All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
John Crabb: It shouldn't be expected to be an issue.
Failing all else, then the only option left is to do a full reset on the TV in the hope that there is some remnant of the old BBC channel left in its memory now that the full reset will clear. This will, of course, likely reset everything else like picture settings.
The only other thing is if you have another aerial facing another transmitter and it is combined with the Mendip one; this may be an issue with C49 and C48 from Mendip.
| link to this comment |
John Crabb: I see what you're saying; there are quite a few reports on the south-west side of the transmitter.
| link to this comment |
Pauline Dunmore: Try a manual tune on UHF channel 49. Having entered or select 49, don't press the button to scan (may be "OK" or something similar) but wait to see if it gives an indication of strength and quality on that channel. Once you have a strength/quality reading (if it gives such a thing) then go ahead and scan.
Is your Mendip aerial combined (into the single cable) with a second one on another transmitter as this might be an issue?
| link to this comment |
Alison: All the very best to you as well.
Maybe you can use a piece of wire (if you don't have a set-top aerial. A wire maybe 30cm long into the inner part of the aerial socket.
You may be able to use the aerial lead in the back of the set and put your bit of wire in the end of that. That way you might be able to affix the wire to the window where you get better reception. A wire coat-hanger may do, although I think that some are coated in something which might act as an insulator. You may be able to put a file to it to remove the coating on the end that is inserted into the aerial socket. There is no need to file away the coating elsewhere.
See:
Digital UK - Coverage checker
Enter your postcode and tick "Detailed view". This will give suggestions for transmitters. "BBC A" is the BBC standard definition TV and radio, which you are missing. If you can't pick up C49 from Mendip then maybe there is another transmitter that you can pick up in the mean time.
Near the top, under "Digital transmitters", it gives the bearing of each transmitter. The one(s) to try first are those for which the side of the building you are on face.
| link to this comment |
Adrian: You are probably getting Stockland Hill, which is roughly on the same bearing as Mendip.
Because Stockland uses low channels and Mendip high ones, just unplug the aerial for the first 50% of the scan.
| link to this comment |
Alan Coomber: The only thing I can suggest is what may have crossed your mind already and that is to speak to the company that installed the system. This will, of course, mean expense, but there would appear to be no other way.
In my above explanation I referred to a "diplexer"; this is the box you refer to that is attached to the mast.
It is the way these days that things keep being changed. When the network of transmitters was designed, all had four channels. The post-switchover digital one is now two-tier, this being because the Commercial broadcasters (those that don't transmit from Washford) can pick and choose which sites to transmit from. They go for those that yield the greatest number of viewers at lowest possible cost as their interest is profit. Unlike the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 they have no obligation to provide a "Public Service".
You are fortunate in that you can pick up the full service from another transmitter, albeit that it is of a different region. Some people can only ever receive the Public Service channels as they are not able to receive from another transmitter.
Now understanding that the combined feed is piped to three rooms, one possibility is to remove the Washford aerial from that system and use it separately in one room. This would mean that the powered box would only be fed by the Wenvoe aerial and therefore that Wenvoe's signals would only be available via it (into the three rooms).
Then run a separate cable from the Washford aerial to your lounge. This would give you two incoming aerial sockets in that room.
Feed the Wenvoe aerial into your recorder box (if you have one) and then into your TV, which is as the current (combined) feed is now. These will give you all the channels, but with Welsh regional programming.
Get a separate set-top box and feed the Washford aerial into it. Then connect it to the TV, probably by a scart lead.
When you want to watch regional programming, switch on the separate set-top box. At all other times, watch the TV as normal.
Obviously this means that regional programming won't be available in other rooms, but then you don't have ITV West there anyway, so it will be BBC One West and BBC Two England that you will loose from other rooms by doing this.
Or, the installer may have a different idea of how to restore ITV West from Washford whilst allowing it to be viewed in all rooms.
P.S. Washford may change again in the future because the frequencies that it is using may be subject to a clearance so as to make way for more mobile services. This would, if your setup is as I suspect, mean that you would loose the BBC Washford channels for the same reason that you are now without ITV. The separate set-top solution I proposed would continue to work for Washford if this were to happen. Whether it will happen; who knows?!
| link to this comment |
Jay: I should think that the likely answer is the communal aerial system, particularly if the two rooms have their own wall sockets rather than you extending the lounge outlet to the bedroom.
| link to this comment |
Alan Coomber: Freesat is an option and you have some points to consider because, as you say, any change will mean more expense.
If you decide to have Freesat in all three rooms, then you will need a single dish with a cable running to each room. Should any of the receivers be recorders then you would need two cables from the dish to the room in question.
For each room/TV you require Freesat, as well as the cable(s), you will need a set-top box receiver.
If you decide to have Freesat only in your lounge, solely in order to receive ITV West (as it isn't available with your current setup), then I would point out that Freeview, with a separate Washford aerial and separate set-top box would achieve the same result. The cost for the latter may be cheaper. It may make use of your current Washford aerial and therefore just require adjustment to the wiring and a Freeview set-top box. (This option may mean loosing the ability to view BBC One West and BBC Two England in the two other rooms, although their may be other options so this isn't the case.)
This isn't ideal - as I say, I know this is going to mean expense - but it may be an alternative, less expensive, option.
| link to this comment |
Paul Hobbs: Channel 5 HD does not broadcast on Freeview and isn't likely to do so in the immediate future.
Try a manual tune on UHF channel 58. If there is an option to select mode on the manual tune screen (DVB-T or DVB-T2) then select the latter for the HD channel. Standard definition broadcasts in the UK use the former.
| link to this comment |
Friday 29 March 2013 10:49AM
James: Kippure's power and radiation pattern are here:
Kippure digital TV transmitter | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice
If you are hoping to receive it in the UK, be aware that there are some notches in its radiation pattern. The biggest would appear to be to protect against interference with Winter Hill and the other, part of Wales.