menuMENU    UK Free TV logo Archive (2002-)

 

 

Click to see updates

All posts by Michael Perry

Below are all of Michael Perry's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.


Graham Payton:

To offer any sensible advice we need a full post code of where you live, a partial is not sufficient.



link to this comment
GB flag

Jonathan Gordon:

Please can you give a full post code so that we contributors can examine your reception conditions.



link to this comment
GB flag
Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter
Friday 25 August 2017 10:31AM

Woz:

Local multiplexes generally have a very limited coverage, much more so than the PSB multiplexes. So it may be that you are either outside of the coverage area or on the fringe of it. So please supply a full post code so we can look at the coverage and reception at your location.



link to this comment
GB flag

Horse:

In Streatham you will not need an amplifier at all, you will get more than enough signal strength with a roof-top aerial as you are so close to Crystal Palace transmitter. If anything, you may need an attenuator to reduce the signal strength as it should not exceed 85% on any multiplex, but should be more than 60% on HD services and more than 50% on SD ones.

As for type of aerial a Group A or a wideband log-periodic would be suitable - but you don't need a huge one! It may be, just guessing using my local knowledge of South London as you haven't given a full post code, that a 12 element aerial will suffice without any amplification at all but even that may need an attenuator between the aerial and the distribution 'box'. Remember that the distribution box usually has internal amplification anyway, so excess signal strength could be a potential problem.



link to this comment
GB flag
Connecting it all up | Installing
Saturday 26 August 2017 10:43AM

Julia Neal:

Just to help clarify what you need to do, following on from the advice given by StevensOnln1 and MikeB. Your new TV has an aerial socket on the back into which you should plug the original terrestrial aerial lead (from your roof or loft aerial, it does not need to go through the Sky box). The Sky box should still have the feeds (2 if it is a Sky HD box) from your dish connected. If that Sky box has an HDMI output (Sky HD boxes have them already but the non-HD boxes will have a SCART socket) then connect that via an HDMI lead to one of the HDMI inputs of the TV. If your Sky box does not have an HDMI output socket but does have the RCA/Phono sockets (they are usually red, yellow and white coded) then you can connect those to the equivalent sockets on the back of your TV, assuming it has them and most do. Make sure you match the colours.

Then turn the TV on, with the Sky box off, and wait a few minutes to let things set up internally. At the TV, follow the automatic tuning advice in the User Manual and you should then get BBC1 on programme number 1. If it is a Freeview HD TV then you should get BBC1 HD on programme number 101.

Once that is working, turn on the Sky box and wait a few minutes for that to set itself up. Then go to the input select option and choose the HDMI socket that you have connected to the Sky box. (Some systems will have automatically selected that when you turn on the Sky box, but not all do.) Your Sky box should now show the same programmes as you had before. If you had to connect using the RAC/Phono sockets option then select that input instead of the HDMI, your User Manual will tell you how to do that.

Hope that helps?



link to this comment
GB flag

Jonathan Gordon:

Durris transmitter has been undergoing some engineering work so was radiating at reduced power. As you are some 25km away from Durris, that will affect your reception. By retuning, you will have lost several channels. You will have to try retuning again and seeing if all your normal channels are available again. It is never a good idea to retune when you have some channels but not others.



link to this comment
GB flag
Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter
Saturday 26 August 2017 11:01AM

Woz:

We need you to put your full post code into this website as then we get to see the series of small blue boxes (links) beneath your postings. Only then can we see what the reception conditions are at your location.

You normally don't need a signal strength meter as most Freeview televisions provide a strength and quality reading. Check your User Manual for how to display that on the TV screen.

You should not assume that just because the 'normal' channels are strong then the local chanel will be as well, they usually use a direction aerial system to control the coverage area and prevent interference with other transmissions.



link to this comment
GB flag

Andrew Healy:

There is no report of transmission problems at Crystal Palace, there would be millions of complaints if there were.

It is possible that you problem is due to contact corrosion in the aerial plugs and sockets. Start by unplugging all the aerial leads, having noted where they connect. The plug them all back in again and check for ITV on programme number 3.



link to this comment
GB flag

Raymond Wand:

COM7 and COM8 are very unlikely to appear on Heathfield. They are temporary services being used on some of the main transmitters, but not all. It is expected, but not yet announced, that the services currently carried on those multiplexes will appear within the 'normal' services as the current scheme to transfer services continues. When that is complete at Heathfield, you should have all the available channels.



link to this comment
GB flag

Chris:

Without a post code it is very difficult to answer your query. However, if you are living due west of the Winter Hill transmitter you might be able to receive it. If you live either north, south or east of the transmitter you are very unlikely to receive it. Further, you need a Freeview HD receiver, not just an 'HD Ready' one, to get any HD channels.



link to this comment
GB flag