Freeview Light on the Sidmouth (Devon, England) transmitter
 | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 50.684,-3.224 or 50°41'3"N 3°13'28"W |  | EX10 0NX |
The symbol shows the location of the Sidmouth (Devon, England) transmitter which serves 6,900 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 Sidmouth (Devon, England) transmitter._______
Digital television services are broadcast on a multiplexes (or Mux) where many stations occupy a single broadcast frequency, as shown below.
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
The Sidmouth (Devon, England) mast is a public service broadcasting (PSB) transmitter, it does not provide these commercial (COM) channels: U&Yesterday, 4seven, 5Action, 5STAR, 5USA, Al Jazeera Eng, Al Jazeera English, Blaze, Blaze +1, Challenge, Channel 5 +1, DMAX, E4 Extra, YAAAS!, Film4 +1, Food Network, FRANCE 24 (in English), GREAT! action, GREAT! christmas, GREAT! movies, GREAT! romance mix, HGTV, HobbyMaker, ITV2 +1, ITV3 +1, ITV4 +1, ITVBe +1, Legend, PBS America, Quest +1, Quest Red, Really, Sky Mix, Sky News, Talking Pictures TV, That's 90s, That's TV 2, Together TV, TRUE CRIME, TRUE CRIME XTRA, U&Dave, U&Dave ja vu, U&Drama +1, U&W.
If you want to watch these channels, your aerial must point to one of the 80 Full service Freeview transmitters. For more information see the will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? page.
Which Freeview channels does the Sidmouth 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.
| Mux | H/V | Frequency | Height | Mode | Watts |
| PSB1 BBCA | V max | C32- (561.8MHz) | 130m | DTG- | 6W |
 1 BBC One (SD) South West, 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 | C48 (690.0MHz) | 130m | DTG- | 6W |
 3 ITV 1 (SD) (West Country), 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 (West Country), 71 That’s 60s, | |||||
| PSB3 BBCB | V max | C33- (569.8MHz) | 130m | DTG- | 6W |
 46 5SELECT, 101 BBC One HD South West, 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 | |||||
Are you trying to watch these 44 Freeview channels?
The Sidmouth (Devon, England) mast is a public service broadcasting (PSB) transmitter, it does not provide these commercial (COM) channels: U&Yesterday, 4seven, 5Action, 5STAR, 5USA, Al Jazeera Eng, Al Jazeera English, Blaze, Blaze +1, Challenge, Channel 5 +1, DMAX, E4 Extra, YAAAS!, Film4 +1, Food Network, FRANCE 24 (in English), GREAT! action, GREAT! christmas, GREAT! movies, GREAT! romance mix, HGTV, HobbyMaker, ITV2 +1, ITV3 +1, ITV4 +1, ITVBe +1, Legend, PBS America, Quest +1, Quest Red, Really, Sky Mix, Sky News, Talking Pictures TV, That's 90s, That's TV 2, Together TV, TRUE CRIME, TRUE CRIME XTRA, U&Dave, U&Dave ja vu, U&Drama +1, U&W.
If you want to watch these channels, your aerial must point to one of the 80 Full service Freeview transmitters. For more information see the will there ever be more services on the Freeview Light transmitters? page.
Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Sidmouth transmitter?
BBC Spotlight 0.8m homes 2.9%
from Plymouth PL3 5BD, 72km west-southwest (244°)
to BBC South West region - 107 masts.
ITV West Country News (West) 0.8m homes 2.9%
from Plymouth PL7 5BQ, 65km west-southwest (242°)
to ITV West Country region - 107 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 50% evening news is shared with West Country (East)
How will the Sidmouth (Devon, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1950s-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2009 | 2009-13 | 27 Mar 2019 | ||||
| VHF | E | E | E | C/D E T | K T | ||||
| C4 | BBCtvwaves | ||||||||
| C32 | BBCA | ||||||||
| C33 | BBCB | ||||||||
| C39 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | ||||||
| C45 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ||||||
| C48 | D3+4 | D3+4 | |||||||
| C49tv_off | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | ||||||
| C52tv_off | -BBCA | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | -BBCB | ||||||||
| C67 | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves |
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 8 Apr 09 and 22 Apr 09.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 12W | |
| BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-3dB) 6W |
Local transmitter maps
SIDMOUTH Freeview SIDMOUTH DAB Beacon Hill TV region BBC South West West CountryWhich companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Beacon Hill transmitter area
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Is the transmitter output the same in all directions?
Radiation patterns withheldThursday, 19 September 2013
G
Graham6:58 PM
Hi - my dad has just moved to Sidmouth and likes to watch horse racing, We have found that he should be able to get Racing UK and watch live racing (provided he pays the subscription fee etc) but we are told he will either need a new telly or a freeview HD box (eg TVonics Z500HD).
