Full Freeview on the Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 51.324,0.520 or 51°19'25"N 0°31'13"E |  | ME5 9RD |
The symbol shows the location of the Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) transmitter which serves 200,000 homes. The bright green areas shown where the signal from this transmitter is strong, dark green areas are poorer signals. Those parts shown in yellow may have interference on the same frequency from other masts.
This transmitter has no current reported problems
The BBC and Digital UK report there are no faults or engineering work on the Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) transmitter._______
Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Bluebell Hill transmitter broadcast?
If you have any kind of Freeview fault, follow this Freeview reset procedure first.Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Bluebell Hill transmitter?
BBC South East Today 0.8m homes 3.2%
from Tunbridge Wells TN1 1QQ, 28km southwest (218°)
to BBC South East region - 45 masts.
ITV Meridian News 0.7m homes 2.7%
from Maidstone ME14 5NZ, 5km south-southeast (155°)
to ITV Meridian (East) region - 36 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 50% evening news is shared with all of Meridian plus Oxford
How will the Bluebell Hill (Medway, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2012 | 2012-13 | 19 Jul 2018 | |||||
| E | E | E | W T | W T | |||||
| C21 | _local | ||||||||
| C28 | _local | ||||||||
| C32 | com7 | ||||||||
| C34 | com8 | ||||||||
| C39 | +ArqA | ||||||||
| C40 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | +BBCB | SDN | ||||
| C43 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | D3+4 | ArqA | ||||
| C45 | SDN | BBCB | |||||||
| C46 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBCA | ArqB | ||||
| C54tv_off | ArqB | ||||||||
| C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | COM8tv_off | ||||||||
| C65 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves |
tv_off Being removed from Freeview (for 5G use) after November 2020 / June 2022 - more
Table shows multiplexes names see this article;
green background for transmission frequencies
Notes: + and - denote 166kHz offset; aerial group are shown as A B C/D E K W T
waves denotes analogue; digital switchover was 13 Jun 12 and 27 Jun 12.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 30kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-1.8dB) 20kW | |
| com8 | (-7.8dB) 5kW | |
| com7 | (-8.1dB) 4.7kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-10dB) 3kW | |
| Mux 2*, Mux A* | (-11.8dB) 2kW |
Local transmitter maps
Bluebell Hill Freeview Bluebell Hill DAB Bluebell Hill TV region BBC South East Meridian (East micro region)Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Bluebell Hill transmitter area
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Wednesday, 11 December 2019
B
Bert3:31 PM
Chris.SE
Thanks for the websites, I had a look & they say there are no faults.
I tried a manual re-tune for channel 40 on the Toshiba, it said the signal strength was good but the quality was poor, I selected it to scan but it found no channels. I then tried a manual scan on an LG & that said there was no signal for channel 40, so I am at a loss when everything else is fine.
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C
Chris.SE8:22 PM
Bert:
This is quite odd, as according to the predictions, you are in a bit of an awkward location but none-the-less the SDN/COM4 is predicted to be the strongest/most reliable of all the multiplexes from Bluebell Hill!
I am also puzzled by the predictions as it would appear that you have line-of-sight to all the significant transmitters, never mind the nearest one - Bluebell Hill, unless you are very locally in a bit of a dip or have your signal path blocked by some local buildings, even then I would have expected other multiplexes to be affected.
Did you clear all previous tuning first as I'd previously suggested in my last post?
Have you changed anything around in your installation, or have any new bits of equipment?
Do you have anything with an RF output on it, such as an older Skybox, Set-top box, Games console etc. which may now be switched on which wasn't previously or had the RF output channel changed which may now be causing interference to UHF C40? Is a next door neighbour having similar issues?
If you have any splitters/boosters/amplifiers in your system, try one TV set directly connected to the aerial to see if you can get signal (albeit perhaps low) but with an improved quality.
Check all you coax plugs, connections, flyleads etc, unplug connectors check for corrosion or other problems and reconnect them, flyleads can be a common problem, try swapping them.
See if the signal strengths and quality you are getting for the other multiplexes shown in your TV's tuning section is what you normally get, this might indicate potential issues with your aerial or downlead.
Also check that your downlead looks undamaged and that your aerial seems intact and pointing in the correct direction.
Problematic connections, water ingress etc. can seem to affect reception of just an individual or several multiplexes.
I really can't think of what else to suggest, other than when you've checked all the above, if the problem remains and if neighbours have the same issue, all phone FreeviewAdvice on 0808-100-0288.
