All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
David Hemsworth: You should always resist temptation to carry out a retune if when you select a channel that it results in a blank screen, as 99% of the time all thats happened is that the signal has just dropped under the reception threshold of your TV or boxes tuner and will return of its own accord once the level lifts again.
Digital reception is exactly like analogue as far as storing channels are concerned, that is once logged into the tuners memory they will stay there, that is unless a factory reset is carried on the equipment or an auto-tune is attempted, because as soon as you press "search" or "scan" the channels are immediately wiped from the memory.
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David Hemsworth: Just to add, that on re-reading your posting it could indeed just be that you are exceeding the memory capacity of your TV's or boxes tuner as was mentioned by Dave Lindsay, as I was influenced by you having linked CB1's problem with your own when in reality they were not necessarily the same as far as the reasons for the complaint was concerned.
I will point out though that as far as Heathfield is concerned you are only predicted as being able to have "variable reception" (and at the lower end of the scale) on the commercial muxes until June 13th and Crystal Palace is presently indicated as being far superior for reception, although the CP transmitter is located at just about right angles (dead spot) to where your aerial is facing and so wouldn't be picked up anyway without the aerial being turned around.
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madeleine houlahan: HD transmissions will not be starting until October 24th, nor indeed will any Freeview be available from your local Armagh relay until October 10th when the BBC multiplex goes into operation, ITV and HD joining it on the 24th.
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Ben Ward: Judging by your latest reports I have to say that I very much doubt if you will ever manage to obtain good reception, as erratic intermittent reception of the type you are plagued with is nearly always because of the signal path between two points being obstructed by vegetational reasons such as trees etc, this also giving a seasonal aspect to the intermittency of the signal plus adding daily changes dependant on whether its wet or windy, something which unfortunately there is no real way around although the situation can in some instances be improved by NOT using high gain narrow pick up angle aerials.
However, looking back again over your various postings I realise that you have already tried a few tests / answered questions from various advisers including one from myself, but the thing that really stands out is the fact of you reporting that the Humax always seemingly operates OK when nothing else does that really intrigues me, albeit of course being fully aware that Humax tuners are one of the best around for stability hence providing reasonably consistent level of signal indication accuracy across the various models.
I would therefore be interested to know the outcome of another test involving only your upstairs set up, namely the Humax and the Panasonic TV, the latter being another piece of equipment that's excellent for carrying out signal tests on because of its versatile tuning menu.
What I would like you to try is to select BBC (Ch61) on the Humax and check the signal strength / quality being indicated, making a note of whatever it is, then transfer the aerial directly into the Panasonic and delete everything stored in its memory by going into the tuning menu and selecting "auto-set up", ignore the warning message and press "start auto setup", BUT! as soon as it starts and you see the empty page where any channels found would be listed press the "exit" button on the remote control as everything will then have been deleted by then, the usual "no channels" message being seen to come on.
That done, go into the tuning menu again and select "manual tuning / access" where on pressing you will see a bar at the very top of the screen with a channel number being indicated on the right hand side of it, then using the "up / down" facility on the remote controls large round button inch the channel numbers either way until you get to Ch61, because as soon as its been selected the signal strength / quality of that channel should be seen on the level bars. (no need to scan!)
If you do not see any level being shown, then insert the attenuator in-line with the aerial socket of the Panasonic and turn the adjuster to fully advanced, nothing will likely be seen at this setting so "slowly" start to bring it back towards zero whilst observing the screen when hopefully the level indications will suddenly jump on, and if they do then adjust it to give about 80% or so strength and then press "search" and let the TV scan for BBC channels, giving an update on results.
Do not by-pass the procedure in anyway, as it has to be carried out in that fashion.
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madeleine houlahan: Also meant to say that on October 24th you might possibly be able to receive a full Freeview service from the Divis transmitter (unlike Armagh's PSB only service) as even at present its indicated as covering your area, but though only with a reception status of poor / variable, the only channel not being ArqA. (11-Pick TV / 19-Dave etc)
Your aerial would also require to be changed to group A type, as the one presently fitted is most likely to be a group B version "if" it was set up for Armagh's analogue service, the new one installed horizontally and facing Divis on a bearing of 62 degrees from your location.
