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Full Freeview on the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmitter

first published this on - UK Free TV
sa_streetviewGoogle Streetviewsa_gmapsGoogle mapsa_bingBing mapsa_gearthGoogle Earthsa_gps51.237,-2.626 or 51°14'12"N 2°37'33"Wsa_postcodeBA5 3LB

 

The symbol shows the location of the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmitter which serves 720,000 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 Mendip (Somerset, England) mast?

Mendip transmitter - Mendip transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 25/03/2024 Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels Digital tick


Choose from three options: ■ List by multiplex ■ List by channel number ■ List by channel name
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Which Freeview channels does the Mendip 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.

MuxH/VFrequencyHeightModeWatts
PSB1
BBCA
 H max
C32 (562.0MHz)591mDTG-100,000W
Channel icons
1 BBC One (SD) West, 2 BBC Two England, 9 BBC Four, 23 BBC Three, 201 CBBC, 202 CBeebies, 231 BBC News, 232 BBC Parliament, plus 17 others

PSB2
D3+4
 H max
C34 (578.0MHz)591mDTG-100,000W
Channel icons
3 ITV 1 (SD) (West), 4 Channel 4 (SD) South ads, 5 Channel 5, 6 ITV 2, 10 ITV3, 13 E4, 14 Film4, 15 Channel 4 +1 South ads, 18 More4, 26 ITV4, 28 ITVBe, 30 E4 +1, 35 ITV1 +1 (West),

PSB3
BBCB
 H max
C35 (586.0MHz)591mDTG-100,000W
Channel icons
46 5SELECT, 101 BBC One HD West, 102 BBC Two HD England, 103 ITV 1 HD (ITV Meridian Southampton), 104 Channel 4 HD South ads, 105 Channel 5 HD, 106 BBC Four HD, 107 BBC Three HD, 204 CBBC HD, 205 CBeebies HD, plus 1 others

COM4
SDN
 H max
C48 (690.0MHz)591mDTG-8100,000W
Channel icons
20 Drama, 21 5USA, 29 ITV2 +1, 32 5STAR, 33 5Action, 38 Channel 5 +1, 41 Legend, 42 GREAT! action, 57 Dave ja vu, 58 ITVBe +1, 59 ITV3 +1, 64 Blaze, 67 TRUE CRIME, 68 TRUE CRIME XTRA, 78 TCC, 81 Blaze +1, 83 Together TV, 89 ITV4 +1, 91 WildEarth, 209 Ketchup TV, 210 Ketchup Too, 211 YAAAS!, 267 Al Jazeera English, plus 30 others

COM5
ArqA
 H max
C33 (570.0MHz)591mDTG-8100,000W
Channel icons
11 Sky Mix, 17 Really, 19 Dave, 31 E4 Extra, 36 Sky Arts, 40 Quest Red, 43 Food Network, 47 Film4 +1, 48 Challenge, 49 4seven, 60 Drama +1, 65 That's TV 2, 70 Quest +1, 74 Yesterday +1, 75 That's 90s, 233 Sky News, plus 11 others

COM6
ArqB
 H max
C36 (594.0MHz)591mDTG-8100,000W
Channel icons
12 Quest, 25 W, 27 Yesterday, 34 GREAT! movies, 39 DMAX, 44 HGTV, 52 GREAT! romance, 56 That's TV (UK), 61 GREAT! movies extra, 63 GREAT! romance mix, 71 That’s 60s, 73 HobbyMaker, 82 Talking Pictures TV, 84 PBS America, 235 Al Jazeera Eng, plus 18 others

LBS
 H -10dB
C30 (546.0MHz)591mDTG-1210,000W
Channel icons
from 22nd September 2014: 7 Made in Bristol,

DTG-8 64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)

Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Mendip transmitter?

regional news image
BBC Points West 0.9m homes 3.4%
from Bristol BS8 2LR, 25km north (3°)
to BBC West region - 60 masts.
regional news image
ITV West Country News (East) 0.9m homes 3.4%
from Bristol BS4 3HG, 23km north (11°)
to ITV West region - 61 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 50% evening news is shared with West Country (West)

Are there any self-help relays?