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Thursday, 12 December 2019
B
Bert11:51 AM
Chris.SE
Well, I phoned the helpline & we are to get a visit from an engineer & a free aerial upgrade after his visit. The helpful young lady said that, I'm not quite sure what mind you, something changed in mid October that's affected us. I can't recall anything changing in October, I keep a record of when I have performed re-tunes & the last one I did was in June this year.
i will post again with anything further
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K
Kif12:36 PM
Re: Bluebell Hill CH40.
It seems CH40 channels (Horror, 5 Select etc.) have moved to CH39. My TV and one retuned DVD-HDD notes the difference. There was a significant retune a week ago, when news appeared (inc. PSBAmerica and Together +1 on a non-HD multiplex).
However, the signal is extremely poor, and an attempt to retune another DVD-HDD cannot find anything on CH39. The problems began after the earlier retune.
My Sony TV's internal booster gives me something on the CH39 channels, but this goes when another machine (earlier in the RF loop) is turned on. Evenings are better, but far from ideal.
There maybe no reported issues, but clearly something has gone awry. A functioning service no longer functions.
Hope this is if help.
Kif
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C
Chris.SE7:43 PM
Kif:
Actually Kif, some of your post is I'm afraid misleading. Bert has spoken to Freeview Advice and if there had actually been some unpublished change of multiplex UHF channels they would have said so. Further more if it had moved without publication, there would be miriads of people complaining about not getting the SDN multiplex.
The SDN Multiplex at Bluebell Hill is still on UHF channel 40.
The change to which you referred was simply some broadcasters moving their programmes to a different multiplex (which on a lot of sets requires a retune). If you want what is normally an up-to-date list of which channels are on which multiplex see Channel listings | Freeview however Freeview can sometimes be a bit tardy in updating it with changes!
The announcement about the change was made at https://www.freeview.co.u…-80s however just saying that "PBS America has changed how it is broadcast" is not very informative about the fact it is a change of multiplex. Freeview made a similar announcement back in November 5 Nov 2019 - Changes to Film4+1 and More4+1 | Freeview for which they have been criticised, but that (so far) doesn't seem to have changed the way they give (NOT) such information !
You have said you are getting a weak SDN signal on UHF C39, but this is NOT coming from Bluebell Hill. My suspicion is that your are getting it from another transmitters - probably Dover where SDN is on C39, but without your full postcode I can't be 100%.
If you are not getting SDN on C40 from Bluebell Hill this to me suggests there is indeed a transmitter issue of which I was already suspicious.
Bert:
Thanks for that update but you haven't confirmed whether your neighbours are having the same problem, which would be extremely helpful to know, and if so if they have also phoned Freeview Advice.
This will not be the first time that I've encountered a slightly obscure transmitter problem that Arqiva/DigitalUK/Freeview have not been aware of until a number of people phone to complain. My suspicion is that it is only affecting viewers in a particular direction from the transmitter. You are quite right Bert, nothing changed in mid-October at Bluebell Hill. There were other changes in the Meridian broadcast area mid-October - Dover main station and some relays only, Midhurst main station and some relays only, Rowridge Ventnor relay only, Whitehawk Hill main station and some relays only.
Kif: If you are still not getting SDN on C40 you need to phone Freeview Advice and complain to them about it.
Bert is getting an engineer visit, that at least should provoke some further investigation if nothing before that does!
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Friday, 13 December 2019
K
Kif1:59 AM
Hi Chris.
There was no attempt to mislead. It is possible that my memory is foggy when retunes have been required, I must admit. Certainly, the issue is recent.
My TV auto updates based on postcode, so that changed without my input, and thus suggested that there had been a switch of multiplexes. From what you say, Chris, it may have picked up a signal from elsewhere using CH39 (London is more probable than Dover - my postcode is ME10, and had issues with getting London stations in the past), having not found a signal from CH40. I'm not sure if the TV overwrites weaker channels with stronger for the same stations when scanning, but that may be an explanation; CH40 wasn't there to overwrite CH39, mayhaps.
Unfortunately, the TV menu doesn't provide detailed information about which station is on which multiplex channel, or signal values; only when the signal drops out. The only hint was a setting asking if I wanted the booster on or off for CH39 (I was trying to watch a CH40 station at the time). So you can see how I may have been misled.
My DVD-HDDs are better in this regard, and are at the beginning of my RF cabling loop. The first machine to receive the signal from the aerial is not finding any life in CH40; it degraded, then vanished. Signal Quality and Strength values are all at zero, with no fluctuations. Signal Quality on CH43 is also volatile, occasionally dropping to 5 with picture break-up, but Strength is constant at 10. Both CH40 and CH43 degraded at the same time, but the latter appeared to have been resolved, and I didn't investigate further. The problem is less evident unless you go into the machine's settings.
