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Full Freeview on the Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter

first published this on - UK Free TV
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The symbol shows the location of the Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter which serves 2,690,000 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 Winter Hill (Bolton, England) mast?

Winter Hill transmitter - Winter Hill transmitter: Possible effect on TV reception week commencing 04/11/2024 Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels Digital tick


Choose from three options: ■ List by multiplex ■ List by channel number ■ List by channel name
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Which Freeview channels does the Winter Hill 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.

MuxH/VFrequencyHeightModeWatts
PSB1
BBCA
 H max
C32 (562.0MHz)726mDTG-100,000W
Channel icons
1 BBC One (SD) North 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
 H max
C34 (578.0MHz)726mDTG-100,000W
Channel icons
3 ITV 1 (SD) (Granada), 4 Channel 4 (SD) North ads, 5 Channel 5, 6 ITV 2, 10 ITV3, 13 E4, 14 Film4, 15 Channel 4 +1 North ads, 18 More4, 26 ITV4, 28 ITVBe, 30 E4 +1, 35 ITV1 +1 (Granada), 71 That’s 60s,

PSB3
BBCB
 H max
C35- (585.8MHz)726mDTG-100,000W
Channel icons
46 5SELECT, 101 BBC One HD North West, 102 BBC Two HD England, 103 ITV 1 HD (ITV Granada), 104 Channel 4 HD North ads, 105 Channel 5 HD, 106 BBC Four HD, 107 BBC Three HD, 204 CBBC HD, 205 CBeebies HD, plus 1 others

COM4
SDN
 H max
C29 (538.0MHz)726mDTG-8100,000W
Channel icons
20 U&Drama, 21 5USA, 29 ITV2 +1, 32 5STAR, 33 5Action, 38 Channel 5 +1, 41 Legend, 42 GREAT! action, 57 U&Dave ja vu, 58 ITV3 +1, 59 ITV4 +1, 64 Blaze, 67 TRUE CRIME, 68 TRUE CRIME XTRA, 81 Blaze +1, 83 Together TV, 91 WildEarth, 93 ITVBe +1, 209 Ketchup TV, 210 Ketchup Too, 211 YAAAS!, 251 Al Jazeera English, 255 FRANCE 24 (in English), 265 Rok Sky +1, plus 29 others

COM5
ArqA
 H max
C31 (554.0MHz)726mDTG-8100,000W
Channel icons
11 Sky Mix, 17 Really, 19 U&Dave, 31 E4 Extra, 36 Sky Arts, 40 Quest Red, 43 Food Network, 47 Film4 +1, 48 Challenge, 49 4seven, 60 U&Drama +1, 65 That's TV 2, 70 Quest +1, 74 &UYesterday +1, 76 That's TV 2 MCR, 233 Sky News, plus 13 others

COM6
ArqB
 H max
C37 (602.0MHz)726mDTG-8100,000W
Channel icons
12 Quest, 25 U&W, 27 U&Yesterday, 34 GREAT! movies, 39 DMAX, 44 HGTV, 52 GREAT! christmas, 56 That's TV (UK), 63 GREAT! romance mix, 73 HobbyMaker, 75 That's 90s, 82 Talking Pictures TV, 84 PBS America, 235 Al Jazeera Eng, plus 18 others

LM
 H -20dB
C40 (626.0MHz)572mDTG-121,000W
Channel icons
from 1st October 2014: 7 That's Manchester,

LL
 H -17dB
C24 (498.0MHz)572mDTG-122,000W
Channel icons
from 30th June 2014: 7 Bay TV Liverpool,

LPR
 H -20dB
C56 (754.0MHz)572mDTG-121,000W
Channel icons
from 1st October 2014: 7 That's Lancashire,

GIM
 H -20dB
C57 (762.0MHz)572mDTG-21,000W
Channel icons
 Now 90s,  Spotlight TV,  Clubland TV,  Country Music Entertainment ,  Classic Hits MCR, 77 That's 60s MCR, 78 TCC, 80 That's 80s, 86 That's 90s MCR, 88 TV Warehouse+1,

DTG-8 64QAM 8K 3/4 27.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
DTG-12 QSPK 8K 3/4 8.0Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
DTG-2 16QAM 2K 3/4 18.1Mb/s DVB-T MPEG2
H/V: aerial position (horizontal or vertical)

Which BBC and ITV regional news can I watch from the Winter Hill transmitter?

regional news image
BBC North West Tonight 3.1m homes 11.8%
from Salford M50 2QH, 22km southeast (140°)
to BBC North West region - 92 masts.
regional news image
ITV Granada Reports 3.1m homes 11.6%
from Salford M50 2EQ, 22km southeast (139°)
to ITV Granada region - 80 masts.

How will the Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmission frequencies change over time?

1956-80s1984-971997-981998-20092009-132013-182013-1720 Feb 2020
VHFC/D EC/D EC/D EC/D EC/D E TW TW T
C9ITVwaves
C12BBCtvwaves
C24_local
C29SDN
C31com7com7
C32BBCA
C34D3+4
C35BBCB
C37com8com8
C40LOCAL2
C48C5wavesC5waves
C49tv_off ArqAArqA
C50tv_off BBCABBCA
C54tv_off-BBCB-BBCB-BBCB
C55tv_offBBC1wavesBBC1wavesBBC1wavesArqBArqBArqBcom7tv_off
C56tv_off_local_local_localLPR
C57tv_offGIMGIMGIMGIM
C58tv_offSDNSDNSDN
C59tv_offITVwavesITVwavesITVwavesD3+4D3+4D3+4
C61ArqA
C62BBC2wavesBBC2wavesBBC2wavesBBCA
C65C4wavesC4wavesC4waves

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 4 Nov 09 and 2 Dec 09.

