All posts by Dave Lindsay
Below are all of Dave Lindsay's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Bill R: I am not so sure that you need to buy a "bigger" aerial.
For Sandy Heath, COM channels are outside of the former analogue aerial Group A. Therefore you will need a wideband aerial for Sandy Heath.
The COM channels carry the likes of ITV3, ITV4, Pick TV, Film4 and Dave. From Sandy Heath they uses UHF channels (frequencies) that are higher up than the former analogue ones. Consequently, former analogue aerials may need replacing because they are most sensitive on lower channels only.
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John Wheeler: Dursley, like many other small relays, only carry the Public Service (PSB) channels. This is because the Commercial (COM) networks don't wish to pay for them. See here for an explanation:
Londonderry (Northern Ireland) digital TV transmitter | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice
The prediction from Digital UK at your location is only Dursley and Ridge Hill. Ridge Hill carries ITV West, which it relays from Mendip, and this is in addition to ITV Central (South). Unfortunately it carries BBC West Midlands only (so no BBC West).
However, you could have a second aerial installed for Ridge Hill and diplex it (combine) with the Dursley one to give you West regional PSB channels and COM channels from Ridge Hill.
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John Wheeler: As for the issue with the poor reception, which channel(s) break up? (There are only three.)
See:
DTG :: DTT Services by Multiplex
If it is PSB2 which carries ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 etc, then bring up the signal strength screen and check that it is tuned to UHF channel 50 for Dursley and not C29 which is Ridge Hill West. If it is, then having the aerial out for the first 30% of the scan should miss out Ridge Hill West.
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Andy Pryce: You need a Cat 5 cable aka ethernet cable. There's loads of sites selling them or a computer outlet will do.
Ethernet is a network standard that works over cable lengths of up to 100m. Quality isn't lost; it doesn't work like that.
Powerline adapters...wouldn't touch them with a ten-foot bargepole. As well as the electromagnetic polution, it would seem a total waste of electricity when the alternative is so simple:
Welcome to Ban Power Line Technology
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anne havers: Not all areas can receive the Commercial channels. In some cases a replacement aerial may bring them in, and in others viewers will only receive the Public Service (PSB) channels. For an explanation, see:
Londonderry (Northern Ireland) digital TV transmitter | ukfree.tv - 10 years of independent, free digital TV advice
Berwick-upon-Tweed has its own transmitter due to the fact that it's in a valley; it being at the mouth of the Tweed. This transmitter only carries PSB channels, so if your aerial points to it then that's all you'll get. It is to the north of the town on Camphill and your aerial will be vertical (elements up/down).
If you are lucky, you may be able to receive from the main transmitter which is Chatton. This broadcasts all channels, is to the south of the town and aerials are horizontal (elements flat).
As I say, Berwick is in a valley which means that you may be pushing it to receive from Chatton.
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peter parker: Suffolk One College appears to be close to the signal path. Also, you are not the only person to have issues with COM5 (C60) from Sudbury. Nick in Hollesley finds it to be intermittent, and you are on the same bearing from the transmitter.
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Norman Cherrie: Have you confirmed that you are receiving BBC and ITV from Mendip and not the Cirencester relay transmitter? The latter does not broadcast the Commercial channels (ITV3, ITV4, Pick TV, Dave, Yesterday and quite a few others), so these aren't likely to be wrong.
The signal strength screen on BBC One should say that you are tuned to C61 for Mendip and not C23 which is Cirencester. For ITV, Mendip is on C54 and Cirencester is on C29.
By the way, on 27th March there is a retune for Mendip when BBC will move from C61 to C49.
If either is tuned to Cirencester, then having the aerial unplugged for the first 30% of the scan (or until past C30 if it gives channel numbers during the scan) should miss out scanning of Cirencester channels.
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Mr F: The Commercial (COM) channels (which carry ITV3, ITV4, Pick TV, Dave, Film4 and others) aren't broadcast on the same power as the Public Service (PSB) ones. Therefore, some may find that they can receive the PSBs while not getting the COMs, or getting them intermittently. Or to put it another way, the footprint of the COMs isn't as big as the PSBs.
Also, the COM channels from The Wrekin are outside of the former analogue channel group which may mean a replacement aerial is necessary. The analogue channels (and digital PSBs) are on Group A channels which are the first third of the band of frequencies used for TV. Group A aerials are most sensitive on Group A channels and drop off outside of that. The Wrekin COMs are in Group B, which is the middle third which means that a Group A aerial may not be sensitive enough (and remember that the COMs are also weaker).
In some places it may be better to switch to using another transmitter.
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Tuesday 26 February 2013 4:02PM
John Gleeson: I am not so sure that it is due to capacity, but it is certainly the case that it would need to be carried on the HD mux as well as the SD one.