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 newton: That is because the engineering messages are from the BBC; which is what the "[BBC]" means. The BBC only provides reports of work that is affecting or will affect its own services.
Digital UK does not mention Bilsdale has having any work carried out at all.
There is another report made an hour ago about loss of the channels you mention, although the person has not said which transmitter he is using, Bilsdale looks pretty likely:
Seaham digital switchover date | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
And another about issues with all channels this morning:
My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+1, has no sound or the channel line up is wrong | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
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david newton: You are predicted as being able to receive Yorkshire Region programming from Oliver's Mount now.
Oliver's Mount is one of a few stations that has seen the power of its digital services post-switchover being higher than that of former analogue ones. This means that its coverage area will have increased. So if you couldn't pick it up before, you might be able to get it now if you would to change region.
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Kev: Do not adjust your sets!
There have been reports made on this website of issues with reception of ITV1, C4, C5 etc from Bilsdale today.
There are no planned changes with the signals from Bilsdale that will require retuning until 26th September, which is the first stage of switchover.
If you do encounter poor reception, the best thing is not to retune.
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Kev: See above for Joh K Slater's posting this morning.
It seems that there's engineering work going on, perhaps allowed due to the good weather.
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A: You say that Whitehawk Hill appears to provide Saltdean with a ITV. What makes you say that?
Refer to the post-switchover list of multiplexes:
DTG :: DTT Services by Multiplex
ITV1+1 is carried on PSB2 (D3&4), as is ITV1, so your TV would expect to be tuned to the same signal for both. The same goes for Channel 4, Channel 5, More 4 etc.
The predictor suggests that you can't receive from Whitehawk. Saltdean is a Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) only transmitter; it does not carry the Commercial (COM) multiplexes.
So if your aerial is pointing at Saltdean and your receiver has tuned in the COMs, then they are coming from elsewhere. For reliable reception, your aerial should point in the direction from which the signal is coming from. Therefore, you might consider a replacement aerial to receive the COMs, *if* there is a transmitter whose signals reach you.
The best way to find out which transmitter each service is coming from is to look at the UHF channel on the strength screen.
For Saltdean BBC One is C55, ITV1 is C54 and HD services are C58.
You say that you have ITV1+1 from Southampton. Is this on C27 by any chance? If so, then it is coming from Rowridge.
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Jan Clay: If you are receiving from Tacolneston you should select "Anglia".
There are perhaps some clues carried in the answers to these questions:
- What BBC and ITV regions do you normally watch?
- You say that your TV is tuned in correctly. Go to BBC One on the TV and then bring up the signal strength screen. It will say which UHF channel (frequency) it is tuned to. Do the same for ITV1.
If BBC One is on C55 and ITV1 on C59, then the TV is tuned to Tacolneston and you will be watching BBC East and ITV Angia. You need to select "Anglia". Tacolneston is south east from your location and your aerial will be horizontal (elements flat).
If BBC One is on C49 and ITV1 on C46, then the TV is tuned to King's Lynn transmitter which serves a small area. It is located at Sandringham and your aerial will be vertical (elements upwards). You need to select "Anglia" for this transmitter. King's Lynn does not broadcast all services, so you may be missing the Commercial channels, or they may be subject to poor reception.
If BBC One is on C22 and ITV1 on C25, then the TV is tuned to Belmont which is near Louth which is north west from you. You will receive BBC One Yorkshire (Look North from Hull) and ITV Yorkshire. You need to select "E Yorks & Lincs". Your aerial will be horizontal (elements flat).
I think it is unlikely that you will be served by the transmitters that identify themselves as "Cambridgeshire" and "Bedfordshire".
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Bryan: Some services are on low power from Sandy Heath and this will be the case until 9th May.
Services are broadcast in groups known as multiplexes. Each multiplex is a single signal, therefore if you will have the same reception issue with all services on the same multiplex.
There are five standard definition multiplexes and one high definition one. See here for a list of which services are carried in each:
DTG :: DTT Services by Multiplex
COM4/SDN is on low power until 9th May. Is this the one you are having issues with? If so, then there's probably not alot you can do other than try swapping the aerial lead with the one in the bedroom.
Perhaps the signal level coming down the aerial lead is around that at which your receiver fails to show a picture and therefore a tiny reduction makes it unable to resolve a picture.
Some devices have built-in signal boosters. If this is the case here, then there is nothing to be lost by trying it on for that multiplex until the transmission power goes up.
If you are watching the channel you're having trouble with on your TV and it disappears, you could try connecting the incoming aerial feed (from the wall socket) directly to the TV (instead of via the PVR).
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Charmian Martin: The COMs will remain on the same channels and they are all in 8k mode now, so you shouldn't need to do anything.
The Forward Error Correction for SDN (ITV3 etc) will change on 18th April, but receivers usually don't require retuning when that happens, so you will probably have to do nothing.
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Joe: Try putting a variable attentuator inline with your aerial and adjusting if, seeing if it's possible to improve reception of ArqA (E4+1, Dave etc) and even get ArqB back (Yesterday, 4Music, VIVA etc).
For a few pounds it is probably worth a shot:
VARIABLE ATTENUATOR TV SIGNAL REDUCER 20dB 3 5 6 9 10 12 15 18 DIGITAL FREEVIEW | eBay
It may be that the high power signals are acting to desensitise your receiver (reduce its sensitivity) which then makes it unable to pick up the weaker signals.
Attenuating the incoming signals might reduce the strong ones enough to allow reception of the weaker ones. It is obviously a balance that is needing to be struck of which there is no guarantee that it is possible because the attenuator reduces everything, including the weaker signals.
If you try this, then whilst adjusting the attenuator, monitor the strength/quality of ArqA to get it to its best. You will need to give it 10 seconds or so to catch up with the change you have made. Then manually tune to channel 63 which is ArqB. You may find that further adjustment will improve reception of ArqB.
The situation with low power of COM services will remain until 27th June.
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Sunday 25 March 2012 7:13PM
jb38: The device in question is a Sony RDR-HXD870.
This brings me on to another point. In this forum a number of people have reported issues with Humax devices repeatedly freezing on a particular day; usually Wednesday.
I observed that on the same day, a firmware update was broadcast for the model(s) in question.
As a logical thinking technical person I wondered whether the two were linked. I asked if these people switch their machines off at the wall when not in use. I have to date not had any response to confirm either way whether it was the firmware upgrading process that was inconveniencing their viewing and for which they probably powered it off at the wall again to get it to work.
It stands to reason that during the upgrade process of firmware, any device will be innoperable. Does it sound feasible that these experiences are caused by the firmware upgrading process, for which, apparently, the device has attempted a number of times, only to have its power disconnected?
I should point out that I would leave my device powered on at the wall if there were a way to opt out of the Updates at 2am and 5am. I switch it on at the wall when I get up and usually don't use it immediately; the objective being so as to allow it to update/build up the EPG as well as being ready to record the programmes that I've set.