All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
R Turner: No, stay with Crystal Palace.
Hughenden will only transmit the Public Service Broadcaster multiplexes which carry BBC, ITV1, ITV2, C4, E4, More4, C5, HD and a few others.
The power increase from Crystal Palace at switchover should hopefully smooth out any intermittent signals you are receiving from it.
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Jono Metcalfe: What you've been told is correct. Freeview is a non-subscription terrestrial service; i.e. its signals come from transmitters on the ground and therefore requires a terrestrial aerial.
There is a non-subscription satellite service called Freesat for which a Sky dish can be used. Sky also has a non-subscription service called "Freesat from Sky".
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Nick: Let us know the model number of the LG set and I will see if I can locate the specification and user manual on the internet so as to help answer your query.
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David C: Someone else has posted a message about an issue with a Toshiba set giving notification of updates:
Freeview on Selkirk TV transmitter | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
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Dawn Bonham: Around 8% of the population can only get the Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) services because the commercial broadcasters don't wish to install transmitters to cover them.
However, I'm not convinced that this affects you as there are no small transmitters in your area that only carry the PSBs.
In order to give a more precise answer, an exact location is required. As too is the transmitter from which you are receiving your signal. If the transmitter is unknown, then the direction of the aerial along with the location should allow it to be worked out.
If it is the commercial channels that you are missing, then perhaps you are receiving from Oxford transmitter. I say this because its commercial services are on low power until 18th April. This is so as to avoid interference with another transmitter that has yet to switch over to digital and is therefore using the same frequencies until then.
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Lesley Schoonderbeek: The broadcasters of the channels you can't get decide where they transmit from. They serve about 90% of the population from about 80 transmitters. For them to broadcast from the remaining 1000 or so small relays would roughly double the cost of transmission. They were invited to increase their coverage and declined.
See here for a more in depth explanation:
Will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
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Hs: You're probably picking up Sandy Heath. It has already switched over to digital, so its signal is full power (equivalent of its former analogue service).
In April the power of Crystal Palace will be increased (to the equivalent of the current analogue) and your problems will hopefully be over.
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Bryan Preston: 27th June all Freeview channels become available to you. Two weeks before on 13th June BBC Two analogue will be switched off and replaced with BBC standard definition TV and radio digital channels.
There are alternative non-subscription satellite services. There is Freesat and "Freesat from Sky" so you don't have to pay subscription in order to have satellite television.
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Thursday 26 January 2012 12:26PM
ian ayres: The problem is that water tends to be low down which is where (generally speaking) signals are at their lowest. And the whip antenna is very poor and will only work in the strongest areas. And it's usually only mounted vertically (many areas require horizontal aerials).
It really does depend on where you are as to what your chances are. Set-top aerials by their very nature are smaller and therefore less sensitive than the ones you put outside. There are no guarantees of success; all you can do is take steps to increase your chances within the bounds of any restrictions such as the size of the aerial.
It's probably impractical to mount something like this on a pole or stick into the ground:
TV Aerials for Boats and Caravans
Personally, for a set-top aerial I would always go for one that is directional, polarised and does NOT incorporate an amplifier. Basically, they're ones that look like smaller versions of the types you see on roof-tops. You can point in one particular direction, are flat and can be mounted horizontally or vertically depending on the transmitter being received from.
I have a Labgear one like this:
Set Top Aerial Labgear | eBay
I suggest that you might well need to raise it above the ground by fixing it on to the end of a stick or pole. You might need a short aerial extension such as those supplied with video recorders.
Knowing the transmitter(s) in the area is useful. You might be able to tune in the TV beforehand in a location where you can receive from the transmitter that best serves the location you intend to fish (if any). The thing with tuning a TV is that you need to be in a location where the signal can be received in order to tune to it. But to put your aerial where it will pick up a signal, you need your TV to be tuned so you can move the aerial to best effect.
Mobile phones in close proximity are likely to interfere when they are transmitting.