Full Freeview on the Sandy Heath (Central Bedfordshire, England) transmitter
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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 25/11/2024 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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Monday, 3 October 2011
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RobWhitwell9:37 AM
Living in Whitwell. just outside Hitchin we hve always received digital)and previously analogue) from Sandy H. The other sid eof the viullage recieves from Crystal P.
Since the awitchover we have had notifications to re-tune and have duly doen these. Now ESPN (Channel 4) has disappeared. Signal strength shows as 29&, and quality ZERO. using a Humax 9200T which has always served us well.
Has anyone else lost this channel?
If it has gone then it is time to stop the subscription.
Freeview really is getting worse day by day.
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RobWhitwell9:39 AM
Apologies.
Of course should have said ESPN Channel 34.
Blame this typist entirely :-))
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Mike Dimmick12:59 PM
RobWhitwell: Does anything else on the SDN multiplex work? For example, ITV3, Quest, Pick TV? If they do work properly, switch to ESPN, then press MENU and go to Status, Signal Detection. If that says it's using channel 31, then it's probably an issue with the CAM or the viewing card. Try turning off the PVR using the switch at the back, unplugging the CAM and removing the viewing card, turning on the PVR, turning it off again, and plug the CAM and viewing card back in.
If it's not shown as using UHF channel 31, try pressing MENU, then going to Installation, then Default Setting, to wipe all channels and retune from scratch. If, after that, it doesn't show as C31, do the Default Setting again but this time don't save the results of the automatic tune. Use Manual Search to scan C24, C27, C31, C48 and C67.
The reason for this is that the PVR-9200T appears to just store the first version of the channels that it finds, rather than the strongest or best quality. In the recent weather conditions, signals from Crystal Palace - which uses lower channel numbers - could be stronger than usual.
It's also worth checking that the PVR-9200T's RF output is well away from the desired frequency range. I'd put it around C55. The setting for this is in Preferences, UHF Output. The Default Setting option resets this to C36. This shouldn't clash with anything that you're using, but it can't hurt to keep it further away.
If signals from CP *are* travelling further than usual, it could simply be a clash with the Crystal Palace 'temporary' HD service, which also uses UHF channel 31. In this case it may come and go with changes in the weather. The problem will ultimately be resolved when Crystal Palace finishes switchover on 18 April next year (and therefore stops using C31).
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William Davies1:54 PM
Have the Yesterday and Sky News channels been recently eleted from Freeview? I not I wouold welcome advice as I have tried the re-tuning options.
Than You
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RobWhitwell2:42 PM
Thanks Mike for your advice.
I have followed your suggestions but alas no difference.
basically the results are as follows:
Multiplex 'A' -- No channels at all
'B' -- All of them are fine
'C' -- No channels at all
'D' -- All are there and fine
With the manual v=channel search:
C24 Strength 60%, quality 100%
C27 St 60%, Q 100%
C31 St 47%, Q 0%
C48 St 60%, Q 100%
C67 St 56%, Q 0%
I also adjusted RF output to 55. No improvement after doing this.
So in the meantime I have supspended my Subs to ESPN, either until it gets better if weather related, or certainly until next April if the issue is with CP.
ESPN suggested there was (yet) another retune for Sandy H around end of Nov this year. I will kep you posted if changes happen.
Thanks again for yur quick response
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RobWhitwell2:57 PM
Just an additional piece of info.
I have another DTB as well as the Humax. After a channel search from new, they both show a total of 40 tv channels and 20 radio channels. Pre- 15th September (when the retune was suggested), there were more than 80 IIRC
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Steve P4:47 PM
Wrexham
Rob O'Whit - from note above/below, seems 67 should not be in use at all now.
Have you asked neighbours? Or put your postcode in top right here?
After switchover frequency notes ():
The commercial multiplexes at Sandy Heath will remain on their pre-switchover channels and powers for a period after digital switchover. SDN will then temporarily move to channel 31 (at 20kW ERP) on 31 Aug 2011, before adopting its final allocation of channel 51 on 18th April 2012. Arqiva A will adopt its final allocation of channel 52 on 23 Nov 2011. Arqiva B will temporarily move to channel 67 (at 20kW ERP) at switchover and then it will adopt its final allocation of channel 48 on 14 Sept 2011.
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Steve's: mapS's Freeview map terrainS's terrain plot wavesS's frequency data S's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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Maurice5:36 PM
Maurice: Hmm.. Inversion Effect eh? Could be. We've had rather unseasonable weather. I guess I'll just have to wait and see as pressure drops and weather chills. Thanks for your input.
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RobWhitwell5:57 PM
Hitchin
Hi Steve,
Thanks for your imput, much appreciated.
Believe otr not we only have three neighbours in our rural location outside the village. Next door do not have a tv, next to them are using a simple DTB on a non-upgraded aerial (and receiving about 6 or 7 of the main channels), and next to them do not have a tv. So no-one to compare with I regret to say. The village itself receives signals from CP, as they are on the other side of a hill.
I saw that information on the temporary channels, so it does look like the number of channels we will receive now will be restricted for another 6 months as SDN will be moving to channel 51 then.
As you say Channel 67 should not be in use. My Humax shows this as having a strength of 56% with a quality of 0%. Not sure if not beign used why I am picking this up?
And as with other posters on the forum, the weather may have something to do with it. I will let you know in about a weeks time when we have returned to 'normal' October weather and if the channels have adrrived with it.
Thanks
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RobWhitwell's: mapR's Freeview map terrainR's terrain plot wavesR's frequency data R's Freeview Detailed Coverage
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Mike Dimmick6:24 PM
Steve P, RobWhitwell: C67 is definitely in use, it carries Multiplex C until after Tacolneston's DSO. It will move to its final channel, C52 (becoming ArqA), on 23 November.
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