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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.


Alan Stringer: I note that PSB2 is on UHF channel 60 which means it's the closest to the 800MHz spectrum allocated to 4G mobile operators. Enquire as to whether such a service has come on air at your locality. at800 is the organisation formed by the mobile operators and may send you a filter if it's suspected to be the cause.

Give them a ring:

Contact at800 / DMSL | General Enquiries | at800

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Friday 28 February 2014 8:50PM

Philip Hind Woodward: Based on the fact that good signal ceases then that could be caused by local interference from noisy electrical equipment. For example a thermostat or noisy motorised port valve in hot water/central heating system.

Such a device could be in an adjacent property. The fact that you may perceive there to be nothing in your house to be a possible cause doesn't mean it isn't in your house; it may be a largely autonomous system.

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Saturday 1 March 2014 5:16PM

Jim Robertson: That is odd because you would expect to have the same issue with other services carried on COM6 multiplex (which is what BT Sport services are on). Other COM6 services include 4Music, Yesterday, VIVA, Ideal World, ITV4, QVC Beauty, Film4+1, 4seven, RT. Do you have the same issue with these?

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George Cotton: Digital UK Coverage Checker suggests that you aren't likely to get anywhere near reliable reception from Fenton, so maybe that is what's playing out.

I've just had a look at a plot of the terrain between you and the transmitter and I can't see how you could ever get reliable reception unless you build a tower maybe 30m high on which to mount your aerial!!

See:


Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location


There are trees in the way, you live at the bottom of a drop, the Mill is potentially in the way, plus there is higher ground at Brown Edge around which you are relying on the signal bending.

I guess you are near the border between Central West and Granada regions as Over Biddulph relays Winter Hill. Had you been a little higher up then you might have had a better chance of reliable West Midlands/Central reception.

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Monday 3 March 2014 6:37PM

Heather Ellis: Firstly, she is only 5.6 miles from the transmitter so generally speaking (all we can ever be is general) is that the chances of a set-top aerial working are much greater than those who are further away.

By "general" I am talking across the area as a whole there are always likely to be pockets of poor reception owing to buildings, trees etc.

The "43dB" quoted figure may be the sum of the aerial's gain plus that of the amplifier the most likely for it is so as to sell the device because a bigger number sounds better.

The most important thing is having the clearest view of the transmitter as possible. Think of it like light and objects in the way as casting a shadow.

Therefore, being on the side of the building which faces the transmitter is likely to be better than that facing away. If it's the latter then the signal coming directly to the receiving aerial is likely to be degraded and there is likely to be more reliance on reflections for reception.

At such close proximity the amplification your daughter has could potentially be making the signal too big, i.e. it's OTT. As such, I suggest that the level be reduced and try again.

With manual tuning if you enter/select the UHF channel number/frequency but don't press the button to scan/add services, instead wait and the device will probably act as a signal meter (it takes several seconds for the reading to catch up). I suggest that this be used to see whether the aerial can be sited somewhere that C44 can be received, this in combination with an assessment of where it is thought the signal might be best on view of obstructions.

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STEPHEN LEE: But judging by the postcode supplied in your earlier posting to this site, you are in a location served by the Belper transmitter which is a relay of Waltham. Examination of Google Streetview reveals that there are aerials pointing to Belper, so unless there is something which prohibits such reception at your property then you do have East Midlands available to you.

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RJ: Channel 5 did not broadcast from Rowridge, it broadcast from Fawley Power Station. It did, however, transmit from Whitehawk Hill.

A-Z list of transmitters | Channel 5

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Of course all channels "should" be available from all transmitters, but alas we don't live in an ideal world.

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douglas saunders: This website is independent of broadcasters and does not have a crystal ball. If Digital UK can't tell you then I can't see how anyone else can tell you.

One thing: looking at Streetview aerials are pointing to Plympton which does not, according to Digital UK, have engineering works.

You're in a tricky spot because you don't have line-of-sight to either Caradon Hill or Plympton, you being at the bottom of a drop for each.

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douglas saunders: If your aerial were to point to Plympton you could potentially be tuned incorrectly to Caradon Hill, in which case then that is what needs putting right. Guidance on this can be given if you think it might be a possibility.

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