience) may reports will be due to problems with their own systems, a number will be with aerials now pointing at the pole star!
If you have a masthead amp and think it could be faulty, do check that it's still receiving power initially checking the power unit. I'm afraid the only other check of it will involve someone getting up there. Do you perhaps have another aerial (even set top) you could try checking signals from Seagry Court as you are only 2km from it.
Do not ignore the possibility that if a new/upgraded phone mast has just started up on 700MHz it could be saturating your masthead amp. There's at least 10 mobile masts within 1.5km of you, so who knows. This might block all other signals at the set which could also have an overloaded front end. In your TV's tuning section, do any signal strength and quality figures for any of the UHF channels show up?
If accessing your aerial and masthead amp is something you do yourself, then you could get Restore TV to send you the external filter, otherwise they'd need to fit it.
Ideally these days a Group K aerial is also best.
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Adrian Crafer :
Sorry, also meant to ask, you mentioned your "next door" app, were those with problems your immediate neighbours?
Or were those reports from people further afield? Considering the locale and terrain between the area and the transmitter those further afield may have much poorer predicted reception from Oxford.
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Jon Reardon Smith:
That is certainly very odd especially as it would seem to coincide with a fault on DAB and FM earlier in the day, but as of a few moments ago, I can't find any fault reports. However because of the Chrsitmas break I'm suspecting such reports could be delayed.
Do check the obvious things such as your aerial looking intact and still pointing correctly.
Have a look in your 800 channel numbers in case they've appeared up there for some reason.
Are you still getting the HD channels 101-107?
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Mrs s smith:
Did you bother to read the previous reply?
You haven't told us whether you tried to retune at the time!
In fact you've given us no additional information at all!
Have you even looked at your aerial to make sure it's still on the roof and pointing the same way as your neighbours?
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Lord Hawkins :
Nobody here is telling anyone that programmes are new!!
This is not 5USA's website, it's an independent free technical help-site.
You'd need to contact Channel 5 Customer Services to ask them. See
https://help.channel5.com…ces-
But apartt from which, I expect you'll find that the particular series/episodes in question are new to 5USA.
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Saturday 23 December 2023 8:05PM
Peter Neville:
I'd meant to reply yesterday, but didn't have time. I couldn't find any reports of faults or Planned Engineering for Ridge Hill in the last five days, so no obvious transmitter issue.
Thanks Nick, that's useful to know that you haven't a problem, it'd mean me messing about with an aerial for me to do a check.
Peter, have you got any trees moderately close on the line-of-sight in the direction of the transmitter (almost due W for you)?
Or has there been an other external things that could upset the signal such as scaffolding very close by, nothing like solar panels installed, new flue pipes etc.?
All these sorts of things won't necessarily have a noticeable effect on several multiplexes, it could affect just one.
Do of course check that there's nothing in the loft that may have disturbed the aerial.
Have a look in your TV Tuning section and make sure you are correctly tuned to Ridge Hill's UHF channels especially C22 for the HD multiplex.
Also have look for the Signal Strength and Quality figures for each UHF channel and post the figures for each which may give some clue about what could be happening.
Have you altered anything in your setup recently, any new or changed equipment?
Check all your accessible coax connections for corrosion or water, and make sure everything is correctly plug in,
Again any problems of this sort won't necessarily have a noticeable effect on all multiplexes.