All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Ian Davies: I am not quite sure about your meaning of an old sender? nor the method you are using to feed the signal from the aerial / RF modulator used with V box to the TV's in the various rooms, but the main thing is that if you are changing to Sky in the future and intending to use magic eyes in each room, then you will have to ensure that the splitter you use in the loft is of the "DC Pass" type, as if not the magic eye power supplies will be blocked.
Other than this the arrangement you presently use will be about the same, with that is the exception of you not requiring the use of the modulator, the only point being that when a Sky box modulator is being incorporated into a distribution system then the Freeview aerial is usually connected into the Sky boxes normal aerial input socket, then the Sky boxes RF2 output is fed to a DC pass splitter to feed the other TV's.
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Ed: Yes, its just as well that you noticed the warning light, because as far as DC voltage is concerned it represents a direct short circuit and which if left for any length of time could have damaged the power supply.
Of course, these type of filters as you will probably know only restricts a certain type of lower frequency direct radiation interference anyway, e.g: motors used in hedge trimmers / sewing machines / food mixers / hair driers etc, and even in the higher end of the filters cut off range, possibly involving problems like spurious emissions from taxi radio's etc, they aren't really that effective either. Mains borne interference originating from the aforementioned type of devices is a much more commonly experienced problem, this showing up far more if any signal received is already of an unstable nature, and although you do have filtered power strip this in reality is only of limited effectiveness.
A good way though to detect main borne interference is with the aid of a small portable radio capable of long wave reception (e.g: Radio 4 198Khz) you simply tune it to a blank spot, leaving the volume at a reasonable level, then place it near to a power socket, if any mains borne interference occurs it will sound as a crackle on the radio.
I feel though that the problem is simply caused by you suffering from fluctuating reception levels, this whereby the cut off threshold (known as digital cliff) is being broached every now and again resulting in partial drop out, this manifesting itself as picture freeze.
One thing I will say is, that in these type of cases a large high gain (and highly directional) aerial does not help the situation as its aerial position that's much more important, with this not necessarily meaning as high as possible on one spot, and so a much smaller aerial (amplified log periodic ideal) carefully positioned can in many cases give superior results, something I have proven many times to various people albeit I am an RF equipment engineer and not an aerial installer. Of course in practical terms this is only really feasible to carry out by an enthusiast owner of the equipment, as the job is quite time consuming.
I noticed that on Brierley a reception change is forecast for Mux Ch's 50 / 59 / 55 sometime during 2012, but unfortunately this being for the worse, so its a pity that Sutton Coldfield at its 200Kw compared to Brierley's 2Kw still cant produce a stable signal.
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DONALD KIRKBRIDE: Taking it that you "might" be meaning Freesat and not Freeview (through normal aerial) then yes, as if the dish has a quad block you can use one (or two if used with a PVR) of its outputs for Freesat, and the other for the Sky box, as all four outputs are independent of each other.
As far as the TV is concerned, just purchase a two or three way scart switcher box, plug its common lead into the TV scart, then connect the Freesat box into one of its input sockets and the DVD player into the other, these being selected as required via the push buttons on the scart box.
By the way if it is a Freesat box that you have, then you can get the STV programmes you want to view simply by entering a post code chosen from a phone book that covers the area you want to receive, look at a companies address in the area as these are plentiful.
If though you do have a Freeview box, then nothing said applies except for the scart box.
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RobWhitwell: Only the gullible believes without question what might be published, as the only people that really do know the situation being the backroom engineers that might happen to be working at the station.
It would have been of interest to have an idea of your own location though, considering you are reporting a similar situation to that of reception in Milton Keynes.
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elaine: Emley Moor is shown as the best for reception at your location, however Belmont and Bilsdale are also being indicated as being possibilities for reception, albeit these being in a lesser sense than Emley.
What I would do is either carry out a factory reset to blank out anything stored, or alternatively just carry out a re-tune with out the aerial being connected, then BEFORE re-connecting the aerial carry out a further auto-tune, watching the channels rising in the progress bar, (if visible) then as soon as you see the scan getting to Mux Ch40 immediately re-connect the aerial and this will allow Emley Moor to load.
You might just pick up Bilsdales ArqB / Mux D on Ch42, although if you do not use HD a way to avoid this is to plug the aerial back in again at Mux Ch43 rather than Ch40.
If you still do not receive anything after carrying this out, then this is inclined to suggest that a fault has developed in your aerial system.
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vicky: Simply by purchasing a four way powered splitter, connecting the aerial directly to its input and one of its four outputs going to each bedroom, doing it this way guarantees that each set will have the same signal.
Four way splitters are very common, if you use e-bay you will find an abundance of them
being advertised, Argos might even have them although I am not presently in a position to have a look at the catalogue.
This is a link for one on e-bay that I can personally recommend, it having been running 24/7 for the last two years now with no problems whatsover.
4 Way TV Aerial Distribution Amplifier/Booster Splitter | eBay
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Stephen: The only satisfactory way to achieve this in some cases is to use manual tuning, that is taking it that you carried out a complete reset before the last auto-tuning.
I though you did, then carry out another factory reset, but BEFORE re-connecting the aerial start another auto tune then immediately start to watch the channels rise in the progress bar, then as soon as they get to Mux Ch50 re-connect the aerial and that will exclude anything other than Oxford from loading.
If though there is any problems with doing this, then you will have to load each Mux channel individually using manual tune.
Channels being - BBC Mux Ch53 / ITV Mux Ch60 / HD Mux Ch57 / SDN Mux Ch62 / ArqA Mux Ch59 / ArqB Mux Ch55
Note:- These latter three multiplexes being on low power.
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Dorothy Johnston: Its really dependant on where you reside within the East Grinstead area, although if you do get reception it will be on a three multiplex Freeview "light" basis where only public services are being broadcast, namely BBC / ITV / the HD service.
It may even be possible to pick up Freeview from Crystal Palace once it starts on high power next April, but only a post code would enable your reception possibilities to be checked.
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Stephen: Thanks for the update and pleased that you managed in the end.
Yes, no channel count showing in the progress bar during tuning is a right bind with some equipment, admittedly something I forgot about with the Humax or I wouldn't have mentioned the aerial out scan procedure, although the omission of channel count numbers during scanning is something I consider as a deficiency in the design of the box. (this also applying to a few others as well!)
Still, the Humax scores on some other points concerning tuner sensitivity etc so I suppose that offsets the inconvenience caused by the problem mentioned.
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Friday 7 October 2011 9:22PM
Phil Martin: Dependant on exactly where you are in Skipton in relation to any local obstructions, but it wouldn't do any harm to try blanking out all the channels stored in your TV or box by either carrying out a factory re-set, or by re-tuning with the aerial removed.
Once done re-connect the aerial and try a manual tune on Keighley's BBC and ITV multiplexes, these being Mux Ch61 (BBC) and Mux Ch58 (ITV) as there is a chance that you "might" be able to pick them up or the rear of your aerial, albeit that the rear is not facing exactly the correct angle for Keighley.
If by any chance you can receive these two channels then the remaining four could be likewise be tuned in, this giving a full compliment of stations, as Keighley is shown as a possibility for reception on your code.