All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
N Evans:
There are unusually high levels of "Tropospheric propagation" at present, often associated with High Pressure weather systems.
These levels of propagation are unusual at this time of year - they cause signals from more distant transmitters to travel a lot further than normal. It is currently affecting different parts of the country by varying degrees and signals can change by the second or remain stable for much longer periods.
In the old "analogue" days there was a lot of talk about "continental" interference often in the summer months, but the interference can come from transmitters anywhere in the UK or Europe and even further afield. At the moment some people are getting DAB radio from the Netherlands and FM Radio from France as well as the interference to DTV.
It is predicted to continue for a couple more days, and you are advise NOT to retune as you will likely lose the correct tuning that you had. The "propagation" can be very frequency dependent, and it can only affected one frequency or several, but it can/will be different for others.
People will however have noticed the unusually mild weather which the Met office is referring to as a "Foehn effect" but it's not helpful that it seems none of the major broadcasters were making any reference to the interference being caused to TV and Radio reception! So it's no surprise that people wonder what is going on and think there is a transmitter problem. It is now getting mentioned in some quarters!
For those that have retuned and lost correct tuning, you will have to try again and it could be hit and miss whilst the unusual propagation continues. If you are able to do a manual tune for the correct UHF channels, you may still receive interference or the wrong programmes.
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C
Freeview intermittent interference | Freeview InterferenceMonday 30 December 2019 11:48PM
Ebbw Vale
N Evans:
Further to the above, in normal circumstances you should have no problems with a signal from the Blaina transmitter according to the Freeview Detailed Coverage Checker. For this the aerial should have its rods vertical and be pointing t a bearing of 159 degrees (~SSE). The correct UHF channels for this transmitter are C43, C40, C46 for PSBs1-3.
The Abertillery transmitter is virtually in the same direction from your location (156 degrees) and for you its signal will not be as reliable. You may be inadvertently tuned to it if you did an automatic retune, its channels are C25, C22, C28.
The strange thing is, that there's also a transmitter very close to you at Nantyglo at a bearing of 3 degrees from your location (almost due N, with aerial rods horizontal) but the checker is not giving any predicted reception!! It's channels are C33, C36, C48.
Hope the information is of some help.
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Update on "Tropospheric propagation" -
The strong to very strong propagation that some parts of the country have suffered over the last few days is now subsiding and is only predicted to affect the extreme SW and NW France over the next 12hrs or so.
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Charlie B:
Have you not read the previous posts here? Do you really expect people to repeat what has already been stated?
Here's a link to the post with the primary information - Sandy Heath (Central Bedfordshire, England) Full Freeview transmitter | free and easy
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Hywel clatworthy:
I like your wit :) You may still get something on FM or DAB but the "tropo" is currently subsiding. However it may return next week :o
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Hurren:
Please read my long post yesterday on p159 Tacolneston (Norfolk, England) Full Freeview transmitter | free and easy Also note that the "tropo" is now subsiding so you shouldn't have any problems with a manual retune.
If you are still having problems with a new retune, try the following first - unplug the aerial and carry out a full automatic retune. This should clear all previous tuning as no channels will be found.
Plug the aerial back in and ideally carry out a manual tune using the UHF channels previously advised, or if you can't manual retune, repeat an automatic tune.
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Philip Johns:
1. We need a full postcode to look at the predicted reception at your location, the predictors don't work on partial postcodes or location.
2. Boosting transmitter powers would only cause more interference to everyone
3. The signals are generally better, how old is your aerial installation?
4. The tropospheric propagation that we have recently suffered has been unusually strong for this time of year - as has the weather been unusually mild! The "tropo" is now subsiding but may continue to affect Cornwall and the extreme SW for a little longer.
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Noel:
The listing above on this page may be confusing you as it hasn't been updated - the site owner has not kept up with all the 700MHz clearance changes. COMs7&8 listed on UHF C33&C34 are no longer broadcast from Beacon Hill.
There are no multiplexes from Beacon Hill on C33, so if you are getting the HD channels BBC1HD - Ch5HD etc on C33 then it'll be from another transmitter, possibly Dawlish or Sidmouth.
Without a full postcode we can't look at the predicted reception at your location, the checkers don't work with partial postcodes or places.
Receiving from the wrong transmitter (or one with a poorer signal) may lead to signal break-up/loss of picture etc. at certain times, especially with the sort of tropospheric propagation we've had in recent days.
C47 is the correct channel for the HD channels at Beacon Hill.
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Monday 30 December 2019 11:17PM
Stephen Cotton:
There are unusually high levels of "Tropospheric propagation" at present, often associated with High Pressure weather systems.
These levels of propagation are unusual at this time of year - they cause signals from more distant transmitters to travel a lot further than normal. It is currently affecting different parts of the country by varying degrees and signals can change by the second or remain stable for much longer periods.
In the old "analogue" days there was a lot of talk about "continental" interference often in the summer months, but the interference can come from transmitters anywhere in the UK or Europe and even further afield. At the moment some people are getting DAB radio from the Netherlands and FM Radio from France as well as the interference to DTV.
It is predicted to continue for a couple more days, and you are advise NOT to retune as you will likely lose the correct tuning that you had. The "propagation" can be very frequency dependent, and it can only affected one frequency or several, but it can/will be different for others.
People will however have noticed the unusually mild weather which the Met office is referring to as a "Foehn effect" but it's not helpful that it seems none of the major broadcasters were making any reference to the interference being caused to TV and Radio reception! So it's no surprise that people wonder what is going on and think there is a transmitter problem. It is now getting mentioned in some quarters!
For those that have retuned and lost correct tuning, you will have to try again and it could be hit and miss whilst the unusual propagation continues. If you are able to do a manual tune for the correct UHF channels, you may still receive interference or the wrong programmes.