Full Freeview on the Darvel (East Ayrshire, Scotland) transmitter
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The symbol shows the location of the Darvel (East Ayrshire, Scotland) transmitter which serves 150,000 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.
Are there any planned engineering works or unexpected transmitter faults on the Darvel (East Ayrshire, Scotland) mast?
Darvel transmitter - Darvel transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 22/04/2024 Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels 
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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 Darvel 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 Darvel transmitter?
BBC Reporting Scotland 2.4m homes 9.2%
from Glasgow G51 1DA, 31km north (1°)
to BBC Scotland region - 230 masts.
STV News 1.3m homes 4.8%
from Glasgow G51 1PQ, 31km north (2°)
to STV Central (Glasgow) region - 94 masts.
Are there any self-help relays?
| Craigie Gardens | Transposer | 1 homes 90 caravans | |
| Inversnaid | Active deflector | 35 km N Dumbarton | 8 homes Hotel caravan park |
How will the Darvel (East Ayrshire, Scotland) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2011 | 2011-13 | 5 Sep 2018 | |||||
| A K T | A K T | A K T | A K T | W T | |||||
| C22 | -BBCA | BBCA | |||||||
| C23 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | SDN | |||||
| C25 | D3+4 | D3+4 | |||||||
| C26 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | ArqA | |||||
| C28 | BBCB | BBCB | |||||||
| C29 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | ArqB | |||||
| C30 | _local | ||||||||
| C31 | com7 | ||||||||
| C32 | SDN | ||||||||
| C33 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | ||||||
| C34 | ArqA | ||||||||
| C35 | C5waves | C5waves | ArqB | ||||||
| C37 | com8 | ||||||||
| C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | COM8tv_off |
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 11 May 11 and 25 May 11.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-5 | 100kW | |
| BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-7dB) 20kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB | (-10dB) 10kW | |
| com8 | (-10.9dB) 8.19kW | |
| com7 | (-11.2dB) 7.5kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B* | (-14dB) 4kW | |
| Mux C*, Mux D* | (-17dB) 2kW |
Local transmitter maps
Darvel Freeview Darvel DAB Darvel AM/FM Darvel TV region BBC Scotland STV Central (Glasgow micro region)Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Darvel transmitter area
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Is the transmitter output the same in all directions?
Radiation patterns withheldWednesday, 8 June 2011
M
Mike Dimmick7:57 PM
Richard: It was probably telling you that one had 66 channels and the other 88 channels. There is no channel 88 for UHF TV broadcasting and channel 66 is being released.
What's probably happened is that some of the multiplexes have a slightly different transmitter ID tag than the others - usually the presence of one or more dots following the name. This seems to be something that the broadcasters use when they change the configuration of a multiplex, which they think is catered for by the specification (the Digital TV Group's D-Book) but not all receivers comply with it properly.
You should complain to Philips about this, particularly if there is no way to combine the two sets together.
154 services does sound like a lot, so it's possible there is more than one transmitter being picked up as well.
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Richard9:19 PM
Erskine
Hello Mike,
Thanks. In reality - I haven't a clue !! I just know that there were two 'Central Scotland' choices, and the first time I went for the '66' option. It was obviously the wrong one, and the Freeview TV was on the other one hence the larger number of Freeview TV and Radio channels available at 88. Anyway - as soon as I chose that one and allowed the box to retune - it was fine and the Freeview channels I was having problems with, were now all OK. Incidentally, as regards my log periodic antenna and masthead amp, I don't have line of sight to the Blackhill transmitter, and the signal without the amp was slightly noisy on analogue transmissions. My immediate neighbours seem to get away without any masthead amps that I can detect anyway !! Thanks again.
Regards,
Richard
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Richard's: mapR's Freeview map terrainR's terrain plot wavesR's frequency data R's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Thursday, 9 June 2011
J
jb388:54 PM
Richard: Just to reiterate what Mike has already said, there isn't a channel 88, you are obviously misinterpreting the definition of what you see shown.
The best way for anyone to verify exactly what transmitter they are receiving a signal from is to go into the devices tuning menu / signal check area, as once there you will then see the actual multiplex channel number listed that's associated with the signal strength / quality indication that you are observing.
Make a note of the number and then cross check it with the channel number information given at the top of the page for the transmitter in question, if the number you have noted isn't listed then you are receiving your signal from an alternative transmitter, so once again carry out a cross check but this time on the alternative transmitters details.
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Richard9:24 PM
Erskine
Hi jb38,
Thanks - yes I think I was looking at the number of TV and Radio channels available. But what threw me was there two choices presented for Central Scotland to tune to. But it is resolved now and all is OK - everything is on the right one. I originally spotted that something was not right because the Freeview TV was reporting one UHF channel for Freeview channel 22 whilst the Philips Freeview box (on the same TV antenna pointed directly at Blackhill)on the same Freeview channel 22, was reporting a different UHF channel. So I did a reset on the Philips box and retuned it - then I noticed the two Central Scotland choices, one with more Freeview channels, than the other. This time - I chose the right one and then the TV and Freeview box agreed on the UHF channels for Freeview channel 22. Phew. I've learned something about Freeview and Digital TV I never knew before !!
