All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Terri: Even although Crystal Palace is still operating on pre-switchover power levels, but with you being located at only 8 miles away from it you "might" be suffering from signal overload problems, albeit I do have my doubts about this, but to test if this possibility can be eliminated as well as getting an idea of the signal level you are receiving, should you have a set top aerial lying around (or have access to one) plug that in followed by carrying out a re-scan and see if that action results in anything more being received, if not though further suggestions can be taken from there.
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phil: Well although I am a believer in using Zone 2 dishes for satellite reception such as are used as standard in North of the border installations, basically as they capture a signal just that little bit better than Zone 1 types likewise resulting in the LNB giving a slightly higher output signal, which in turn makes the receiver circuitry less prone to suffering from heavy rain cloud picture break up.
But as far as your location is concerned I cant help but feel that this is really just been suggested as a bit of a "shot in the dark" measure in hoping to get over a problem, as to be factual about it the signal strength / quality levels presently seen indicated whether it be on a sat test meter or even the equipments own indicators, should be all that's necessary to determine the source of fault, as its much easier to diagnose causes sat faults "whilst on-site" over the numerous possibilities that always applies when dealing with terrestrial Freeview reception problems, as there are far more variables involved with the latter.
On the subject of PVR's, Freesat devices are of the twin tuner variety and likewise for correct operation use twin inputs albeit that they can still work if only one lead is used, the snag with this being that you are very limited in what you can do as any programme channel being viewed has to be on the same polarity / frequency as the programme that's being recorded, this being the same with all Freesat devices used this way except a Humax Freesat HDR twin tuner PVR.
The reason is that they have an LNB1 loop out facility to feed into LNB 2 input for the purpose of feeding the signal into the second tuner, this enabling many more programme channels to be viewed or alternatively recorded "but" with the snag this time being that although unlike before they can all be on different frequencies, its so long as these frequencies are "all" on the same polarity, this once again limiting what you can do.
For maximum versatility you cant beat a twin input, as if it requires changing the block these can be obtained for under the £10.00 mark and are simple to fit, then it only requires another cable to be run.
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FrustratedinHorsham; The trade view reception predictor indicates that you should be able to receive all multiplexes but "only" from March 14th when switchover stage 2 takes place, this event requiring a re-tune.
The other point I noticed is that ArqB (Ch50) will be remaining on low power (1Kw) until October before it increases to 10Kw the same as the other commercial muxes, and although it is indicated as "good" for your area whether in reality it will or not is something that will have to be seen.
By the way the licence fee is not connected in any way to the purely commercial multiplexes such as SDN / ArqA / ArqB.
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denise: On back checking your postings I see that the previous made were on Feb 13th under the "Freeview on Emley Moor transmitter" heading, and which I had replied to by making a request that you carry out a couple of checks in order to clarify the situation as the signal level received at your location could be slightly excessive for your receiving equipments tuner, as the symptoms experienced with this type of problem can be exactly the same as what you are complaining about, so maybe you could try the tests etc I requested under the other heading as this will confirm (or otherwise) if this is the cause of your problem.
This is a link to your original postings.
Freeview on Emley Moor TV transmitter | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
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Roger Tinner: It should also be noted that although on occasions reception predictors (even trade) can be a bit iffy in their forecasts as they cannot really take into account any local reception black spots that may exist in an area, but as far as Hannington (@ 13mls / 218 degrees) is concerned the reception forecast for your particular code area suggests that it will never at any time be anything more than variable, and this is right across all six multiplexes.
On the other hand though Crystal Palace (@ 42mls / 92 degrees) does even presently show as being more promising, something which I admittedly do have reservations about as the forecast also includes the very lower powered commercial muxes, however I don't have these reservations from April 18th when switchover stage two has taken place and the ERP rises at a massive 200Kw, so unless there are any dastardly local obstructions that you might know about which could possibly restrict its reception then I would be more inclined to concentrate on using that station rather than Hannington.
Of course your problem could be that of a signal thats slightly on the verges of being excessively powerful and which can cause problems in certain tuners, plus the other misleading aspect of this being that this type of situation can produce almost exactly the same symptoms to that of a weak one, however should an excessively high signal not be the case then the aforementioned is what DUK has forecast for your code area.
