All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Paul: Quite a few variations can be found under that code area but Hemel Hempstead is indicated at only 4 miles away and Crystal Palace at 22 miles so you could be receiving from either station.
The best way to assess the situation is if you are receiving normal BBC and ITV OK then you should also be on the HD channels unless what I mentioned is applying.
Do you actually know where you are receiving your signal from? if you can see the aerial and its mounted with the elements up and down then its Hemel Hempstead, but if horizontal its Crystal Palace, if you cannot see the aerial then what channel number do you see indicated if carrying out a BBC1 signal test? Hemel is Ch44 with its HD channel on Ch47, Crystal Palace Ch23 with its HD channel being Ch30, I mention this in case you are not picking up the corct match.
By the way, any copper wire like a strand of lighting flex or even your wire hanger idea, although I dont generally advocate that in case it forces the inner part of the aerial socket open too much.
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Tim: Yes, I certainly feel that you could well be correct there and so it will be interesting to hear the result of Paul's set top aerial / wire test, as in situations where excessively high signal levels are experienced the type of test mentioned will nearly always result in a picture of sorts being received, then if necessary an attenuator can be fitted in line with the main aerial.
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tim: Thanks for that update / location, although its seems to be unfortunately one where on checking suggests that no matter what transmitter an aerial is directed at the signal path between the transmitter and receiving aerial is obstructed at some point by dense trees, and the likely reason why aerials are seen pointing in different directions.
My feelings being that its an area where signals can vary quite considerably between one side of a street to the other and likewise from one side of a roof to the other, albeit of course that they can do to a certain extent in most places and where loft aerials score over roof mounted types, as there is far more scope in a loft for trying the aerial in different positions, as although the actual aerial might be a little less elevated than when mounted on a chimney it does not really make that much of a difference anyway in most difficult reception areas, as in my experience aerial height is by no means always the way to rectify a problem.
Have you enquired locally (maybe neighbours if on sociable terms) what their reception is like, as if it is purely a problem caused by vegetation (trees) then they are very likely to experience erratic reception as well.
The other thing I would like you to do is go into your TV's tuning menu / "manual tune" and enter Ch42 (Hanningtons ITV) but do not scan it, as in most devices as soon as you enter the channel its signal strength / quality will show, but just to test that it does on whatever model of device you are using, try that test first using Hanningtons PSB1 (Ch45) which you know actually works.
I would also like you to try it on Hannigtons SDN mux Ch41, as its only a 25Kw transmitter whereas the PSB's are on 50Kw.
My reason for requesting this test is that there is a possibility that the signal is actually there but just under the reception threshold of your receiving device, and this method of signal checking will show if its there or not without having to store it first.
Maybe you could also indicate the model of DVD in question, and do you have anything else in your house capable of Freeview reception?
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David Taylor: Although what you have said suggests that it could be caused by a fault with the boxes power supply, but before you condemn the box you should try it using a set top aerial or just a piece of wire (12" or so) pushed into the inner part of the aerial socket, as with you being located at only 11 miles away from Crystal Palace then the possibility of signal overloading problems must always be suspected.
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Maureen Cunningham: I presume that you are using a set top aerial? as the code info provided suggests that you are virtually under the mast.
Are you able to view programmes EPG 30(5*) - 31(5 USA) - 38(Quest)? as these are on the same multiplex as programme EPG 10 (ITV3)
If though you cant get any of the programmes mentioned then if you TV or box allows it, carry out a "manual" tune on mux Ch25 the transmitter that these programmes use.
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sparky: Getting back purely to the question of the results you obtained when trying out the set top aerial, and in particular to the fact of you stating in an earlier posting (6th April 11.36pm) that you sat it behind a closed aluminium blind and it as only when you nearly covered it with baking foil that the BBC picture started to break up, this alone indicates that the "multi band" aerial you refer to is not very efficient, as if it was then your reception of the BBC would most likely have been completely blocked by the level of signal being fed into the tuner on your PVR.
What exactly is the multi band aerial being referred to? the only other thing I feel that you do suffer from and possibly due to your elevation, is night time variations in signal strength due to atmospheric reasons, although I feel that you would be better "not" using that type of aerial and going in for something like a log 40 or just a DM log, as although the latter mentioned is wide-band as are all logs, this one is fine for group "A" reception as well as being excellent for mounting in exposed and windy areas by being a rugged device.
Now though that you have a Humax box then you will be better able to judge variations in signal strength, or more importantly "quality" changes,
For reference, this is the two aerials referred to.
DM log
ATV`s Choice Of Aerials for digital TV
Log 40
Online TV FM DAB Aerial sales
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fred: You would appear to be referring to an RF link from the Sky boxes RF2 socket, and if so then you will have to set your Hitachi back on "analogue" to be able to view the link from the Sky box, as the channel you were using to pick it up will not have been altered "if" all you done was tune the TV for Freeview.
If though this is not what you are meaning and its just a case of the Sky channel having vanished then this could be due to a a new Freeview channel starting on the same one as you have used for the Sky link, a way to tell being to take the "normal" aerial from the roof or wherever out of the Sky boxes aerial input and if Sky returns by doing that then you will have to alter the RF channel you are using.
If you provide your post code I can advise on channels NOT to use.
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Clive: When you see "auto tune" highlighted in the tuning menu you use the up / down buttons to select "manual tune" and press OK.
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David Taylor: Yes, try the set top or wire test, as now you are experiencing the same symptoms with your new box its definitely inclined to suggest instability in the tuner, and that can only really happen when the RF being fed into its tuner is intense to the extent that its causing self oscillation to occur, the audio/visual symptoms you describe being a classic one.
That said though, if it is instability, then what's seen should stop instantly if you pull the aerial out.
By the way, the only boxes that use what could be considered as higher grade tuners are Humax devices, as a huge range of boxes (about 15 or so) seen in places like Argos etc are all based on variations of Vestel (Turkey) chassis, the ironical thing being that its boxes with the more sensitive tuners that are first to suffer from RF overloading, boxes that are on the deaf side generally coping better in this type of situation, that being why some people with more than one box in their house finds that stations can be picked up one box and not the other, all down purely to the differing sensitivities involved.
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Thursday 19 April 2012 8:44AM
Paul: I had a check at the manual for your TV and you are quite correct insomuch that it does have a DVB-T2 tuner installed.
However now thats been confirmed then the other possibility exists and is something I have mentioned to quite a few others with similar problems, that of your HD signal being excessively high and is overloading the tuner, as a overly strong signal will usually affect HD channels before SD, and even although you will see a weaker signal being indicated its something thats frequently seen in these type of situations, as the excessive level of signal corrupts the measuring circuitry as well as blocking the actual reception.
A simple test is to try using a set top aerial should you have access to one, or even a short piece of wire (about 12") plugged into the inner part of the aerial socket, re-tuning after having connected either set top or wire.
I would have had a better idea of exactly what signal you are liable to be receiving if you had provided your post code, or one from a shop etc very near by.