All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
LJ: SG6 is indicated as being approximately only about 10 miles away from the Sandy transmitter and at distances as close as that from a high powered transmitter such as Sandy Heath signal overloading problems are very likely to occur, and if severe can completely block reception.
With what you have mentioned regarding you living in a top floor flat could indicate that you "might" be using a communal aerial system and something that somewhat limits what you can do, but if you can borrow a set top aerial from someone then for a test plug that in and carry out a rescan, if though you cannot borrow an aerial then a short piece of wire of about 18" or so minimum plugged into the aerial sockets inner receptacle should also be suffice to obtain a picture of sorts, and if it does then its an indication that the problem is with the aerial system used.
Give this a try and giving an update on the results, as well as your aerial arrangements
By the way if anyone who is normally receiving Freeview without any great problems is suddenly confronted with a blank screen when a programme is selected, then they should always resist the temptation to carry out a rescan as it achieves absolutely nothing, but though does guarantee that all channels that are already stored in the TV or boxes memory will be wiped out as rescanning is the only thing that can do that, this making it necessary for frequent rescans to be carried out in an attempt to recover the lost channels.
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John: Yes, as an HDMI's sockets pin 19 in effect acts in exactly the same way as does a scart sockets pin 8, as its this pin number that's responsible for a TV switching over to its scart socket input as soon as any external device connected into the TV via a scart lead is taken out of standby, the only difference with HDMI being that its not necessarily the case that this auto-switching sensor facility fitted in one of a TV's HDMI inputs is available in every device in the same way as pin 8 is on the AV1 inputs in all TV's.
Anyway pleased to have been able to clarify the workings of the system a little for you.
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Chris: I can see you having some problems with what you are trying to achieve as not one single station indicates good reception across all six multiplex channels, as Sandy (@ 34 miles / 6 degrees) indicates the three comm channels (51 - 48 - 52) as OK but with the PSB's (27 - 24 - 21HD) indicated as variable, whereas Crystal Palace (@ 19 miles / 139 degrees) indicates the PSB's (23 - 26 - 30HD) as being OK but not the comm's (25 - 22 - 28) which are indicated as variable.
By the way the aerial in both cases being mounted horizontally.
Hemel Hemstead (@ 7miles / 333 degrees) might be reasonably OK for reception with the exception of SDN (ITV3 etc) and ArqB (Yesterday / Film4 etc) as these two muxes are indicated as poor. By the way Hemels aerial being mounted vertically.
Receiving PSB's from one transmitter and Comms from another at the same time is not so difficult to do if the stations are located at roughly 180 degrees from each other, as the signal levels received from the rear in many aerials is not always that terribly much less than from the face of the aerial, but as you can see this does not apply in your situation because of the angles involved.
I really think that its best that you just carry out some experiments to see just exactly what you can receive from the same station, as predictors are not necessarily 100% accurate by any means, as they cannot cater for local reception conditions.
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Steve Williams: I suspect thats an error, as Bluebell Hill most certainly does not indicate anything like that in DUK's trade predictor, you can see this for yourself by clicking on "Digital UK tradeview" in the four line selection seen on the right hand side of your posting, or in the undermentioned link.
Postcode Checker - Detailed View
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J
My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+Saturday 21 July 2012 3:19PM
Colchester
DB7: Well as I am sure you will no doubt be already aware of insomuch that your particular estate has always been notorious for bad reception ever since digital TV first started because of it being situated in a slight valley, but with this impediment to reception being compounded by trees being located not that terribly far away which partially obstructs the signal path from both Waltham and Sandy, although I have always noticed (on passing) that apart from the odd exception here and there judging by the direction that most aerials are facing Sandy appears the station favoured for reception.
That said though, if reception suddenly ceased on all channels then it can only be caused by either the signal level received having dropped under the reception threshold for your equipment, or alternatively the failure of any booster / splitter device that's maybe used in line with your equipment, as I would be very surprised if nothing like that was used as I would consider it to be a necessity in your location.
Maybe you could give an update on your aerial system as to whether or not its exclusively yours? or is shared by the four houses in the terrace, and also if any boosters are involved, plus if you could mention the station used for your Freeview reception.
By the way if you do use Sandy, then try a signal test by going into your TV / boxes manual tuning screen and entering Ch27 (Sandy's BBC) as in most equipment as soon as you have entered the mux number the signal strength being received from that mux channel should appear with NO need to scan. If though its Waltham that you use then the mux Ch number is 61.
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DB7: Ignore the Colchester location attached to my user name as I forgot to clear it from a check that I was making, my location being in the Stamford area.
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Janette: Doesn't it respond to pressing any buttons on the remote control? if though it doesn't and you have tried the mains off then on again procedure without success then it looks like the end of the line for the device.
Just out of interest what make / model is it?
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Dave McAlpin: Well although you haven't given your exact location and with this making it difficult to check on exactly what you should be able to receive using DUK's reception predictor, however using a couple of test codes based on your area does not indicate reception as being possible in the Flodigarry area from the Staffin transmitter by it being well outside of the transmitters intended coverage area, and although you may well be able to receive a signal, albeit this being on a variable to non existent basis, that's really what would be expected in a situation such as yours or anyone else that picks up a transmitter from outside its coverage range, as variables always exist in every situation.
As far as the situation being improved at any time by increasing the transmitter power, even if it was quadrupled (or more) I don't think that this would make that terribly much of a difference to most of the households I seen in the Flodigarry area, excepting possibly yourself as well as maybe some properties located near to the coastline who are possibly able to pick the signal from Staffin across Bay, as other than that most I have checked on are not remotely anywhere near to a line-of-sight situation of the Staffin transmitter with the path from Staffin being obstructed by low level hills positioned relatively close to the properties, the very type of situation than can block signals from even high powered transmitters.
To be quite honest about it, in my opinion Freesat is the only option people have for guaranteed reliable reception in your area, but with the reliability of that being made even more so by using a slightly larger dish than the types installed in the Central Scottish belt, and which are already larger than is used in Southern England.
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Diana: If your box is set to make automatic channel updates then its possible that by doing so the channels captured has exceeded the tuners memory capacity, and although you should really carry out a factory reset on the box which does NOT affect anything you have recorded (sometimes called default settings) try taking the aerial out and carrying out a rescan without it as this should blank out the tuners channel memory, then once its completed reconnect the aerial and carry out a normal rescan.
If though this doesnt correct the situation then a factory reset should.
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Friday 20 July 2012 8:45PM
Paul H: If its been visually inspected, and in particular inside the cover where the coax is connected onto the terminals, and no corrosion is seen nor is there any rust on the terminal screws then by all means just have the same aerial refitted, especially if as you say the reception was perfectly OK before the lashings failed.
If though at any time any further problems develop then the aerial referred to cannot really be beaten when used as a replacement where multi channel reception is involved, such as as applies with full service Freeview transmissions.