All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Dick Crabtree: The Commercial (COM) channels from Craigkelly, which you are having difficulty with, may require a replacement aerial. At your location they could be intermittent at times, or perhaps all the time, due to the fact that the Auchtermuchty transmitter broadcasts on the same channels. The COM channels from Criagkelly are also lower power to its PSBs.
The point is that the COM channels have inferior coverage to the PSB ones. Transmitters like Auchtermuchty only carry PSB channels and with transmitters like Craigkelly that do carry COM channels, there are some who only get the PSBs reliably.
If your current aerial is a Group A one (red tip) then it might be better to replace it with a Group K one (which spans Group A and Group B). See here for ideas:
Craigkelly Transmitter
| link to this comment |
Mike: How were the digital signals from Emley prior to switchover? If you picked them up then I think you might get the new HD muxes, bearing in mind that their transmission powers are higher.
| link to this comment |
Frank: Heathfield (and therefore Newhaven which rebroadcasts it) carries BBC South East and ITV Meridian (East). Rowridge carries BBC South and ITV Meridian (Southampton). Whitehawk's regions are a hybrid of Rowridge and Heathfield. Its BBC is South East (as Heathfield) and ITV is Meridian (Southampton) (as Rowridge).
For information and ideas on aerials for Rowridge, see:
Rowridge Transmitter
Your high gain wideband yagi aerial isn't so "high gain" on Group A channels (see the above link). Thus, if you need a high gain aerial for Rowridge, a Group A aerial is best.
Also, the higher the "gain" of the aerial, the narrower the acceptance angle. Thus, if you haven't got line-of-sight you have no "beam" which to aim at and are relying on the signal bending at the brow over which you receive.
Use manual tuning so as to get the channels from the transmitters you want rather than what the TV "decides" to give you.
The simplest permutation is to use a single aerial pointing somewhere between Newhaven and Whitehawk, or perhaps nearer the latter as its signals aren't as good. This would require no diplexer. This would allow viewing of both Meridian micro-regions and BBC South East. If you want BBC South as well then you would have to look at installing a Rowridge aerial as well.
| link to this comment |
Frank: A wideband aerial isn't necessarily required - it depends on what UHF channels (frequencies) you are looking to receive, this dependent on transmitter(s).
Usually, the PSB channels of transmitters are within the same aerial group as the former four-channel analogue. This is the case with Newhaven whose channels have always been in Group B (yellow tip). See:
Aerials, TV Aerial and Digital Aerial
Whitehawk's are Group C/D although C48 (COM6) is at the top end of Group B (there is an overlap).
Don't read too much into the coverage maps. Being outside of the green area does not mean a signal won't be received. The map shows areas where the signal level (strength) is calculated as being at or above a particular level at a particular distance above ground. Thus, as the ground drops away the signal level required to "light" the area green is further above the ground.
The channels from the three transmitters - Newhaven, Whitehawk and Rowridge - are as follows:
21 Rowridge PSB3
22 Rowridge COM5
24 Rowridge PSB1
25 Rowridge COM4
27 Rowridge PSB2
28 Rowridge COM6
40 Newhaven PSB3
43 Newhaven PSB2
48 Whitehawk COM6
50 Newhaven PSB1
51 Whitehawk PSB3
53 Whitehawk PSB2
56 Whitehawk COM5
57 Whitehawk COM4
60 Whitehawk PSB1
As you can see, the channels of Newhaven and Whitehawk span Group E (which is Group B and Group C/D combined).
Multiplexes are:
PSB1 - BBC standard definition
PSB2 - ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 etc
PSB3 - HD services
COM4 - ITV3, Quest etc
COM5 - Pick TV etc
COM6 - 4Music etc
For a full list of services by multiplex, see:
DTG :: DTT Services by Multiplex
I suggest that you try resiting your aerial outside, pointing in the direction of Newhaven and Whitehawk. Then try and tune in the three PSB channels of the former and the COM channels of the latter.
If you are using manual tuning then having entered the UHF channel number wait and see if a reading is given as to the strength and quality on that channel (i.e. don't press the button to scan immediately).
| link to this comment |
Frank: I wouldn't worry about the YouView not having manual tuning. The TV is probably more useful to you fitting your aerial as it has manual tuning.
With the manual tuning screen you can select the UHF channel you want and then move your aerial until you get a good signal, as indicated by the on-screen signal meter. With automatic tuning you can't do this and you can only ever tune in something that is there and this requires the aerial to be in position.
Once you have the aerial fitted you can see what the automatic tuning on the YouView box gives you. It may give you what you want or you might have to unplug the aerial for part of the scan to get it tuned as you want it.
For example, if it picks up and stores Rowridge under the proper logical channel numbers (that is *not* in your 800s) then this can be avoided by unplugging the aerial for the first portion of the scan where Rowridge's channels are broadcast.
Automatic tuning works fine in the lab where a test subject is provided with signals from one transmitter, but in the real world there are always situations with overlapping transmitters.
The "Log 36" is a Vision V10-36L:
V10-36L 36 Element Stub Tuner Super Log Periodic Aerial » Vision Products - Powerful Products. Easy Installation. Excellent Value
As you may have read, the advantage of a log periodic over a yagi is the flatter response and it's wideband, so it can be used for reception of channels from Rowridge (which are all in Group A).
If the strength isn't good enough then you can always add an amplifier.
| link to this comment |
Dawn, Sue, Christine: This issue has affected Top Up TV users and the solution is to change the setting from 14 day EPG (electronic programme guide) to 8 day EPG.
| link to this comment |
gwyneth preece: See above postings!
The posting immediately above yours confirms that switching from 14 day EPG (electronic programme guide) to 8 day EPG. This problem is widespread and apparently affects Top Up TV boxes, due to the recent ceasation of the service.
| link to this comment |
Corneilius: No! This is because Freeview channels come from a transmitter on the ground and the satellite points to a satellite - these are two totally separate platforms.
A small proportion of the population can only receive the Public Service Freeview channels, which I gather is what you have. In some cases a replacement aerial may bring in all channels, but this can only be advised with knowledge of your location, preferably in the form of postcode or a postcode of a nearby property such as a shop.
Your other possibility is to use the dish for Freesat.
| link to this comment |
Debbie : Do you have a Top Up TV box? If so, then switch from 14 day EPG (electronic programme guide) to 8 day EPG.
| link to this comment |
Sunday 10 November 2013 10:58PM
Pierre Josling: If you have a signal amplifier (booster) connected then perhaps you don't need it and indeed, perhaps it is that which is overloading.