All posts by jb38
Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Roy: Re: update. The point is than when dealing with reception in difficult areas experimenting by moving the aerial about in the horizontal plane can in many cases make quite big differences in reception, although to get it correct you really require to use a small portable Freeview TV beside you in the loft (if referring to this) for instant feedback on actions taken.
As far as the erratic signal level is concerned, this always indicates that the signal being received is being warped in various ways by being either blocked or reflected by objects such as trees etc, and sometimes this effect can even be experienced if located anywhere within site of a main carriageway where high sided vehicles pass along.
Unfortunately though there isn't much that can be done to help in these type of situations except by trying to keep the signal running at as high a level as possible, this done by using an amplifier mounted near to the aerial, as a system running with a low level of signal is always more prone to suffering from picture glitches etc than is experienced with higher levels of signal, as unlike the case with low levels of signals, the higher one has further to fall before it drops under the reception threshold of the receiver.
If you find you cannot get the inferior aerial to operate any better I would abandon it and fuss about with the other aerial, possibly even feeding it into a two way (or more) powered splitter and using its outputs to feed all other rooms.
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Dave Lindsay: The point is though Dave, that the erratic element of signal variation has to be caused by something that moves with a reasonable speed, which can as was suggested be caused by vegetation of sorts (trees / bushes) blowing about in a breeze.
Another possible reason can be if a person is receiving a signal from anywhere within about 10 miles or so of flight paths used by aircraft, as although a digital signal has an element of robustness against this sort of thing it isn't by any means foolproof.
Buildings of course can also cause signal reduction problems, or even in some cases the reverse by providing a good stable reflected signal, but whether it be on the plus or the negative side, its always stable.
This all being said excluding the always present possibility of the problems experienced being caused by sources of interference, like mains borne from devices like central heating thermostats and such likes, or fridges / freezers thermal cut outs etc.
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Jennie: I regret to say that you will have to think about something else as a gift for your Dad, as Freeview reception is presently not possible from anywhere in that area and unfortunately wont be until October 2012.
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Jennie: Re: reply made, I have just been checking elsewhere and see some contradictory forecasts, so for a higher element of accuracy could you please provide the post code applicable for your Dads location, as what I had said was based on using the local post office in that area as a test code.
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AndyS: At only 10 miles away from the Sandy transmitter I wouldn't worry too much about your aerial group, this being much more important where greater distances are involved, but you should however try carrying out another complete re-tune "after" have performed a factory re-set on your TV / recorder. (called default setting on some devices)
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AndyS: To add the part of my reply that didn't paste in correctly, (my mistake) if this doesn't improve the situation then although its a bind, carry out another factory re-set but do NOT follow it by carrying out an auto-tune, but manually tune in Mux Ch52 storing what's picked up, (if not done automatically) then after testing that the channels on that mux can be viewed, once again go into the tuning menu and recover the remaining multiplexes using the "add channels" facility, or whatever its called on your devices.
I will say that you should in theory be getting blasted with the signal from Sandy's main muxes which of course can cause problems, but try whats been suggested first and give an update.
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Bob: Fully understand what you mean now! as I had a look at the manual for that particular box and it appears to be one of the types that to save on manufacturing costs wasn't fitted with an RF modulator, the RF output socket fitted on it purely being a loop through facility, this to enable the aerial signal to pass through the box and onto TV's elsewhere without "adding" (as is done in boxes with modulators) an analogue modulated signal to the signals passing through it from the aerial.
In other words, viewing a Freeview programme on this box can only be done via its scart output socket.
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Samantha: If you are viewing from your local Gt Yarmouth transmitter then your signal "may" be a little too powerful, although as far as the TV not retaining stored channels is concerned you should carry out a "factory re-set" (might be called default setting on your TV) followed by an auto-tune, as this type of problem is usually caused by attempting to store more channels that the memory is capable of doing, hence when the TV is unpowered they are lost.
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Peter Crabtree: Dependant on circumstances, but the fact of you stating "new build home" could be playing a part in this problem you are experiencing "if" you are using a loft mounted aerial, as modern roof insulation if of the type that has any element of metallic content can almost turn the roof space into a Faraday cage, i.e: dead for RF signals whether they be going out or coming in.
I have just carried out a signal check on Belmont's Mux Ch's 53 and 60 and can report that they are being received reasonably glitch free down in Stamford using a temporarily installed amplified log aerial mounted at a height of roughly 25 feet, Mux Ch60 lagging only about 5% in strength / quality compared to Ch53, not that similarly rated transmitters are ever received exactly at the same levels as each other anyway! as so many variables are involved.
If by the way you are receiving via a loft mounted aerial and the circumstances mentioned are applicable, (modern insulation) then just mounting the aerial outside at gutter level should solve your problem, this where log aerials are excellent in the aesthetic sense, that is as well as them performing far better than their physical size would suggest.
Stamford is by the way, approx 53 miles from Belmont
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Tuesday 6 December 2011 8:41PM
jonathan mellor: When you mention "Freeview" channels, are you meaning that you have a Freeview aerial plugged into the Sky boxes "aerial input" socket to pass the signal from the aerial through the Sky box and onto Freeview receivers in other rooms?
Or is it that you are referring to Sky "free to view" channels being viewed elsewhere via the Sky boxes analogue RF modulator?
If its the latter, then did you set the RF modulators output channel to what was being previously used, it being assumed that when you mentioned setting the RF output to "on" its because you have magic eyes on the TV's in other rooms?