All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Jeff: I've taken the postcode as LA19 5UE.
The Commercial (COM) channels (those that are unavailable in Bootle) are not available to all who can receive Freeview -- they are carried by 81 of the largest transmitters and there's no chance of using an alternative transmitter which carries all channels in Bootle. Indeed, judging by predictions and the terrain, reception could be flakey, owing to not having line-of-sight with both Gosforth or Whitehaven transmitters, this being obstructed by the high ground over which the A595 runs, south of Swallowhurst.
I have covered why we have a two-tier system here:
Londonderry (Northern Ireland) Freeview Light transmitter | UK Free TV
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Chris: A "coverage area" is a rough guide -- it's much more a question of whether one is able to receive at a particular spot and how easy/difficult that might be owing to objects in the way.
Here is a terrain plot between you at Winter Hill:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
The ground around 3 and 3.5 miles out is just in the way and this corresponds to Cowpe Lowe. Further -- and again this is simply a guide -- Digital UK Coverage Checker suggests you might have excellent reception.
You might get away with an indoor aerial. I would suggest that without a doubt a log periodic aerial such as the Log 36 or DM Log:
ATV`s Choice Of Aerials for digital TV
Other suppliers are available. ATV has lots of information on the site to help DIYers.
I believe that the "Log 36" is a Vision model:
TV Aerials Catalogue ? Vision Products - Powerful Products. Easy Installation. Excellent Value
The "DM Log" is manufactured by Blake.
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Juliet: Well then, you could conceivably use your VHS VCR with a Freeview receiver set-top box.
If you were to get a PVR I would go with a HD one because more and more services will become high definition. If you have a TV which is capable of showing HD pictures but does not have the capability to receive them then a separate PVR which can receive HD will give you access to HD pictures on some channels (True Entertainment not among them).
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Juliet: Of course, with a Freeview PVR you have the on-screen programme guide which you can select programmes from to record.
This is much more straightforward than with the VCR which means programming start and end times, along with turning on the connected set-top receiver and putting it on the right channel.
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Kevin Grant: Digital UK publishes details of engineering works:
Digital UK - Planned Engineering Works
For last week Whitehawk is "Possible weak signal".
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robert downing: No, never. See here for an explanation:
Londonderry (Northern Ireland) Freeview Light transmitter | UK Free TV
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James: That's because the "Yorkshire" multiplex closed!
DAB radio changes in Yorkshire as MXR closes | RadioToday
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Thursday 9 July 2015 8:37PM
Steve: A full list of Freeview services is published by Digital UK here:
Digital UK Industry - Channel listings
Ordering by multiplex would suggest you are only receiving PSB2 (D3&4) as the first service on that mux is logical channel 3 and the last is 33 (with other services on other multiplexes interleaved).
At 5.5 miles you would appear to have clear line-of-sight to the transmitter on Bluebell Hill. I would suggest, therefore, that perhaps the problem is too high a signal strength and that some attenuation is in order.
Before you do, however, you should go to the manual tuning screen and enter/select the UHF channel numbers of the Bluebell Hill multiplexes but don't press the button to scan/add services as in this state the receiver should act like a simple signal meter, giving you an idea of strength and quality. View each for a period of a minute maybe and see if it varies.
PSB1 - BBC One - C46
PSB2 - ITV - C43
PSB3 - BBC One HD - C40
COM4 - ITV3 - C45
COM5 - Pick - C39
COM6 - 4Music - C54
COM7 - BBC News HD - C32
COM8 - QVC + 1 HD - C34
PSB1 through to COM6 are at 20kW, COM7 is at 4kW and COM8 is at 5kW, according to Digital UK Coverage Checker.