All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Roger Davies:
Update - Freeview have posted a specific notice about problems at the transmitter -
https://www.freeview.co.u…urry
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R curno:
Forces TV is on the COM7 multiplex, see Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview
You need a set with a T2/HD tuner to get HD multiplexes such as PSB3/BBCB HD and COM7. Do you get HD channels at LCNs101-105?
You may be in a location that cannot get the temporary COM7 multiplex which is lower power than the others.
We need a full postcode to look at the predicted reception for your location.
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David :
When Arqiva chose to close COM8 some of its channels closed, some moved to COM7. (See my post on p307 Sunday, 21 June 2020 for background to this Crystal Palace (Greater London, England) Full Freeview transmitter | free and easy )
4HD+1 was one of the ones that closed.
For which channels are on which multiplex, see Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview
If you have a Group A aerial I'm surprised that you ever managed to get a signal for COMs 7&8 (was C55&56) unless you are close to the transmitter. You could try a manual tune for C55. You really need a Group T/Wideband aerial, but unless you are doing the job yourself, you may not consider it worth the expenditure considering COM7 is a temporary multiplex.
If you provide a full postcode we can look at your predicted reception.
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Kayj:
When your first said Worthing BN11, I knew it was a "tricky" area from previous experience. According to the Freeview Detailed Coverage Checker you are definitely in an "awkward" location!!
I tend to agree with StevensOnln1 but, two points.
A number of modern sets have built-in Freesat tuners so all you need is the Dish and LNB.
2nd, the predictors aren't always 100% accurate. It does give the 3 transmitters I mentioned as "possibles" but none of them predict very reliable signals for the 6 main muxes.
Findon, the closest, gives the best for (only) the PSBs.
Whitehawk Hill is possibly the best for COMs4-6 with Rowridge VP (vertical) a close second for those COMs and better for the PSBs.
Have a look at your neighbours aerials and see which way they are pointing may give you an idea whether and what is worth bothering. From your location details are -
Findon is bearing 336 degrees (~NNW) rods vertcial.
Whitehawk Hill is bearing 84 degrees (6 degrees N of due E), rods vertical
Rowridge is bearing 256 degrees (14 degrees S of due W) rods vertical for the most reliable reception from Rowridge. Some may have the rods horizontal (and maybe get COM7) but the COMs are likely to be least reliable.
You could try manual tuning (or checking) for Rowridge's UHF channels (if your aerial is actually pointing that way) because with automatic tuning as the signals from all the transmitters are likely to be variable it may incorrectly pickup signals other than Rowridge which will be very unreliable with an aerial not pointing at them.
In the order PSBs1-3, COMs 4-6 the UHF channels are as follows -
Rowridge C24, C27, C21, C25, C22, C28 (COM7 is on C55 if the rods are horizontal)
Whitehawk Hill C48, C35, C36, C32, C34, C33
Findon C44, C41, C47
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Yvonne Fuller:
As you haven't given a full postcode, we can't be certain which transmitter you normally receive - the local relay at St.Anthony-in-Roseland or the main transmitter at Redruth. Which way is your aerial pointing?
If it's pointing roughly WSW (bearing 228 degrees) with the rods vertical it'll be the local relay.
If it's pointing roughly WNW (bearing 294 degrees) with the rods horizontal, it'll be Redruth. If you normally get channels like Dave, Drama, Yesterday and 4Seven etc, then it's definitely Redruth. Redruth is currently listed for Planned Engineering with "Possible weak signal" which may be sufficiently weak at your location, it becomes No signal.
You shouldn't retune if you have No signal or weak pixellating pictures as it can just clear the correct tuning and you'll need to repeat the retune when signals are back - you may have to try several times!
I'm not sure about selecting services on your Toshiba, presumably you normally try via Freeview Play at LCN100, can you not select things like iPlayer, ITV Hub directly from another menu?
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David Whitehead:
I can't find any information as to the exact location of their FM mast. I don't believe this map here is accurate (it isn't on a number of radio transmitter maps). Do you know how far you are from the mast?
Nor can I find Malden Hill on a map, you might need to be more specific.
It's sounding like a problem of breakthrough on your radio because the signal is strong, I'm surprised a Roberts radio is having that problem. You could try contacting their support for advice but they don't seem to have a phone number or email address (not helpful IMHO) you have to use their daft webform -
Contact Us | Roberts Radio
You could try emailing Caroline's engineer I think it's pete.crisp@carolinecommunityradio.co.uk
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Jackie:
These channels (and some other Sony channels) Sony moved to Freeview Local multiplexes over a year ago.
For which channels are on which multiplex, see Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview
(Note: Sony have renamed Sony Movies Classic as Sony Movies Christmas for the festive season, see Updates and alerts | Freeview they did a similar thing last year).
Unless you live in an area that can receive the Local multiplex (have a local station at LCN 7 or 8 in your EPG) then you won't get these channels. On the Mendip transmitter (which I think your meant - not "Satellite") it's on UHF C30 and with most Local multiplexes which are beamed at larger centres of urban population, it's beamed towards Bristol. The Local channel is Bristol TV at LCN7.
If you provide a full postcode we can look at your predicted reception and might be able to offer further advice.
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Phil:
Were you still having these problems earlier THIS week?
Several weeks ago it could have been most likely down to adverse weather conditions - There had been some "Tropospheric Ducting" see Effect of tropospheric ducting on Freeview | RTIS for a simplistic explanation.
It can be quite variable, come and go within seconds, minutes or hours. It doesn't necessarily affect all multiplexes at the same time or at all and not everyone will be affected, it will depend on location. At times it can wipe out your reception. People in different parts of the UK and Europe had been experiencing problems.
These conditions cleared and there shouldn't have been any problems at the beginning of this week for example, however there is some more predicted over the next couple of days which may or may not have any effect.
Now if you previously retuned when you had no signal or pictures were badly pixellated, then this can clear correct tuning (advice is not to retune in such conditions otherwise you'll probably have to repeat a retune, maybe several times when signals are normal). When such interference conditions are present you may even get tuned to the wrong transmitter (eg. Fenham for you) which won't provide reliable signals with the wrong aerial polarisation and not pointing in the correct direction.
Check in your TV's tuning section that you are tuned to the correct UHF channels for Pontop Pike.
In the multiplex order PSBs1-3, COMs4-7, Local they are C39, C42, C45, C32, C34, C35, C55, C33
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Monday 12 October 2020 10:18PM
Anthony:
The COM7 mux (C55) is transmitted as an SFN (Single Frequency Network) so signals from other transmitters with COM7 can create locations which can have less signal than others. Having 100% quality is the most important thing and based on my own experience you should be fine with ~50% strength although depending on location you may find it varies with some weather conditions. If there's Tropospheric Ducting, that might cause larger variations and in worst case - loss of quality (and/or signal). Other multiplexes may/may not be affected at the same time.