All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Mrs D Smith: TalkTalk isn't likely to take responsibility for loss of channels available over the air. It's down to the viewer to provide a working aerial feed!
As these are Freeview services then it begs the question: do they appear when you use your TV (tuner) to view them rather than the YouView box? What does the signal strength screen show on ITV3 (Drama is carried on the same multiplex, COM4, i.e. it's the same signal for both)?
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Lesley: Ditto the reply to Mrs D Smith. If the channels lost are those broadcast over the air then TalkTalk isn't responsible, nor is YouView!
As you reside in a block of flats then "if" the problem isn't due to your own wiring, e.g. the lead from the wall socket to the YouView box and you are using a communal aerial system then it's down to the party responsible for that system to put it right and it's that party you need to contact. Asking neighbours who use the terrestrial aerial system if they have the same problem might be a clue as if they do it's a sure sign that there's a fault.
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Steve: They are referred to as "logical" channel numbers so as to differentiate from "UHF" channel numbers. A UHF channel is a broadcast channel, with equivalent frequency in MHz. Thus, "services" assume their logical channel number positions, which as you say are buttons on the remote -- they are not "transmitted" on those "channels", this being why they are often referred to as "services" rather than "channels".
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Ash: Digital UK doesn't say that there is work going on at Caradon Hill:
Digital UK - Planned Engineering Works
I suppose this doesn't mean that it isn't a result of works.
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aw: Whereabouts in DN4? Maybe you are tuned to Belmont with your aerial directed to Emley Moor.
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Melvin Pearson: I think you'll be pushing your luck (going by the Digital UK Coverage Checker), although the path looks quite good were it not for the terrain up to just over 1 mile out.
The path to Emley Moor at 38 miles looks pretty clear, the main doubt being that the high ground at Bolsover and objects on the ground there could cause difficulty:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
The path to Waltham at 28 miles is clear were it not for the terrain up to and including Harlow Wood:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
Perhaps this is why Digital UK doesn't "think" it's a good bet.
You're in a no man's land as far as regional news goes. Emley Moor with BBC Look North (Yorkshire) is the most likely to be the best signal, followed by Belmont with BBC Look North (East Yorkshire & Lincolnshire) and then Waltham.
You're not likely to get Notts TV unfortunately. See "Is the transmitter output the same in all directions?" immediately above the "Comments" heading for the radiation pattern.
Also, in the good old days of four-channel analogue it was often possible to combine feeds from two aerials on different transmitters, owing to the way in which UHF channels were allocated. Even if you can pick up Waltham you won't be able to combine with Emley. That may not be a big issue as keeping them separate would just mean you would need a separate set-top box for watching East Midlands programming (or use the TV's tuner). That is, you would have two aerials and feed each one into a different tuner (box or TV).
Also be aware that the COM channels use a signal mode that may make them more difficult to pick up, plus from Waltham they are at half power with respect to the PSBs. The point here being: don't necessarily rely solely on Waltham probably use it only for regional programmes on the PSB channels.
Your other possibility is to get a cheap Freesat box, and install a dish if you don't have one, this giving you access to all regional opt-outs across the country.
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Melvin Pearson: I've posted a response to the same question on the Waltham page: Waltham (Leicestershire, England) Full Freeview transmitter
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Melvin Pearson: You can "try" and see what you get from Waltham with your Emley Moor-facing aerial, Waltham being in almost exactly the opposite direction and the rear of the aerial being the most sensitive behind the sensitivity of the front.
Go to the manual tuning screen and enter the UHF channel number but don't press the button to scan/add services. Instead, wait and observe what the strength and quality is like and whether this is stable or not. It's also worth pointing out that while it might be stable at one time, at a different time of day, time of year or different weather it might not be so.
For Waltham channels are:
PSB1 - BBC One - C49 (698MHz)
PSB2 - ITV - C54 (737.8MHz or 738MHz)
I looked on Streetview -- photos taken in September -- and there are a few Waltham-facing aerials, and most of these houses also have an Emley Moor aerial, so that might be the route you'd like to go down.
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hels: If your TV has manual tuning then you can "check signal strength" while moving the aerial.
Judging by the contours, North Ronaldsay looks pretty flat. So where ever you live you won't have higher ground blocking your line-of-sight, at least on the island.
As far as aerials go I would always get one that's directional and polarised. TV signals are only received from the same transmitter and directivity -- focusing on one direction -- gives better gain than something which "listens" in all directions. Polarisation also helps to "focus" it. Basically it's a trade-off. If your aerial is sensitive to roughly the same degree all the way around then it's not as sensitive in the direction of the transmitter as one which is directional. This is because directivity is "gain" which -- and this is the crucial bit -- is at the expense of greater "loss" in other directions.
An amplifier can only make the signal fed into it bigger (more "strength"). It can't improve quality (this starts and ends at the aerial). Don't assume that the amplifier is needed and that it's best up full. You may end up with it too high and, just as if it were too low, you won't find anything.
The trick with the manual tuning function is to enter/select the desired UHF channel (broadcast channel, equivalent to frequency) and wait. Don't press the button to scan/add services, instead observe the strength and quality as you move the aerial -- the device is operating as a signal meter. Once you have a good signal you can scan the channel.
For Keelylang channels are as follows:
PSB1 - BBC One - C46 (674MHz)
PSB2 - STV - C43 (650MHz)
PSB3 - BBC One HD - C40 (626MHz or 626.2MHz)
COM4 - ITV3 - C42 (642MHz)
COM5 - Pick - C45 (666MHz)
COM6 - 4Music - C39 (618MHz or 618.2MHz)
"C" numbers are UHF channels. PSB3 is only applicable if it's a Freeview HD TV.
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Thursday 12 March 2015 8:43PM
Ash: Well that is the thing. Why is there such a marked difference in reported strengths when you would think you reside in a very good signal area?
The other question to rule out is the possibility that a 4G base station has started up and is operating in the 800MHz band (C61 upwards). The organisation tasked with issues relating to television reception issues as a result is "at800".
I would give them a call and see if this could be the cause of your difficulty:
Contact us | Advice or general enquiries | at800
If it is then they will send out one filter per address.