Full Freeview on the Sandy Heath (Central Bedfordshire, England) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 52.130,-0.242 or 52°7'47"N 0°14'33"W |  | SG19 2NH |
The symbol shows the location of the Sandy Heath (Central Bedfordshire, England) transmitter which serves 920,000 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 Sandy Heath (Central Bedfordshire, England) mast?
Sandy Heath transmitter - Sandy Heath transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 04/12/2023 Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels 
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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
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Sandy Heath 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
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Sandy Heath transmitter?
BBC Look East (West) 1.0m homes 3.7%
from Cambridge CB4 0WZ, 29km east-northeast (65°)
to BBC Cambridge region - 4 masts.
70% of BBC East (East) and BBC East (West) is shared output
ITV Anglia News 1.0m homes 3.7%
from Norwich NR1 3JG, 119km east-northeast (60°)
to ITV Anglia (West) region - 5 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 80% evening news is shared with Anglia (East)
How will the Sandy Heath (Central Bedfordshire, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1965-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2011 | 2011-13 | 12 Feb 2020 | ||||
| VHF | A K T | K T | K T | W T | W T | ||||
| C6 | ITVwaves | ||||||||
| C21 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | +BBCB | BBCB | ||||
| C24 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | D3+4 | D3+4 | ||||
| C27 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBCA | BBCA | ||||
| C31 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | ||||||
| C32 | com7 | ||||||||
| C33 | SDN | ||||||||
| C34 | com8 | ||||||||
| C35 | _local | ||||||||
| C36 | ArqA | ||||||||
| C39 | C5waves | C5waves | |||||||
| C43 | _local | ||||||||
| C48 | ArqB | ArqB | |||||||
| C51tv_off | SDN | ||||||||
| C52tv_off | ArqA | ||||||||
| 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 30 Mar 11 and 13 Apr 11.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 1000kW | |
| BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-7.4dB) 180kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB | (-7.7dB) 170kW | |
| com7 | (-13dB) 49.6kW | |
| com8 | (-13.1dB) 49.1kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-17dB) 20kW | |
| Analogue 5 | (-20dB) 10kW |
Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Sandy Heath transmitter area
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Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Steve: Because they are built to a specification of what a reasonable signal level will be. Attenuators cost only a few pounds, much easier to provide the correct signal level to your equipment.
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S
Steve1:12 PM
Wrexham
But it would probably only cost a few pence to add circuitry to cope with the highest likely signal strengths.
And why is there no effort to publicise this problem? I don't recall seeing it on ads re changeover, or in manuals for tuners.
I am far more technical than the average viewer, and I am only aware of the problem from you posting about it!
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Steve's: mapS's Freeview map terrainS's terrain plot wavesS's frequency data S's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Steve: OK, you seem to know best.
The information is included in ALL switchover documentation. For example Digital UK's Anglia Aerial Installer Newsletter :
"DSO provides for substantial DTT power increases at all UK transmitters when analogue services end, to enable Ofcom's
condition of matching the 98.5% UK analogue coverage figure. Power increases for individual muxes vary. The average is a
ten-fold increase that provides a further 10dB gain into the Freeview receiver. We will notify you of the transmission power
increases for Sudbury and Talconestion and their relay transmitters in future newsletters.
Amplifiers
When transmission powers increase, homes with aerial amplifiers could experience service loss or picture and sound
disturbance due to the DTT receiver's tuner being overloaded. Old aerial amplifiers with poor filtering could cause video/
audio synchronisation problems where the receiver trying to read noise as a DTT signal. Removing the amplifiers should
rectify both issues. "
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S
Steve7:44 PM
Wrexham
Brian - Yes, they have told YOU - the professional who probably knew already.
But I don't recall seeing the information in anything sent to the mass of viewers; or broacast on the TV.
Have I missed it?
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Steve's: mapS's Freeview map terrainS's terrain plot wavesS's frequency data S's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Steve: Clearly you have until now. I've been going on about it for .. about a decade now.
Why are you so upset about having to spend a fiver?
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Wednesday, 18 May 2011
S
Steve12:47 AM
Wrexham
Brian - I don't even have the problem. I'm upset on behalf of the people who have had the problem imposed on them.
Digital switchover is a pain - and a cost - for me. But at least I have a background to understand it.
I have just fought through the DSO process on behalf of a disabled person. It took 4 visits and a GREAT deal of me being VERY purposeful.
There must be tens of thousands of disabled people who do not have a me to fight for them.
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Steve's: mapS's Freeview map terrainS's terrain plot wavesS's frequency data S's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Steve: I can see you have already fixed your opinion, and this forum is for assistance and you don't require any.
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S
Steve9:39 AM
Wrexham
Fair enough.
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Steve's: mapS's Freeview map terrainS's terrain plot wavesS's frequency data S's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Friday, 20 May 2011
K
Karen8:21 AM
There is intermittent interference to the signal on all channels every few seconds visual and sound. This started yesterday evening. This is also affecting my digital radio....... Any ideas ? This is in Overstone Northampton looks like I may have to have a silent day !!
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Karen: Please see Freeview intermittent interference | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice for suggestions.
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