CheddarTransposer15 km E Weston-super-Mare1674 homes
LuccombeActive deflector6 km w Minehead38 homes

How will the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmission frequencies change over time?

1984-971997-981998-20102010-132013-182013-1727 Feb 2018
C/D EEEC/D EC/D E TW TW T
C30_local
C32BBCA
C33com7com7
C34D3+4
C35com8com8
C36ArqB
C37C5wavesC5waves
C48SDNSDNSDNSDN
C49tv_off BBCABBCA
C51tv_offLBSLBS
C52tv_offArqBArqBArqB
C54tv_offC4wavesC4wavesC4wavesD3+4D3+4D3+4
C55tv_offcom7tv_off
C56tv_offArqAArqAArqACOM8tv_off
C58tv_offBBC1wavesBBC1wavesBBC1wavesBBCBBBCBBBCB
C61ITVwavesITVwavesITVwavesBBCA
C64BBC2wavesBBC2wavesBBC2waves

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 24 Mar 10 and 7 Apr 10.

How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?

Analogue 1-4 500kW
Analogue 5(-6dB) 126kW
SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB(-7dB) 100kW
com7(-8.4dB) 72.4kW
com8(-8.6dB) 69.1kW
Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D*, LBS(-17dB) 10kW

Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Mendip transmitter area

Jan 1958-Jul 1968Television Wales and the West
Jul 1968-Feb 2004Harlech Television
Feb 2004-Dec 2014ITV plc
Feb 1983-Dec 1992TV-am•
Jan 1993-Sep 2010GMTV•
Sep 2010-Dec 2014ITV Daybreak•
• Breakfast ◊ Weekends ♦ Friday night and weekends † Weekdays only. Mendip was not an original Channel 3 VHF 405-line mast: the historical information shown is the details of the company responsible for the transmitter when it began transmitting Channel 3.

Comments
Sunday, 1 July 2012
B
Ben Ward
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

10:15 PM
Melksham

Thank you jb38 - the situation is that the Humax antenna power selector is now set to OFF; it was indeed switched ON when I checked. It doesn't seem to have affected the situation with the Panasonic (or indeed a Sony VTX-D800U I am using) however, still non-existant.

Cheers

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Ben Ward's 28 posts GB flag
Ben's: mapB's Freeview map terrainB's terrain plot wavesB's frequency data B's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Monday, 2 July 2012
L
Lordgeous
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

11:53 AM
Bath

OK Ben, its Wilts Ariels and his name's Kevin on 07817 212 508. (£45 call out charge). Good luck.

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Lordgeous's 25 posts GB flag
Lordgeous's: mapL's Freeview map terrainL's terrain plot wavesL's frequency data L's Freeview Detailed Coverage
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

6:40 PM

Ben Ward: Thanks for that update, but before you call out anyone I would like if you could carry out another test or two based on you having previously mentioned that you were getting a 100% strength and quality indication on the Humax, the first being that I would like you to try the same test again now that you have turned off the Humax's aerial power supply facility, because if the signal indicated on the Humax is not now 100% nor anywhere near it, then that's liable to indicate that there is a powered booster in line.

Further advice dependant on the result.


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jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
B
Ben Ward
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

10:00 PM
Melksham

Will do, jb38 my posting about the helpful service engineer was just in case I ended up in a deadend. Will respond to your new question tomorrow (I'm out right now)

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Ben Ward's 28 posts GB flag
Ben's: mapB's Freeview map terrainB's terrain plot wavesB's frequency data B's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
B
Ben Ward
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

8:59 PM

OK, I repeated the test I did before. Humax signal strength is about 75-80% and quality is 100%. Antenna power is off.

Transferring the aerial to the Panasonic and doing those tests again showed that strength varies from/flickers between 0-20% at best; quality varies from 85-100% which is pretty much what it was before when antenna power was on, on the Humax.

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Ben Ward's 28 posts GB flag
Wednesday, 4 July 2012
M
Mark Fletcher
sentiment_satisfiedGold

3:00 PM
Halifax

Colin.Can we assist you !