Regards,
Richard
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Richard's: mapR's Freeview map terrainR's terrain plot wavesR's frequency data R's Freeview Detailed Coverage
J
jb389:43 PM
Richard: Well I suppose that now you have it all sorted out that's all that matters, but PSB1 (Ch22) on the Darvel transmitter is the same as PSB1 (Ch46) from Blackhill.
It is possible for two separate devices tested on the same aerial to show a different number of channels received, this isn't really a fault but is purely caused by the sensitivity variations of the different receivers, the more sensitive the more channels picked up.
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Richard10:16 PM
Erskine
Hello jb38,
Thanks again - but the Darvel transmitter is quite literally 90 degrees sideways on to my TV antenna (log periodic) pointing at Blackhill and about 20 miles away. So it beats me altogether !! Whilst I fully understood the principles of analogue TV transmissions, I quite patently am having difficulty comprehending what is going on with digital TV, Freeview channels and MUX options !! Thanks again.
Regards,
Richard
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Richard's: mapR's Freeview map terrainR's terrain plot wavesR's frequency data R's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Friday, 10 June 2011
J
jb388:16 AM
Richard:I really feel that the problem is caused by you being in a choice position for reception thereby receiving signals from various sources, but if you are receiving Mux ch22 then that's from Darvel and not Blackhill, this being why I had said that the only sure fire way of knowing where a signal is coming from is via the info seen in the tuning menu.
Regarding the direction your aerial is pointing, although aerials will always give the best results when pointed directly at a signal source, they can however still pick up a signal from another direction "if" the signal is powerful enough, and this applying no matter what angle its coming from.
If Darvel is roughly at right angles to your aerial then it must be a really powerful signal, as a signal is being received side on by any aerial then its reaching it on its least receptive position, much more so than even from the rear.
Have a look at the possibilities shown on this predictor site, remembering of course not to take what you see as being 100% accurate without the proverbial "pinch of salt" being taken.
UK digital TV reception predictor
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J
jb389:08 AM
Richard: Just a small addition to what's been said, if you want to try a few tests scrub the channels on one box and carry out a manual tune using the individual Mux channel numbers seen listed for each of the stations shown on the Wolfbane link.
You can then make a note of the results and then carry out a manual scan of the individual Mux's that gave the best signal / quality indications, this time saving the results.
All said though box allowing! as some boxes don't have this type flexibility in their tuning system to allow things to be done this way, also its maybe best to wait until after the 22nd of this month when the second stage of Blackhill switchover takes place.
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Richard11:25 AM
Erskine
Hello jb38,
Thanks again for all your help. Now its working - I think I will leave it until after switchover on 22nd June and then see what happens on a retune. (Coward that I am !!) I'll come back and update if I still see 2 choices for Central Scotland after that, and now I know what to look for. On another note - Darvel is only a low power repeater some 20 miles away, although it does give coverage to this area, I wouldn't have expected to 'see' it side on to the antenna at all to be honest. However, I'll just leave it alone for now I guess !! Thanks again for all your help.
Regards,
Richard
| link to this comment |
Richard's: mapR's Freeview map terrainR's terrain plot wavesR's frequency data R's Freeview Detailed Coverage
M
Mike Dimmick2:35 PM
Richard: Darvel's power level on the PSB multiplexes is one-fifth of Black Hill's eventual power level, but because it has finished switching over, and Black Hill hasn't, most of the muxes are actually currently at the same level - 20kW. You are the same distance from both transmitters, although you have clear line-of-sight to Black Hill, while there is terrain blocking line-of-sight to Darvel.
Digital requires far less signal (compared to the noise level) than analogue for a usable signal. Despite the terrain restriction and the antenna being off-beam, you could still be getting enough signal for reliable detection, but not necessarily reliable performance.
Strictly speaking, although it broadcasts the same programme content and adverts as Black Hill, Darvel has always been considered a main station and is fed independently from the studios. Because it is fed the same multiplex content, it identifies as Central Scotland, since the change a few years ago. (Before this change, the multiplexes used the name of the main transmitter in the region, so Darvel identified as Black Hill, which is even more confusing.)
Newer boxes are supposed to tune in the best quality version that they find for the selected region, but this only works if the region name actually matches properly - as I said, some multiplexes from the same site have a slightly different name that your box is considering different.
jb38: I assume where Richard's saying 'channel 22' he actually means Logical Channel Number 22, Ideal World, rather than UHF channel 22. The multiplex Programme Map Table and Network Information Table contains suggested numbers for the EPG, the Logical Channel Numbers, which the box should follow for the best quality version - but it's allowed to store other versions at other free LCNs. These are often found at number 800 onward in the EPG. (LCN 22 is on Mux D/ArqB, so UHF channel 29 from Darvel and UHF C65 from Black Hill, at least for another two weeks, when it moves to C47 - see why we use LCNs?).
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