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Dave Lindsay - Roger Thinner: Well on having a look at the chart I certainly cant see anything of an immediately obvious nature that would jump out as being suspicious, albeit of course it doesn't mean that there isn't, but though as touched upon in my posting regarding predictors and the fact that they can in many instances be quite inaccurate, but for DUK to predict the reception at the given code area as being almost on a permanently variable status across all six muxes is inclined to indicate that its either them that are totally way out with their interpretations of data being used, or its a case of them knowing something we don't.
But though, I did notice concerning Rogers location that he is in a roughly a North Easterly direction from the transmitter, and since the recent switchover I have observed that many of the other complaints being made of a similar nature on this site (and elsewhere) are frequently from viewers also located in Eastern areas, and having plotted a few of their locations I noticed a pattern of low signal problems occurring at certain angles from the mast, this making me suspect that there might still be a problem with some of the aerial panels that radiate towards these areas, as I believe it was difficulties with a combiner that caused the initial problems during switchover, and whether it be admitted or not this might still be causing problems, as it will result in weaker signal lobes being received when in these points of the circle.
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Dave Lindsay: Regarding the predictions given on DUK's trade view, I wasn't in any way trying to infer that should what I suspect actually apply then this fact would be taken into account in the composing of these predictions, simply because of it being something that wasn't planned and as such classed as a fault condition.
The only point I was making is one of stating what's been officially predicted for reception in that particular post code area from a transmitter with an ERP of 50Kw (only on PSB) located only 13 miles away, as under normal circumstances I would look at these predictions as being totally incorrect, which of course they may well be! but the number of post switchover complaints being made from the aforementioned areas is inclined to suggest that something "might" be amiss somewhere, especially as power had previously been restricted in that particular direction and still is as far as the COM muxes are concerned until April 18th.
That said, I fully appreciate that in many of these cases signal overloading problems could well be the cause, but its still rather coincidental how virtually all of these problems seemingly originate from a certain Eastern sector, unless of course its just that people residing in these areas have in the past went slightly "over the top" with their aerial systems in compensating for a poor signal, hence they are now suffering problems from the complete reverse of the situation, although the inclusion of say a 6db (max) attenuator in line with their aerial sockets would soon prove if this is the case, or of course not!
But though come April 18th I will be closely watching to see if PSB complaints from the East magically vanish, as I have a sneaking suspicion that they might well do, but one never knows!
PS: I don't think the status of "variable" would be made with any considerations whatsoever should the possibility of co-channel be in existence from anywhere
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Sue Gill: Just to add to that already said, should you decide to try Mendip (@ 16mls) then "if" your aerial has been set up for the Bath relay then it would require to be turned to the horizontal position and pointed on a 228 degree heading.
That said taking it that its not an indoor (same room) aerial that you are using? maybe you could clarify that point, although if it is roof mounted then have a look to check if it is vertically mounted or not (elements top to bottom), as if its not it might already be pointing at Mendip and which would only require a re-tune to be made but with by-passing the Bath relays channels.
Further advice given dependant on findings.
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Vin: Your aerial arrangement should (in theory anyway) be capable of feeding an over powerful signal into your TV's as you are only 6 miles away from the very high powered Sutton Coldfield transmitting station, and it could be that the Sony TV's sensitive tuner cannot cope with this situation.
"If" the booster you refer to is separate from the splitter then for a test try by passing it, but should it be combined with the booster then if its at all possible try connecting the aerial straight into the Sony's feed and check the results of this action, if it cures the problem then it requires an attenuator to be fitted in line with the Sony's aerial socket.
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Thursday 1 March 2012 8:21AM
phil: Its nearly impossible for anything to interfere with satellite reception (via the dish anyway) except intermittent signal blocking from any high trees etc that might be located close by.
Satellite equipment is though just like any other receiving equipment, still open to suffer problems from heavy interference being picked up where its much lower operating frequencies are involved, such as in the down lead from the dish, or alternatively mains borne interference injected straight into the TV itself, although this source is more easily detected with the assistance of a LW/MW portable radio (pref on LW) "not" tuned to any station and with its volume control turned high, then it being placed very near to a power socket, as if anything of this nature occurs it will in 99% of times certainly be heard on the radio.
By the way interference can also be picked up in a down lead if you reside anywhere near to any transmission sources of a non TV or domestic radio nature, and I have even seen cases where a defective microwave oven was sending massive bursts of interference via a mains lead.