All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Tom,Horsham: I had a look around and found that the document from Ofcom that lists every service from every transmitter. Ch50 from Midhurst (ArqB: Yesterday etc) will be restricted to 1kW until 25th April. Thus, if you haven't been able to pick it up before then, you will need to tune it in on that date. A manual tune to Ch50 should work (no need for a full scan). If this is a simple power increase, then if you have already picked it up, then no retuning will be necessary.
Just as a warning: Ch59 (ArqA: Pick TV etc) will be on its full power (10kW) after switchover, but will have "a reactive power restriction of 5kW if required" up until 20th June.
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David: The designers of these things need locking in a room with a 1,000 of them and told to tune them using real-world signals such as is presented at your location!
Fortunately, Frome uses low channel numbers and Mendip high ones and this means that a workaround is to start the automatic tuning scan with the aerial unplugged and then plug it in at 50%.
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adrian: For lots of information on aerials, see ATV Sheffield: www.aerialsandtv.com
Go to the "Digital Transmitters" link (ATV) on the left where you will see a guide for aerial types to use on transmitters including Winter Hill.
Based solely on the Digital UK Tradeview preditor (click the link next to your posting), you need to receive from either Winter Hill or Lancaster as both give all the channels. Winter Hill gets 100 scores across the board, so you probably want to be aiming for it (I base this statement only having looked at the predictor - it should be used as a guide only!).
Have a look around to see what neighbours are on. Also look around for local obstructions which won't be taken into account with the predictor. Trees and buildings in the way need to be avoided if possible.
I plotted the signal path using Megalithia and it says you have line of sight:
Terrain - shows radio profile between two UK sites to optimise you DTT, Freeview, DAB or analogue TV reception
"Base station" is your end. You need to convert your location to an OS grid reference and select Winter Hill.
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adrian: I'm not an aerial installer myself, so what I say is pretty much what I'd do in your situation if I was going to DIY.
I had a look around the area on Streetview and I couldn't see anything much bigger than a 10 element "crappy" contract. Bear in mind that many of these aerials would have worked with the lower power signals before switchover. The ground looks pretty flat and the Megalithia website does suggest that you have line of sight with the top of the transmitter.
Having done your research, I would speak to the guys at ATV. Also explain the lengths of cable you are likely to use, where you're intending putting your aerial. It is also quite likely that you will be able to feed more than one room from a non-powered splitter. If you think you might do this, then say so along with the length of cable-runs.
On the basis of what I've seen, my inclination is that you probably want a Log 40 or you might even find a DM Log works just fine. ATV don't sell contract aerials; the logs are what they would use instead. As I say, I'm not an aerial installer and this is based on what I know and the logical deduction arrived at based on what others in the area appear to be using.
Winter Hill is a C/D transmitter (at present), but with the likelihood that the powers that be will be auctioning off channels around 31 to 37 for future use, you might find yourself at a disadvantage if you put a C/D aerial up. I would say that you should only use such a group aerial if you are in a poor signal area where it might be necessary and from what I've seen, you're not.
Logs have pretty flat gain curves, whereas wideband yagis don't. So a wideband log should work in the future, should Winter Hill start using channels much lower than C/D.
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andrew nash: The BBC Reception website says that there are no problems with Mendip (its BBC services at least that is).
BBC (Ch61), ITV1, C4 etc (Ch54) HD services (CH58), SDN: ITV3 etc (Ch48) are all at their final full power of 100kW.
Arq A: Pick TV etc (Ch67) is at 26kW until 28th March when it will move to Ch56 on its final power of 100kW.
Arq B: Yesterday etc (Ch52) is at 25.7kW until 28th March when it will go up to its final full power of 100kW.
Digital UK says that there is no work scheduled at Mendip. (Ch48 ar)
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Peter Henderson: Your model is on the list of downloads:
DTG :: DTT Receiver Downloads
I wonder if the two events are connected....
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Carol Stanwell, Peter Henderson: I suggest that you look to see if you have the latest firmware version, as given by the list of downloads that are happening now:
DTG :: DTT Receiver Downloads
If the answer is no, you have an earlier version, then I suggest that it might be updating the firmware which is why it is non-responsive.
Do you switch the device off at the wall? If you do, looking to see if there are firmware updates is perhaps one of the things it does when you turn it on (at the mains).
Leave it turned on at the mains over the period that the update is broadcast (as shown on the list). That way it should update the firmware when you aren't using it.
Then check the firmware version and see if it has changed and updated to that which was broadcast.
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Sara Rose: I responded to the posting you made yesterday:
Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
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Wednesday 11 January 2012 5:29PM
Sara Rose: I think that you will probably have to live with it as these services are currently on low power (that is lower than their final power). There would seem little point in doing anything because the power of the commercial multiplexes goes up on 18th April.
Note that all three commercial multiplexes are on the same low power, so the one you don't have has (to your TV) probably dropped just below the threshold that your TV needs to show a picture. That could be to do with a drop in the level getting to your location from the transmitter. A look on the signal strength screen might tell you that there is a weak signal there.
The only thing that you can do is check you cables. Further guidance here:
Freeview reception has changed? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice