All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Simon: I don't think you will be able to receive Rosneath COMs at your location because they are co-channel with the Cathcart transmitter which is on the same bearing and is also vertically polarised.
The COMs have inferior coverage, meaning that for transmitters which do carry them there are likely to be places where only PSBs can be received reliably.
Darvel and Black Hill are your only possibilities for picking up the COMs, and if you can't receive from either then it's PSBs only I'm afraid.
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Jack: The names of the format "PSB#" and "COM#" are post digital-switchover labels. Each multiplex has its own title, a proper noun. I have given these below along with corresponding UHF channel numbers for Emley Moor.
A more detailed explanation of the different names is here: Why do the six Freeview "multiplexes" have twenty different names?
UHF channels for Emley Moor are as you have quoted, although several others have started up since then on lower power but which at least some of you might receive in Acaster Malbis.
Channels are:
PSB1 - "BBC A" - BBC One - C47
PSB2 - "D3&4" - ITV - C44
PSB3 - "BBC B" - BBC One HD - C41
COM4 - "SDN" - ITV3 - C51
COM5 - "Arq A" - Pick - C52
COM6 - "Arq B" - 4Music - C48
COM7 - "COM7 (HD)" - CBeebies HD/BBC Four HD - C32
COM8 - "COM8 (HD)" - QVC+1 HD - C34
You "may" also be able to receive the local Leeds multiplex on C56, which broadcasts directionally rather than omni-directionally) towards Leeds, and therefore in your direction.
Digital UK publishes a full list of terrestrial services by multiplex, which it identifies by their proper nouns. You can click the headings to order by that heading:
Digital UK Industry - Channel listings
I am a technical bod so I would some general suggestions:
1. See if your receiver has a region setting. It could be that the region it's giving you is first alphabetically, the "Yorkshire" of Emley Moor probably being the last. This might need changing.
2. It might be tuning to Caldbeck because it is on the lowest UHF channel number and therefore found first.
One way of getting it to automatically tune to Emley Moor might be to have the aerial out for the first 30% or until it gets past UHF channel 30 during its scan. With this method you might need to go back and use manual tuning to add C32 and C34 if the aerial isn't in soon enough.
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Ralph Wood: PSB1 / BBC A (BBC standard definition TV and radio) from Newhaven is on UHF channel 50. This is co-channel (same frequency) with one of East Dean's multiplexes and you might just have (or almost have) line-of-sight at 5 miles. The other two channels (PSB2=commercial standard definition and PSB3=HD) of Newhaven aren't shared with East Dean.
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Ossie Nelson: There is presently engineering works at Hannington. That said, it would seem that as you are so close to the transmitter that any low power transmissions would be more than adequate to serve you.
You would be best advised to use the manual tune function to ascertain what the strength and quality is like on the missing channel.
Go to the manual tune screen and enter/select UHF channel 45 (666MHz) but do not press the button to scan/add services/OK or whatever it's labelled as on your receiver. Instead, observe the strength and quality over 30 seconds or a minute, noting whether there are fluctuations. Once done, if there is something there then try scanning that channel, this being that of BBC standard definition TV and radio from Hannington which you are missing.
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Saturday 10 October 2015 11:10AM
Tom Wright: A terrain plot from you to the transmitter is here:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
You cannot see the transmitter because Hartwith Hill is in the way. There also appear to be trees in your vicinity which could be in the way and also no doubt trees on the incline to the Hill.
Signals travel in straight lines. They bend around objects and the way they bend is affected by frequency and the object around which they bend.
Thus, when it rains or when the wind blows (in the case of vegetation) the dispersement of signal in the shadow of the obstruction is likely to change. Whether this is is sufficient to cause interference in reception at the exact location of the aerial is the next question.
The other thing to note, but which I'm not sure could be a factor, is that Heyshaw shares two of its three channels with Belmont. PSB1 (BBC standard definition and radio) is on C60 and PSB3 (high definition services) on C53 are co-channel with two of Belmont's. PSB2 (standard definition commercial services) on C57 are not shared with Belmont.
A terrain plot between you and Belmont shows that it is clear up to about 20 miles which coincides with that after the Vale of York:
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location