All posts by Brian Richardson
Below are all of Brian Richardson's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.Chris.SE: Hi, post code is NE209PD. The aerial was in place when we bought the house middle of last year so do not know details or how old it is. It is mounted on the chimney stack and from ground level I can see it has 8 elements, a loop and a flat back plate. I found one on google that looks close, the link is:
Google Images
I have fitted an SLX two way signal booster in the loft, it feeds two aerial outlets one in the living room the other in the kitchen.
The aerial coax condition appears to be ok, and have checked wire continuity from the loft to the room outlets and there is no problem there.
Multiplex Com7 UHF C55: Yes I can get this channel, today it is fine but sometimes I get 'no signal' or picture pixelation and sound pops and crackles.
What puzzles me is that when I get poor reception the signal strength can be high, other times the signal strength can be low but reception is good.
TV tuning section signals: The TV has signal strength and bit error level values. Reception today is fine except for Ch35 COM6 which has pixelations and sound distortion. The strength and bit error levels today are as follows:
PSB1 Ch39 using BBC1 (1) - signal strength 80, bit error level 0
PSB2 Ch42 using ITV1 (3) - signal strength 80, bit error level 0
PSB3 Ch 45 using BBC1HD (101) - signal strength 96, bit error level 300
COM4 Ch 32 using Drama (20) - signal strength 80, bit error level 0
COM 5 Ch34 using Sky Arts (11) - signal strength 50, bit error level 0
COM6 Ch35 using Great Movies (33) - signal strength 40, bit error level 2000 (reception poor pixcelation etc)
COM 7 Ch55 using Free Sports (64) - signal strength 96, bit error level 300
Thank you very much for your help Chris.
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Chris.SE: Hi, post code is NE209PD. The aerial was in place when we bought the house middle of last year so do not know details or how old it is. It is mounted on the chimney stack and from ground level I can see it has 8 elements, a loop and a flat back plate. I found one on google that looks close, the link is:
https://fspltd.org.uk/dig…html
It is the picture labelled 'TV Aerial Repair'.
I have fitted an SLX two way signal booster in the loft, it feeds two aerial outlets one in the living room the other in the kitchen.
The aerial coax condition appears to be ok, and have checked wire continuity from the loft to the room outlets and there is no problem there.
Multiplex Com7 UHF C55: Yes I can get this channel, today it is fine but sometimes I get 'no signal' or picture pixelation and sound pops and crackles.
What puzzles me is that when I get poor reception the signal strength can be high, other times the signal strength can be low but reception is good.
TV tuning section signals: The TV has signal strength and bit error level values. Reception today is fine except for Ch35 COM6 which has pixelations and sound distortion. The strength and bit error levels today are as follows:
PSB1 Ch39 using BBC1 (1) - signal strength 80, bit error level 0
PSB2 Ch42 using ITV1 (3) - signal strength 80, bit error level 0
PSB3 Ch 45 using BBC1HD (101) - signal strength 96, bit error level 300
COM4 Ch 32 using Drama (20) - signal strength 80, bit error level 0
COM 5 Ch34 using Sky Arts (11) - signal strength 50, bit error level 0
COM6 Ch35 using Great Movies (33) - signal strength 40, bit error level 2000 (reception poor pixcelation etc)
COM 7 Ch55 using Free Sports (64) - signal strength 96, bit error level 300
Thank you very much for your help Chris.
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Chris.SE: Hi, post code is NE209PD. The aerial was in place when we bought the house middle of last year so do not know details or how old it is. It is mounted on the chimney stack and from ground level I can see it has 8 elements, a loop and a flat back plate. I found one on google that looks close, the link is:
https : //fspltd.org.uk/digital_and_satellite_installation.html
It is the picture labelled 'TV Aerial Repair'.
I have fitted an SLX two way signal booster in the loft, it feeds two aerial outlets one in the living room the other in the kitchen.
The aerial coax condition appears to be ok, and have checked wire continuity from the loft to the room outlets and there is no problem there.
Multiplex Com7 UHF C55: Yes I can get this channel, today it is fine but sometimes I get 'no signal' or picture pixelation and sound pops and crackles.
What puzzles me is that when I get poor reception the signal strength can be high, other times the signal strength can be low but reception is good.
