All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
stuart jones: Motors TV on logical channel 71 is carried on the new quasi-national "HD" multiplex COM7, and as such it requires a Freeview HD (DVB-T2) receiver. Motors on logical channel 240 is carried on COM4, the same multiplex as ITV3 and others.
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Margaret Toney: Without knowledge of your location, preferably in the form of postcode, it's not possible to make any suggestions as to what could be the cause! We don't know which transmitter you're using so have no idea whether it has engineering work ongoing. You could be tuned to the wrong transmitter. There are other possibilities...
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Mike O'Sullivan: I think that the relay transmitter in Calne, mentioned by MikeP, doesn't serve your daughter, and that she is in fact in an area served by Mendip.
A terrain plot would suggest that there might be clear line-of-sight at 27 miles, obstructions on the ground excepted:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
The yellow line is between the receiving aerial and transmitter. The area between the yellow line and pink line is the first Fresnel Zone and anything within it could potentially cause issues with reception.
Thus, anything on the ground up to 2 miles out could cause difficulty. This is anywhere up to Bowden Hill. Along this line there are many trees, and trees change by growing and moving, so reception could be difficult and potentially variable. Click "View a map of area..." below the plot to see the line between the two points.
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Billy: Digital UK publishes information about engineering works here:
Digital UK - Planned Engineering Works
The STV Central region has no works indicated.
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Mike O'Sullivan: Of course, it doesn't mean the aerial isn't the problem. What I've said is simply making you/her aware of what sort of reception location it appears to be. Obviously with deciduous trees the signal might be worse in summer when the leaves are present.
It might be worth asking the landlord if they have any knowledge of the issue.
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Mike: In order to maximise your broadband speed you should take the steps that are within your control, if they haven't already been carried out and are relevant.
This includes disconnecting the bell wire and not using any flat (non-twisted) extension leads for non-filtered parts of your wiring.
If you have the simplest setup which is just one filter plugging into the master socket, no extensions, and therefore phone and router plugged directly into the master socket then this doesn't apply.
More detailed guidance can be given with knowledge of your wiring setup.
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Gillian: A terrain plot shows quite a few obstructions by the terrain alone, with objects on the ground no doubt being in the way as well:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
At 10 miles away you have the high ground of Bredenbury. And between 4 and 7 miles out there is also ground in the way.
As signals travel in straight lines, you are having to rely on them bending around the obstructions. Different frequencies bend to differing degrees and changes to the objects they are bending around can result in changes in reception.
While, as MikeB says, it could be your aerial system at fault, variable reception may be an occupational hazard.
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John Rice: If it's a reception issue then you will also have lost BBC One HD, BBC Two HD, ITV HD, Channel 4 HD and CBBC HD/BBC Three HD as they are all carried on the same multiplex.
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John Rice: Sorry, scrap that, I was thinking of Film4+1. Film4 is carried on PSB2 (D3&4) along with ITV, Channel 4 etc.
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Monday 29 June 2015 6:43PM
Floris: I would suggest that you would have to be terribly unlucky not to receive a good signal so close to the transmitter!
So much so that you should NOT purchase an indoor aerial which has an in-built booster (amplifier). You should also be aware that you could potentially have too high a signal level, owing to being so close to the transmitter, and that this can appear as if the signal were too small, what with the signal level and quality level potentially constantly dipping downwards.
The preferable part of the building as far as reception goes is the side on which the transmitter is. That's not to say you won't receive at the other side. And hopefully with nothing metallic within the wall.
A set-top aerial is a possibility. Or if there's somewhere inside to mount an aerial (facing the transmitter through a wall) then this would be ideal at only 40cm long:
Labgear Mini-Compact Log Periodic Aerial | TV Aerials & Freeview | Screwfix.com