All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
M D Tomlin: That model will not operate in 8k mode which is used after switchover. On 18th April all services will be in 8k mode and so the TV's in-built tuner will be of no use.
Your model appears on Digital UK's list of 2k equipment http://www.digitaluk.co.u…ment
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Andrew P: There are two categories of terrestrial television service in the UK:
- Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) which BBC, ITV1, Channel 4 and Channel 5 and whose transmitters also carry ITV1+1, ITV2, E4, More 4 and HD variants.
- Commercial broadcasters (COMs), such as Film 4, Dave, ITV3, Pick TV and so on.
The PSBs broadcast from all transmitters that were in service prior to switchover (barring a tiny few) and at transmission powers that allow the signal to serve the same areas as the former analogue.
The COMs on the other hand broadcast from 80 of the largest transmitters (by viewer population). They cover 90% of the population this way. They were asked if they wished to transmit from more sites and declined. The cost of them transmitting from the 1000 or so small relays like Haslemere would roughly double their cost of transmission. As there objective is profit from advertising it is little wonder that they did what they did.
For a more in-depth explanation, see Will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
To come back to your original question, Haslemere relays Midhurst's PSBs, but not its COMs. Thus, if you can receive the PSBs from Midhurst you would be watching the same programmes.
What I suggest that you do is use the Midhurst aerial exclusively. It's an "aerial" by the way; "arial" is a computer typeface.
The COMs from Midhurst are lower power than the PSBs. So if you can get the weaker COMs, then you should be OK with the PSBs.
See here the "After switchover configuration":
Freeview multiplexes | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
The COMs are SDN, ArqA and ArqB. ArqB is on low low power until 25th April, so you may not receive it until then. If Yesterday and others don't appear in your receiver's listings by that date, then don't perform a full re-scan then, just use the manual tune function (if available) and tune to C50 to add those services.
The only possible thing is that the receiver might decide to receive PSBs from Haslemere and COMs from Midhurst even though you are only using a single aerial on Midhurst. To avoid this possibility, run the automatic tuning scan with the aerial lead unplugged up to 55%.
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Steve Cheshire: I think that your exclamation mark after the mention of "booster box" says it all!
See Freeview signals: too much of a good thing is bad for you | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
It may be that the signal level going into the amp/booster is too high (for the amp itself), therefore reducing the signal level going into your TV by use of an attentuator probably won't cure the problem.
Is the purpose of the amplifier to provide multiple outlets? If so, then perhaps a non-powered splitter will be better.
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Alan: Pick TV is one of a number of services in the ArqA multiplex (or group). See Freeview multiplexes | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for others.
On 28th March ArqA changed UHF channel (frequency) so I wonder if this had an affect on your reception.
Some sets require a factory reset whereas others don't in order to cope with this sort of change. The concern being that remnants of the old services stay in the memory.
Before you do this, try manual tuning (if you receiver allows) to UHF channel 56 as that is what it is on now.
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Eddie: If you be more specific about your location, preferably full post code.
It would also be useful to know exactly which groups (multiplexes or "muxes") of programme channels that you are missing.
See "Before switchover configuration" and identify which you have and which you are missing, including which you had in the past and perhaps those which you have never had:
Freeview multiplexes | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
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AJ: Can you be more specific as to your location, preferably in the form of post code so as reception possibilities may be checked upon?
For Reigate your aerial will need changing to vertical. If your aerial on Midhurst is Group C/D then that may well not pick up some of Reigate's channels, even if they are available at your location. Until 18th April, analogue is available from Reigate and may be a better test to see if you can receive from that station. The remaining analogue channels (except Channel 5) are in Group C/D.
Reigate completed its first stage of switchover on 4th April and completes on 18th April. Thus its full power post switchover BBC multiplex is now on the air on C60. This is within Group if your aerial is a C/D one. So if you can pick this up, then this might bode well come 18th April.
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Terry NG: I would wait until Wednesday before doing anything as then all services will be on full power from Crystal Palace and Reigate.
That said, BBC A multiplex (standard definition) services are on full post-switchover power now. Try manually tuning to C23. If the manual tune screen shows signal strength/quality when you enter 23, then see whether it is there but low. Not all receivers have manual tuning.
See this plot:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
In the direction of CP, the ground goes upwards and blocks the signal path. The transmission attennas for the pre-switchover multiplexes are lower down than the post switchover and analogue ones, so the obstruction is likely to be greater for them.
How is your analogue reception of BBC One, ITV1 and Channel 4 (and BBC Two previously)?
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AJ: Ah, it's an equipment issue!
If you're looking to try and receive from Reigate, and you want to DIY it, then have a look at ATV Sheffield's site for information and products: Digital TV Transmitters Nationwide Page 2
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Idris: I went to Google and put in <<formula 1 broadcasters>>
List of Formula One broadcasters - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Thursday 12 April 2012 10:07PM
m kinsella: If you run the scan and unplug at 30%, you should have the aerial unplugged for channels/frequencies above CP. If you are still picking up Meridian then, without confirmation, I would assume that it is picking up the Meridian from Bluebell Hill which is within the window you have your aerial plugged in for. Channels are as follows:
22 CP ITV1 [Mux 2]
23 CP BBC One (full power) [BBC A]
24 BB ITV1
27 BB ITV3
28 CP BBC Four [Mux B] - probably not needed
29 CP Yesterday [Mux D]
32 CP ITV3 [Mux A]
34 CP Pick TV [Mux C]
Channel scan is 21 to 69. Unplugging at 30% is around C35.
I suggest that you are seeking to avoid C24 and C27, as above. This is why I suggest you check which channel ITV Meridian is on.
If so, then I would run the tuning scan with the aerial unplugged, plug in at 15% and unplug at 30%. This will have your aerial unplugged for 24 and 27 (which you don't want). It will also have missed out BBC from CP, so you need to go to manual tune and tune to C23 to add this.
Likewise, ITV1 will be missing, so go to manual tune again and go to C22. If you are missing Yesterday on number 12, then manual tune to C29. And ITV3 is C32.
See here for list of services on each mux:
Freeview multiplexes | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
Mux B on C28 is probably not needed as it duplicates services already on BBC A (C23).