Full Freeview on the Oxford (Oxfordshire, England) transmitter
Brian Butterworth first published this on - UK Free TV
Google Streetview | Google map | Bing map | Google Earth | 51.790,-1.179 or 51°47'25"N 1°10'46"W | OX3 9SS |
The symbol shows the location of the Oxford (Oxfordshire, England) transmitter which serves 410,000 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 Oxford (Oxfordshire, 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
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Oxford 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 Oxford transmitter?
BBC South (Oxford) Today 0.4m homes 1.6%
from Oxford OX2 7DW, 6km west-southwest (258°)
to BBC South (Oxford) region - 6 masts.
BBC South (Oxford) Today shares 50% content with Southampton service
ITV Meridian News 0.9m homes 3.4%
from Whiteley PO15 7AD, 102km south (182°)
to ITV Meridian/Central (Thames Valley) region - 15 masts.
Thames Valley opt-out from Meridian (South). All of lunch, weekend and 50% evening news is shared with all of Meridian+Oxford
How will the Oxford (Oxfordshire, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
1950s-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2011 | 2011-13 | 2013-18 | 2013-17 | 23 May 2018 | ||
VHF | C/D E | C/D E | C/D E | C/D E | C/D E T | W T | W T | ||
C2 | BBCtvwaves | ||||||||
C29 | SDN | ||||||||
C31 | com7 | com7 | |||||||
C37 | com8 | com8 | |||||||
C41 | BBCA | ||||||||
C44 | D3+4 | ||||||||
C46 | _local | ||||||||
C47 | BBCB | ||||||||
C49tv_off | C5waves | C5waves | |||||||
C50tv_off | SDN | SDN | |||||||
C51tv_off | LOX | LOX | |||||||
C53tv_off | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | +BBCA | +BBCA | +BBCA | |||
C55tv_off | ArqB | ArqB | ArqB | com7tv_off | |||||
C56tv_off | COM8tv_off | ||||||||
C57tv_off | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBCB | BBCB | BBCB | |||
C59tv_off | -ArqA | -ArqA | -ArqA | ||||||
C60tv_off | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | -D3+4 | -D3+4 | -D3+4 | |||
C62 | SDN | ||||||||
C63 | 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 14 Sep 11 and 28 Sep 11.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
Analogue 1-4 | 500kW | |
BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-7dB) 100kW | |
SDN, ARQA, ARQB | (-10dB) 50kW | |
Analogue 5 | (-11dB) 40kW | |
com8 | (-14.7dB) 17.1kW | |
com7 | (-14.8dB) 16.4kW | |
Mux 1*, Mux 2*, LOX | (-17dB) 10kW | |
Mux C*, Mux D* | (-18dB) 8kW | |
Mux A*, Mux B* | (-19.2dB) 6kW |
Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Oxford transmitter area
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Thursday, 9 November 2023
S
Stu11:02 AM
Hello. Having interference on Channel 37 from the Oxford transmitter for the last few days. The other 5 muxes are ok. Wondering if this is just me or if anyone else has had issues? If I check the signal via the menu I'm getting a pretty solid 100% quality and 72% strength (about normal for my setup) BUT the the quality reading is blipping every 10 seconds or so down to 70%, even as far as 30%. I suppose that is the issue but I've not had it before. I haven't changed anything in my setup hence asking on here. Thanks for any replies.
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C
Chris.SE12:37 PM
Kendal
Stu:
Hi Stu. You may have noticed 3 posts before yours that the Oxford transmitter is having Planned Engineering, so that may not be helping the situation as IIRC you are not in the best of locations for reception.
However, that said, the fact that is blipping up and down is a touch odd. Now, there is some very marginal "Tropo" just passing affecting parts of central England, but that should be gone by the end of the day, whether that is contributing to the issues is difficult to say.
Put your full postcode into https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/ if it says Yes, even if you haven't had a postcard from them get in touch with them and request a free filter (0800-1313-800). It could be a new/upgraded phone mast now giving problems.
I assume you've checked your aerial is still pointing correctly, coax ok etc. If you still get sufficient strength with the amp/splitter out of circuit, see if the quality then remains stable. If so, it could still be interference causing the problem and now it's not getting amplified it's not having the same effect., and so hopefully a filter (before the amp/splitter) may cure the issue if it's not the engineering/weather.
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Chris.SE's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
S
Stu3:12 PM
Thanks for taking the time to reply Chris.
Had noticed the engineering works and I do know that living south of Cirencester is getting towards the edge of coverage. This is out of the ordinary hence the question really. Could be the atmospheric conditions I guess. Will have to give it a few more days and see if it improves. Didn't know the atmosphere was causing problems again! Where do you find out about the current conditions?
I agree with you - the blipping up and down seems odd and the fact it is only on one mux seems odder still.
I have got a filter (well a distribution amp with a filter included).
