All posts by Michael Perry
Below are all of Michael Perry's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
David:
The reference to 4G means that it is fitted with a filter so that 4G signals are significantly attenuated, that is the signals above 800 MHz. I expect that if/when the 700-800 MHz band becomes available to mobile operators over the next few years there may be a requirement on them to ensure that their transmissions do not cause interference to TV signals and others. So they may need to offer filters, to those affected by their new signals, that are effective across the 700-800 MHz range. Not everybody will need these filters if their local transmitter uses the lower channels.
So your aerial should be suitable for TV reception after the changes mentioned by Briantist at the top of this section. That is based on currently available information.
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Nigel:
It's possibly due to atmospherics that has been around in various parts of the UK for the past 10 days or so. Nothing anyone can do about this natural phenomenon that occurs every year and often more than once. Do NOT retune your equipment but be patient. It should diminish soon according to the weather forecasters.
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Audrey Littlejohn:
Your reception from the Durris transmitter is shown on the 'digitaluk trade' link just below your post. It suggests that reception of the BBCA, D3&4 and BBCB HD multiplexes is likely to be acceptable. However, it shows that reception of the SDN, ARQA and ARQB multiplexes is variable and so cannot be relied upon to always give acceptable reception. It also shows that reception of COM7 and COM8 are poor so will be unreliable at best.
The reason for this is that there are at least 2 sizeable hills in the direct line with the transmitter from your location, both being with 5 km of you. It is well known that such hills will cause poor and variable reception, especially if the weather is wet or even just damp. In the circumstances, there is no alternative transmitter available for you. You may get better and more reliable service using Freesat but you would need to check that the hills mentioned do not obstruct the view from the dish towards the satellites used.
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David:
It is a filter 'built in' during manufacture and not a later fitment. It is therefore suitable for current and ALL future foreseeable digital TV transmissions, even when the proposed changes occur between 2017 and 2019. You do NOT need a different aerial as all that is happening is that some multiplexes on the higher frequencies above 700 MHz are being altered so they are below 700 MHz. Your aerial is already capable of receiving signals between 450 MHz and 700 MHz so does not need to be altered at all. Likewise, there is no need for any change in the optimisation of the aerials offered, though some may try to claim such as a means to 'rip off' potential customers unnecessarily.
You do not need to be concerned about what aerial you need in future nor what it may be called, your current aerial is likely to be perfectly suitable, based on currently available information.
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Richard G:
None of the HD channels have gone 'off air' at all, Winter Hill is working normally at present. BBC4 HD is available on COM7 (554 MHz).
It may be that you have too much signal for the HD services to be reliably received, HD tuners tend to be particularly sensitive and excessive signal strength stops them working properly. So please would you check what the revelvant signal strengths are for COM7 at 554 MHz, COM8 at 602 MHz and BBCB at 737.8 MHz. You can usually do this by using the manual tune facility but without doing any tuning *check your User Manual if you are unsure how to do that). A strength of between 55% and 80% is normally acceptable - you do not want 100% strength at all! Note that it is the strength and not the quality that is of interest. Please report back here when you have the figures.
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Rhys:
Please address your concern to Pick themselves using the link shown near the top of this page.
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Stuart:
The Windermere transmitter does not provide any HD services at all at this time. See Which Freeview channels does the Windermere transmitter broadcast? for details of what signals this Freeview Lite transmitter provides.
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David:
Aerials last for many, many years in my considerable experience in the industry (since 1960) so, unless the current aerial is damaged, you are very unlikely to need a replacement aerial. It is also unlikely that aerials will have been redesigned in any significant way as it is not necessary at all. Only those wanting to 'rip off' customers who are unaware of the technicalities of aerials and TV reception will change the stated details and probably not have changed anything of the aerial design.
So I strongly suggest your relax and not worry about changing aerials or what they are called.
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Hilary Woodward:
Firstly if the transmitter had a fault a great many thousands of people would have been affected and sites such as this would have been inundated with queries - but they haven't.
You are only 24 km/15 miles away from a powerful main transmitter and even if the signal strength was reduced you are close enough to not notice any significant difference.
The mistake was to do a retune! Never do that unless there are new serviced added, doing it as you have only loses whatever services may have been available, so is counter-productive.
It is likely that your receiving equipment had/has a fault. You should check all the wiring from the aerial to the recorder and the TV.
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Friday 4 November 2016 12:38PM
David:
Current 'wideband' aerials are suitable for all existing digital and the 'old' UHF analogue services as they use the same frequency bands. All currently projected future digital TV transmissions will also use the same bands below 700 MHz, that is all of Band 4 and part of Band 5. DAB radio uses part of Band 3 that was used for the VHF 405 line analogue ITV transmissions.
So any wideband aerial of either modified Yagi pattern or of log-periodic pattern will be suitable for TV transmissions into the foreseeable future, so there is no requirement to change the design of the aerials at this time.