All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Tony Ashby: I should point out that your are missing a single multiplex.
Refer to this page for the services by multiplex (those with a bullet under "E"/England apply):
DMOL Post-DSO Multiplex Channel Allocations
As you have ITV3 and Yesterday, you must have COM4 and COM6.
For the UHF channel numbers of each of the multiplexes from Hastings, follow this link (click the word "Hastings") to its transmitter page.
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Campbell Thomson: I understand that the BT Vision box is not a HD receiver and therefore the HD services are not receivable with it.
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Tim Collins: We can't be totally sure that this is co-channel interference. Even if the interfering signal were to be strong enough to show a picture, it won't because your receiver is waiting for the signal from Rowridge.
If you are tempted to rescan, then you "might" find a foreign multiplex on the channel that you are having difficulty. Obviously retuning isn't advised in such circumstances as it will leave you without the receiver tuned to what you want, so it's up to you.
The thing with inversion is that it isn't that the signal travels further, but that the signal which normally goes up into space gets bounced back down to earth:
High pressure causing channel loss through "Inversion" | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice
This page might be of interest:
Rowridge Transmitter
This PDF lists transmitters in France:
http://tvignaud.pagespers….pdf
Most are horizontally polarised and those that are vertically polarised are low power ones, so won't be an issue with inversion. The "PAR" column gives the power in kW. R1 through to R6 and L8 are the multiplexes.
Having your aerial vertically polarised should help "rejection" of interfering horizontal signals.
Obviously get in a professional or at least someone who is proficient in going on the roof safely.
The reflection I was thinking of was that of Whitehawk, perhaps on another building reflecting back to your aerial (which faces the other way), although I said that without thinking that Whitehawk is vertical only and your aerial is horizontal, so that's unlikely.
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Mazbar: Of course water getting into a cable needs sorting, irrespective of any other factor that may be affecting reception.
I don't recall advising anyone to check their aerial. The nearest I have gone to this is advising people using Rowridge that switching their aerial to vertical may help. Granted, a qualification that this should be done by a professional or at least someone proficient in going up on to the roof safely may be wise.
As you say, there are some who are not suitably qualified in going on the roof and unable to appreciate that, as a result, they should not go on the roof.
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Tony Ashby: It difficult to say how it might have arisen. I would be much more concerned should you loose reception of this or any other multiplex.
The only logical explanation is that you lost reception of COM5 when you did the scan. Whether this is indicative of the possibility that you may have hit and miss reception, only time will tell.
Dave HD is not available on Freeview and isn't likely to be soon (if ever)!
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Campbell Thomson: If your window faces the west (at the end of the building), and you are high up, it might be worth trying a set-top aerial to see if the Commercial channels (those that Newhaven doesn't carry) can be picked up from Whitehawk Hill, which is adjacent to Brighton Racecourse.
Between you and Whitehawk is the ridge to the west of the Ouse at Newhaven (which is where the Newhaven transmitter sits). This ridge is reducing the likelihood of reception from Whitehawk at your location (due to it being in the way). At around about 40m to 50m off the ground you are about the height required to "see" Whitehawk over this ridge. Thus, the lower you are, the more you sit behind it and lower your chances of reception are.
If you have a digital (Freeview) TV that allows manual tuning, then it might be worth pointing a set-top aerial towards Whitehawk and manually tuning to UHF channels (equivalent to frequencies) 57, 56 and 48 which is what the three "missing" groups of Commercial channels are on from this transmitter.
As Whitehawk and Newhaven are inline with one another, if you do successfully manage to get these three (Commercial) channels, you may be able to tune to Newhaven for the other (Public Service) channels, so as to give you ITV Meridian Maidstone (Whitehawk broadcasts ITV Meridian Southampton). This may require a little trickery to achieve, but the first thing would be to see if 57, 56 and 48 can be picked up from Whitehawk.
I understand that BT Vision boxes don't have manual tune, so this may be more difficult. Using a TV or box with manual tune might be useful to test for reception in the first place.
It is worth mentioning that set-top aerials can be hit and miss. Sometimes they can work well and in other places they can work at times and not at others. But desparate times call for desparate measures.
I have one of these Labgear ones (other sellers are available!) that I use if a fixed aerial isn't available:
Set Top Aerial Labgear | eBay
You should have the aerial set vertically for Newhaven and Whitehawk. It should be pointed in the direction of the narrower end (the end which the wire is attached).
Failing reception from Whitehawk, I'm not at all sure whether it may be possible with a set-top aerial at 64 miles, but Rowridge on the Isle of Wight is 30 degrees anti-clockwise of Newhaven and Whitehawk and its three Commercial channels (for manual tuning) are 25, 22 and 28. Again, your aerial should be vertical for Rowridge. If this works, you may well be able to tune to Newhaven for Public Service channels with the single aerial.
As I say, all the above may be a last-ditch attempt at receiving the full Freeview service, which obviously carries no guarantee of reliable reception. If you're on the first few floors or face north-east or south-east only, then chances are practically non-existant.
If you do try this it might be worth turning off your Home Hub if it's near by, so that the wireless part isn't likely to interfere. Same goes for Power Plugs if you have them. If you manage reception and find that you loose it when the Hub is switched on, then you will have to look at relocating it.
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Campbell Thomson: I'm not a qualified professional on TV reception but a technically-orientated person and as such I generally try things to see if they work.
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Campbell Thomson: If you have a TV or box with manual tuning, attempt a manual tune to UHF channel 48 (from Whitehawk) with it connected directly to the roof-top aerial.
And look in the 800s to see if there are any of the "missing" Commercial channels like ITV3, Pick TV and Yesterday.
Newhaven now uses channels 40, 43, and 50. For the former analogue it used 39, 41, 43 and 45.
If the aerial system has a filter in place and it lets all channels through in the range of Newhaven, then it "might" also let through 48 as it is within the range used by Newhaven. C48 from Whitehawk carries the two Sky Sports channels which I understand are part of the BT Vision service.
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Nick: Sudbury's COMs' power goes up this Wednesday which is when Dover completes switchover.
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Saturday 23 June 2012 8:45PM
Tony Ashby: Dave is carried on COM5 (ArqA) multiplex which is on UHF channel 26 from Hastings transmitter. So if your receiver has manual tuning, attempt a tune to C26.