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Mark Fletcher's 673 posts GB flag
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J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

8:49 PM

Ben Ward: If the signal strength / quality on the Humax is indeed as you have reported then provided that you used exactly the same connections (jump lead from same socket) into the Panasonic then there is no reason whatsoever for it likewise not doing the same, that is unless the signal is slightly too strong or that the actual set has a problem, as although Humax tuners are undeniably excellent Panasonic types still has the edge on them for sensitivity.

Have you as yet tried resetting your Panasonic to its shipping condition? this then followed by an "Auto-set up" automatically starting after the set is switched on again. Another thing I would like you to try albeit that it might be a bit of a bother, is to leave the Humax on the same signal test screen that you had used for your report and then switch off the mains power supply to your 4 way splitter, this followed by a further check being made on the signal level that's indicated the Humax to see if it has changed any by doing this, which of course it should "if" the splitter is working OK, as this is the best way to verify for certain if a splitter or booster is working.

That said though, I noted in an earlier posting that you do refer to a second rooftop aerial, and if this is the case and your Humax / Panasonic is fed directly from this then there isn't any point in trying the power off check on the splitter, although you should still try the shipping condition test on the Panasonic.

NB: Regarding the Humax, although you haven't mentioned as such but its assumed that you did carry out a visual quality check the output from the Humax via a scart coupling into the Panasonic?



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jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
C
Charles Stuart
sentiment_satisfiedSilver

10:57 PM

I recently moved from Kettering to Bristol. In Kettering my TV signal was strong enough to pass through a Freeview HD box, a Humax PVR, a Panasonic DVD recorder and still give a decent picture on the TV. In Bristol, the signal doesn't get past the Freeview HD box unless it's on, in which case I can also use the PVR. However, I cannot get Com 6/Arq B even on the HD box. The aerial is on the roof. But it gets complicated. There's a loft aerial feeding my bedroom TV and that receives all multiplexes. I can also receive all multiplexes on my Eye TV for Mac using an indoor aerial. The roof aerial is minute. The loft aerial is somewhat larger but not a high gain aerial. The house was built in the 1970s and the aerial socket in the living room looks like the original. How do I tell if the problem is the cable, the aerial or even that the aerial is in a null point?

My idea is to intercept the aerial cable in the loft and fit a new, higher gain aerial there. (The rooftop aerial is too high for me to get to it.) If the problem is the cable, will a high gain aerial have any chance of working? I'm looking for a solution that avoids having to call out an aerial installer as I have a low income and I do know how to fit an aerial and find the signal. (51.4634,-2.5264) 

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Charles Stuart's 159 posts GB flag
Thursday, 5 July 2012
J
jb38
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

7:20 AM

Charles Stuart: Unfortunately the signal levels expected at your new location cannot be assessed as the post code provided indicates a disallowed characters error.

However as far as the signal not passing through the box is concerned, make sure that the "power saving on standby" is NOT switched on (if a newer type box) as that will kill the signal.


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jb38's 7,179 posts GB flag
C
Charles Stuart
sentiment_satisfiedSilver

7:31 PM

@jb38 - Thanks. Changing the box setting from "passive" to "active" allows the signal through. I am about half way up Two Mile Hill Road on a side road about 200 yards from the junction. I am quite high up and when I entered my post code, the system suggested that I could receive good signals from Mendip (best), Bristol Kings Weston, Bristol Ilchester Crescent or Wenvoe.

Can anyone advise how to tell if the co-axial cable needs replacing? (51.4634,-2.5264) 

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Charles Stuart's 159 posts GB flag
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Your comment please
Please post a question, answer or commentIf you have Freeview reception problems before posting a question your must first do this Freeview reset procedure then see: Freeview reception has changed, Single frequency interference, and Freeview intermittent interference.

If you have no satellite signal, see Sky Digibox says 'No Signal' or 'Technical fault'

If you have other problems, please provide a full (not partial) postcode (or preferably enter it in box at the top right) and indicate where if aerial is on the roof, in the loft or elsewhere.

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