All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Steve: That looks like your only other possibility as far as picking up all the channels goes.
However, the prediction (which should always be taken with a pinch of salt) isn't sparkling for Sudbury... but it's your only other real option to get all the channels.
That said, you'll be receiving over a wide expanse of water and in the winter when the mist sets in it might inhibit your reception. Refer to the Sudbury thread and Nick's woes trying to pick up all the channels in Hollesley. Dover reception for him varies, presumably as the mist sets in.
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Steve: There's nothing that can be done about the issue - the effect is an occupational hazard of using the airwaves.
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Nobby: Prior to switchover, the King's Lynn relay transmitter carried only BBC One and ITV. Its purpose was to provide the "correct" regional programming for viewers of Belmont. In practice it meant that viewers of King's Lynn had to use Belmont for BBC Two and Channel 4 - I phrase it like this because I reckon that BBC One and ITV combined are probably more popular than BBC Two and Channel 4.
Anyway, to combine the feeds from two aerials a diplexer should really be used. This is like a splitter in reverse, only it also filters each input so as to allow a range of channels through.
Prior to swichover, Belmont's four analogue channels were in Group A (22, 25, 28, 32) and King's Lynn's were Group B (39, 53).
A diplexer that "splits" at C36 would probably be used. Where this is the case, the King's Lynn aerial will be used for channels 37 to 69 and the Belmont one for 21 to 35.
Prior to switchover - for four-channel analogue - there was a well thought out system which meant each transmitter was allocated channels from a single group. Due to channels 31 to 34 being cleared of the four main channels and 35 to 37 also being set aside, the number of "useable" Group A channels was reduced. Consequently we now have quite a few transmitters like Belmont that use "wideband" channels.
Whilst King's Lynn now broadcasts all the Public Service (PSB) channels - which is like many other small relays - viewers may still wish to rely on Belmont for the Commercial (COM) channels. Because COM5 and COM6 have been put up on 53 and 60 (probably due to the ringfencing of 31 to 37) this poses an issue for all those with a King's Lynn aerial combined with a Belmont one.
In practice in such a situation it is probably the vertically polarised King's Lynn-facing aerial that is being used to pick up 53 and 60 from Belmont. Of course, with COM4 being on 30 the current Group A aerial is required.
See here for more information:
Aerials, TV Aerial and Digital Aerial
Online TV Splitters, Amps & Diplexers sales
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Nobby: The question must be, does the difficulty in receiving 53 and 60 apply when using the "second" mast, which I understand only has a Belmont aerial on? (I assume here that that aerial isn't combined/diplexed with another on King's Lynn.).
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janice: "Freeview" is the brand name of the terrestrial system in the UK. You will be able to view free-to-air channels. To find out which these are now I guess you can remove the viewing card.
Freesat has more channels and will work with the dish. If you purchase a Freesat recorder then, like with Sky+, you will need two feeds from the dish.
Sky controls the recording function of Sky+ boxes. A subscription is required for the dubious privilege of using the recording facility on one's own box.
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Glenn: Where a DAB multiplex is broadcast from multiple transmitters they operate as a "single frequency network". Thus, if you're between two transmitters, for example, you get the sum of the two.
Judging by the power of the transmitters and the outline on the map above, Wenvoe would appear to be the most powerful. Presumably the main purpose of the others is to get to the parts it doesn't reach, what with there being lots of valleys.
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Tony Haynes: Consider if there could be a contributary factor. For example, is there a connection/join in the aerial lead somewhere near to the possible source of interference? If so maybe it is faulty and needs re-doing.
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Saturday 6 July 2013 1:06PM
Tony Haynes: If it is a wireless connection perhaps it is your source of interference. It is certainly something you need to check out.
If they do use wifi then turn off the router or disable its wifi and see if it stops the interference.