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All posts by MikeP

Below are all of MikeP's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.

M
Stockland Hill (Devon, England) transmitter
Tuesday 10 November 2015 11:40AM
Trowbridge

Mrs Sanders:

It is probably related to the post above yours that indicates there is engineering work at Stockland Hill transmitter and that there will be weak signals. That often gives rise to picture breaking up.

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M
The Wrekin (Telford and Wrekin, England) transmitter
Tuesday 10 November 2015 12:03PM
Trowbridge

As has stated here previously, atmospheric effects like temperature inversion will cause signal recpetion problems. These effects often occur at this time of year and are particularly noticable when there is high pressure over parts of the UK. Such effects have been reported recently and there is nothing anyone can do about this perfectly natural phenomenon. In the days of analogue TV we had serious picture disturbances and with digital TV it disturbs the signal so it cannot be prooperly decoded to produce a picture.
Do NOT try to retune your equipment.

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M
My Freeview box has no EPG, is blank on FIVE, ITV3, ITV4, ITV2+
Wednesday 11 November 2015 4:48PM
Trowbridge

Paul:

Nothing has changed at the transmitter or studio 'end'. It's all symptomatic of the temperature inversion which results in variable attenuation of some signals or unusually long distance transmission of other signals. Some of the latter may well be radiating from abroad on same or similar frequencies to the services you want to watch. There is nothing anyone can do about this perfectly natural event that has affected TV transmissions since we started using UHF.

Please do NOT try to retune your equipment whilst this weather phenomenon is prevalent. If the weather cools as predicted by some then it is likely to resolve the issues.

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M
How can I get Italian satellite channels in the UK? | Help! Non
Saturday 14 November 2015 12:45PM
Trowbridge

Michael:

A number of the Samsung TV sets have a built-in satellite receiver, mine does. Andrea's appears to have the CI module as well, allowing use of the card to 'authorise' reception of certain encrypted signals.

Has the wall socket with an 'F' connector previously supplied satellite signals from the 'birds' at 13 and 19 E? If so, then there must be some other problem. Have the correct satellite options been set up prior to trying to tune the satellite reception? Samsungs require telling which satellites to look for during tuning, the User Manual should help.

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M
I have now lost all signal can you tell me what the problem mig
Saturday 14 November 2015 12:48PM
Trowbridge

Ian:

In that case there are two possibilities: either the communal aerial system does have a fault (a clue being that others on the same system also have the same problem) or else the recept atmospherics have been the cause of the reception problems. Retuning during such events will inevitably result in loss of some channels. Now that the worst of the temperature inversion has apparently passed, try a retune now and let us know if you get you channels back.

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M
Heathfield (East Sussex, England) transmitter
Sunday 15 November 2015 2:19PM
Trowbridge

Stephen Szulecki:

No, it is a perfectly natural and normal phenomen associated with the movement and changes of high and low pressure areas and with the differing air temperatures found within the Earth's atmosphere. It has affected all transmissions of radio waves ever since the were first transmitted but existed long before then anyway as they are not man-made. How much the radio signals are affected depends to some extent on the area affected, whether it is small or large, and the frequency of the radio signals.

There is no known way to 'protect' ourselves from the effects either. All you can do is ensure you have good equiupment, well maintained and a properly aligned aerial of the correct type for the signal(s) you want to receive.

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M
Sandy Heath (Central Bedfordshire, England) Full Freeview trans
Sunday 15 November 2015 3:35PM
Trowbridge

Coach:

Many people in the southern part of the UK had reported reception problems and most now have normal reception as the weather pattern resulting in the temperature inversion is moving away from the UK.

The phenomen are entirely natural and there is nothing anyone can do to prevent the effects disrupting reception of TV signals and others. Now that the strong storm is affecting parts of the UK, appearing to be mainly up the western side (hence storm/flood warnings in Cumbria and Lancashire) the high pressure effect should now be diminishing.

Did you try a retune during the high pressure period? If so you will need to do a retune to recover the services lost by that retune. Note though that there was reported engineering on Wednesday but I have no knowledge of when/if that is completed.

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M
I have now lost all signal can you tell me what the problem mig
Monday 16 November 2015 2:24PM
Trowbridge

Mr P Deacon:

There has been well publicised atmospheric effects recently and these are known to cause loss of signal or interruption/disturbance of same. In these circumstances one should not retune else you will lose several or all services.

The phenomenon. known as a temperature inversion, is now moving away as the high pressure areas leave the UK area.

I suggest you try a further retune to try to re-establish services.


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M
Winter Hill (Bolton, England) transmitter
Monday 16 November 2015 2:39PM
Trowbridge

Kev Hinde:

It is likely that your are subject to the disturbancescaused by temperature inversions, a perfectly normal atmospheric effect that is well known. Now that the cause, high pressure areas and warm atmosphere, are moving away it is likely that reception will improve. Hope you have not tried to retune else you may have lost some services.

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