My aerial is overdue a check and possible upgrade but normally I get all 6 muxes well enough that there's no interference. Cables are mostly double-screened but there's a few metres of what is probably old single-shielded cable from the aerial to the loft amp (the distribution one mentioned earlier). I know that's not ideal.
Will give it a few days and see if it changes.
Many thanks for your time.
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Chris.SE5:59 PM
Stu:
Hi again. How old is your amp/spliiter?
Unless it's very new, the chances are that the filter in it, is what is often termed a 4G/LTE filter for 800MHz. The spec. for it should tell you.
These days you need what's often called a 5G/700MHz filter (sometimes LTE is also mentioned) but 700MHz is the important bit. Such filters will also clobber the 800MHz issue.
If that postcode check for restoretv said YES you should definitely get one.
I didn't think there was any "Tropo" this week but did a precautionary check, it's so marginal and only predicted today over a relatively small area, I'd be surprised if it was having much if any effect except in a few isolated cases. Such things are "predictions" and I wouldn't take it as gospel.
See if things are more stable tomorrow.
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Sunday, 24 December 2023
A
Adrian Crafer 9:33 AM
Oxford appears to have been off since 16.40 yesterday Saturday 23rd December.
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Chris.SE5:45 PM
Adrian Crafer :
It's highly improbable that Oxford has been off-air at all. I can't find any reports of faults or any Planned Engineering in the last 5 days, apart from which the place would be littered with posts if it were off-air.
Are you still in the same location as in 2015. If so, check your aerial is still pointing at compass bearing 56 degrees, that's 11 degrees E of NE.
If not, a full postcode is needed to check predicted reception.
Do check all obvious things such as your coax downlead not flapping in the wind, that all accessible coax connections are free of corrosion and water and are connected properly.
If you have an amp/splitter to feed more than one TV, check it's still powered etc.
There's always a possibility you could be suffering interference from a new/upgraded mobile phone mast. Check if you should have had a postcard from Restore TV, we know some should have but haven't!
https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/
If it says yes, you need to contact them for a free filter. If you have an external mast-head amp, you need to tell them that, as they need to send an engineer to fit an outdoor weatherproof one free of charge.
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Monday, 25 December 2023
A
Adrian Crafer 11:43 PM
Chris.SE: I had already done all the checks in so far as I can. Could be a failed masthead amplifier. However an enquiry on the next door app had a number of people confirming no reception. The Web site istheservicedown.co.uk has been red flagged Oxford most of the Christmas weekend, indicating a fault on the transmitter.
That website relies on people logging a fault, and when there are enough complaints it seems to automatically represents that as a fault.
Arqiva don't appear to have a status page. There switchboard does not have a clue and put me through to the office that arranges access to transmitter sites, so no help there.
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Tuesday, 26 December 2023
S
Steve Donaldson1:02 AM
Adrian Crafer : If you are still in Walcot then you and your neighbours using Oxford may benefit by switching to Seagry Court. As a relay of Mendip, Seagry Court's regions are BBC West and ITV West, so unless you prefer Oxford's, then change transmitter. I can see on Street View that some houses on what may still be your road have made the switch.
In February 2018, TV reception in Swindon was improved. Seagry Court got a 10x power boost and became a full-service transmitter, with the COMs added. At the same time, the Wroughton transmitter opened, also a full-service transmitter, this to serve an area not reached by Seagry Court.
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A
Adrian Crafer 8:12 AM
Steve Donaldson: Thank you I was aware of Seagry Court etc. We prefer the BBC South news, and Seagry Court does not carry LOX which also carries a couple of channels we occasionally watch. I suspect it is a failed amplifier as the BBC1 signal from Seagry Court received on the side of the aerial, which was in the 800s is also absent.
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Chris.SE7:06 PM
Adrian Crafer :
A check just now shows the BBC have not reported any faults for the Oxford transmitter. I find it highly unlikely that if the transmitter had been down there wouldn't have been several reports, not only here and a few other places, but certainly direct to the BBC.
I'm afraid a few reports solely on "isitdown" are no reliable indicator of a transmitter fault,.Considering the weather we've just had (and based on previous experience) may reports will be due to problems with their own systems, a number will be with aerials now pointing at the pole star!
If you have a masthead amp and think it could be faulty, do check that it's still receiving power initially checking the power unit. I'm afraid the only other check of it will involve someone getting up there. Do you perhaps have another aerial (even set top) you could try checking signals from Seagry Court as you are only 2km from it.
Do not ignore the possibility that if a new/upgraded phone mast has just started up on 700MHz it could be saturating your masthead amp. There's at least 10 mobile masts within 1.5km of you, so who knows. This might block all other signals at the set which could also have an overloaded front end. In your TV's tuning section, do any signal strength and quality figures for any of the UHF channels show up?
If accessing your aerial and masthead amp is something you do yourself, then you could get Restore TV to send you the external filter, otherwise they'd need to fit it.
Ideally these days a Group K aerial is also best.
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