TV tuning section signals: The TV has signal strength and bit error level values. Reception today is fine except for Ch35 COM6 which has pixelations and sound distortion. The strength and bit error levels today are as follows:
PSB1 Ch39 using BBC1 (1) - signal strength 80, bit error level 0
PSB2 Ch42 using ITV1 (3) - signal strength 80, bit error level 0
PSB3 Ch 45 using BBC1HD (101) - signal strength 96, bit error level 300
COM4 Ch 32 using Drama (20) - signal strength 80, bit error level 0
COM 5 Ch34 using Sky Arts (11) - signal strength 50, bit error level 0
COM6 Ch35 using Great Movies (33) - signal strength 40, bit error level 2000 (reception poor pixcelation etc)
COM 7 Ch55 using Free Sports (64) - signal strength 96, bit error level 300
Thank you very much for your help Chris.
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Chris.SE: Hi, post code is NE209PD. The aerial was in place when we bought the house middle of last year so do not know details or how old it is. It is mounted on the chimney stack and from ground level I can see it has 8 elements, a loop and a flat back plate. I found one on google that looks close, the link is:
(link should be here, but tried to submit the post and the site it will not accept it.)
I have fitted an SLX two way signal booster in the loft, it feeds two aerial outlets one in the living room the other in the kitchen.
The aerial coax condition appears to be ok, and have checked wire continuity from the loft to the room outlets and there is no problem there.
Multiplex Com7 UHF C55: Yes I can get this channel, today it is fine but sometimes I get 'no signal' or picture pixelation and sound pops and crackles.
What puzzles me is that when I get poor reception the signal strength can be high, other times the signal strength can be low but reception is good.
TV tuning section signals: The TV has signal strength and bit error level values. Reception today is fine except for Ch35 COM6 which has pixelations and sound distortion. The strength and bit error levels today are as follows:
PSB1 Ch39 using BBC1 (1) - signal strength 80, bit error level 0
PSB2 Ch42 using ITV1 (3) - signal strength 80, bit error level 0
PSB3 Ch 45 using BBC1HD (101) - signal strength 96, bit error level 300
COM4 Ch 32 using Drama (20) - signal strength 80, bit error level 0
COM 5 Ch34 using Sky Arts (11) - signal strength 50, bit error level 0
COM6 Ch35 using Great Movies (33) - signal strength 40, bit error level 2000 (reception poor pixcelation etc)
COM 7 Ch55 using Free Sports (64) - signal strength 96, bit error level 300
Thank you very much for your help Chris.
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Chris.SE: Had a good look at the aerial through binoculars, could not see any sign of a green plasti plug, but the elements appear to increase slightly in size and spacing on the boom from front to back.
Checked the aerial from the loft to the aerial with a multimeter, reading was 0.00 ohms. Also tested over the braid and core of each cable going down stairs in two situations, one with the braid and center conductor shorted together at the wall outlet end (to check for a break) and the second without the short (to check insulation between braid and core), the shorted test gave a reading of 0.00 ohms, the second on the highest resistance setting of 2000k, gave no reading at all showing open circuit.
Missed Sunday for signal readings but did some today at 1400hrs. Picture on TV today was good.
PSB1 - strength 80, bit error 0
PSB2 - strength 80, bit error 0
PSB3 - strength 96, bit error 340
Com 4 - strength 80, bit error 0
Com 5 - strength 55, bit error 0
Com 6 - strength 40, bit error varied constantly, lowest 23 and highest 213
Com 7 - strength 96, bit error 340
The Philex 2-way booster has an adjustable gain control, a screwdriver slot. The Philex SLX model number appears to be 27822HSR.
Is there a good web site I can use to check for 'tropo' conditions on the day?
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Chris.SE: Hi, tested amp settings on 18th Jan, first set of data was without amp connected, normal aerial, next with amp connected and set at minimum gain, and finally amp connected and set at higest gain. Here are the readings:
Without amp
PSB1 - strength 45, bit error varying 1 to 58
PSB2 - strength 55, bit error 0
PSB3 - strength 88, bit error 920
Com 4 - strength 40, bit error varying 16 to 65
Com 5 - strength 0, bit error 2000
Com 6 - strength 0, bit error 2000
Com 7 - strength 68, bit error 2000
Amp connected and set to lowest gain
PSB1 - strength 60, bit error 0
PSB2 - strength 70, bit error 0
PSB3 - strength 96, bit error 420
Com 4 - strength 50, bit error 0
Com 5 - strength 0, bit error 2000
Com 6 - strength 0, bit error 2000
Com 7 - strength 88, bit error varying 820 to 1000
Amp connected and set to highest gain
PSB1 - strength 80, bit error 0
PSB2 - strength 80, bit error 0
PSB3 - strength 96, bit error varying 280 to 380
Com 4 - strength 80, bit error 0
Com 5 - strength 45, bit error 0
Com 6 - strength 40, bit error 2000 (unwatchable, pixelation no sound)
Com 7 - strength 96, bit error 340
I am checking signal and bit error twice a day so will look out for changes this weekend and post results. At the moment the only multiplex with reception problems is Com 6 with bad pixelation and no sound. Latest readings I took on Com 6 this morning are: Signal strength - 40, bit error - 2000.
