Full Freeview on the Rowridge (Isle Of Wight, England) transmitter
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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.
This transmitter has no current reported problems
The BBC and Digital UK report there are no faults or engineering work on the Rowridge (Isle Of Wight, 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 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.
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?
BBC South Today 1.3m homes 4.9%
from Southampton SO14 7PU, 26km north (354°)
to BBC South region - 39 masts.
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 Docks | Transposer | 2 km N city centre | 50 homes Estimate. Group of houses' |
How will the Rowridge (Isle Of Wight, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1950s-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2012 | 2012-13 | 2 May 2018 | ||||
| VHF | A K T | A K T | A K T | A K T | W T | ||||
| C3 | BBCtvwaves | ||||||||
| C21 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | +BBCB | BBCB | ||||
| C22 | +ArqA | ArqA | |||||||
| C24 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBCA | BBCA | ||||
| C25 | SDN | SDN | |||||||
| C27 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | D3+4 | D3+4 | ||||
| C28 | ArqB | ArqB | |||||||
| C29 | LSO | ||||||||
| C31 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | com7 | |||||
| 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 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 |
Local transmitter maps
Rowridge Freeview Rowridge DAB Rowridge TV region BBC South Meridian (South Coast micro region)Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Rowridge transmitter area
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Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Sean: I'm sure that I transcribed the information correctly from the licences. However I will check again when I get back to my computer.
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Sean3:00 PM
Thanks - would be grateful for any info you have. I won't have a strop if you've made a mistake - Rowridge is now the weirdest transmitter in the UK, as it's effectively two in one. I've also emailed Arqiva for their answer on the subject.
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Sean: I think this is typical of the way things are done these days.
The days of all transmitters carrying all the same channels are long gone, this equity having being sacrificed in order to fit more services in.
Only the three PSB multiplexes have an obligation to provide a particular level of coverage.
Now step forward the plan for COM7 and COM8 from Rowridge. The case for VP signals is probably more one of a "business case" which takes account of the number of viewers that would be added if they were available VP (in addition to HP).
I don't live in the area so have no idea what proportion of aerials are now vertical. However, I hazard a guess that those which are close enough to receive the lower powered COM7 and COM8 will generally be horizontally polarised.
In locations where COM7 and COM8 are to be poorer it is more likely that more aerials will be VP. It is these people who will either have to forfeit the new HD services or else switch back to HP.
The point is that, in much the same vein as the broadcasters have to set a "business case" for an expense it is effectively the same for viewers. That is it is their "choice", in much the same way as some aerials had to be replaced in order to receive COM4-6.
This type of passing expenses on to other parties for decisions another makes it the way these days.
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Sean8:56 PM
I switched to VP because the official predictor said I'd get a lower signal level when the channels were moved around. The VP prediction was 100%. Today, the same predictor says 100% for both.
I appreciate that a broadcaster will chase viewers. But a bit more coordination is needed when that broadcaster is effectively telling people what to spend their money on.
It looks like Arqiva may be shooting down VP shortly after it took off. Perhaps their predictions of HP interference from France were wrong so they've realised it was a solution to a problem that doesn't actually exist. Of course they won't admit this though.
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Wednesday, 8 January 2014
Sean: The VP is required, in addition to help with "rejection" of any inference from France for those receiving the Commercial (COM) channels who may be subjected to co-channel interference from Stockland Hill and Crystal Palace, this being why the power of the COMs is lower horizontally.
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Sean3:02 PM
I understand. Whether rightly or wrongly, I assumed that VP was the future for Rowridge, and HP was just for backwards compatibility. I needed a new aerial so it seemed a no-brainer to use VP for the higher power muxes.
I would expect the trouble to start when people realise they can't get these new channels, despite having paid for a shiny new aerial recently. I've seen more VP aerials appearing over time, so it seems I'm not alone in thinking that these were now the preferred method.
Has there ever been any official guidance on what the VP is for? What should installers fit, or are they supposed to fit HP initially then change to VP if there's a problem? It seems bloody daft to me.
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Sean: I'm not an installer, but your first sentence aligns with my thoughts - HP is merely for legacy purposes.
The point is that neither Ofcom nor Digital UK bothered to counteract this. And having done so, Ofcom didn't mandate COM7, COM8 and the new local multiplex to use mixed polarity.
In effect, Rowridge HP and Rowridge VP are two different transmitting stations. The operators of these new multiplexes don't consider it worthwhile to broadcast from Rowridge VP (assuming clearance would have been granted).
In all this there is the stink of how things are done these days - we don't think as far as our nose end and passing the buck is so easy because "the system" is so fragmented, as is apparent in the statement from Ofcom in response to your point.
All channels are in Group A, so as new aerial isn't generally necessary. The exception is if it has some defect or perhaps it's old and one wishes to kill two birds with one stone and replace it at the same time as switching to VP.
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SEAN,
VP is the way forward.
COM7 HP doesn't carry many channels and they are at very low signal levels.
To receive these in some locations you will need to have a high gain aerial and possibly an amplifier which will then also mean you will need to 4G filter your system.
Installs are now being fitted VP with much better wind loading aerials and shorter masts.
I have been to high gain aerial installs damaged in storms which had amplifiers and 20 foot masts, I have been able to change them to a smaller aerial with a 6 foot mast and no amplifier.
At this stage I would imagine the sacrifice of these few channels is worth it, hopefully in time the new channels will be on VP and eventually they ditch HP.
regards
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jamie's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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Sean8:05 PM
Well I haven't had a reply from Arqiva yet - there's a surprise. I'll nag them until they respond. I'm wondering if this nonsense might be of interest to local news. "New channels are for old aerials only" or something.
I previously had a monster aerial that looked like a spaceship. Now it's a nice neat log periodic, plus VP means the local obese pigeons can't sit on it and loosen it.
I still want BBC4hd though, plus hopefully more to come.
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Thursday, 9 January 2014
B
Bob Eades10:31 AM
I've been waiting for info on when the additional HD channels will start, but have got this right they will only be on HP not VP as well, as on moving I needed to change to a VP aerial to get a stable signal from Comm's 4, 5, 6.
If I need to go back to HP will need amp's and filters because of the signal conditions an proximity to 3 phone mast?
As a TV engineer since the mid seventies I feel that someone in authority needs to be pointed out to them that messing about like this very confusing and expensive and should be clearer in the advertising implying more channels on the way so make certain you get an HD TV when you up grade, not much use if every time they change transmissions you need to change your aerial better off inventing an auto-rotating aerial!
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