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All posts by jb38

Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.


Rob: As these programme channels mentioned are all on the same multiplex Ch24 then the possibility exists that the problem is being caused by interference from another distant transmitter on the same channel, otherwise known as single channel interference. I also feel that its purely coincidental that the problem appears only to have started since the purchase of the LG, and with you having mentioned that it seems worse under certain weather conditions being inclined to confirm that there is nothing wrong with the TV.

I realise you mentioned about coloured bars etc, but to give a better idea of the signal strength that you are receiving you should carry out a signal strength / quality check whilst on BBC (Mux Ch28) then on ITV (Mux Ch25) followed by ITV3 (Mux Ch27) noting the indications seen, then finally do the same again whilst on ITV4 (Mux Ch24) as its on the same Mux as Yesterday, and as all of these Muxes are on the same power it will give a better idea of what's happening.

Just out of interest, I realise your aerial was set up for Pendle Forrest (@ 2mls) but was any attempt made by your aerial installer to receive Winter Hill (@ 22 mls) as that's also shown as being possible to receive although Pendle has the edge on it, at least as far as the predictor is concerned anyway! with Pendle Forrest operating on 100 watts whereas Winter Hill is on 100Kw.

Manual tuning info is under "Set up" shown on page 26 of your user manual under "Watching TV - Programme Control".



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J
Feedback | Feedback
Sunday 5 February 2012 7:11PM

Dave: Engineering work does not necessarily have any set times for doing anything and is just really a way of indicating that a station is not operating as normal, as intermittent power reductions or even drop outs take place as and when necessary connected on many occasions to reasons of safety, and is something which is quite impossible to forecast before hand.

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Graeme: Although the situation whatever the cause may have changed by now I haven't seen any other complaints (as yet anyway) of a similar nature regarding the problem you mention, this suggesting that its possibly connected to your installation.

The reason I say this is that many people in the Leith / Leith Walk areas of Edinburgh suffered from signal overloading problems when Craigkelly changed to high power operation and your signal may always be running just on the verges of this, the symptoms being exactly the same as with a weak signal, I therefore suggest that you carry out a signal strength check on BBC as well as ITV3 to get an idea of the signal level you do receive, and should this indicate 100% (or full scale if a signal bar) then this is likely to be the cause of your problem requiring an attenuator to be fitted in line with the aerial socket of your TV.

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Heathfield (East Sussex, England) transmitter
Monday 6 February 2012 5:36PM

B. Carr: The satellite dish looks like your best policy for TV reception, as according to the reception predictor you are not forecast as being able to receive Freeview signals from anywhere at a level worth wasting time on until June 13th, then Heathfield comes into the equation as well as Bexhill, Tunbridge Wells is also possible although the ITV mux is permanently on a variable status for reception.

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Heathfield (East Sussex, England) transmitter
Monday 6 February 2012 5:56PM

B. Carr: Just to answer your the main concern which I had mistakenly omitted to include in my answer, no! they havent been switched off and wont be until changeover, however they can suffer periods of breaks in transmission due to the on-going engineering work in preparation for switchover, this most likely being the cause of your problem.

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Aerial point: As far as April 4th is concerned its only the BBC Mux that will be changing from Ch25 to Ch23 whereby you will lose it unless you re-tune, the remaining Muxes changing their operating channels on April 18th.

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tony: Thanks for the update / report of your test, Now I am armed with the knowledge of your location I find your reception possibilities as indicated on the trade view predictor rather interesting, insomuch that at present five of the Crystal Palace muxes are shown as being variable and the sixth poor (ITV1), and even from April onwards when improvements do take place two of the muxes (SDN & ArqA) are indicated as being variable on a permanent basis.

Although I fully appreciate that variations to predictions given will always apply due to local conditions and as such cannot really be catered for, but anything indicating as being permanently variable means expect glitches in reception.

However on the other hand Sandy is presently indicated as being good across all muxes, albeit I have doubts about SDN presently on Ch31 on low power, but unlike Crystal Palace reception from Sandy doesn't show any deterioration whatsoever of the signal expected right into 2014.

Have you tried to pick up Sandy? it being located 30 miles @ 329 degrees whereas Crystal Palace is 24 miles @ 196 degrees, which is a pity as at 47 degrees from the reverse of your aerial it wouldn't really be a fair test if you did try tuning in Sandy via a manual tune, Sandy's channels being 27 - 24 - 31 - 52 - 48. (HD obviously being left out)

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Rob: Yes, try the signal strength test and give an update on results, although as far as the neighbours chimney is concerned that shouldn't really have had that dastardly effect on the signal unless a metal liner has been fitted into it, like is used for example by multi-fuel burners or a gas fire conversion in an old fireplace, couldn't you have fitted a horizontal offset arm clamped to the mounting you were using? or even just used a gutter fixing, as in many instances gutter mounts don't result in that much of a signal difference to that of when on a chimney, and in a number of cases are even found to be superior signal strength wise.

But to reiterate as regards to your TV, I think that its safe to discount any possibility of it being faulty, and you have to remember another factor that could be playing a large part in contributing to your problem, that being if the signal you receive passes over or even near to trees, then when they get wet and blow about during bad weather this can have quite an effect on the signal you receive, this being especially so from low powered transmitters.

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Rob: I also meant to add, that similar to what I mentioned to Tony in the previous thread you could have tried a test by manually tuning in Winter Hills ArqB on Mux Ch55, that being the equivalent of Pendle's Ch24, although unfortunately Winter hill is located at a position very close to one of the two dead spots of your aerial,these being at right angles either side to where it faces.

That said though and although its unlikely, but you could still try it just in case the signal is being reflected from somewhere, as that can happen with signals from high powered transmitters.

I cant remember off hand the tuning menu facilities on that set, but as soon as you enter Ch55 in the box you might see its strength being shown on the scale, this is without searching or scanning although if it was a good strength then scan it, but remember whatever it stores will be allocated to positions up in the EPG's 800 range, so look for ITV4 or yesterday up there.

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Mr P.Slater: Unfortunately you are indicated as being served only from the Patcham relay, and which is you know is a PSB only station not transmitting any of the "purely commercial" multiplexes which your licence fee has no connection with.

I would like to confirm that Patcham is one of the exceptions to the rule as far as relays are concerned, insomuch that its horizontally polarised, whereas Whitehawk Hill is vertical.

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