All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
lachie: Without giving any idea as to your location, your question is open-ended!
It doesn't matter how powerful your amplifier is, it's what goes in to the aerial that matters. Indeed, you could have too much amplification which is the cause of your difficulty, but without knowledge of your location and transmitter, this can only be speculative conjecture.
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Ben Cooper: No, this is not likely at all. See here for an explanation, which is equally as relevant for the Ambergate transmitter:
Durris (Aberdeenshire, Scotland) full-Freeview transmitter | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice
The Nottingham transmitter serves parts of the City that have difficulty receiving from Waltham. The hill that is in the way for you is preventing reception from Waltham which is the main transmitter in the East Midlands.
Generally speaking, Sutton Coldfield can be picked up well in Derby and northwards up the valley. I took the post code of The Canal Inn and the Digital UK predictor "thinks" that Sutton Coldfield might be a possibility at that location.
The Streetview photos were taken before switchover in July 2009 and at that time the majority of buildings seem to have aerials on Ambergate only. However, The Lord Nelson has ones on Ambergate and one on Sutton Coldfield which tends to add weight to the latter being a possibility.
I suggest that you investigate the possibility of reception from Sutton Coldfield. It provides West Midlands regional programming, but the UHF channels (frequencies) used by the two transmitters are such that two aerials could be diplexed, where the feed from each is combined into one downlead. This would allow you to watch the Commercial channels those that Ambergate doesn't broadcast from Sutton Coldfield and view the Public Service channels (including East Midlands regional programming) from Ambergate.
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Perhaps the website should automatically censor expletives. Even better, prevent from posting those who are unable to communicate without restorting to such language.
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John Collis: After switchover, Rowridge transmits horizontally and vertically. The Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) channels (BBC, ITV1, C4 etc) are at an effective radiated power of 200kW horizontally and vertically whereas the Commercial (COM) channels are 50kW horizontally and 200kW vertically.
Whilst 50kW isn't exactly "low" power, the marked difference in the strengths of the PSB and COM signals may cause difficulty due to the stronger ones desensitising receivers, thus making them less sensitive to the lower power ones.
As all channels are within the former analogue group (A), and the 200kW signals provide the same coverage (vertically), then generally speaking existing aerials should work, albeit that they "may" need switching to vertical polarisation.
If you do decide to replace your aerial, I suggest that you stick to a Group A one as all of Rowridge's channels are in this group and high-gain wideband yagi aerials have less gain down on Group A channels. See:
Rowridge Transmitter
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BRENDA REDFORD: According to Radio Times, it is due to be broadcast on BBC One:
Olympics 2012: Pick of the Day - Equestrian Individual Jumping Final | Radio Times
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trish: Can you tell us what the make and model of your receiver is? Perhaps this might help.
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ken owen: If the question is in relation to an aerial already fitted in the loft one which is known to work for standard definition channels then it will be expected to receive HD channels as well. Difficulties picking up HD don't usually arise where standard definition Public Service channels (BBC, ITV1, S4C, C4 etc) can be received.
The post code for Precelly Crescent is different to that which you supplied, it being SA64 0HE. The only way to determine whether something can be received is to try it. Prior to doing this only an assessment of what the likelihood of success might be by assessing potential difficulties such as obstructions.
Lofts aren't necessarily ideal, although in some places aerials in lofts can work. I'm not entirely sure you can be that an aerial in the loft might work. I would suggest that it won't work if you have to point the aerial through the loft-space of a neighbour. The direction to the transmitter appears to along the line of the properties. That said, the road is on a slope, so it might be possible to see over neighbouring properties.
This appears to be in a good signal area. What makes me think this is the prediction from Digital UK and the fact that there is a 10-element (regular size) aerial under the eaves on one of the houses (as shown on Streetview).
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Dave Taylor: I have read back your postings.
I have observed that the White Oak Leisure Centre could be in the (or under the) signal path at 850m away (just over half a mile). I mention this because it appears to have a large metalic content.
This terrain plot shows that you could have line-of-sight, assuming no obstructions:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
Perhaps the poor reception at your location is caused reflections that are acting to reduce the quality or signal strength.
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Ginger: I've never heard them called holes before!
If you give the make and model of each device, then we might be able to advise as to what is the best method to link them together.
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Monday 6 August 2012 9:29PM
JimF: Budleigh Salterton is a new (PSB-only) relay transmitter that only came into service at switchover (May 2009). Granted, the Streetview pictures were taken in April 2010.