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All posts by Chris O

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


I have lost Sky Sports and ESPN. BT Vision has been telling us our switchover was today (31st August) on their equipment so I returned and have lost about 20 channels, including Sky Sports and ESPN.

According to BT Vision helpline (and the internet) I am on Sutton Coldfield transmitter. My aerial certainly seems to be pointing towards Birmingham rather than Nottingham. We had Sky Sports this morning now after the retune it has just disappeared.

Obviously I wouldn;t have returned if the BT box hadn't been telling me to for the last 3 weeks. Also Channel 5 did not record earlier and I assumed that was the reason why.

I seem to have lost about 19 channels and most of the radio channels.

How can I get them back?

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In addition it is East Midlands News that comes up not West Midlands.

Is there any way of finding out which transmitter the signal actually comes from? You used to be able to do it on Teletext.

Thanks

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OK Have reset all the chennels on the BT box. I switched it off. Rescanned with no RF lead in the back so it sets them all to 0 and then rescanned. Still 52 channels (had 64 yesterday) and no Sky Sports. ESPN is there though. have Sky News?

How do I dind out what channels I need to find my transmitter. My BBC is Channel 1m all the BBC Channels are at 794MHz, ITV is 737MHz. ITV3 538MHz (ESPN is at this one too). What does the C21, C22, C23 thing mean. I can't find any of them on any of the channel information through the set top box?

The signal quality is not great either dropping to between 0 and 18%on some channels. My dad is having a similar problem with his signal in Swadlincote - it hasn't been this bad before.

The Housing Association put new (huge) aerials on earlier this year and when they did that we received loads of stuff.

I have just been confused by the messages on the BT box saying out switch over was 17th and 31st August and now they are telling us it is the 7th Sept.

I am really confused. Sorry really dim - I just want the TV working properly. Why the heck can't they leave these things alone!

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The tallest one is pointing at a right angle to ours, towards Chellaston. Our points up Burton Road towards the A38.

So how do I get Sky Sports back - I'm paying for it :-(


BT insist I can get it

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I have lost Sky Sports. How can I get it back :-( Being passed from pillar to post.

BT Vision isnist I can get it!!!! They won't listen!

Digital UK insist that BT can send a signal back to the box - BT say they can't.

The HA reckons we are on the best transmitter for our house that they put in but Digital UK insist they have put us on the wrong one.

Sutton Coldfield 48km awa Walthan 42mk away.

Why would you put Sky Sports on a channel with poor reception - what stupid monkeys are running the transmitter? Everything was fine until the Switchover - If it wasn't broke you shouldn't have fixed it.

Sorry seriously cheesed off today! I can't watch any football or sports now. I can't be the only person that this is affecting.

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Back to DE1 1PY: Digital UK have told me that the switch over at Waltham is causing my problem. Because Sutton Coldfield is still broadcasting analogue the stronger digital signal from Walthan is being picked up rather than the one I should be getting from Sutton Coldfield and when Sutton Coldfield is switched I should get my missing Sky Sports back.

Is this likely to be correct? My frequencies at the moment are defo Waltham frequencies but the aerial must be pointing to Sutton Coldfield as some other aerials point this way and other aerials are about 90 degrees eastwards (Waltham).

Could the Derby relay of Waltham be causing these issues which is why I am picking up Waltham frequencies?

Or is what UK Digital told me about the Waltham digital signal over riding the Sutton Coldfield analogue signal rubbish?

The irritating thing is there were no problems until the Waltham switch over - why mess with things that are already working and why have Waltham shoved Sky on Arqb where half the region can't get decent recption of? Stupid - bloody stupid!

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Paul @ DE1 1PY here - Apparently the problem is because they have transferred the Sky Sports signal (and loads of radio stations) to something called ArqB even though they know half the region can't get a good quality signal on this - hardly the act of intelligent people!!! Why not stick gems TV and QVC and rubbish channels on this?

UK Digital seem to think my aerial is Sutton Coldfield (aerials in my area point in two directions. Mine is towards the A38 whilst some of the other are 90 degrees eastwards which muct be Waltham).

Anyway UK Digital reckon the Waltham digital signal is stronger than the Sutton Coldfield analogue signal and that is why I am getting Waltham. Apparently when Sutton Coldfield switches this should be sorted.

They are basically saying it doesn;t matter which direction you point your aerial in it just picks up the strongest signal if you can pick up more than one transmitter.

Apparently there is a Derby relay for Waltham which gets in the way of the Sutton Coldfield signal - is this like the Bolehill issue? In which case why put them on a frequency that people can't get?

Naffed off as I am now paying BT for something I don;t get.

BT blame the transmitters, UK digital blame the transmitters but you can't speak to anyone who is controlling this and get it sorted out.

Seriously nothing wrong before the switch so why did they bother - to rip the public off again as usual!

Is this true? Or is it more BS.

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Have reported via the BBC reporting tool and recived this:

"We cannot answer every query or technical problem, however there are a number of places where you can go for technical information:

If your area is undergoing Digital Switchover, please contact Digital UK with your query since it could be related to transmitter work preparing your area for the switch to digital. You can find them at www.digitaluk.co.uk or by calling 08456 50 50 50.

For advice about your equipment or its configuration please contact your manufacturer."

So basically the buck has been passed back to BT and UK Digital again after UK Digital passed the buck to BT and BT back to them and then UK Digital to the BBC.

Why can't you actually speak to a proper person who knows what is going on and can explain why we are having these problems? Why does nobody really give a stuff? None of us asked for this switchover - it was forced on us. If there is a problem then someone should deal with it!

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Thanks KB aerials. Might take it to my dad's who is nearer to Sutton Coldfield than we are. Will wait until their switch over and see if it comes back - UK Digital seem to think it will. Will also check out the attenuator thing although not really sure what I am doing LOL

Received this reply from the BBC reception people:

"We cannot answer every query or technical problem, however there are a number of places where you can go for technical information:

If your area is undergoing Digital Switchover, please contact Digital UK with your query since it could be related to transmitter work preparing your area for the switch to digital. You can find them at www.digitaluk.co.uk or by calling 08456 50 50 50.

For advice about your equipment or its configuration please contact your manufacturer."

What is annoying me is that everyone is passing the buck. It was fine before the switchover and you can't speak to someone who knows what they are doing to sort it out.

I wonder if part of the problem is the fact that it is a communal aerial on the flats next door so it has boosters etc... on it and it is also on the top of a very long pole. The trouble is the HA won't let us put our own aerial up so stuck with it.... GRRRR!

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Sky Sports still keeps disappearing or is very pixelly (can't think of a better description). Beats me if the signal is too strong or two weak. All I know was there was absolutely nothing wrong with it until the switchover. Waltham switched and we lost it altogether then Sutton Coldfield switched and it was fine for about 3 weeks, now it as bad as it was when Waltham first switched.

All I know is the whole thing has been extremely irritating! And I just wish someone would sort it out because there seem to be loads of people having problems.

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