All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Old Giff:
The actual signal strength reading will vary with set/PVR/device, you should be fine with 76% for COM7. What is more important is the Quality figure which should be 100% for the greater part of the time. As long as that figure isn't dropping too low there ought not to be a problem.
Right now you should be finding things fairly stable but there is some variable intermittent "tropospheric ducting" around at present - https://www.bbc.co.uk/rec….jpg affecting different areas at different times & not all channels are necessarily affected at the same time or at all. There's likely to be some about for a couple more days but could become more variable and predictions can change.
Whilst you shouldn't have any particular reception problems in most of the Stoke Gifford area if you are still having problems now, we'd need a full postcode to look at the predicted reception at your location.
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chris:
Unfortunately not. Now 80s LCN83 is on the COM7 multiplex, see Channel listings | Freeview
COM7 is not broadcast from Olivers Mount, it's only broadcast from 25 main transmitters around the country, and as a temporary multiplex it won't be extended to any other transmitters.
Unfortunately you are not predicted to be able to receive any of the transmitters that do broadcast it.
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Paul:
Sandy Heath was recently listed as being on Planned Engineering with "Possible weak signal". I'm afraid retuning when you have weak (or no) signals is never a good idea, as all it does it clear the correct tuning. There's also been some variable intermittent "tropospheric ducting" around - https://www.bbc.co.uk/rec….jpg affecting different areas at different times & not all channels are necessarily affected at the same time or at all. There's likely to be some about in the coming days probably more towards next w/e but predictions can change. The net result is interference from more distant transmitters either in the UK or Europe meaning no decodable signals or the wrong transmitter.
The Freeview Detailed Coverage Checker does periodically come up with "most likely" transmitters that don't seem to "fit" with what people expect, especially when you can be covered by more than one transmitter. Sometimes the predictions aren't correct, usually where terrain is much more variable. Which you might prefer if actual reception is not a problem will depend on the region you feel you are in and what local news you prefer.
In your case. although there are very minor variations across your postcode you are predicted to get the best reception for all multiplexes from Sandy Heath. It's also a higher power transmitter and marginally closer, but terrain is more important.
I would try a further retune as follows, unplug the aerial and do an automatic retune which should clear all previously stored tuning as nothing should be found. Plug the aerial back in and retune again. If you are having problems you could clear the tuning and do a "manual" tune using Sandy Heath's channels which are -
C27, C24, C21, C33, C36, C48, C55 in the order PSBs1-3, COMs4-7. Also note C35 is a Local multiplex for Cambridge from the nearby Madingley transmitter, which you may or may not receive depending on your location.
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phil short:
Depending on your precise location in your postcode (it's terrain related), you might even be able to receive 4 transmitters, none of which have reported any faults or been listed for Planned Engineering.
However, the most reliable reception in normal circumstances is going to be Cwmafon for which your aerial should be pointing NE with the rods vertical. The 2nd most likely reliable reception could be Kilvey Hill.
So your problem is most likely to be weather related and as I said in my previous reply the "tropospheric ducting" can be variable and intermittent. That means some/all of your signals could be affected one minute and not the next!
I would check in your receiver's tuning section that you are actually tuned to the correct UHF channels for Cwmafon. The are, in the order PSBs1-3, C32, C34, & C35.
If in fact your aerial points at Kilvey Hill, those 3 are C21, C24, C27 & also you may get COMs4-6 on C25, C22, & C28 but those last 3 COM channels may get interference from one of those other transmitters you MIGHT get.
For which TV channels/programmes are on which multiplex see Channel listings | Freeview
If you have become tuned to the incorrect channels, I would try a retune as follows - unplug the aerial and do an automatic retune which should clear all previous tuning. Plug the aerial back in and repeat the retune, doing a manual tune for the correct UHF channels if you still get other ones.
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Paul:
Receiver sensitivity can sometimes make a difference, but as your reception is not predicted to be marginal, it shouldn't. Manual tuning isn't always an option on all devices! but at least you should be able to check which ones it's tuned to. Also keep HDMI leads away from aerial and flyleads especially of any are not double screened coax, as they can sometimes pickup interference from HDMI which can sometimes mostly affect C55 (COM7).
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Mr Walker :
This might be because your transmitter is listed as having "Planned Engineering" with "Possible service interruptions". However, as parts of your postcode are predicted to be able to receive several transmitters, it may depend which one you are actually receiving - precisely which way your aerial points and whether the rods are vertical or horizontal. One of the transmitters had a fault previously and could have been off-air for maintenance.
If you retuned whilst you had no signals, it will most likely have just cleared the correct tuning and you'll have to retune again when signals are normal.
If you are still having problems and have no signals, post back with which way your aerial points etc. Ie. pointing SSE, SE, fractionally N of Due W, NE or NW and rods vertical or horizontal.
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Paul Reuben Bruney:
We really need a full postcode to look at the predicted reception at your location. If your TV man say that the signal was fine, was he talking about the signal on UHF C55, or just the signal in general (on the others)?
If he was a TV man as opposed to an aerial man I'm surprised he couldn't identify the problem.
One thing you could check is make sure that you don't have any HDMI leads close to your aerial cable or flyleads (depending on what other equipment, such as PVRs you have). Aerial leads or flyleads that aren't double screened can sometimes get interference from HDMI cables and it can interfere with C55 in particular.
Also check your flyleads are OK, some end up with broken connections at the back of the plugs and that can affect some multiplexes but not always all!
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Ken Johnson:
Ask the "right" questions and you can get the "right" answers. That survey seems in somewhat total contradiction to this one - Freeview research on the value of public service broadcasters during lockdown | free and easy
The BBC are talking about reducing staffing/presenters on the regional news programmes from two to one, not heard about cutting hours etc. Personally, I only watch BBC Local news because it seems to be better in general to our ITV local news. If they cut the number of hours it will only strengthen the argument for scrapping the licence fee sooner rather than later.
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Saturday 1 August 2020 8:11AM
js: C48 is the North petal at Sutton Coldfield IIRC
Now I'm puzzling about the "sudden" change in signal level on C29 & C30 at 0430 (give or take a few seconds)??