All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Joan mccarthy:
Are you certain which transmitter you are/should be receiving? You refer to Pontop Pike but have posted on the Bilsdale page. There have been no changes at Bilsdale since 2017 but there will be some on 13th November.
If you provide a full postcode we can check that Pontop Pike is the transmitter you should be getting by looking at your predicted reception. The changes are nothing to do with the BBC, they are part of the What is 700MHz clearance? | Freeview (click on the link).
There was a retune event on 12th September at Pontop Pike. Have you only just started having problems or have you had them since the 12th September?
It sounds very much like your issue is due to having an old Group C/D aerial which is for reception of the higher channels that Pontop Pike has been using, but there are further changes coming on the 13th November when all the main multiplexes are moving to lower channels as part of the 700MHz clearance.
If you are currently having problems with the BBC multiplexes then you will have more problems after the next event in November as all the COM multiplexes also move to lower channels except the temporary muxes COMs 7&8 which move up to UHF55 & 56.
I cannot understand why, when you rang Freeview, that's what you were told to do BECAUSE providing you don't have Satellite or Cable TV you can get free help by contacting the Freeview Advice line on 0808-100-0288 where they should be offering to send an engineer to replace your aerial with a Group T / Wideband which is what you'll need to have satisfactory reception of all multiplexes. Give them another phone call and I would get somewhat irritated with them!
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Brian Stewart:
If your neighbours are receiving the HD channels on UHF36 ok then I suggest you check your internal coax plugs and connections, flyleads etc., by unplugging them checking for corrosion, poor connections etc, and plugging them in again. If there've been any poor connections simply unplugging and plugging in again helps clean the contacts.
Try a different flylead from the aerial socket direct to the TV, also check you don't have any boxes that have an RF output that is tuned to UHF36 or any of those lower channels. If so, I'd retune them to above UHF56.
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Sally H:
CBS Drama is on the ArqB multiplex which is on UHF39+ at Wenvoe. As StevensOnln1 says a full postcode is needed to see what the Digital UK checker gives for predicted reception at your location.
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Mark Hulme :
Did you not lose any channels with the March 2018 retune? I find it strange that you mention you are getting ITV, are you not getting any BBC channels?
The transmitter power has not changed. What has changed is the UHF channels that the multiplexes are broadcast on as a result of the What is 700MHz clearance? | Freeview (click on link).
The channels Midhurst used to broadcast on were in aerial group C/D - the top of the UHF band. They have now moved to the bottom of the band (except the main BBCA muliplex which is still just a the lower end of the C/D group. The suspicion is that you have an old C/D group aerial which will not pick up all the new multiplex UHF channels satisfactorily, you now need a Group K aerial for Midhurst.
Now, there is the possibility that you are in a slightly marginal reception area, but only with a full postcode can we offer any constructive advice on that, this could make matters worse if you have an old aerial.
Did the retune messages on screen not give information on what to do if you lost channels?
Now providing you don't have Satellite or Cable TV you can get free help by contacting the Freeview Advice line on 0808-100-0288 where they should be offering to send an engineer to replace your aerial with a Group K.
If your aerial has already been replaced, you'll need to provide that full postcode and further detail about your installation for us to provide constructive advice.
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les mcquaid:
A full postcode will help to see what the DigitalUK checker says your predicted reception should be. Wenvoe (in Wales) gives a very strong signal in your area. If you normally tune to Kingsweston you may have to do a manual retune rather than an automatic one.
Are the rods on your aerial vertical or horizontal? Do you know which direction it's pointing in?
PS. You've posted on the DAB page raher than the Freeview transmitter page.
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Andrew Spanner:
Hmm. No source I've check has reported any faults and there's not supposed to be any planned engineering affecting your transmitters. Perhaps first, see the post just before yours about checking coax plugs, connections and flyleads.
Can we confirm which transmitter your aerial is pointing at as you probably ought to be able to see both?
Has the aerial got the rods vertical or horizontal?
Is it pointing about 5deg. S of SE at Ventnor, or about 4deg. S of NE at Rowridge?
Have you bought any new technology items recently? Have you changed anything electronic/electrical?
There've been no changes at the transmitters lately, so unless you may have changed something I'd find it rather strange that you'd suddenly have too much signal.
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Andrew Spanner:
Ooops, my apologies, I didn't check carefully enough just now. If you are pointing at Ventnor, there was a retune event on the 16th, but also the power of all 3 multiplexes increased.
Have you had an aerial change in recent years? The the channels have moved from Group C/D to Group A. If you have a wideband aerial then you don't need an aerial change and there's a possibility you have too much signal. The chances are that because you are so close to Ventnor, a C/D group aerial might be ok but you may still have too much signal.
Tell us about your aerial and which transmitter you are actually using.
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Elizabeth Foster:
I can't find any reports of transmitter faults assuming you are receiving your signals from the Rowridge Transmitter (your aerial should be pointing roughly ESE) but we'd need a full postcode to be certain of that.
When was last time you managed to receive it? Is it back now, there may have been a temporary fault with the channel? Is the channel still listed in your EPG? If it's missing from the EPG try a retune for the COM6/ArqB multiplex UHF channel 28 at Rowridge.
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carl cutting:
Whilst MikeP is correct in what he says, you are nevertheless not too far from the Tacolneston transmitter BUT it depends/could depend on the house number for your address. MikeP's search looks at results for no:1 in your road, whereas a general search for prediction reception at your postcode About us | Freeview gives much more optimistic results.
Whilst the predicted results for ITV/C4 channels (D3&4 multiplex) are marginally better than BBC multiplexes, I'm surprised you aren't getting BBC channels.
Your aerial should be pointing roughly slightly W of NW (254deg.) with the rods horizontal. If its and old Group B aerial you may struggle a bit with the COMs 7&8 multiplexes. Ideally you need a Group T /Wideband.
I would check all you coax plugs. connections, flyleads etc, unplug connectors check for corrosion or other problems and reconnect them. See what signal strengths and quality you are getting for the multiplexes shown in your TV's tuning section.
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Sunday 20 October 2019 6:32PM
Denis:
Only the site owner Briantist, and see seems rather busy to keep up with changes and errors. You are best referring to DigitalUK and Freeview websites for UK stuff.