All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
PTownsend: The last paragraph should say:
If you are getting too much interference from Eastbourne then perhaps you can pick-up the full service from Heathfield instead.
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Kate: I suggest that you ask nearby neighbours and see if they have the same issue. Check that they are using the terrestrial aerial system (Freeview) and not satellite (Sky or Freesat).
The aerial system will have one or more powered boosters (amplifiers) to split the signal so as to feed multiple points. Failure of one of these devices will likely result in loss of signals to the flats which they feed. This could have come about due to it going faulty or loss of electricity supply.
The reason for failure is really irrelevant though. The point is that if the communal aerial system fails, it is down to the party responsible - perhaps your landlord - to see that it is put right. If your neighbours do have the same issue and haven't yet reported it then I suggest that you do so.
Checking with neighbours is a way of ascertaining whether it is likely to be an issue with the aerial system or something to do with your own equipment and wires.
If the aerial feed of your television is connected via another box such as a Sky box or recorder then try connecting directly to the incoming wall socket. If you have one try using a different lead from the wall socket to the TV, just to discount the possibility that it is this which is at fault.
Whatever you do, don't retune as this will simply give a second problem which is that the TV/box isn't tuned.
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ruth connelly: Has the change in reception coincided with work carried out on buildings on the industrial estate?
You may be only 10 miles from the transmitter, but there are certainly things that could be a source of difficulty.
See this terrain plot:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
The red on the plot corresponds to Standford Bury where there is a row of trees which are potentially across the signal path. The industrial buildings could be a difficulty with those in bungalows being even lower to the ground and therefore, logic would suggest, potentially more likely to have difficulties.
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Alec Clarke: I would not advocate cessation of payment of the TV Licence and use of receiving equipment or the viewing of live broadcasts online as this would be illegal.
The fact that you are seeing "white snow" suggests that you have an analogue tuner in there, somewhere. There are no analogue channels on the air any more, so unless your TV doesn't have a scart socket then the analogue shouldn't be used.
Whatever, the make and model of the devices (TV and boxes) you are using may be of assistance to us to guide you as to what to do.
Also, is this your own aerial which feeds just one TV?
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PTownsend: It may be that the interference isn't as great where your neighbour's aerial is or that it is less sensitive to it.
If your aerial is a Group A one (which it may be if it was installed in the days of four-channel analogue) then it won't be suitable for Heathfield; you will require a wideband for Heathfield, if indeed you can receive from it.
Group A aerials have red tips. See:
Aerials, TV Aerial and Digital Aerial
One possibility may be to mount the aerial on one side of the building where there is good reception from Hastings, but where the building acts to block the unwanted signals - if there is such a location.
Or the signals from Heathfield may be sufficient at your location and you may decide to cut your losses and go with a new aerial for it.
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Jon Rhys: I assumed the location in question to be CF31 1TL as that is the postcode associated with your posting. jb38 has taken another, sample, location.
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hugh williams: Perhaps nothing, perhaps poor.
Maybe satellite (e.g. Freesat) might be a better bet.
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hugh williams: I suggest that you use a log periodic aerial with a booster at your disposal. See:
TV Aerials for Boats and Caravans
A receiver (TV or box) with manual tuning may be useful, although you will need to know what channels to tune to (after having wiped what's already stored).
Manual tune functions usually act like a signal meter if you enter the desired UHF channel number but do not press the button to scan.
At the Fforest Fields Caravan & Camping Site, set your aerial for vertical polarisation and point it at 316 degrees. Then (having wiped what's already stored, perhaps by running it through with the aerial out) go to the manual tune screen and select/enter 49 and do not press the button to scan it, but instead see if it gives yo an idea as to the strength/quality. C49 carries BBC services. The other, independent, ones are on C42, so try that as well.
The hope is that it will show something and that it will allow you to adjust your aerial so as to see if you can better the signal.
It may be a long shot, but knowing where you need to point your aerial and using the manual tune function may help pick up an otherwise elusive signal.
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Dennis: Thanks for getting back.
It turned out to be a simple thing. I suppose hindsight is a wonderful thing though.
With analogue, issues with aerial faulty leads was easier to pinpoint as the picture would change as you moved it.
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Monday 20 May 2013 3:07PM
PTownsend: It would have been useful to know which multiplexes you are having difficulty with. I shall assume that it is likely to be the COM channels.
See here for a full list of services by multiplex:
DTG :: DTT Services by Multiplex
In the UK there are two types of digital terrestrial (Freeview) licensees: the Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) and Commercial (COM) broadcaster.
The signals of the PSBs come from all transmitters that the former four-channel analogue did and are intended to be receiveable by existing aerials.
The COM channels have inferior coverage to the PSBs. They broadcast only from 81 of the largest transmitters. Some viewers will have to replace their aerials in order to pull them in. A few others may find that another transmitter prevents reception due to being co-channel (same frequencies.
In the case of the Hastings transmitter, its COMs are co-channel as the PSB channels of the Eastbourne relay transmitter on the top of South Cliff Tower, which is 3 miles south of you. This could be the cause of your issues, if they relate to the COM channels from Hastings.
Retuning is a waste of time if the channels are tuned correctly. All that will be achieved is the same result. Poor signal cannot be rectified by retuning, unless the signal being received is not from the transmitter to which the aerial faces (wrong transmitter) in which case the answer is to ensure that it is tuned correctly in the first place.
If you are getting too much interference from Hastings then perhaps you can pick-up the full service from Heathfield instead.