All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Lisa Vanderstreaten: Could you please provide the model number of the DVD-VCR in question.
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Lionel Higman: I was beginning to suspect that might be the case, because what you reported didn't actually tally up with what would be expected if an exceptionally strong signal had been applying, in fact quite the opposite as these type of splitters reduce the signal level.
But if the result of the test carried out at the weekend proves negative, that is the signal does not increase with only the middle of the coax being used, then the way to get around the problem is by either using a higher powered (but variable) booster before the splitter input, or alternatively changing the splitter to a six (or less) output powered version, as that would then guarantee that all outlet points would be receiving exactly the same level of boosted signal, the latter being a more common way of arranging things.
Further advice dependant on the outcome of the test.
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Lisa Vanderstreaten: Thanks for the update, the service manual for same indicating that your DVD-VCR does NOT have a Freeview tuner and so please ignore that said in my last posting.
The situation is now as I had first mentioned (5.09PM posting) insomuch that to make sure when you intend to record a programme via the TV that AV1 is selected on the recorder using the "input sel" button on the remote control (second down under 9) as that will make sure that the recording is made from the TV and not the recorders internal tuner, this now being completely redundant as analogue no longer exists.
Needless to say you do not require an aerial to be connected into the recorder, only the TV.
You do though require a fully connected (thick type) of scart cable to be used between the TV's AV1 and the recorders AV1 so that the signal can pass from the TV to the recorder, should it allow it! (once again model number would confirm)
That said though, I am inclined to agree with MikeB insomuch that you would be far better purchasing a Freeview PVR of the brand(s) suggested by MikeB, although my preference is towards Humax for PVR's, Panasonic for TV's.
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Keith Evans: Although you not appear to be located in a particularly good area for reception as none of the transmitters within range (just about anyway) indicate good reception across all six muxes, however Sandy Heath (@ 30 miles / 36 degrees) is indicated as the best bet, at least as far as the PSB channels are concerned.
Although your old aerial is not exactly ideal for all of the channels involved it would though give you a reasonably good idea of what like reception would be like on the programmes you referred to, as the aerial "is" OK for these particular muxes.
This being the case, I suggest that you try and borrow a Freeview box from someone to test out that mentioned as I feel that you might well be able to get satisfactory reception even although your analogue used to be bad, many having found that to be the case.
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Lionel Higman: Just to add to that said by Steve P, when you look up at your aerial do you see any small boxes attached to the mast pole near to the aerial? or does the coax go straight into the aerial?, because if you did see anything mounted on the pole then that could be a mast head amplifier, this meaning that the previous occupier of the property had its power supply / signal separator sitting near to one of the aerial outlet positions, but which was taken away when they departed.
That said though, I would hardly have thought that any form of amp was necessary anywhere in the Horncastle area, as friends of mine frequently (in better weather) spend a few days at a touring caravan site in the area and have always reported it being one of the few places where reception is never a problem.
Worth checking though!
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Lionel Higman: Further to.. should it be suspected that you do have a mast head aerial amplifier, or even built into the aerial e.g: amplified log, then this could quickly be verified or not "if" your main TV (dependant on brand model) has an aerial power facility which you could temporarily activate for test purposes, the model number if given, revealing if this is possible or not.
By the way, log aerials (should you have one) do not have a reflector on one end as well as them being identified by having a long arrow shaped appearance when viewed from the underside.
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martin brown: Humax boxes are great for carrying out signal strength tests in the same way as though a standard signal meter was being used, and so to give a better idea of the situation you should check each of Winter Hills mux channels in turn using the Humax's manual tune facility but NOT followed by pressing search or scan, as that will bring the cut off threshold level into the equation.
Make a note of the strength & quality (particularly the latter) on each of these five muxes, or six if you have an HD box, then give an update on results.
Ch50 (BBC) - Ch59 (ITV1) - Ch54 (HD) - Ch58 (ITV3 etc) - Ch49 (Pick TV etc) - Ch55 (Film 4 etc))
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Linda : Are you meaning that (1) on your remote control gives BBC Wales likewise (3) results in ITV1 Wales? because if you do then that could suggest that you are picking up the Moel Y Parc transmitter even although the possibility of picking it is only indicated as being "poor" in your locality.
Should the aforementioned apply then carry out a signal strength check whilst on (1) and note the channel number seen associated with the strength / quality, if its Ch45 then that's Moel Y Parc, and with (2) likely to be Ch39.
But though I would suggest that you carry out a "factory reset" on your TV / box, this also called "default setting" or "first time installation" before you carry out any further retuning procedures.
I would also turn off "automatic updates" should you see that mentioned in the set up menu, because if you have carried out the correct procedure to "manually" tune in mux Ch50 and Ch59 then they should not have changed.
It would also be of assistance if you provided the model number of your TV or box.
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Dave S: With regards to the small portable having picked up Ch50 OK whereas the main TV did not, I would suggest that this is much more likely to be due to the small portable TV having a far more sensitive tuner rather than anything connected to the signal, this being exactly the same as before except for the mux transmitter operating on a lower frequency, the difference in propagation of this lower frequency being in my opinion the reason for the problems that many are experiencing and not because of any transmitter fault, albeit that many suspect that it is.
Another aspect that could be exacerbating the problem could be connected to the aerial being used, because prior to the frequency change a C/D group aerial (most likely used by many) and which covers Ch's 48 - 68 had a good overlap of the channel span used by Winter Hills muxes which were Ch54 - 62, whereas since the frequency change the channel span of the stations muxes is now Ch49 - 59, the lower two channels (Ch49 / 50 (BBC) being near to the bottom end of the aerials operating range of Ch48 - 68 hence in the area where its pick up efficiency is tapering off, this likely to be one of the main reasons why the BBC is difficult to receive, i.e: signal level received is sitting under the lower threshold for reception.
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Thursday 11 April 2013 9:37PM
Lisa Vanderstreaten: By the way as your location is not known its not possible to assess the signal level you are liable to be receiving, but if you find that by the aerial being used to feed the TV and the recorder results in the picture glitching when it didnt before, then you will have to purchase a powered two way splitter to overcome this problem, the aerial going into the common input and with each of the two outputs being fed into the TV and DVD-VCR respectively.