All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
David Lowe: It could perhaps be too much signal, more so if there is an amplifier involved:
Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | Digital switchover | ukfree.tv - 11 years of independent, free digital TV advice
The HD channel can be the first to suffer in such circumstances.
| link to this comment |
Paul Vince: For manual search of HD services you may need to specify DVB-T2 mode - this could perhaps be why it registered no signal when you search on C41.
SD services use DVB-T mode.
| link to this comment |
Bazzer_D: It doesn't look like they will.
Rowridge will, according to Digital UK, broadcast the new HD services horizontally and at very low power with respect to the other multiplexes.
Looking at the predictor, you would appear to be in a great spot for reception from Hannington, including its new HD mux. Is there a reason you can't use it for all your viewing instead?
| link to this comment |
Nicola: You need to look at bypassing the booster by connecting the incoming feed from the aerial to one of the feeds going to one of the rooms.
The most common cause of lack of signal when a booster is being used is the failure of the device, or loss of power to it. Don't assume that just because its power indicator is lit that it is functioning normally.
| link to this comment |
Nicola: The cable comes in from the aerial and goes into the booster. Within the booster the signal is split two ways and then goes out to the rooms where the TVs are.
Failure of the booster is likely to cause the outcome you have, which is no signal on both TVs. In order to test whether the booster has failed, you need to switch it off then remove the lead from the aerial and remove one of the leads going to one of the rooms. Then connect the two together and see if the signal has been restored to that TV. If it has then that points to the booster being at fault.
The only thing you might find is that the connectors on the two cables are the same gender which means an adapter is required.
Knowledge of the booster's manufacturer and model number may be helpful.
| link to this comment |
Nicola: That's a power supply only which supplies power to a booster further up the aerial cable. It could be that the booster is outside on the roof, which is why the power supply is separate - mains electricity can't be fed outside. The Vision V23-2100G passes a low voltage up the aerial lead to supply the booster.
It looks as though you have no alternative but to speak to an engineer as the booster is out of your reach.
| link to this comment |
Gary Burgham: Pontop Pike's new HD multiplex, which will carry BBC Four HD among others, will come on air some time in 2014. No date is given by Digital UK, and the same applies for Bilsdale.
However, I am somewhat doubtful as to whether you will be able to receive the new multiplex from Pontop Pike. The short answer is that you might require a replacement aerial irrespective of transmitter used and that it might be best directed to Bilsdale.
The longer answer is that the new HD multiplex is on lower power than the other multiplexes.
Also, if you have not had your Group C/D aerial replaced with a wideband one then it might need doing so in order to receive C33 which is on a lower frequency than your aerial works best at. See:
Aerials, TV Aerial and Digital Aerial
The new HD mux from Bilsdale is also lower power than its other channels. However, you would appear to have clear line-of-sight to it at 34.6 miles:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
But, the high ground under and around Woodland, 4 miles away, are blocking your view of Pontop Pike:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
Because the line-of-sight to Pontop Pike is obstructed, doubt is cast on whether you might be able to pick up the new HD multiplex. The apparent clear line-of-sight to Bilsdale Moor transmitter makes me wonder whether that might be the better bet.
I looked at your postcode on Streetview (photos taken August 2009) and one of the houses has an aerial facing Bilsdale. If this property previously used Pontop Pike then the Bilsdale aerial might have been installed in order to pick up pre-switchover digital from Bilsdale.
| link to this comment |
Simon: Your postcode puts you in Hove, yet you are attempting to tune to the Newhaven transmitter. The one on Whitehawk Hill is probably the one you want. In any case, the BBC region from both transmitters is the same, it being BBC South East.
The UHF channel for Whitehawk's BBC services is 60.
The ITV region of the two transmitters is different: Newhaven carries ITV Meridian (East) whereas Whitehawk has ITV Meridian (South).
| link to this comment |
David Messser: Good to hear it.
I was going to ask you about the booster and why you installed it in the first place. I imagine that the answer might be for analogue Channel 5 and subsequently pre-switchover digital because these were on lower power than the four main analogue channels.
As the power of the six digital channels has gone up, and is in real terms greater than the former analogue then the booster is probably surplus to requirements, and may even be OTT.
| link to this comment |
Monday 16 December 2013 1:29PM
Dan: Confirm that they are all tuned to Mendip and not Stockland Hill. View the signal strength screen on the following services and check which UHF channel it is tuned to:
PSB1 - BBC One - C49
PSB2 - ITV - C54
PSB3 - BBC One HD - C58
COM4 - ITV3 - C48
COM5 - Pick - C56
COM6 - 4Music - C52
Stockland's channels are 26, 23, 29(HD), 25, 22, 28.
If it turns out that one or more channels are tuned to Stockland Hill then run the automatic tuning scan with the aerial unplugged for the first 30% so it doesn't pick them up.