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Full Freeview on the Rowridge (Isle Of Wight, England) transmitter

first published this on - UK Free TV
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The symbol shows the location of the Rowridge (Isle Of Wight, England) transmitter which serves 620,000 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 Rowridge (Isle Of Wight, England) mast?

Rowridge transmitter - Rowridge 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 Rowridge 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
 V max
 H max
C24 (498.0MHz)
320mDTG-200,000W
200,000W
Channel icons
1 BBC One (SD) South, 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
 V max
 H max
C27 (522.0MHz)
320mDTG-200,000W
200,000W
Channel icons
3 ITV 1 (SD) (Meridian (South Coast micro region)), 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 (Meridian south coast),

PSB3
BBCB
 V max
 H max
C21+ (474.2MHz)
320mDTG-200,000W
200,000W
Channel icons
46 5SELECT, 101 BBC One HD South, 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 -6dB
 V -6dB
C25 (506.0MHz)
299mDTG-850,000W
50,000W
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 -6dB
 V -6dB
C22+ (482.2MHz)
302mDTG-850,000W
50,000W
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 -6dB
 V -6dB
C28 (530.0MHz)
302mDTG-850,000W
50,000W
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

LSO
 H -13dB
C37 (602.0MHz)299mDTG-1210,000W
Channel icons
from 22nd December 2014: 7 That's Solent,

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 Rowridge transmitter?

regional news image
BBC South Today 1.3m homes 4.9%
from Southampton SO14 7PU, 26km north (354°)
to BBC South region - 39 masts.
regional news image
ITV Meridian News 0.9m homes 3.6%
from Whiteley PO15 7AD, 24km north-northeast (20°)
to ITV Meridian (South Coast) region - 39 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 50% evening news is shared with all of Meridian plus Oxford

Are there any self-help relays?

Portsmouth DocksTransposer2 km N city centre50 homes Estimate. Group of houses'

How will the Rowridge (Isle Of Wight, England) transmission frequencies change over time?

1950s-80s1984-971997-981998-20122012-132 May 2018
VHFA K TA K TA K TA K TW T
C3BBCtvwaves
C21C4wavesC4wavesC4waves+BBCBBBCB
C22+ArqAArqA
C24BBC2wavesBBC2wavesBBC2wavesBBCABBCA
C25SDNSDN
C27ITVwavesITVwavesITVwavesD3+4D3+4
C28ArqBArqB
C29LSO
C31BBC1wavesBBC1wavesBBC1wavescom7
C37com8
C55tv_offcom7tv_off
C56tv_offCOM8tv_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 7 Mar 12 and 21 Mar 12.

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

Analogue 1-4 500kW
PSB1||, PSB1≡, PSB2||, PSB2≡, PSB3||, PSB3≡(-4dB) 200kW
COM4≡, COM4||, COM5≡, COM5||, COM6≡, COM6||(-10dB) 50kW
com7≡(-13.1dB) 24.4kW
Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D*(-14dB) 20kW
com8≡(-14.3dB) 18.4kW
LSO≡(-17dB) 10kW

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

Aug 1958-Jan 1992Southern Television
Jan 1982-Dec 1992Television South (TVS)
Jan 1993-Feb 2004Meridian
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. Rowridge 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
Wednesday, 29 March 2023
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

3:46 AM

Darrol:

If you've had a new aerial installed recently, what was the actual signal strength in dBuV at the wall plate socket or the coax plug that goes into the TV if you don't have a wall-plate?

Also not sure why the installer used a Wideband aerial when a Group K would help protect you from possible future interference from any nearby mobile phone mast upgrades.

Whilst 100% Quality is ideal and should ideally be achieved except when there's weather related interference to signals, as you haven't given a full postcode, we don't know how close you are to Rowridge.
Although different sets have different receiver sensitivities and the actual set signal strength figure is not always meaningful, 100% signal means there's a good chance the signal is too strong which is why I asked about the actual measured value at the wall-plate.
Too strong a signal can give the sort of symptoms you are experiencing.

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Chris.SE's 4,102 posts GB flag
D
Darrol
4:32 PM

Hello Chris,

Thanks for getting back to me. Have no idea of the signal strength readings are, as I've not been around when the installer has been, just called him and he seems to remember it's between 60-70 dBuV. I'm on Hayling Island PO11 postcode, about 30Km from the Rowridge transmitter.

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Darrol's 3 posts GB flag
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

5:08 PM

Darrol:

Hi. Well 60-70dBuV should be fine, but how variable that might be under some weather conditions could be important, this is where a full postcode is need to look at the predicted reception.

Are your aerial rods horizontal or vertical (Rowridge has both polarisations for the 6 main multiplexes)? Do you get the Local multiplex on UHF C37 - News channel at LCN7 and such things as Great TV at LCN50 , Great Romance at LCN52? If the rods are vertical you probably won't get it as the Local multiplex is only horizontally polarised (never understood why they did that because generally reception is mostly better around the area with vertical polarisation!).

If you are in the South of the island reception of the COM multiplexes can be somewhat variable with horizontal polarisation, the more to the West the better it seems to be, as it seems to be in the North, but predicted reception can vary a lot from location to location which is why the full postcode is needed.