Does anyone already have Racing UK on their TV and if so how do they receive it - have they got a smart TV or are they using a freeview HD box??? Appreciate your help so that I can try and sort this out for my dad.
Thanks,
Graham
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M
Michael7:25 PM
Graham: Does your dad receive the full range of Freeview channels - i.e. including Dave, Yesterday, etc?
See Racing UK and Racing UK for more details if he does.
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G
Graham7:44 PM
Hi Michael:
thanks for your response - I don't think he gets the full set - he had already mentioned he doesn't get Dave. Do you think that will mean he will struggle with Racing UK??? as it is a paid for channel I assumed he would be able to get it just that he needs to have a compatible tv/freeview box as per your link??
Regards,
Graham
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M
Michael10:10 PM
Graham: As far as I know, you would need to receive channel 231 from one of the main transmitters (not a relay like Sidmouth) to be able to get Racing UK. The TV/box still needs to pick up the channel from the transmitter, it can't just work from an internet enabled TV/box.
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Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Dear Sirs
Whilst we can obtain ITV3 programmes on our TV this is shown on Freeview Guide page as 'no programme data available', and on ITV3 + 1
We have carried out the Freeview reset procedure and the problem still exists,
We shall therefore be most grateful for your kind assistance with this matter and look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
Trevor J Heynes
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Friday, 24 August 2018
B
Becky Bryant4:01 PM
Why do I keep loosing my digital t.v. signal. Several occasions I have switched on to find no signal message and am unable to return my tv. Very frustrating!!
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S
StevensOnln15:12 PM
Becky Bryant: If it keeps happening then you most likely have a fault with your aerial system. Start by checking for any loose or damaged cables or connections behind your TV. Do not attempt to retune as this will just delete all of your correctly tuned channels and search for them again.
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Wednesday, 9 August 2023
T
Tom Thornhill 9:22 PM
I live in EX108PA using the Beacon Hill transmitter (Sidmouth). My BBCa signal is transient /very poor /non existent , others are fine.. My aerial was installed some 10 years ago and has a mast amplifier and in house amplifier / distribution.
Any ideas on how to solve this
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C
Chris.SE9:38 PM
Sidmouth
Tom Thornhill :
You are right on a fringe for any reception from Beacon Hill, I need to look at this in more detail.
When did this problem start? Is it intermittent or continuous?
Are your signals normal in the daytime?
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Chris.SE's: mapC's Freeview map terrainC's terrain plot wavesC's frequency data C's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Thursday, 10 August 2023
C
Chris.SE1:13 AM
Tom Thornhill :
This is a tricky one. Nether the BBC nor Freeview predict any useful reception from Beacon Hill, whereas they do from Stockland Hill (roughly to the NE, compass bearing 35 degrees) which is closer (17km) and has a higher power, however there are major very high ground obstructions on that line of sight and the BBCA predicted reception is (very) poor, I'm not even going to go there with assessments.
If you are far enough south in your postcode with a good aerial height, then although Beacon Hill is 37km away, you will have line-of-sight. With unfavourable aerial sighting the likely local obstructions will come from Peak Hill, I think it's called, then further afield - high ground between Ladram Bay and Budleigh Salterton.
I assume we can confirm your aerial points at compass bearing 226 degrees, that's ~SW with its rods (or squashed Xs) horizontal. Check that it's still pointing correctly and that the coax downlead isn't degraded (sheath brittle and damaged) and it's not flapping about in the wind. Check all your coax plugs are correctly plugged in and corrosion free.
An issue you may have as you have a masthead amp and amp/splitter is reception from the Sidmouth relay 1km away but it is only 12W (very very low power) to the back of your aerial - compass bearing 72 degrees. Although it's vertically polarised you could still probably pick it up on your aerial with a poor signal.
Beacon Hill transmitter was listed for Planned Engineering last week (but isn't this week) and if you retuned at any time during that if you had no signal or badly pixellated pictures (never recommended) you may have become incorrectly tuned perhaps picking up Sidmouth.
So check in your TV Tuning Section that you are correctly tuned to Beacon Hill's UHF channels.
These are C44, C41, C47, C42, C45, C40 that's in multiplex order -
BBCA/PSB1, D3&4/PSB2, BBCB HD/PSB3, SDN/COM4, ArqA/COM5, ArqB/COM6
As your aerial is 10 years old, there's a chance it will be a Group T/Wideband whereas ideally it ought to be a Group K (rather than a Group B) although they'll all work, you ideally don't want to be receiving any signals above C48 since the 700MHz Clearance as this is where new/updated mobile signals may appear and could give interference. If that happens you can get free filters from https://restoretv.uk (put your postcode into their checker if this problem arises).
I can't find any current faults listed for the Beacon Hill transmitter, but there is some weather related Tropospheric Ducting about, which might cause occasion temporary interference from distant transmitters (do Not retune).
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