All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Alan Green: With reference to that said in my previous posting regarding a problem that had plagued another viewer, there is a relatively simple test that you can carry out "if" you possess a portable radio capable of receiving long wave transmissions, i.e: Radio4 long wave 198Khz.
Receivers capable of receiving long wave transmissions are ideal for detecting interference from a variety of devices in the home, and although usually always associated with noisy switching systems such as water tank thermostats or central heating switches etc, digital devices emitting high levels of radiation capable of interfering with reception can also be detected.
The procedure involves tuning the radio to just off Radio 4 long wave198Khz until only a mush is heard through the speaker, then advancing the volume.
The next stage is to completely switch off your TV or any other digital device positioned nearby to it, then sweep the area with the radio from behind your TV along to where the wall socket is located, should any high levels of digital interference exist it will be revealed by a loud buzzing being heard on the radio, although some devices emit a high pitched whining noise.
Needless to say, this test should be carried out in two stages, the first with the TV switched off whilst the reception problem is known to exist, the second being repeated (whilst the TV is switched off) but this time during the early hours whilst the reception is known to be OK, the TV only being switched off in both cases simply to eliminate the detection of your own TV.
The test is a bit crude, but it does serve a purpose by indicating if anything changes between day and night time hours.
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Alan Green: The quality bar bouncing up and down on "any" digital receiver simply indicates that something is interfering with the signal, but though in your particular case with the range of possible reasons for the problem having been greatly reduced by the fact of you having stated that reception reverts to normal in the early hours of the morning.
On the subject on your neighbours having said that their reception is OK, taking this at face value then points to the problem purely being with your installation, but though this has to be qualified, insomuch that is provided the neighbours are viewing programmes on Freeview via the communal aerial system and not the same programmes via a Freesat satellite box, that is should a Satellite socket be provided on the wall plate? identified by a threaded male connector.
Another factor connected with what the neighbours reported being, that they reside on the same floor level as yourself and not elsewhere in the building, because if on another level they might possibly be connected into a different feed line from the distribution amplifier.
If you have read the reference I made to a problem that plagued another viewer, and with the reasons for being a cable box, in situations like that the household causing the problem is totally unaware of the fact that they are causing interference, as their TV is not coupled into the offending device using an RF lead but via its scart or HDMI socket, therefore if changing the jumper lead makes no difference to the situation nor does an in-line attenuator, then "if" (and only if) wherever your TV is located is next to a dividing wall from the another property, try temporarily moving your TV a few feet away from its present position, as interference from such as the device mentioned can be injected directly into the TV's circuitry by-passing the aerial input socket, albeit only over very short distances.
That said, the test referred to involving a long wave radio generally sniffs out interference of the sort responsible for direct injection.
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Willie Byrne: You can quite simply get over the problem by purchasing a "two way" scart switch box, connecting its common input into the TV and with a scart cable from one of the two sockets on the switch box into the DVD player, the second socket on the switch box being connected into the Sky box, selecting either the Sky box or the DVD via the selector switches.
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ed : According to that seen, the Hedge End area is mainly served by the Hannington transmitter located at approximately 27 miles away, albeit that the Rowridge transmitter which is considerably closer @ 16 miles or so is also indicated as being possible to receive, but though on the basis of being variable to poor.
This being the case, I am inclined to agree with what MikeB has said, insomuch that the problem is most likely to be caused by a fault on your aerial system.
By the way, Freeview transmitters, especially main stations such as Hannington or Rowridge, are never down for even a day, let alone the time span you have reported.
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k davies: A "no signal" message is not connected in any way with whether or not you subscribe to Sky, as its either being caused by your dish having been moved out of alignment, or alternatively a fault having developed on the box.
If you are using a standard Sky box (not a Sky + or Sky +HD type) type, press "services - 4 - 6" and that will take you into the signal strength check screen, any level that might be seen having to be at around 60% + and with the quality the same or even higher, this menu on a Sky+ HD box viewable via the settings menu.
If though you are using a Sky+ box, try swapping the LNB 1&2 inputs over and see if this makes any difference.
Further info dependant on the result of the test.
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John: Its not necessary to pay a subscription to Sky in order to be able to view what you refer to as Freesat, as you can view most non subscription channels without the viewing card even being inserted into the box. The only reason for the card being to enable you to view the news services appropriate to where you reside, as without the card being inserted the default news is London.
If though you are using a Sky+ box, a subscription "is" necessary if you wish to retain use of the recording and playback side of the box, as otherwise this facility ceases to function.
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MikeB: On having read the posting you refer to, my immediate impression was that the content of was really nothing more than a subtle way of advertising the services offered by A&S Ltd.
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ALAN GREEN: Pleased to hear your good news! your message board posting having been a good idea judging by the response to it.
Its pity about the phone going dead when you were about to ask a question, as I would have been interested to know the content of that said, as I was beginning to suspect that something other than what would appear to be the obvious must have been involved, likewise why I mentioned about having to qualify what your neighbours had reported on your original enquiry.
Another odd thing about the problem being, that one would have expected far more than just only three other residents having complained about their reception also being faulty when residing in an apartment block the size of yours, this giving rise to the suspicion than the problem was only affecting a small number of the lines from the distribution amplifier.
However, although I realise than your reception has seemingly reverted to normal and that's all that really matters, but should by any chance you find out anything else maybe you would be good enough to give another update, as the reason for the reception returning to normal during the early hours doesn't really fully equate as being the result of part of an aerial having blown down.
Many thanks for your update though, much appreciated!
Regards JB.
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MikeB: I feel that the person who informed Alan as to the cause of the reception problem (or alleged anyway) was likely not to have been a technical type nor even acquaint with aerials, and the tube referred to was one of the aluminium tubular elements on the aerial, likewise "blown" not being in the electrical sense but connected with a strong wind.
However, as Alan's reception is now OK then something must have been done connected with the aerial system, maybe a maladjusted distribution amplifier in addition to possibly replacing an element, that is if it was undamaged.
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Sunday 2 November 2014 6:49PM
nigel parr: Those two programme channels are transmitted on the COM6 / ArqB multiplex, which in the case of the Nottingham station are broadcast on C48, therefore carry out a "manual" tune on C48 and store the results.
By the way, you will know beforehand if you are going to receive them or not, as when you select and enter C48 into the manual tune box, the strength and quality of the signal should be indicated on the bars before you press search.