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All posts by Dave Lindsay

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

ITV 3
Monday 7 May 2012 7:03PM

Andrew: As you received ITV3 prior to switchover, you are clearly in an area served by a full-Freeview transmitter and Whitehawk would seem the most likely.

If this is so, then I suggest signal overload.

Before you look at the possibility that it is too much signal, check that it is tuned to C57 for ITV3 and not C25 which is Rowridge. Do this by bringing up the signal strength screen.

If it turns out that this, or any of the channels, are tuned to Rowridge instead of Whitehawk, then you can avoid the former by unplugging the aerial lead for the first 50% of the scan.

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Toni Bucior: Putting your post code into BBC Reception website returns no problems for Winter Hill and Bacup.

BBC - Help receiving TV and radio

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David: No, Burnham will remain a Freeview Light transmitter. See this page for an explanation:

Will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice

For this reason, you will probably be best of sticking with Sudbury. Interestingly, the Digital UK predictor thinks you will get better reception from Sudbury with it being "good", whereas Burnham goes to "variable" when its channels change on 27th June. I suspect this might be to do with another transmitter being co-channel (possibly Heathfield).

The Commercial channels from Sudbury are on low power until 27th June, so if you are having difficulty with them, you will probably have to wait until then for them to become reliable.

If you're looking at DIYing, or just wish to be informed, see here for some ideas:

Sudbury Transmitter

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Feedback | Feedback
Tuesday 8 May 2012 11:03AM

Dino: The change on 9th May will mean that the transmission power of CITV, ITV etc (which are currently on C31) will go up and move to C51.

You may or may not need a signal booster after then. The important thing about digital signals is quality. So long as there is enough signal strength to produce a "good" quality picture all the time.

Siting a booster behind the TV set where it only feeds a single receiver (or where more than one is daisy-chained) can cause issues. If this is what you have, then come 9th May I suggest that you remove it and see how you go and not make an assumption that it is needed.

Different receivers have different scales. But "if" the strength is 50% and quality is reliably at 100%, then you have the best picture you can get.

Contrast this with analogue where the signal strength needed to be as good as it could be in order to improve the quality of the picture.

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Brian: According to the Digital UK Industry Update, it will be completed by 6am:

http://www.digitaluk.co.u….pdf

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James: Have you replaced your Group B aerial with either a Group E one or a wideband one?

COM5 and COM6 are on the highest channels which are therefore the furthest away from Group B.

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Andrew Healy: I suspect that your problem is different to James's.

You would appear to be outside of HH's main area. Also, Digital UK Tradeview suggests that Midhurst's C55 BBC A mux could be the cause of your trouble. This is co-channel with HH's ArqB.

HH's two other Commercial multiplexes, 50 and 59, are co-channel with two of Midhurst's COMs, but these are at half transmission power with respect to its PSBs (including BBC A on C55).

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Craigkelly (Fife, Scotland) transmitter
Wednesday 9 May 2012 4:44PM

John Robinson: Looking at the channel allocations of the three transmitters, what I suggest you do is run the automatic tuning scan through and unplug the aerial at 30%.
Then, once it has completed the automatic tuning procedure, plug the aerial back in.

This should get you the three PSBs from Craigkelly; 27, 24, 21.

Then go to the manual tuning function and add the three COMs; 42, 45, 39.

This removes the possibility that it will ever "see" the other two transmitters when it carries out its scan.

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Bryan: ArqB on C48 is known to have "reactive power reduction of 87,000 Watts if required" until September and this is believed to be because one of Pontop Pike's pre-switchover is co-channel.

I'm surprised that you're tuned to Emley in Brough. I guess that Belmont, which provides news for your area, isn't an option.

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Colin: Some receivers have known issues picking up signals after switchover. This may affect certain ones using certain transmitters.

The model number and transmitter being used will be useful. An idea of the location may be as well.

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