All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Rob:
The Carnmoney Hill relay transmitter is very low power (16W). You need a Group K aerial (as for most transmitters now) with it's rods vertical.
How many rods (or squashed Xs)/elements we can't advise as you haven't given a full postcode, assuming you are even in its coverage area.
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Michael Prior:
I take it from the way you've phrased your post, that you've had this installed by an aerial installer?
Many of Blake's Log periodics have Blue ends although technically the colour code for Group K is Grey which you are more likely to see on Yagis.
See this Blake video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Bp7cxZSZ8
Bluebell Hill has currently been having Planned Engineering last week continuing this week -
Bluebell Hill transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 07/10/2024 Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels
This MIGHT be the cause of your pixelation problem. As you haven't given a full postcode, we can't make any sensible comment on that.
Another possibility is very strong local interference, possibly from a new/upgraded phone mast now operating in the 700MHz band. Whilst a Group K aerial will offer a great deal of protection from that, if such a mast is very very close and on the line-of-sight to Bluebell Hill., then you might need to add a filter.
Have you received a postcard from Restore TV?
See https://restoretv.uk/postcards-not-sure/
If you can see a new/upgraded mast near you, then contacting Restore TV for a Free Filter would be a good idea.
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Ken Fox:
That's rather a long time to leave it before querying your lack of reception!
What symptoms did you have - No signal or just badly pixelated pictures?
Have you checked that your aerial is still pointing correctly?
Which way is your aerial pointing (rough compass bearing)?
Are the Rods (or squashed Xs) vertical or horizontal?
There are 3 transmitters that you might receive in parts of your area.
As per the post before yours, this transmitter is subject to Planned Engineering but would not be off-air for any extended period.
Do NOT retune whilst you have weak or no signal or badly pixelated pictures. The usual result is to just clear you correct tuning.
IF you did retune, the you may well have to retune again (& repeat it) until you have all your channels restored. Manual tuning to your transmitters UHF channels would be best rather than auto-retune as you might get tuned to weak signals from another transmitter that could be unreliable and disappear.
As you haven't given a full postcode, we can't advise which UHF channels may be best.
As you haven't given a full postcode we can't check your predicted reception or whether you could be vulnerable to interference from new/upgraded phone masts using 700MHz.
Very strong local interference, possibly from a new/upgraded phone mast now operating in the 700MHz band will disrupt your reception.
Have you received a postcard from Restore TV?
See https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/
If you can see a new/upgraded mast near you, then contacting Restore TV for a Free Filter would be a good idea.
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June Anderson:
Hopefully your aerial is pointing at the Angus transmitter (roughly NW - compass bearing 307 degrees) with its rods (or squashed Xs) horizontal, as it is possible to receive signals from 3 other transmitter which will be weak but unreliable. Have you checked that your aerial looks intact and is still pointing correctly?
The Angus transmitter is currently listed for Planned Engineering with possible "Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels". However there isn't usually any length breaks in transmission and no faults are currently reported and as you are only 13km from the transmitter you shouldn't really have a reception problem.
Do NOT retune whilst you have weak or no signal or badly pixelated pictures. The usual result is to just clear you correct tuning.
IF you did retune, the you may well have to retune again (& repeat it) until you have all your channels restored. Manual tuning to your transmitters UHF channels would be best rather than auto-retune as you might get tuned to weak signals from another transmitter that could be unreliable and disappear.
Another possibility is strong local interference.
Very strong local interference, possibly from a new/upgraded phone mast now operating in the 700MHz band will disrupt your reception.
Have you received a postcard from Restore TV? You should have!
https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/
If you can see a new/upgraded mast near you, then contacting Restore TV for a Free Filter would be a good idea.
Post back if you continue to have problems.
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Dave:
I wouldn't bother getting on the roof if you have 100% signal strength on the main PSB channels.
LCNs 251-261 and more upto 283 are all streamed channels requiring an internet connected smart TV - a number of which require the HbbTV standard for streaming. They also require you to receive the multiplex that the LCNs are "triggered" (for want of a better word) from, all being on the SDN multiplex except LCN270 on ArqB and LCN 283 on a Local mux.
(Note LCN270 appears to need a recent set with the very latest HbbTV standard!).
As you haven't said which transmitter you receive (alternatively given a full postcode) you will not get those if receiving from a Relay transmitter instead of a main transmitter,
For which TV channels are carried on which multiplex see -
Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview
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graham stevens:
Apart from StevensOnln1's suggestion to check all your coax connections etc. -
Are your neighbours having the same problem?
It would be a good idea to check with them in case there's a very local problem causing this issue.
Whilst the transmitter is having planned engineering, it will NOT have been off-air for any lengthy period.
Did you perhaps "retune" if at some point you had "No signal" or Badly pixellated pictures?
IF so, this very often will just clear your previous correct tuning and you end up getting nothing - you cannot tune to signals that aren't there or can't be decoded.
IF (and only IF) you did that, then you're going to have to retune again and possibly do so several time until you get all your signals back.
However, you are only 22km from the transmitter and shouldn't be having any major issues with reception even with engineering work.
Where is your aerial? How old is it?
Check that it is still pointing correctly - roughly ESE - compass bearing 116 degrees, with its rods (or squashed Xs) horizontal.
Check that the coax downlead isn't flapping in the wind and insecure.
Please post back with some more detail and answers to the questions.
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Andrew Logan:
Check that your aerial is still pointing correctly and that the downlead isn't flapping about in the wind which may have caused it to have an internal break. Also check for loose connections and nothing has come unplugged behind the TV etc.
How long has this problem been going on?
Are there any new mobile phone masts near you?
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nick horrex:
It will have been such a long time ago that you may have said, if you ever did, whether your TV is Smart/Internet Connected, I don't remember. But you need to be internet connected to get the streamed channels.
The "portal" for Al Jazerra on 251 is on the SDN multiplex. If you aren't getting a channel at 251 rather than just a blank screen, you probably need to retune the SDN multiplex. Virtually all the Streamed channels (those now in the LCN251+ range) changed LCNs some time ago - August 21st - but 3 were unchanged.
If you haven't retuned at all since then, you may want/need to retune ArqA & B as well as a few channels have changed/ceased/appeared.
Likewise if you haven't retuned PSB1 since July, you may want to as the BBC Local stations all moved LCN after many commercial stations left Freeview.
U&Eden has joined Freeview last week LCN57 added to PSB3 !
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Bruce:
Thanks for that info Bruce.
I'm somewhat sceptical about the "signal gets divided" explanation/excuse, it's sounds more like the memory can't cope/gets itself confused with all the available channels these days, after all it's an older model.
However, the important point is that by doing that procedure, the issue was fixed.
It'll be interesting to see if the problem returns next time you do a retune and get all the channel installed again.
If so, you'll unfortunately just have to repeat the procedure, but do let us know how it goes in future.
Thanks.
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Saturday 5 October 2024 1:59AM
gerald ramsay:
As per the post before yours, the transmitter is subject to Planned Engineering.
Do NOT retune whilst you have weak or no signal or badly pixelated pictures. The usual result is to just clear you correct tuning.
As you haven't given a full postcode we can't check your predicted reception or whether you could be vulnerable to interference from new/upgraded phone masts using 700MHz.