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Lordgeous: With regards to the variable attenuator not having improved the situation any, this result was not entirely unexpected when you had reported that a set top aerial only received a very weak signal, and the reason why I always request that a person tries that test first, as its only in situations where someone reports getting a reasonably good signal from a set top aerial test that I would then advise them to purchase an attenuator.
However, I carried out a more detailed check on the signal path route between Mendip and your location, and "if" the post code provided is truly representative of your position then your aerial would be pointing not too far off straight along Camden Road and into a row of houses situated at a slightly higher level, that is as well as them being topped from behind with a higher level line of trees, but to compound this problem even further random patches of trees were seen at various points along the signal path, and so erratic reception has to be expected in that type of situation as its nearly impossible to avoid.
I also carried out a terrain check indication, something I do not take as being remotely accurate as it does "not" show anything other than an obstruction of a hill nature, meaning that a person could be located behind a tower block or alternatively tucked in at the back of Sherwood Forrest and yet it would still show a clear path, however it "does" indicate that the signal from Mendip clips the top of a hill about 2.5 Km or so away from you, the problem there being that if your signal is partially obstructed before it even reaches the more localised and visual tree lined hill / houses on hill problem, then reception is bound to be hit and miss.
I realise that you have said that reception had been OK since switch over, but as your signal path routes over areas with numerous trees (just like applies in Ben Wards situation) then seasonal vegetational growth has to be playing a significant part in your problem, this always being worse when obstructions of that nature are located not that terribly far away, as even a single tree can seriously affect a persons reception let alone a numerous amount of them, and especially so during wet weather.
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Martin: You are presently able to judge as to whether the signals from the Eastbourne relay will be good enough or not, as the BBC mux is already transmitting on its final power ahead of ITV and the HD service.
When you fit the Freeview card into your PC to give an idea of the signal level you are receiving try using a short length of wire (about 300mm) pushed into the inner part of the aerial socket and try a channel scan using that, as should you manage to pick up the BBC mux then its guaranteed that an indoor aerial will work.
On the other hand though if it doesn't and you aren't located in a basement type environment, then try to borrow a set top aerial rather than purchase one as you may find that its not good enough for your location, as the transmitter is biased in a fan shape stretching from Camberlot Wood sweeping around to the coast line just past Cooden Beach golf course heading towards Bexhill.
And on this subject, a more precise answer could be given if you had provided your post code, or at least one from very near by, as signal levels expected at your location cannot be assessed without this.
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Lesley: Its entirely dependant on where you are receiving ITV3 (SDN mux) from, as if its Hannington then its only being transmitted on half the power of the BBC and ITV channels, and when it drops out its not so much the case that you have lost it completely, but more likely the case that it has just dropped under the reception threshold of your TV or box, this being where the use of a booster could lift it back up again.
The next time it drops out, even although the screen might be blank carry out a signal strength check on the channel and make a note of the level seen, then do the same test when its working again and compare the two readings, giving an update on the results when further advice can then be given.
By the way, if you carry out a signal strength check and see mux Ch41 mentioned that's Hannington, whereas if mux Ch25 then that's Crystal Palace.
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Laura: You are located at only 6 miles away from the transmitter and as such your problems could be caused by an excessively high level of signal rather than a weak one, as the symptoms experience are identical in both cases.
If you can borrow a set top aerial from anyone then try a test by carrying out a retune whilst its plugged in, "if" this results in a better quality of signal then an attenuator will be required to be placed in line with your TV's aerial socket.
If by the way you cannot borrow an aerial, then try a short length of wire (about 18" or so) pushed into the inner part of the aerial socket.
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Monday 4 June 2012 9:25PM
Bessie Fernandes: If you still have the dish installed complete with LNB and wiring from it into your house, then if you purchase a Freesat box (not Freeview) then the coax feed from the dish would connect straight into that, if though it was a Sky+ contract that you decided to back out of then you will have two feeds from the dish, that would then enable you to purchase a Freesat two channel PVR, as two channel satellite recording equipment always requires individual feeds for each of the tuners.
I am though slightly puzzled by your statement regarding your receiving choice being limited to either BBC or ITV but not both at the same time, at least that's what I take it you are meaning, so if you come back with your location (pref: post code or one from nearby) then your signal levels can be assessed as well as from whatever transmitter that covers your area.