All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Deeque: I have thought further about this.
Whilst the likelihood of interference obviously depends on the proximity to a 4G base station, it also depends on other factors such as sensitivity of equipment.
Another factor is how sensitive the receiving TV aerial is to the signal. For example, a TV aerial is most sensitive in the direction it faces and less so at the sides.
We can't know for certain where the mobile operators may choose to site their 4G base stations. However, in Scarborough, it would seem a pretty safe bet that one or more will wish to site their 4G base stations on the mast on Oliver's Mount, after all, it is visible at street level from most of the South side.
In such circumstances, TV aerials will be pointing in the direction of the 4G base station(s). Plus the TV aerials are vertically polarised (I assume that 4G will be vertically polarised). So I suppose that this will increase the likelihood of interference and I guess that this will be the case in other similar places where there is a local TV transmitter, as they often become a haven to the mobile operators due to the fact that they are sited on high ground.
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colin: I should imagine that the aerial system is the responsibility of the landlord.
I asked about reception of other channels before switchover, and in particular BBC channels, because they were at higher frequency on C59. ITV1 and ITV3 were low down on C24 and C27 respectively, so if you got these, then that suggests that the aerial system only allows channels through that are used.
After switchover, all channels except 54 were used before switchover.
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Barby: Maybe the signal is too strong and overwhelming your tuner:
Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
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jb38: I see your point, although the satellite image shows quite a few trees, some of which could be a problem in the direction of Heathfield whereas in the direction of Bexhill it looks clear. So when you take into account the fact that it is a bungalow and therefore the aerial is lower than a house, would this not have some effect?
Also, one side of the close, which appears to be a little lower, is on Hastings and the other (slightly higher) is mainly on Heathfield. Some of those at the far (dead) end, which appears from the Streetview photographs to be a little higher than the rest, are on Hastings, presumably owing to the trees behind them.
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dave linden: This is because the transmitter on the top of South Cliff Tower is broadcasting on the same three frequencies as the Commercial channels from Hastings transmitter.
See Hastings transmitter | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
Unfortunately South Cliff Tower only transmits the Public Service channels, which are those that I expect you can still get from Hastings.
What the solution is may depend on exactly where you are.
If the interference from South Cliff Tower is strong, then you will have to accept that you aren't going to receive the Commercia channels from Hastings.
If it's weaker, you may be able to put your aerial somewhere where the interfering signal is blocked sufficiently.
In your general area, I believe that your only other alternative to investigate is receiving from Heathfield, although, again, it depends on where you are as to whether that might be a possibility.
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colin: I think that you should contact your landlord with a view to getting the aerial system adjusted. Everyone will be in the same boat, so others may be doing likewise.
I'm not sure what sort of aerial you will need. Whilst you are only two miles from the transmitter, you are very low down, being over 200m below the transmitter's antennas and as such I wonder if you could not have a good signal due to the umbrella effect - that is the best signal is way above you!
A look around at the aerials suggests that this could be the case as they seem to be large and some point at other transmitters.
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What about 5G, 6G etc; where are they going to go?
Or is the frequency plan to keep getting changed every five or ten years? That is, we make a plan and then in a few years time it is (partly) torn up and re-written and therefore many people incur additional expense and inconvenience.
At the end of the day, where a plan is made, it should be stuck to and not changed simply because we are unable to think any further ahead.
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Sticks: It could be that, having completed its automatic tuning scan, it decides to tune to the adjacent Honiton relay which only carries the three PSBs.
See here for the six multiplexes; each is carried on one signal:
DMOL Post-DSO Multiplex Channel Allocations
This page shows the three PSBs and three COMs.
The automatic tuning process scans UHF channels (frequencies) 21 to 69.
Due to the fact that Stockland's six multiplexes are on channel numbers are all in the 20s and Honiton's three PSBs are in the 40s, the aerial lead can be unplugged at about 30% of the scan.
Confirm by viewing the signal strength screen what each is tuned to:
PSB1 | BBC One | Stockland=C26 | Honiton=C42
PSB2 | ITV1 | Stockland=C23 | Honiton=C49
PSB3 | BBC One HD | Stockland=C29 | Honiton=C45
Check to see what each is tuned to and only perform a re-scan if one or more are tuned to Honiton. If they are all tuned to Stockland, then it isn't a tuning problem.
If you do scan and unplug the aerial after 30%, hold the plug away from the socket (not within a few inches) so as to avoid any possibility of the signal being transferred.
There is always the possibility that the signal from Honiton is so strong where your receiver is located that it could pick it up even without the aerial plugged in, so check that they are all tuned to Stockland. If this does happen, then you will have to see if there is somewhere else that you can take the receiver when there might be less Honiton signal, but where you will have access to an aerial connection. That, or if you can wipe it and manually tune to Stockland, although not all receivers allow this; they vary by design.
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Gordon Ormston: Where there are objects in the way, i.e. trees, different frequencies can be affected to differing degrees.
This can be an issue when placing a set-top aerial (inside, obviously!). You find the one channel might be good in one spot and vice versa in another an this is because the signal has travelled through objects like walls, i.e. it is because the path from the transmitter to aerial isn't so clear.
BBC One analogue was on C50. Of the other three analogue channels, only Channel 4 former C53 is now used for the BBCB (HD) multiplex. Did you have difficulty with reception of these? I suppose this isn't very scientific as you never received analogue on the other channels now used for digital so have nothing to compare to.
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Saturday 30 June 2012 7:05PM
kaz, jb38: I eat my words!
The new Bexhill transmitter, which is located on the roof of the Hastings Direct building, is horizontally polarised and not vertically so as I assumed.
The downside is that it only carries Public Service (PSB) channels, so will probably only be used where a full service transmitter is not receiveable.