Thanks for info re tropo, will check out websites you provided for me.
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Chris.SE: Will continue to check figures and report back with figures when there is a change. Found a reference on line on a forum that suggested unplugging the aerial waiting a second then plugging it back was worth a try. Strange but yesterday on Com 5 (Sky News) I was getting some sound stammering at intervals so gave it a try and it appeared to work. Stammering stopped and it was ok for about 15mins when it happened again so unplugged and plugged back it and it worked again. Could have been coincidence but very odd to me, just thought i would mention it. Thanks again for your help Steve, at least I have now got a handle on the problem. Have had a week of quite good reception apart from Com 6.
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Chris.SE: Ok will try tweaking the booster down a bit over the weekend and post readings. Today however surprise readings on Com6. After a week of no reception, my daily check at 1100 hrs today found that it is back. Readings on Com 6 for this week as follows:
Com6
Mon 17th 1000hrs - Strength 40, bit error 23 - 213 (unwatchable pixelation etc)
Tues 18th 1300hrs - Strength 40, bit error 2000 (no reception)
Wed 19th 1300hrs - Strength 40/45, bit error 2000 (no reception)
Thurs 20th 1200hrs - Strenth 40, bit error 2000 (no reception)
Frid 21st 1300hrs - Strength 31/37, bit error 2000 (no reception)
Sat 22nd 1000hrs - Strength 75/80, bit error 0 (good picture and sound)
Checked tropo and it does not appear to me to have changed dramatically over the last few days.
Full set of readings for today are as follows:
PSB1 - strength 85, bit error 0 (sig strength up a bit from 80)
PSB2 - strength 80, bit error 0 (unchanged)
PSB3 - strength 96, bit error varying 280 to 460 (unchanged)
Com 4 - strength 85, bit error 0 (sig strength up a bit from 75/80)
Com 5 - strength 75, bit error 0 (strength up from 40/55)
Com 6 - strength 75/80, bit error 0 (major change up from sig strength 40, bit error down from 2000 to 0)
Com 7 - strength 96, bit error 260/380 (strength and error about the same as previous readings)
??
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Chris.SE: Data with amp gain tweak as follows:
Normal max gain readings
PSB1 - strength 80/85, bit error 0
PSB2 - strength 80/85, bit error 0
PSB3 - strength 96, bit error varying 280 to 400 (but good picture no sign of pixelation etc)
Com 4 - strength 85, bit error 0
Com 5 - strength 75, bit error 0
Com 6 - strength 70, bit error 0
Com 7 - strength 96, bit error varying between 280 and 400
Gain reduced to about half
PSB1 - strength 80, bit error 0
PSB2 - strength 80, bit error 0
PSB3 - strength 96, bit error varying 320 to 420 (but good picture no sign of pixelation etc)
Com 4 - strength 75, bit error 0
Com 5 - strength 60, bit error 0
Com 6 - strength 60, bit error 0
Com 7 - strength 96, bit error varying between 360 to 440
Reception was good over the weekend so decided to do a channel scan, low and behold up pops the local multiplex, never any sign of this in previous scans so things are looking good. I have had poor to average reception since moving in to the house last August but it looks to me as if the problem has been mainly at the transmission end rather than house set up, although I did add the amplifier so that is a difference. Very happy at the moment, and improvement seems to be stable touch wood!
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Thursday 13 January 2022 10:58PM
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Hi, recently moved in to a property in NE20 area and we are having intermittent reception problems from Pontop Pike transmitter. This varies with the time of day and consists of sound stuttering with pixelation and sometimes 'no or weak signal'. The main channels affected are 34 Multiplex Com5 programs and 35 Multiplex Com6 programs. We have checked our aerial connections and installed a masthead amplifier which has made some improvement but on some days we have no signal from these channels at all. Normally Multiplex transmission on PSB1, PSB2 and PSB3 are ok. Would like to know whether anyone else is having this problem. Any onfo most welcome, trying to work out what to do next!