All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Eric Pugh:
Please read my post just before yours (to Geraint Hopkins) about retuning.
The BBC aren't reporting any current faults for Clyro.
It may be an idea to look up at your aerial and check it looks intact and is still pointing in the correct direction and the downlead is not flapping in the wind.
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Penelope Brownlie :
Whilst we are on the DAB transmitter page for Eston Nab (there isn't one for Freeview on this site as it's only temporary) looking at the predicted reception given by the BBC you aren't expected to get good reception of the multiplex carrying Now Xmas. It's on COM7 which is lower power than the others (also lower power on all 25 main transmitters around the country that have it).
FYI see Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview for which channels are carried on which multiplexes.
So you'll probably be having similar problems with the other channels on COM7. Sometimes it'll be ok and others it may not.
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Darren:
Well at least that's good news. LPDAs are supposedly one of the best, but as I'm not in Dronfield I can't say if other good yagis may suffice. It does seem that the channel allocations were ill-thought out for the area but, it must have been a bit of a nightmare for the frequency planners.
I don't know who at Freeview you contacted about the issue but unfortunately reporting problems to them seems a waste of time, they seem useless. If you can get hold of DUK and/or Arqiva for problems that may achieve better results (or BBC Engineering if it's something affecting their channels), but in any event they are highly unlikely to make any frequency changes for a small number of households!
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Heather Ramsay:
Channel 49 in the EPG is carried on Local multiplexes (as are some of the other Great! channels).
FYI see Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview for which channels are carried on which multiplex. I would have thought you'd have similar problems with the other channels on the Local multiplex.
(It not advised to retune if you are correctly tuned, if you have poor signals at the time it can end up clearing the correct tuning).
(See my post further up page 84 for the correct UHF channels you should be tuned to for Belmont).
Reception of Local multiplexes may not be as good as others, apart from lower power and limited number of main transmitters, they tend to be beamed towards the large centres of urban population for which they were set up.
So it'll depend on location as to how good reception may be (we'd need a full postcode to advise on that).
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P JONES:
The BBC had reported the transmitter as off-air on a couple of occasions since storm Arwen, but it ought to be on air now.
If you retuned when you had no signal or badly pixellated pictures it will most likely have cleared the correct tuning and you'll need to retune again when signals are normal.
Having done that, if you still don't have S4C and if you do have ITV1 ITV2 Ch4 and Ch5 etc. the problem may need to be advised to S4C. Post back if you still can't get it and check if any others are missing.
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Eil:
I saw the gist of your comment before the system automatically moderated it. The post before yours tells you the transmitter is on planned engineering so what you are experiencing is to be expected especially if you are in a weaker signals area (need a full postcode to comment on that) or your aerial system isn't upto the mark or developed a fault.
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Colin:
Not the first time that I've heard of Panasonic EPG issues, but it was some considerable time ago.
A few questions, is the Now & Next ok, just later programmes (maybe days) are being slow?
It could be a transmitter related problem, do you know which transmitter you get signals from?
How old is the TV? Is it connected to the internet (ie.smart?) and if so, has it had a firmware update around 2 weeks ago?
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Colin:
Most of the Panasonic EPG issues I've come across have been with older equipment, though mainly STBs rather than TVs, and they've often been caused by a change in EPG data format (sometimes wrongly!) but they've usually been solved by a firmware update. It might be worth checking whether you have the latest firmware - but I wouldn't rush to update without checking other things first.
(They aren't the only brand to have had such issues at some time or other).
I have come across one case where weak signal was causing EPG issues with your model. Might be worth checking two aspects to this.
1) That you are correctly tuned to all Winter Hill's UHF channels - in your location you shouldn't have any problems but you can also get good signals for the PSBs in particular from Moel-y-Parc which you might pick up of the back of your aerial.
Winter Hill main multiplexes are C32, C34, C35, C29, C31, C37, C55 for PSBs1-3, COMs 4-7.
The Local ones are Local Manchester, Manchester GI on C24 & C27.
Liverpool Local mux on C21, Preston Local mux on C40.
Local muxes are beamed towards the areas they are serving, so which you can get will depend on whether you are anywhere in or very close to such a beam.
2) If you re correctly tuned but any signal strengths are down or quality is down/ BER up, then it'd be worth giving your aerial system a check out. Check all coax connections, distribution amp/splitter if you have one is powered and working (a good check there is to temporarily connect the aerial direct to the main TV feed and see what the signal strengths are).
Finally, there could have been a change in the EPG which may be "faulty", so it's worth "hanging on" if all else checks out ok before considering a firmware update if there is one. Sometimes a good idea to see if you can also get a copy of your current firmware which you might be able to reload from a USB stick if you don't like the latest version for some reason. But check out Panasonic's information on what any update is supposed to do and the various methods of updating or reverting to an older version.
I'll see if I can find out if there's any "new" EPG issues. There's one poster here who is usually very good at spotting those (and they get signal from Winter Hill!). I'll only post back on that aspect if I get a response.
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Tuesday 30 November 2021 6:37PM
Steven:
Did you read my post - I posted the report from the BBC which I did also state was on THEIR transmitter page.
The BBC report now says -
From 4:56:04pm on 29th Nov 2021 to 9:20:14am on 30th Nov 2021 BBC A Off the air due to a fault
So your signals should have returned this morning.
I would think with the limited number of engineers, they are too busy working out which transmitters and/or their antennae need attention as opposed to those off-air due to power outages, never mind updating one particular list when there are usually other ways of checking. Have you any idea how many transmitters were affected by storm Arwen?
If you happened to retune when you had no signal (when you were correctly tuned) that is never advised - then it will either have cleared the correct tuning or maybe become tuned to a much lower power relay nearby and have poor signals. If so, then you'll need to retune again BUT only if you are no longer correctly tuned.
Updated statement from BBC Engineering -
Interruptions to television and radio services due to Storm Arwen
***Updated Monday 29th November 2021***
Storm Arwen has caused significant disruption to television and radio services across the UK. Regional electricity suppliers and the transmitter operator are working hard to restore services.
If you have reception problems or completely lost services use ourtransmitter checker toolto see if there is a problem with your local transmitter.
If there is a known problem with the transmitter, you'll need to wait until it has been fixed. As an interim measure, consider using BBC iPlayer or Sounds if possible.
We are aware that the transmitter operator is dealing with a large number of issues. In addition, access to some transmitter sites is either difficult or not possible due to the storm.
What to do if you have problems
If there is no known problem at your local transmitter (check using the transmitter checker tool), it would be worth discussing with a neighbour to see if they are also affected. If they don't have any problems, it is possible your aerial system could have been affected by the storm. Look at the aerial from the ground. Does it look damaged? Has it moved or is a cable displaced? If so, these are good indicators that it might be a good idea to call an aerial engineer to take a look. Even if you can't visibly see a problem, it does not mean there isn't one.
We cannot recommend individual Installers. However, theCAI (Confederation of Aerial Industries)is a recognised trade body that will be able to put you in touch with one of its members in your area.
If you've tried retuning to restore services and that did not help, this could indicate a problem either with the aerial system or the transmitter. Again, use thetransmitter checker toolto find out of there is still a problem at the transmitter site. Once resolved, you'll then need to retune again.
How to stay updated
Your best option is to use the transmitter checker tool, as that will provide the most relevant information for your location. We will also be keeping this page updated.
Keep up with the latest weather in your area.