All posts by Michael Perry
Below are all of Michael Perry's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Tony Dix:
Forces TV is on COM8 but that moved some weeks ago to channel 56 and requires use of a wideband aerial. A Group C/D aerial will not receive the lower channels properly and neither a Group A nor a Group B aerial will receive the higher channels properly. Only a good wideband aerial will cover all the possible channels.
If you got to the Digital UK Coverage Checker, at Digital UK - Coverage checker you will be shown all the current channels being used.
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Mrs Pam Kellow:
Please report this to Arqiva who operate the transmitter concerned. Look at Contact Us to make contact with them.
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John:
Look at the Digital UK Coverage Checker at Digital UK - Coverage checker put in your post code and look at the details given. It will include information on the forthcoming changes.
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Richard Thorndycroft:
Freeserve no longer exists, so I suspect you really mean Freeview. All you need do is plug in a Freeview capable TV (almost all of them are nowadays) to your aerial system and make it performs an initial setup. That will find the channels that are available from your communal aerial. Check with your neighbours what channels they get from Freeview (some may be using Sky and some Freesat - both of which are different and irrelevant to you).
If you already have a Freeview capable TV set but are not getting any channels, then you need to do the inital setup. Or maybe do a full retune automatically. The TV User Manual will tell you how to do any of those processes.
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Simon L Bradfield:
It means that you are likely to have an 'old' aerial that is not suitable for the new channel settings. You need a good quality wideband aerial so you can receive channel 55 and 56 as well as the lower ones. A group A aerial as used to be used for Rowridge is no longer suitable.
If you do not have satellite or cable, you may qualify for a free aerial replacement. Call 0808 100 0288 which is the Freeview Help Line. Tell them you have an older aerial and con no longer receive COM 7 and COM 8 from Rowridge.
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William McCool:
You are just 3 km from the transmitter, so you may have too much signal, see 'Too much of a good thing' on this website.
Check what the reported signal strength is on all the channels being transmitted from Auchtermuchty, these are currently on channels 39, 42 and 45. (That will change in late 2019 and may mean a change of aerial being needed.) The ideal strength is between 60% and 85% - no more and no less. If you have more then your tuner is being 'swamped' with too much signal that it cannot resolve. The solution is to fit an attenuator (available from many retailers including Amazon.co.uk) and add a short extra flylead so the weight of the attenuator does not 'hang' on the coaxial sockets.
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Andrew Bullock:
One possible course of action could be to change the aerial cables to better quality ones that are better screened from interference. Many coaxial cables are a central core with a fine wire 'screen around it, separated by plastic insulation. If you change that for a cable that has a double screen of copper foil and woven copper wire, such as is often used for satellite signal feeds, you may find it improves the problem - but no guarantees. See White Foam Filled Digital Satellite & Aerial Cable for an example of the better type of cable. You may also explore using CT100 or RG100 cables.
Another possible solution to try is a different make of LED bulb or even a flourescent type. I know they cost a bit more to run but are still cheaper than incandescent lamps (the 'old' style bulbs).
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Mike
From the signal strength you report it looks like you need to access the amplifier and turn up the gain. 40% is too low for some TVs with less sensitive tuners. Ideally you want between 60% and 85% strength on all multiplexes.
As StevensOnln1 says, a full post code will help us by showing the expected reception at your location.
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Simon Berner:
No transmissions from any TV transmitter are ever 'scrambled'. Further, the Sandy Heath transmitter is operating normally and as expected. If it weren't there would be miliions affected and complaining but there are no complaints.
That then suggests that there is a problem with your systems, maybe a poor connection in the aerial leads?
If you provide a full post code we can examine what the expected reception is like at your location.
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Saturday 23 June 2018 3:17PM
Alan S:
At only 19km from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter you should be getting an excellent service. Being that close, it is possible that you may have too much signal (see 'Too much of a good thing' on this website). Please check the signal strengths of all the multiplexes. They should be between 60% and 85% - not more and not less. If it is more on any of the multiplexes you need to fit an attenuator in the aerial feed. Add that with an extra short flylead so the weight of the attenuator does not 'hang' on any coaxial socket. Whilst doing that, check all your leads and joints are in perfect confition.