All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Guy Weatherburn:
Do you still have a problem?
Planet Rock should be on the SDL national multiplex Block 11A: 216.928 MHz in this area but it is also on the Bristol Local multiplex Block 11B: 218.640 MHz so do check which multiplex you are getting the problem reception on - use you Info option in Settings.
There are transmitters for SDL at Blunsdon and Naish Hill, which you get may depend on exact location.
It doesn't seem to be on the Local mutliplexes in West Wilts.
Naish Hill would use Block 10D: 215.072 MHz
whereas Blunsdon uses Block 11C: 220.352 MHz
If you still have the issue, then your best bet would be to phone Planet Rock and tell them, giving your location and which Multiplex you have the problem on. They should know which engineering people to contact to get it checked.
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Ian Leslie Jackson:
Yes, Panasonic is not what it used to be years ago!
Also note that Sandy Heath is listed for Planned Engineering again should you have any reception problems, but do post if you need help or advice.
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Max:
Radio Caroline is on the London Trial multiplex Block 9A: 202.928 MHz IF you can get it ;)
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Guy Weatherburn:
Update - I've just read a report that some/maybe all of Blunsdon DAB was Off the air due to a fault from 9 Jan 08:15 until 9 Jan 16:57. .
This may have been a contributory factor to your issue if it's now resolved.
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Anne McKillop:
Quest and Quest Red do provide subtitles but perhaps not every programme. I've just checked on each channel.
Are you ensuring that you've turned subtitles on? On my set, once on they are on for all channels/programmes that provide them, but that may not be the case for all sets.
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Steve Donaldson:
Interesting thought that perhaps one should keep in mind.
I do think the likelihood of such a situation is probably quite small though, for the following reasons -
1) The handset would have to be connected to a 700MHz mobile service. They are not widespread at present. Three may have the biggest rollout currently, followed by EE and then O2. Vodafone don't have any 700MHz allocation.
2) The handset would have to be within the beamwidth of the aerial or quite close to very poorly screened coax fly/jump leads. Downlead coax is generally better screened and good installations use double screened such as CT100 or similar.
3) Handset Upstream connections are higher up the 700MHz band so as to minimise the possibility of such interference.
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John Snowden:
Sudbury has been on Planned Engineering on and off for several weeks now, and is listed again this week as per the post before yours. This would most likely be the reason for you seeing lower signal strengths periodically on some of the multiplexes.
As you haven't given a full postcode, we can't advise on the compass bearing your aerial should be pointing (on the assumption that you haven't got any very local obstructions such as very tall buildings on the line-of-sight).
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Bristol_Rich:
Unfortunately you have given us pretty well zero technical information about your installation other than it's a loft aerial. So advice and suggestions we've given have to be pretty general based on the most obvious possibilities, this being complicated by the transmitter having Planned Engineering at various times throughout the period you've had problems.
I asked (now on page 235) if you have an amp/splitter to feed more than one TV/Box something which can have a significant effect in the presence of interference, but you haven't mentioned if you have. I also suggested trying a manual tune of PSB2 on UHF C34 and also check if any of the TV channels were already in your 800 TV LCNs. (instead of 3,4,5,6 ....etc) and you've not commented on that either.
You mention Restore TV are sending you some filterS (plural) implying you maybe have more than one TV.
BS16 6 is a large area in which reception could be quite variable due to not only changes in local terrain but that between any specific location and the transmitter. Reception predictors do NOT work on partial postcodes, a full postcode is needed nor can one be certain how many mobile masts might be nearby.
There are at least 20 mobile masts either within or on the periphery of the area with a number of them near or on the Ring Road or M4 and of course you mention the traffic monitors on the lamp-posts (I've no idea what frequency they use, but I will find out for future reference!).
I hope the filters will resolve your issue and that you'll post back with an update but it's going to be almost impossible to add any further practical advice without further technical information other than your aerial should be pointing somewhere at a general compass bearing of around 196 degrees with its rods (or squashed Xs) horizontal (that's nearly SSW).
Any filter should be fitted BEFORE any amplification, otherwise you will be defeating a large part of the attenuation of interference that the filter will give.
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Mike Blackmore:
You are asked to provide a full postcode that's what the reception predictors need, not full personal details - not a good idea, nevertheless I've looked up the postcode.
Firstly, why do you think you are getting your signals from the small relay transmitter at Bexhill which is 11km away and predicted to give you poor reception as well as only the 3 main PSB multiplexes?
The Hastings transmitter is only 3km away and is predicted to give you a good signal on all 6 main multiplexes.
IF your aerial is pointing at Bexhill, it would be compass bearing 246 degrees - that's almost NNW and its rods (or squashed Xs) should be horizontal.
If it's pointing at Hastings, that's compass bearing 231 degrees - slightly W of SW and it's rods should be vertical.
If you are getting signals from Hastings, then this is currently listed for Planned Engineering with Pixellation or flickering on some or all channels as detailed on the Hasting transmitter page.
This brings me to the 2nd point. IF you had been correctly tuned to start with, you should NOT retune if you have no signal or badly pixellated pictures/sound breakup. You cannot tune to a signal that is not there or can't be decoded, it doesn't matter whether it's due to Engineering, a fault on your own system or weather conditions. The usual result is to clear the correct tuning or tune you to another weak signal that disappears as the weather changes. You then have to repeat retune when signals are normal and you won't know when so may have to try several times.
Finally, IF you are receiving from Bexhill, your reception may be disrupted by current weather conditions - some tropospheric ducting caused by the current high pressure weather system causing interference to signals.
See this warning from the BBC (despite the date on the link the item refers to the 11 January).
High pressure impacting TV & Radio services across large parts of the UK - 11 January 2024 | Help receiving TV and radio
(Others may also find reception from other transmitters disrupted).
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Tuesday 9 January 2024 6:14PM
Steve Donaldson:
I didn't have time earlier except to give that brief response.
Having some knowledge of the general area, I know there's several masts in the locale, and as I said in my response it may not be the nearest one giving any issues - should there still be any - we'll have to wait for a response from Bristol_Rich.
In addition, clearly contacting Restore TV is obviously related to problems with 700MHz interference and it doesn't sound from the response that they've considered anything other than the nearest mast!
So it could still be 700MHz interference should there still be a problem as the transmitter appears to be running normally.