Seems I'll have to contact Freeview advice, as you suggest.
Thanks,
Kif
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C
Chris.SE6:20 AM
Kif:
I wasn't suggesting that you attempted to mislead, merely what you had written about the channels on C40 had moved to C39 would be taken that there had been a change at Bluebell Hill which there hasn't.
I can categorically state that the SDN multiplex you are receiving on C39 is NOT London, Crystal Palace, nor any other transmitters that you might receive as none use C39 except Dover which is also the only one using it for SDN and the reason I couldn't be 100% is that without your postcode, there was a possibility you might have been receiving another transmitter with SDN on C39, and although the reception conditions using the Freeview Detailed Coverage Checker do not work on partial postcodes, I can categorically say that for ME10 postcodes it will not be any other transmitter except Dover.
And for the same reasons I cannot say if your predicted reception for C43 may be variable without a full postcode.
Bert's postcode is also an ME10 and for his location the SDN multiplex is the only one that is predicted to be good, the others being variable, yet for another ME10 postcode all multiplexes are predicted to be good except the BBCB HD multiplex which is variable. Having said all that, precise predictions are not always free of errors and can in some cases be affected by the aerial that you have, where it's located and how well it's aligned.
When you are in an area/location that can receive signals from more than one transmitter, TV postcode tuning may not give you the desired transmitter and it may not be the correct region where you may receive overlapping regions if your set doesn't ask you to specify the region. Where you receive two of the same multiplex on different UHF channels, often one set will be put in the 800 LCNs in your set's listing.
In such cases you often have to resort to manual tuning to get the one you want in the correct LCNs.
Check if your neighbours are having the same problem, and if so when you contact Freeview Advice, I suggest you make it clear that you are aware of other ME10 postcodes that have the same problem and get your neighbours to contact Freeview Advice as well.
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B
Bert2:58 PM
Chris.SE
Further to your questions, my neighbour is not affected. In 2013 I had the aerial refitted on the same chimney as the holding ties or wire straps had become loose. At the same time they fitted a new masthead power supply, a PSF1200 12V 100mA sort. The masthead amplifier, a UXFR2-20 was fitted in the loft. this had one aerial lead going to the front of the house & another lead going to the rear. The aerial lead from the amp to the aerial had an Optima OBF3453 UHF Band-Pass Filter Ch34-53 574-734MHz inline in it. The fitter said this was to limit the interference from Crystal Palace which was only a few degrees off of the line to Bluebell Hill. From 2013 we have not had any problems, re-tuning whenever necessary, the last time was in June 2019.
I tried connecting the aerial lead direct from the Toshiba to the aerial socket, this resulted in lower signal strengths & lower quality, the screen was pixallating on all channels except BBC. At this time I tried a manual scan of C40, surprisingly it did find Quest but it was unwatchable.
With more fiddling about & everything connected again I tried another manual scan on C40, it was showing the signal strength bar at 3/4 across & the signal quality was poor, then as I looked at it, the strength bar went fully across & the quality went from poor to good But before I could select scan they returned to where they were.
On the LG tv a manual scan on C40 returns a "No Signal" message, I have not tried to do that with the Panasonic DVD HDD.
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B
Bert3:40 PM
Chris.SE
A bit more info for you, we have wide band aerial & we are in a bit of a dip. I have previously looked at a terrain map & we do just about have a line of sight to the top of the mast at Bluebell Hill.
For some reason whenever I enter our postcode into the reception checker for freeview they return our nearest Tx as being Dover, which is just plain daft. I know we can get signals from Crystal Palace as we did previously. When Bluebell Hill was upgraded to 20,000W & HD came in everybody's aerial around here points at Bluebell Hill.
I think we have an intermittent fault on the lead from the aerial to the amp, that's my guess, why only C40 & not the others beats me.
I looked at a manual tune on the Panasonic for C40. Signal Strength was 10, the max. Signal Quality was poor & coloured red, about 3 on the scale.
Here's hoping for fine weather on Monday PM, the aerial man cometh!
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K
Kif8:43 PM
Chris.
It's come back! Just before 8pm 13/12/19.
I was posting an update to provide additional info and about to send, with everything still looking dead, then the signal bars sprang to life.
CH40 is showing some quality variance at the upper end. CH43 is still middling, but not fluctuating as wildly as last night. So far Film4+1 (which I'm using as a test subject for CH43) hasn't had picture break-up. Obviously I haven't been able to do the same with CH40 while it's been down.
I'll monitor over the weekend, but in anticipation of things remaining stable or better, I'd like to say Thanks for your comments and advice.
Kif
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