All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
JANE OSBORN: It is worth ensuring that your receiver(s) is/are tuned to the transmitter to which the aerial faces.
It would appear, based on Google Streetview photos that Mendip, which is is a westerly direction, is what is mainly used in your area. However, Hannington may be possible and it is in the opposite direction. Therefore, you could perhaps be picking up Hannington off the back of your aerial and if so, it is this which needs correcting.
The only thing I will say, as far as Mendip goes, is that we've had a lot of reports of poor or non-existant reception of BBC standard definition services since the change on 27 March, these particularly, although not exclusively, emanating from viewers on the south-west side of the transmitter.
Observe the tuned UHF channel number on the signal strength screen whilst on the following:
PSB1 | BBC One | Mendip=C49 | Hannington=C45
PSB2 | ITV | Mendip=C54 | Hannington=C42
PSB3 | BBC One HD | Mendip=C58 | Hannington=C39
COM4 | ITV3 | Mendip=C48 | Hannington=C41
COM5 | Pick TV | Mendip=C56 | Hannington=C44
COM6 | Yesterday | Mendip=C52 | Hannington=C47
It could, perhaps, have picked up Hannington because it was found first during the scan. Rectification may come in the form of manual tuning, or unplug the aerial for the first 55% of the scan. The latter solution may be tricky considering that Hannington's highest channel is 47 and Mendip's lowest is 48. If you have manual tuning then you may be able to add any missing ones from Mendip that way.
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Bill McIntyre: Read through previous postings on this site and you will see that the likely answer is as a marketing ploy to get you to subscribe to Sky!!
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Fiona: Reception is not the broadcasters' responsibility; it is the viewer's responsibility.
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Sam Coombes: If you cannot receive satellite and you cannot receive reliable terrestrial, then I suppose that the only medium left is the internet.
However, the first thing is to check that your receiver is tuned to the transmitter to which the aerial faces. Also, it may be that the transmitter only carries PSB channels, or that it carries COMs, but that they are likely not to be reliable at your location.
For a full list of Freeview services, see:
DTG :: DTT Services by Multiplex
This lists services by multiplex (PSB/COM).
If your transmitter is PSB-only, is it only COMs that are unreliable? If this is the case then the question must be one of can you get a reliable service from the other, full-service, transmitter? If not then you'll only get the PSBs.
Knowledge of your location in the form of postcode may allow a more accurate answer. I have been general because I have no idea which applies due to not knowing your location.
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WJ Freeman: Communal systems can be filtered so as to only allow through the frequencies used by the designated transmitter.
The PSB2 multiplex (ITV, C4, C5 etc) from King's Western changed frequency last Wednesday, but the BBC one didn't. The PSB1 multiplex (which carries standard definition BBC services) changed frequency from Mendip, but the others did not.
With this in mind, I wonder if the aerial faces Mendip and not King's Western, both of which may be possibilities at the location.
For receivers with a manual tune function, BBC is on C49 from Mendip and C43 from King's Western. Having entered/selected the channel number, before pressing the button to scan/OK, wait and see if the receiver gives an indication of strength/quality as many receivers act as a signal meter before scanning.
To find out which transmitter is being used, in addition to observing the aerial, you may be able to view on the signal strength screen the UHF channel (frequency) being received for ITV. For Mendip it is C54 and for King's Western it is C40.
Either way, if it is a communal aerial and it is that which is the issue then the only thing to do is contact the party responsible for it.
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Mr E Dinnis: The reason is likely to be that the Sony has decided to tune to Stockland Hill transmitter, for BBC standard definition TV and radio services, at least.
The reason I say this is because Stockland carries BBC South West whose regional news programme is Spotlight.
The Stockland transmitter uses low frequencies which are within the first third of the scan. Have the aerial lead out for the first 50% of the scan.
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Fiona: Since Wednesday, there have been quite a few reports on this site for poor or non-existant reception of the BBC services on C49, and some of difficulty with C48 also. There are quite a few (not all) of these on the south-west side of the transmitter.
Obviously we can't say whether this is or isn't due to an issue with the transmitter.
There are some viewers who may find that their aerials need adjustment:
- those using a communal aerial system
- those with a Mendip aerial which is combined (into the same feed/downlead cable) with another aerial which points to another transmitter
If one of the above applies then it could be the cause of your difficulty. If so then I can elaborate further as to the reason, if you wish.
Out of interest, how was C48 prior to Wednesday? Do you know if it went poorer following these changes?
Failing the above, BBC Engineering's number is 0370 010 0123 (or at least it was at one time).
The BBC is only responsible for, and only reports on, its transmitters. It is not likely to be interested in poor COM4 (ITV3 etc) signal on C48. However, perhaps if there is a fault, then there is a common cause and so if the BBC one is fixed, so too will that of COM4.
Understandably, the broadcasters are likely to receive calls from people with reception issues, but it is not broadcasters' responsibilites to fix viewers' aerials. However, "if" this issue is one which is caused by a fault at the transmitter, it is clearly the broadcasters which need to know and rectify it.
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Sam Coombes: It's a picturesque part of the world you live in. However, based on predictions, it doesn't look good for TV reception. That said, predictors are in no way perfect and in locations such as yours, what can and what can't be picked up can vary over a short distance.
It may be worth consulting with an aerial installer with a view to either using a different transmitter, or a different aerial that may pull in the COMs.
I looked on Streetview and spotted aerials pointing roughly west, some vertical and some horizontal, the latter being slightly clockwise of the former. I can't work out where they are pointing, but where ever it is, you may be lucky to get the COMs.
I can't suggest any services that will stream TV over the internet. Maybe others on here can, or maybe look-up other forums that specialise in internet/broadband services.
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Andy: at800 deal with mitigation of interference of 800Mhz 4G signals.
The BBC services changed frequency to clear the way for 4G services. at800 is not responsible for carrying out that change, nor for rectifying any issues.
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Monday 1 April 2013 6:47PM
Frank Watkins: This page is for ITV West (PSB2) from Ridge Hill, which is in addition to the main PSB2 which carries ITV Central South.
The main Ridge Hill page (with ITV Central South) is here:
Ridge Hill (County of Herefordshire, England) full-Freeview transmitter | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice