All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
David Rogers: geeman said he did a search of the 800MHz band and then ran the automatic tuning function. He didn't say that the 800MHz search yielded success.
There are factors which apply in some circumstances which be an issue for reception of the new BBC multiplex:
- Communal aerial systems may need adjustment.
- Viewers that have two aerials, each on a different transmitter and combined into one cable. For example, so as to view Welsh regional programming and North West programming.
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Brian Ingersent: The practical outcome of your two aerial set-up is that when you tune anywhere from 21 to 50, your Windermere aerial is used, and anything from 52 to 69, your Winter Hill aerial is used. This assumes that the diplexer which combines the feeds "splits" at C51, which often they do.
One possibility is that you keep the two separate. Perhaps use Winter Hill as the "main" transmitter, feeding it into your PVR and TV. And feed Windermere into a separate set-top box, for use when there is regional programming being transmitted that you wish to view.
Of course, this solution means that if you distribute TV signals to your rooms that you will only have Windermere available in one (or else install a second distribution system with secondary boxes for each TV!).
The diplexer acts as a filter for the feed from each aerial. It ensures that 51 to 69 aren't allowed through from the Windermere aerial and that 21 to 51 aren't allowed through from the Winter Hill aerial.
I write as someone who isn't an aerial professional. You may find that replacing the diplexer with an unfiltered splitter will work, or you may find that it results in some or all unuseable signals due to it not being filtered.
If not then it will be tricky. At this point I will pause to allow you to cool off having learned that the powers that be change direction every five minutes which has a knock-on effect on you....
Your choices for reception of Border may be Windermere (44, 47 and 41) or Kendal (60, 53 and 57). Both these are Public Service (PSB) only stations, and so don't carry the Commercial (COM) channels.
In addition to Winter Hill, reception from Lancaster may be possible. Google Streetview shows the house with the balcony has a Lancaster aerial. The caution must be that the COM channels from Lancaster are on lower power than its PSBs, so some fringe viewers will be PSB-only, or else have intermittant COMs.
As a relay of Winter Hill, Lancaster carries North West/Granada. Its PSBs are 27, 24 and 21 and its COMs are 25, 28 and 22. They would combine with Windermere or Kendal, but you wouldn't be able to receive channels in the range 31 to 37 from Winter Hill (if they come on air - see the P.S.).
Your C51 diplexer could be used to combine Lancaster and Kendal. For Lancaster and Windermere you would need a C38 diplexer.
I can hear you saying "bring back analogue". The four channels from every transmitter didn't have any of this.
P.S. As part of switchover, channels 31 to 37 were cleared. I'm not sure how set in stone what will be happening to them yet, but there is a suggestion that the biggest "main" transmitters may utilise these channels for HD services: Ten more HD channels on two new Freeview HD multiplexes on air from 2014-18 | Freeview news | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice
At your location the only possible such transmitter appears to be Winter Hill. Your current set-up would preclude reception of these channels, "if" they were to come to fruition.
P.P.S. "If" the powers that be decide to clear more of the upper part of the TV band (possibly about 50 to 60) then things could change again.
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Magnus Mackay: I think you're lucky to receive anything from Rumster Forest, so perhaps reception may be hit and miss.
C62 is due to move to C55 a week on Wednesday (24th April).
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Brian Ingersent: Your understanding is correct. Perhaps using Winter Hill is the best solution.
You could always retain your Windermere aerial and have a second cable to your lounge, or wherever it is that your aerial feed comes in.
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michael: Purchase of a TV Licence does not give you the "right" to anything. It permits you to view television channels, but does not guarantee the availability of terrestrial signals.
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John Nevitt: Could it be that the channels that are lost are on the highest UHF channel numbers (frequencies) and therefore picked up last during the scan and that by the time it gets to them there is no memory left? The solution is usually to prevent the receiver from picking up other unwanted channels.
Only knowledge of your location and transmitter can indicated whether this could be a possibility or not.
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John Nevitt: Try having the aerial unplugged for the first half of the scan.
The Winter Hill frequencies are in the top half with ITV/C4/C5 being the highest.
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Saturday 13 April 2013 12:27PM
David Rogers: C61 to C68 have been cleared of TV services to make way for 4G.
If the obvious rescan doesn't work, is there a "hard" reset that is worth a try. Granted, this may reset all settings, but if it's the only other thing you can try then it is worth a shot.