Full Freeview on the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmitter
Brian Butterworth first published this on - UK Free TV
Google Streetview | Google map | Bing map | Google Earth | 51.237,-2.626 or 51°14'12"N 2°37'33"W | BA5 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.
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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
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
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.
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?
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?
Cheddar | Transposer | 15 km E Weston-super-Mare | 1674 homes |
Luccombe | Active deflector | 6 km w Minehead | 38 homes |
How will the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2010 | 2010-13 | 2013-18 | 2013-17 | 27 Feb 2018 | |||
C/D E | E | E | C/D E | C/D E T | W T | W T | |||
C30 | _local | ||||||||
C32 | BBCA | ||||||||
C33 | com7 | com7 | |||||||
C34 | D3+4 | ||||||||
C35 | com8 | com8 | |||||||
C36 | ArqB | ||||||||
C37 | C5waves | C5waves | |||||||
C48 | SDN | SDN | SDN | SDN | |||||
C49tv_off | BBCA | BBCA | |||||||
C51tv_off | LBS | LBS | |||||||
C52tv_off | ArqB | ArqB | ArqB | ||||||
C54tv_off | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | D3+4 | D3+4 | D3+4 | |||
C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
C56tv_off | ArqA | ArqA | ArqA | COM8tv_off | |||||
C58tv_off | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBCB | BBCB | BBCB | |||
C61 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | BBCA | |||||
C64 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves |
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
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Sunday, 31 March 2013
M
mark4:35 PM
Winchester
We shouldn't be sitting here and grumbling, you know, or sticking bits of wire in holes. We should be contacting the transmission firm. In droves.
All transmitters, so far as I can see, are owned and operated by Arqiva. 01962 823434, Crawley Court, WINCHESTER SO21 2QA.
Now, here's a thing - go on their website and you find they don't give you an email address. Oh dear, they must have forgotten to put it on. Or perhaps I am really a terrorist. And then you find that all enquiries to them about transmission problems are referred to the BBC. But then, of course, you find you are fobbed off again on to a TV Transmission Enquiry Service. Never mind, you press on and fill in their form. About twice, of course, as naturally it is of course a truly wonderful, exemplary form, that will give you such amusement going through all the pages that you will enjoy it far more than watching the boat race which is on about now and which I would like to be viewing.
I suggest you all fill in this form. A lot.
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mark's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
J
John Crabb11:28 PM
Chard
Just a general observation, speaking as a Taunton resident who has lost all BBC channels. It is tempting to believe that there is some fault with the transmitter, but the fact that many people in this area have not lost BBC militates against this theory. So I started to look more carefully for any technical problems closer to home. I found the article on "single channel interference" on this site to be very helpful. Following the advice, I disconnected my HDD recorder and connected the aerial cable directly to the TV. Bingo, BBC came back. I cannot leave it disconnected, so I am buying a new wide band aerial and amplifier in the hope that the improved signal strength will do the trick. There has to be a solution to a technical problem like this and it is more likely to be found within these four walls than on top of the Mendips.
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John's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Monday, 1 April 2013
J
jb3812:25 AM
John Crabb: Well yes, but by removing the HHD recorder all you have possibly done is to slightly increase the level of signal reaching the TV, the positive way of verifying this one way or the other being to carry out a signal check prior to removing the HDD recorder, then one after having done so.
If all of these numerous people who complained of losing the signal simply done so because the level dropped "very" slightly, then their equipment must have been operating at a signal level that was sitting just above the cut off threshold and no more, something I very much doubt.
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K
KMJ,Derby12:39 AM
John Crabb: If your HDD recorder is fitted with an RF modulator it will be necessary to change the output frequency to one that does not cause interference. Alternatively an HDMI lead, if one is in use, or even an aerial fly lead might need to be re-routed in relation to the recorder or TV if interaction between them and a tuner is causing the problem. As you rightly say single frequency interference is usually the first thing to check for, along with faulty cables or connectors. If one frequency is abnormally weak compared to the others it is sometimes necessary to reposition the aerial slightly to move it out of a null for the troublesome frequency. It does appear though that an unusually large number of people are experiencing problems over what was expected to be a straight forward change of frequency. This does therefore raise the question over whether there is a problem on C49 (and C48) with the signal being unintentionally weaker than the others.No doubt Arqiva will check that in due course. There is of course the additional problems of communal aerials that have never had to receive C49 before, so lack the necessary channel filter and a larger than usual percentage of viewers who are equipped to receive from two transmitters, who might now find that BBCA on C49 from Mendip is now out of range for the filter on the Mendip aerial, requiring a change of diplexer to restore reception of all services.
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R
Ron12:47 AM
On my last message I stated I had a digibox ,this should have been a freeview box. I have noted that there is a problem with Philips equipment. My freeview box that will not get BBC channels is a Philips. Should I have bought a cheaper less reliable Currys one?.
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J
John Crabb8:17 AM
Chard
jb38 and KMJ,Derby: Thanks for those interesting points. I do not actually know how many people in Taunton and Wellington have been affected. If it is only a very small percentage of the total then it seems to me that they could well have been the ones operating just on the margin of adequate signal level. In my own case I have an old Yagi aerial of the correct group but the plot for it shows much decreased sensitivity at lower channels within the band.
I already have an HDMI cable. The problem seems to be with the RF cable passing the aerial signal from HDD to TV. Careful rerouting does seem to make a difference.
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John's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
M
mark3:21 PM
Yes, John Crabb, I have no doubt that we could all solve our problems by fiddling about with bits of wire, reconnections, etc., and buying ourselves new kit. But it doesn't alter the fact that if the problem was not there before 27th and is now, then it resulted from the transmission change. Local conditions or equipment may have predisposed my set to this but that is not the issue. If I have to go out and buy a new aerial then I shall be sending the bill to Arqiba.
And yes,there are lots of people in this street who have had no problems at all. But there are also people in their eighties who haven't a clue about these things. After a week or so of frustration and grumbling they'll be paying for the local telly shop to come round and sort them out. This costs a hundred or so. Not on. Many of them, of course, will just give up on the TV altogether. Frankly, that seems more than a bit hard.
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J
John Crabb4:54 PM
Chard
Mark: I don't really disagree with any of your points. I was just discussing practical ways forward for those who feel able to engage with the issues. I am not taking Arqiba's part in this, but as they were presumably directed to clear channel 61 to make room for 4G, I doubt there is much else that they can do about it now. It would be nice if they could improve things but I actually think that in practice we will have to do all the fiddling, or pay someone else to do it for us. I don't like that any more than you do.
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John's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Mike
5:39 PM
Cinderford
5:39 PM
Cinderford
So following John's point, what rights (if any) do we have? We have two receivers that work just fine and one that does not. There must be lots of people in the same position or worse wondering why they cannot get BBC tv (or Radio as I have found). My neighbour has the same issue. Since the Government presumably made some money out of introducing 4G, perhaps they might like to help.
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Mike's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
A
Andy6:05 PM
Since the retune we have had no BBC coverage. We are near Langport. Anyone else near here having problems too?
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