How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?

Analogue 1-4 500kW
SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB(-7dB) 100kW
com7(-12.9dB) 25.7kW
com8(-13.4dB) 22.6kW
Analogue 5(-16dB) 12.5kW
Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D*(-17dB) 10kW
LL(-24dB) 2kW
GIM, LM, LPR(-27dB) 1000W

Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Winter Hill transmitter area

May 1956-Jul 1968Granada Television†
May 1956-Jul 1968Associated British Corporation◊
Jul 1968-Feb 2004Granada Television
Feb 2004-Dec 2014ITV plc
Feb 1983-Dec 1992TV-am•
Jan 1993-Sep 2010GMTV•
Sep 2010-Dec 2014ITV Daybreak•
• Breakfast ◊ Weekends ♦ Friday night and weekends † Weekdays only.

Comments
Friday, 11 July 2014
K
KMJ,Derby
sentiment_satisfiedGold

6:59 PM

Briantist: COM7 details are given after the Winter Hill local petal details in "non-DSO muxes".

link to this comment
KMJ,Derby's 1,811 posts GB flag
Sunday, 13 July 2014
A
anthony
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

5:10 PM

If I understand that OFCOM page correctly, and it's not easy to follow.
Com 7 is 25.7kw
Manchester and Liverpool petals are 2kw.
Preston petal is 1kw
GIM is 1kw.

link to this comment
anthony's 58 posts GB flag
A
andy
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

9:15 PM
Chester

Wirral Radio on DAB Block 10D

link to this comment
andy's 42 posts GB flag
andy's: mapA's Freeview map terrainA's terrain plot wavesA's frequency data A's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Monday, 21 July 2014
G
Gary
12:07 PM

As most people using Winter Hill have a group C/D aerial, why is com7 being broadcast on channel 31? My BBC Four HD and BBC News HD reception is appalling and variable with constant break ups whereas reception of the (lower power) local multiplexes is much stronger and uninterrupted. Who made this decision? Are they mad? Are they going to pay for a wholesale aerial replacement programme throughout the North West?

link to this comment
Gary's 2 posts US flag
A
anthony
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

4:40 PM

These were the only spare channels, and power levels, available, all modern aerials are wide band so channel 31 isn't a problem for many people. The BBC has been recommending the use of wide-band aerials ever since digital transmissions. began. The 800Mhz band (channels 61-68) was reallocated to 4G and the 700Mhz band might well follow. As this is a government, not a BBC, decision you must address your complaint to your MP including any claim for a replacement aerial. That's what he is for.

link to this comment
anthony's 58 posts GB flag
G
Gary
5:10 PM

Take a look around at the rooftops and you'll see plenty of original group C/D aerials here. The Government's decision to reallocate 700 MHz is a poor one. I will take your advice and complain to my MP.

link to this comment
Gary's 2 posts US flag
D
David Roberts
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

6:51 PM

Gary: A similar situation occured in the Wrekin TSA.My father in-Law's previous aerial was a Group A,in Analogue Day's,but when DVB-T came along a Group W was required,to be able to receive all the Mux's.

I have to say that here in the North Wales coast area,most aerials are Group W,directed towards Winter Hill.There are a few Group C/D 'contractor' type,but i would expect these will be replaced with Group W type.

link to this comment
David Roberts's 23 posts GB flag
MikeP
sentiment_very_satisfiedPlatinum

8:46 PM

Gary (and Anthony)

The original aerail groupings were worked out very carefully in the sixties so that there would be maximum coverage with minimum interference. Sadly, modern planners have not had the forethought to consider the affect on millions of viewers who had perfectly good aerials - until the frequencies used were changed or added to.

Not all modern aerials are wide-band, many Yagi pattern aerials are still grouped. A 'wide band' version of a Yagi type is not the best solution as they are not so good at the lower frquencies (channel/Mux numbers). The group W types mentioned by David Roberts (above) are of the poorer Yagi pattern and not to be recommended.

The best solution, if your old aerial is not so good with the newer services, is to change it to a log-periodic type which is good across the whole band by its design. And don't fall the con of a 'digital' aerial, all UHF log-periodic aerials are ideal for both the old analogue signals (no longer available) and all digital signals.

link to this comment
MikeP's 3,056 posts GB flag
D
David Roberts
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

10:12 PM

MikeP: Totally agree with the comments on the use of a Log-Periodic aerial,in preference to the Yagi type. In mentioning the former type of aerial,it appears that many Households in North Shropshire,have Log-Periodic type aerials fitted,in preference to the Yagi. I haven't seen as many in the North Wales coast area,where the Triax 'Unix' type or the SLX,seem to dominate. For the record i have a Wideband Televes DAT45,located on the end wall of our house.It's a bit like overkill now,as it was originally used for the pre DSO 10kw erp&lower Mux's,from Winter Hill.

Regarding who should foot the bill for replacement aerials,i took this issue up,with the consumer rights people,in 2010,just after DSO,at Winter Hill,Llanddona&Moel y Parc.Their opinion was that viewers had no real grounds to claim compensation for having to replace aerials or associated equipment,because of the change to DVB-T from Analogue.

link to this comment
David Roberts's 23 posts GB flag
K
KMJ,Derby
sentiment_satisfiedGold

10:23 PM

MikeP: Even log periodics might be "grouped" Vision make a Group A version for use on Crystal Palace, Rowridge, Caradon Hill, Stockland Hill etc. It is well worth sourcing one of these aerials for those transmitters which are using entirely Group A channels. It is benchmarked class2, the wideband version is only class 4, so offers quite a bit more gain for viewers who need it.

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KMJ,Derby's 1,811 posts GB flag
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