All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
jenny.delgado: Looking at some of the large trees in front of some of the buildings in your close, there is little wonder that there may be issues.
There are also some pointing at Crystal Palace, so it is a possibility that receivers will tune to the wrong one (i.e. to the transmitter to which the aerial does NOT face).
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Barry Sullivan: The transmitter on the Bengeo Water Tower does not carry all the services anyway. For this reason you would probably wish to go with Sandy Heath if possible, even if it weren't for the tree.
I looked at the latest Ofcom document which lists all multiplexes form all transmitters:
http://licensing.ofcom.or….pdf
From Sandy Heath:
SDN is currently on channel 31 at 20kW and will remain so until 9th May when it will move to its final channel number 51 (at full power I assume).
To find out which services are carried on which multiplexes, see this page:
DTG :: DTT Services by Multiplex
Are you just missing SDN?
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Barry Sullivan: The document also says that the three PSBs and Arqiva B are using the "transitional S1 antenna" (presumably at the final full power) until 27th June. I guess that this means that the coverage won't be the same as that when it switches to the final antenna.
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Barry Sullivan: The predictor suggests that Crystal Palace might be possible at your location. Obviously this will provide London regional programming rather than Anglia which you get from Sandy Heath. If you could pick up the Hertford relay, you would get London programming as it is a relay of Crystal Palace.
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Dave: That is correct.
The coverage of the Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) groups of channels are equivalent to that of the four analogue channels that went before.
The commercial (COM) groups of channels are available to about 90% of the population, leaving about 9% with only PSBs.
See this page for the multiples (groups of channels):
Freeview multiplexes | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
PSBs are BBC A, D3&4 and BBC B.
Some people will be able to receive the COMs, but will require a replacement of their aerial (including possibly a re-alignment on a different transmitter) or a second aerial.
If you supply your location, preferably post code, we can make a suggestion as to the likely possibility of success for you to receive the commercial channels.
If not, then the main alternative is Freesat.
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RGB: In short, you should get BBC, ITV1, C4 after 8th and 22nd February. If you have issues with any, it will be solely the commercial channels.
Long explanation:
The Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) multiplexes (BBC, ITV1, C4, C5 etc) will be on their full final power from the dates of switchover (8th Feb for BBC radio/TV standard definition and 22nd Feb for the others). These will be at 50kW.
The COMs will remain on low power until 18th April. There is no indication (from Ofcom) of what that power is other than to say that "the low power DTT antenna is used". I take this to mean the same one used before switchover at the same power as before switchover. So if you get the COMs now, then you will continue to do so. If you don't, then you will have to wait until 18th April, if you are ever to get them. I say this because the final power for the COMs will be 25kW (i.e. half that of the PSBs).
Someone who, after 18th April, can receive the PSBs but find that the COMs are not quite strong enough will probably benefit from a more sensitive aerial.
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Denise Farnby: This is not as a result of maintenance. It sounds like there's something nearby that is causing electrical interference.
If it happens at a particular time, then this suggests something electrical that is time switching on. Perhaps central heating or hot water. Motorised valves can emit such interference.
A battery powered radio, probably on MW/AM or LW, tuned away from a station might be useful in locating the source as it will probably come through as noise. Once listening, walk around (going outside as well) to find where it is greatest.
For AM/MW/LW radios, the aerial is usually inside and often is parallel to the enclosure. The most sensitive directions will be to the front and back and the least sensitive will be to the sides. Thus, if you spin it around, you will be able to work out which two directions the source could be (and where it's not likely to be).
As an example, suppose you are stood with the radio in your hands with its front facing you. If the noise is at its loudest, and reduces to its lowest when you have the radio at right angle to this position, then you know that the source of the interference is in front of you, behind you or possibly above you.
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Dave: 5USA, 5* and Dave are on the commercial (COM) multiplexes and none of the transmitters on the Isle of Man carry them; they are PSBs only.
As I said, see this page for the multiples (groups of channels):
Freeview multiplexes | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
PSBs are BBC A, D3&4 and BBC B.
COMs are SDN, ArqA and ArqB
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Wednesday 1 February 2012 11:23AM
Janie: You can use the Freesat in your bedroom. Just connect it to the dish, same as the Sky box.