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All posts by jb38

Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.


john: Please note "has" in my reply should be "hasn't", and now that you have updated the situation another point to note being that each of the LNB's outlets are independent from each other, this meaning that for test purposes you can test each of the coax cables from the dish one at a time into a Sky+ boxes LNB1 input (the main input) or just into a standard box.

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donna: Well although you are quite correct in what you have said as far as West Runton is concerned, but though although this station might initially appear as covering your location large areas to the left and right of Taversham (in an sideways "S" shape) are in a black spot for reception from this transmitter and why aerials in your area are seen to be facing towards Tacolneston, likewise DUK's reception predictor does not even indicate West Runton as a possibility for reception.

Of course another simple way to check being whether or not you can receive ITV3, if you do then this is only transmitted from Tacolneston.

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john: By the way its best to check each of the cables from the LNB individually into a box that was not affected by what you had altered "if" you do not succeed using the box that "was" involved as you might have accidentally damaged its LNB power circuitry, as although some boxes can tolerate a short circuit (for a short time anyway) on their LNB output others cannot.

If you have a voltmeter kicking around then set it to read a DC voltage of around 25 volts or so and connect it across the LNB output socket which should result in it reading around 13 to 18 volts, if nothing is indicated the circuitry is damaged.


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debbie: If you are using the Belmont transmitter then its services are listed as being liable to interruption.

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sheilah: Yes as far as Freeview from Belmont and Emley Moor is concerned, this being due to engineering work taking place at both transmitters during this week.

But though this is only likely to result in the occasional short break in transmission or alternatively slightly reduced quality (glitching etc) and not anything of a lengthy nature.

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John: I have been following this WMC / tuning stick saga right from the very start and noting all that has been said, but though the one main thing that really stands out is the absence of any reception tests having being made from another station that also operates with one of its multiplex channels transmitting on a negative offset frequency such as in the case of Waltham's PSB2, as although this transmitter is being singled out by WMC users as somehow being defective its certainly not as a far as Freeview branded devices are concerned as witnessed by no complaints whatsoever have been made from any viewers of Waltham's ITV1 on mux Ch54 irrespective of what type of Freeview TV or box is being used, and indeed I even coupled up an old Vestel chassis PVR that's known to be highly critical of negative offset channels and yet no adverse results were observed on it after having been retuned.

This being the case, then dependant on your particular location within the Vale of Belvoir as I realise that this covers a very large area, but should you be located where Belmont can be received then purely for purposes of elimination (of thoughts on the matter) I would be most interested to know the results if you tuned in Belmont's mux Ch30 on 545.8Mhz or alternatively mux Ch60 on 785.8Mhz, both these transmitters having a negative offset on the standard frequency that's officially associated with the channel number, the offset being a variation of the norm which on modern Freeview devices is adequately catered for by the tuners automatic frequency control (AFC) range, a facility which "might" not be incorporated in the circuitry used on some of these tuner sticks albeit with this being impossible to verify this either way, and simply because detailed technical information or a schematic diagram of the tuners circuitry is not obtainable.

Another aspect I would have liked to have been able to check concerns the scanning system used by the tuner in these sticks, the reason for saying this being that just because a tuner allows you to enter the exact offset frequency its not by any means a guarantee that when the scan "is actually taking place" that the tuner is scanning the offset frequency that has been entered and has not just defaulted to the frequency that's officially listed as associated with the channel number (as happens on some devices) which if it does could explain why the notching up / down on a blank screens EPG channel then back onto the one that's required can sometimes result in a picture being seen, this being a classic symptom of a tuner not latching onto a frequency due to its AFC circuitry being on the tight side.

Still that's beside the point, as it all depends on the results obtained from scanning Belmont's Ch30 or Ch60, although it does have to be said that although these two Belmont muxes are transmitting with negative offsets of the standard frequency, they are not technically identical to Waltham's PSB2 in other respects.

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Peter: You cannot add another TV aerial from a Sky dish as aerials as such are not involved as these are associated with Freeview reception.

But though if you are meaning that you intend to use another Freesat box or TV from the dish then the signal does not get reduced as the dishes LNB output ports are completely isolated from each other.

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sheilah: Just spotted your reply, and in answer to your question, that provided you did not carry out a retune on finding that they had vanished then you do not require to carry out a retune as the channels will return on their own.

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daisysmum: Purely with reference to your indoor aerial and the fact of having said that you are getting a second box for upstairs and whether or not it will work, although indoor (same room as TV) aerials are not really advised for Freeview reception, but though if you are presently managing to get satisfactory reception using an indoor aerial then (in theory) this should also apply to upstairs, that is if you are intending to purchase a second aerial of the same type as used downstairs? as otherwise you would have to feed the presently used aerials output into a two-way powered splitter and run a coax cable from the splitters No2 output to the upstairs TV.

I did note you having mentioned (in the passing?) that you are getting Sky fitted next week, and of course you could have used the Sky boxes RF 1 (or 2) output to feed whatever you are viewing in the living room up to the second TV provided that its fitted with an analogue tuning facility as well as Freeview (DVB), mostly all having this facility with the exception of the very latest models.

A better assessment could have been made of your reception possibilities if you had included a post code with your enquiry, or at least one from somewhere nearby such as a shop / Post office.

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daisysmum: On having read your posting again I feel that you are really indicating that you have either a loft or outdoor aerial already fitted? and should this be the case then forget using the indoor aerial you have and do as was suggested with regards to using a two way powered splitter on your present aerial.

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