All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
nicol edwards: Try your TV again.
BBC says it was off from 16:58 to 17:31 and is therefore now back on:
BBC - Reception problems
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Rosslynne SH: You were perhaps lucky that the cable and any nearby objects acted to receive the signal (it presumably being strong). Changing something, whether it be moving the cable or moving, removing or adding a nearby object has evidently affected the sensitivity of your make-shift aerial.
On the basis that you appear to be in a very good signal area, a DM Log should be excellently suited:
Online TV FM DAB Aerial sales
You may find that the signal is sufficient inside the loft or you may find that it is not if the tiles and any insulation reduce it too much.
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J Eaton: Groups of Freeview channels (referred to as "services" for the avoidance of confusion with UHF channels [frequencies]) are carried on signals known as multiplexes ("muxes").
The services you have mentioned are all carried on the mux called "SDN". See this page for a list of services by multiplex:
DTG :: DTT Services by Multiplex
The best thing to do is focus on the first service on each mux. For SDN (aka COM4) this is ITV3.
KMJ has suggested that you check to see if the receiver has tuned in the SDN from Waltham or Sutton Coldfield.
To do this, go to ITV3 and bring up the signal strength screen. They usually say what UHF channel they are tuned to. SDN from Waltham is on C29 and Sutton Coldfield's is on C42.
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Dave: Are you picking up the PSBs from Bilsdale? If so, perhaps putting the aerial outside will give you the COMs as well.
Or might you be able to receive from Pontop Pike instead?
Like many places by the sea, inland from Seaham the ground goes up which is why it has its own relay.
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Dave: Receivers usually give the UHF channel number tuned to on the signal strength screen:
PSB1 (BBC One) | S=C44 | B=C26 | P=C58
PSB2 (ITV1) | S=C47 | B=C29 | P=C54
PSB3 (BBC One HD) | S=C41 | B=C23 | P=C49
COM4 (ITV3) | B=C43 | P=C50
COM5 (Pick TV) | B=C46 | P=C59
COM6 (Film4) | B=C40 | P=C55
S=Seaham, B=Bilsdale and P=Pontop Pike
Seaham uses vertical polarisation, and Bilsdale and Pontop Pike are horizontally polarised:
Aerials, TV Aerial and Digital Aerial
Coverage maps do not show areas where signals can or cannot be received; they could never be anywhere near accurate due to there being so many variables. What they show is where the signal is projected as being at or above a particular level at a particular height above ground. So where the ground is lower, hence the signal isn't as strong at the survey height above it. In any case, unless you can move your house then you have to work with what you have.
Manual tuning may be useful with some receivers being better at it than others so it might be worth looking at all the boxes and TVs you have to see which might be most helpful. Usually selecting a UHF channel but *not* pressing the button to scan will allow the receiver to be used as a signal meter; once the button to scan/tune is pressed this ability is lost.
The COM channels from Bilsdale and Pontop Pike aren't as strong as their respective PSBs, so some fringe viewers will be left PSB-only or have intermittant COMs. For that reason, I suggest that you focus on trying to receive the PSBs from one of the full-Freeview transmitters first. (If your receiver isn't a HD one then PSB3 won't apply.)
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Dave: If you have no joy getting the full service with the aerial in the loft then mounting it outside might work as obviously the roof reduces the level of the signal with it not being that great in the first place.
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Leanne: Which channels are you missing?
Freeview and Sky are two totally separate systems; the former requires a terrestrial aerial and the latter comes from a satellite and hence requires a dish.
If your reception issue is with Freeview, then knowledge of your location is required in order to get an idea of what the likely possibilities of reception in your area are. A post code or that of a nearby building such as a shop would be useful.
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John Swallow: Never; the Commercial broadcasters don't wish to pay for it as it's not worth their while.
See here for an explanation:
Londonderry transmitter | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice
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Thursday 27 December 2012 6:16PM
Ann Marie Heaton: Instructions for accessing the setting screen for the "RF out" channel number are here:
How do I change the RF output channel on a Sky Digibox? | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice