Full Freeview on the Tacolneston (Norfolk, England) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 52.518,1.139 or 52°31'6"N 1°8'22"E |  | NR16 1DW |
The symbol shows the location of the Tacolneston (Norfolk, England) transmitter which serves 330,000 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 Tacolneston (Norfolk, England) mast?
Tacolneston transmitter - Tacolneston transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 22/04/2024 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
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)
Which Freeview channels does the Tacolneston 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 Tacolneston transmitter?
BBC Look East (East) 0.8m homes 3.2%
from Norwich NR2 1BH, 16km northeast (37°)
to BBC East region - 27 masts.
70% of BBC East (East) and BBC East (West) is shared output
ITV Anglia News 0.8m homes 3.2%
from NORWICH NR1 3JG, 16km northeast (38°)
to ITV Anglia (East) region - 26 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 80% evening news is shared with Anglia (West)
Are there any self-help relays?
| Gt Yarmouth | Transposer | 1 km S town centre | 30 homes |
| Lowestoft (2) | Transposer | Rotterdam Rd | 125 homes |
How will the Tacolneston (Norfolk, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1950s-80s | 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2011 | 2011-13 | 2013-18 | 2013-17 | 17 Jul 2018 | ||
| VHF | C/D E | C/D E | C/D E | E | E T | W T | W T | ||
| C3 | BBCtvwaves | ||||||||
| C31 | com7 | com7 | |||||||
| C32 | _local | ||||||||
| C37 | com8 | com8 | |||||||
| C39 | +ArqB | +ArqB | ArqB | ||||||
| C40 | BBCA | ||||||||
| C42 | SDN | SDN | SDN | SDN | |||||
| C43 | D3+4 | ||||||||
| C45 | ArqA | ArqA | ArqA | ArqA | |||||
| C46 | BBCB | ||||||||
| C50tv_off | BBCB | BBCB | |||||||
| C52tv_off | C5waves | C5waves | |||||||
| C55tv_off | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | -BBCA | -BBCA | -BBCA | com7tv_off | ||
| C56tv_off | COM8tv_off | ||||||||
| C57tv_off | LNR | LNR | |||||||
| C59tv_off | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | -D3+4 | -D3+4 | -D3+4 | |||
| C62 | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBCB | |||||
| C65 | 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 9 Nov 11 and 23 Nov 11.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 250kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-4dB) 100kW | |
| com7 | (-9.6dB) 27.4kW | |
| com8 | (-10.2dB) 24kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux 2*, LNR | (-14dB) 10kW | |
| Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D* | (-17dB) 5kW | |
| Analogue 5 | (-18dB) 4kW |
Local transmitter maps
Tacolneston Freeview Tacolneston DAB Tacolneston TV region BBC East Anglia (East micro region)Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Tacolneston transmitter area
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Friday, 12 February 2016
E
Ed8:25 PM
Sheringham
I'm in the process of replacing my rooftop aerial having used a high gain yagi over recent years which no longer works well like it used to. I'm on the end of a fringe area for receiving tacolneston NR26 8SW but have invested in a taller mast to get me higher, some quality Webro WF125 low loss coax but my dilemma is to fit either a Televes 112140 13 element yagi or a Raptor log periodic aerial, which would you suggest would be me best option?
Best Regards
Ed
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Ed's: mapE's Freeview map terrainE's terrain plot wavesE's frequency data E's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Saturday, 13 February 2016
J
jb3812:49 AM
Ed: As the signal path from the Tacolneston transmitter suffers from a sizeable line-of-sight obstruction starting from just over three miles away from your location, then I wouldn't hesitate in using an aerial of the log periodic variety for reception, the one in question (the Raptor) performing much the same as any of the other brands, that is with the exception of this particular model having protection from being affected by any possible 4G transmissions that may exist in the area its being used in.
I suppose that you have clicked on the "digitaluk trade" box under your posting and witnessed the somewhat dire prediction for reception from the Tacolnestion transmitter in your area? signals received via line-of-sight obstructions generally suffering from slight fluctuations in the angle they are received at, this being why its inadvisable to use any aerial of a Yagi high gain/narrow pick up angle in these type of situations, log periodic's being more stable by them having a wider signal acceptance angle.
Below being the terrain indications for your location.
Terrain between ( m a.g.l.) and (antenna m a.g.l.) - Optimising UK DTT Freeview and Radio aerial location
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Saturday, 20 February 2016
M
Mike M9:52 AM
Norwich
I have an unusual problem (I think). Recently got youview set up via TalkTalk but I have lots of problems with ITV channels and BBC (non-HD) being very pixelated, but only in the evenings, fine during the day! At night the signal quality drops below 70% and the picture breaks up, quality is at 100% during the day, signal strength stays at about 50-60%. Tried everything I can think of,cables, turning all external equipment off but to no avail. Unfortunately the box won't allow a manual retune so I can't try that. Has anyone experienced this before? Postcode is NR3 3RH and we appear to be served by Tacolneston. Aerial is roof mounted. Any help is appreciated. Mike
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Mike's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
J
jb383:29 PM
Mike M: Although you are located at only 11 miles away from Tacolneston transmitter and with a clear line-of-sight to same, reception predicted as being excellent, your box might possibly have stored BBC and ITV from the local Norwich Central relay (@ 1 mile) rather from the main Tacolneston transmitter, as boxes scan upwards from C21 and the Norwich relay's BBC and ITV transmit on lower channel numbers over that used by Tacolneston.
To check whether that said applies or not, select BBC followed by pressing the "Y" main menu button > settings > select TV, then scroll right to "signal and quality", if BBC is being received from Tacolneston C55 will be listed, C46 being the Norwich relay. Repeat the test for ITV, C59 being Tacolneston whereas C43 if the Norwich relay.
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Mike M5:32 PM
jb38: Thanks for this, unfortunately the TalkTalk Youview box I have doesn't have this setup. I can look at signal strength and quality but it doesn't tell me channel number. One thing I have noticed is that the HD channels are being received from the Meridian region (local news etc.. is from there rather than Anglia), and these are very good. I can't do any manual channel setup as the box seems limited in what it will allow the user to do. If I just use the YouView box as a Freeview box using the RF loop through (i.e not using the added record/playback/pause functions etc that TalkTalk allows) then I get a regular sound interference of static every 1-2 seconds which coincides with the picture breakup when I look at the same channel using the YouView box rather than the RF loop through, which makes me think I have some regular interference that degrades the quality for the non-HD Channels - not all of the channels are affected, about 12, the rest are okay.
I wonder if the aerial is suspect, would I get this if the alignment is out? Or could this be 4G interference??
This is very frustrating!
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J
jb388:55 PM
Mike M: Well, the aerial having been moved (blown) out of alignment was the other thing that crossed my mind, as the symptoms you describe are generally what one would expect with this type of fault, insomuch, atmospheric changes between day and night resulting in variations in reception levels.
However if this was applicable (aerial out of alignment) it wouldn't just affect these two channels as it would affect all of them, but though the aforementioned situation would apply if your box has stored BBC / ITV from the local relay as your aerial "would" be out of alignment for these two channels, Tacolneston being on a bearing of 211 degrees whereas the Norwich relay is 130 degrees, reception from this station already predicted as being variable even if the aerial was facing towards the transmitter.
Apart from that already said and to clarify a point I am not quite clear about, if you are using the box with a normal Freeview TV, do you receive all channels OK on the TV with the aerial connected directly into it minus the box?, in other words, the problem is only associated with reception via the box?
By the way, BBC / ITV HD does not provide regional local news as yet, both Sandy and Tacolneston broadcasting Meridian area (Southampton) news on ITV HD.
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Sunday, 21 February 2016
M
Mike M9:41 AM
jb38: Thanks, this is interesting, particularly that Tacelneston doesn't transmit local news. The non-HD ITV and BBC channels receive local Anglia news, is it possible for the box to have picked up some channels from Norwich and some from Tacelneston? This might explain some of the problems. I'll try and get another freeview box and give it a go. Appreciate the help.
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J
jb383:27 PM
Mike M: Re box having possibly picked up channels from both stations, yes!, but only as far as PSB (Public Service Broadcast) channels are concerned, namely BBC / ITV / HD, as anything other than those three (Commercial channels) would have to be received from Tacolneston as Norwich Central only broadcasts PSB channels.
You can easily check if your box has picked up PSB channels from both stations or not as all three will be duplicated up in the EPG800 range of channels, e.g: BBC1 being 800, ITV 801 etc. If you find this applies? then you can use this to check if Norwich Central's BBC has been stored in the EPG1 position by carrying out a test in late evening when the reception of said channel had dropped off, insomuch if the reception is down in EPG1 but OK in EPG800 then thats inclined to indicate that the box has stored Norwich Central in EPG1's position, or indeed vice-versa.
Of course, the other thing you had mentioned about the possibility of the problem being caused by 4G transmissions cannot be discounted either, as BBC and ITV from Tacolneston are indeed received in the range most susceptible to being affected by this type of interference, BBC C55 / ITV C59.
However, the best way to find out if you reside in an area likely to be affected by these transmissions is by contacting AT800 (free of charge) by opening undermentioned link, if you are deemed as being susceptible, they will send you a filter (free of charge) to fit in line with your TV or boxes aerial input socket.
Contact us | Advice or general enquiries | at800
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Mike M5:37 PM
jb38: Really grateful for this as it gives me something to work towards. I have just noticed that I put my post code in wrong, it should have been NR13 not NR3, but I'm assuming that your advice still counts. I've decided the best thing to do is get the aerial checked and probably change it for a more modern one as the one I have is getting on a bit. This will give me chance to get alignment checked also. Given that 4G filters are free from AT800 I'll give them a call and get one, or invest in one anyway as they seem to be quite cheap. I think I'm starting to get somewhere with this but one thing I need to do is check with my neighbours to see who has Youview, and if they have issues - I'm new to the area so don't know many people yet, might be a good way to meet them!
Many thanks for all of this, once I've installed a new aerial and had it aligned correctly I'll repost the result in case anyone else has had the same problem in this area.
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J
jb389:01 PM
Mike M: An easy mistake to make!, however it does change a few aspects of that said, insomuch that Tacolneston is now indicated as being 20 miles away @ 241 degrees, the field strength of the signal from said station predicted as being significantly lower than for NR3, and although you still have a clear line-of-sight to the station, the signal might be subject to variations in levels (for reasons previously mentioned) due it being received at an angle running much closer to the ground at approx 2 miles out from the area you reside in.
As far as the possibility of your box picking up / storing duplicate channels is concerned, although less likely, that said (up to a point anyway) is still applicable, although in this case the station involved is the 400 watts Great Yarmouth relay at 7 miles / 108 degrees, the Mux channel numbers used by this station being BBC C47, ITV C41, the field strength of the signal from same predicted as being not that far short of that from the main station.
That previously said re using the EPG800 range to check for duplicate PSB channels (BBC/ITV) is still applicable.
On the subject of AT800 and the free 4G filters. This company was given the task of determining whether or not a viewer is liable to be affected by any 4G transmissions in their area, as phone companies have to notify them with full details of any proposals to install a new transmitter along with its exact location, the company then using this info with reference to the viewers post code to make a decision as to whether or not they are liable to suffer from interference from the 4G transmitter, a filter being sent in the post if they are.
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