Do you have any amp/splitters to feed the signal to more than one TV? If so, does it have a variable gain control?
I did think after I commented about 100% signal that I've come across some sets/boxes in the past that say 100% even when it's poor! It does seem to be better these days, buts that's why it's not always a good guide and signal strength measurement with a proper meter is always best.

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Chris.SE's 4,102 posts GB flag
Thursday, 30 March 2023
D
darrol
4:02 PM
Hayling Island

Chris,

You have lost me completely with COM Multiplexs and LCN50/52.
1. Antenna is Horizontal
2. No splitters or amps
3. South Hayling PO11 9AT
As the installer has fitted a wideband antenna, I'm going to try a 6dB inline Attenuator (only one I could get delivered quickly from Amazon). To see if this makes a difference, rather than going to the additional expense of getting the aerial changed to a Group A. Other forums have suggested too strong a signal can effect the EPG.

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darrol's 3 posts GB flag
darrol's: mapD's Freeview map terrainD's terrain plot wavesD's frequency data D's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

4:18 PM

darrol:

All TV channels are transmitted in groups know as multiplexes. The PSBs are the Public Service Broadcast ones, the COMs are purely commercial The channel number in the EPG is its LCN - Logical Channel Number.
See Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview for which TV channels are carried on which multiplex.

I wouldn't bother going to any expense of changing an aerial as you've just had this one, and a group A might reduce your signal on the local multiplex (a Group K would be a better bet at any future date if/when needed).. The predictions for your postcode with Horizontal polarisation suggest you should have no problem receiving any of the multiplexes.
If in the future you end up with any problems with mobile interference you can get a free filter from https://restoretv.uk

As the predictions are good and there's no other obvious causes, trying an attenuator is certainly the best idea. Let us know how you get on.

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Chris.SE's 4,102 posts GB flag
Sunday, 16 April 2023
T
tony
12:26 PM

so confused here in Yapton near Bognor
this site says ALL the muxes are either 200kW or 50kW for V and H polarisations
but another site.. the ATV one, says the first 3 are both 200kW but the second 3 are 50kW on horizontal, or they are also 200kW ONLY on the VERTICAL polarisation..
i am having trouble picking up mux com5. 482.2MHz Dave etc but no trouble with any of the others

what gives?
is this site giving best latest information? or is it telling porkies?

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tony's 3 posts GB flag
S
StevensOnln1
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

1:29 PM

tony: Unfortunately this page is one of many on this site with errors in the transmitter details. The PSB1-3 muxes are broadcast at 200kW in both polarisations, the COM4-6 muxes are broadcast at 50kW horizontal and 200kW vertical. If you can give us a full postcode and tell us whether your aerial is horizontally polarised (elements going side to side) or vertical (elements going up and down) we may be able to offer some suggestions.

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StevensOnln1's 3,606 posts GB flag
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

1:57 PM

tony:

It's certainly 200kW for all muxes on Vertical polarisation, so it seems Justin has his site with the correct information. There were so many changes during the 700MHz Clearance, the site owner here had trouble keeping up with all the changes (there's over 1100 transmitters in the UK) but not every transmitter was affected during that, and some had power changes. However the 200kW Vertical for Rowridge appeared at DSO and hasn't changed since.

You haven't said whether your aerial is H or V. It needs to be H if you want the Local mux (UHF 37) as it's not transmitted with Vertical, stupid but there we go!
See Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview for which TV channels are carried on which multiplex, which is usually up-to-date.

Rowridge isn't currently on a list for Planned Engineering (but the lists aren't always accurate!) but there's a small amount of variable Tropospheric ducting/Temperature Inversion that might cause a bit of periodic interference especially if you use Horizontal polarisation.
If you are correctly tuned to UHF22+ for ArqA/COM5 then don't retune if your signal gets disrupted as it may just clear the correct tuning.

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Chris.SE's 4,102 posts GB flag
T
tony
4:31 PM

Chris.SE: thanks guys i can go to sleep tonight..
my main aerial is a dumb old loft one pointing 253deg from Yapton to Rowridge . On the ATV site it is similar to the XB16 but shorter (?)..but.. apart from the roof material i have the added bonus of 3 massive Maritime Pine trees about 200yrs old and 70ft high, at least, 50yards away, directly between me and the isle of Wight.
my neighbour has a similar aerial set up but outside on a massive pole at least 10ft above his roof height. as i am on limited funds and cant afford a professional to come and do their magic, so i have to work with the bits and bobs i have got ,
i suspect if my neighbour sat on top if that pole he could see the isle of wight on a clear day. by the way

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tony's 3 posts GB flag
C
Chris.SE
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

5:17 PM

tony:

Hi again. You didn't mention whether the aerial is H or V.
Apart from any Local obstructions eg. those trees! any other buildings etc., you have line-of-sight to Rowridge.
Trees can obviously disrupt signals, sometimes, depending on weather, it may get frequency dependant and not affect all multiplexes. It will depend on the nature of the trees in question how it might affect signals and whether it'll be any different for each polarisation.
If you're currently horizontal and don't mind loosing the channels on the Local mux, try it vertical to see whether things are better or worse

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Chris.SE's 4,102 posts GB flag
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