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All posts by jb38

Below are all of jb38's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.


Mick: Although not wishing to appear too negative about the situation, but though a more detailed study of the signal path from the Bluebell Hill mast is inclined to suggest that intermittent reception at certain times of the year is something that would be expected in your area, or indeed ME5 8 postal code areas in general, as the signal is seen to pass over "at low level" a whole range of trees at different points along the way, trees being notorious for corrupting the data content of digital RF signals, especially if the signal path is virtually skimming across the tops of said trees, the fact of the ground level rising slightly from approx 0.2 mls out from your location making the situation worse.

By the way, the signal path referred to from the transmitter is seen to pass over the M2 slightly South of the Alexandria Hospital before hitting the first batch of trees between the east side of the motorway and Walderslade Road, then a series of same between the latter and Beechen Bank, finally the same again before reaching Lordswood Lane before being clipped again near Ascot Close.

To be perfectly frank about it, the situation regarding reception at your parents house is similar to that of Sue's, insomuch, its always best to try and ascertain if others in the immediate vicinity are also suffering from similar problems with reception before making changes to the aerial system, "immediate vicinity" being important as reception conditions can change over relatively short distances where problems caused by foliage is involved.


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Barry: The complete list of programme channels viewable via Freesat can be seen by opening the undermentioned link, the three mentioned, i.e: France 24 - CNN Europe - NHK (Japan) being on 205 - 207 - 209 respectively.

Satellite channels not included in Freesat's programme guide listings can "sometimes" also be viewed by manually entering the transponder frequency etc used by the programme into the boxes "non-Freesat" tuning mode, although details on what to enter can only be given for specific programmes.



Freesat Channels - a516digital





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Steve Gee : As there are no faults nor engineering work taking place at the Sutton Coldfield transmitter, then this suggests that the problem is caused by something connected with your installation. However its not really possible to make a proper assessment of the situation without prior knowledge of your location, this preferably being in the form of a post code or one from somewhere nearby, e.g: a shop / Post Office.

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Samantha: The Mendip transmitter is presently listed on the engineering page with the status of "possible weak signal", this being the most likely reason for your problem.

However, if you have been unable to receive Freeview for nearly two weeks now, then your aerial system requires checking-out, as transmitters are never down for any more than a few hours in any one day.

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Clare: As no problems have been reported with the Sandy Heath transmitter (incl Luton relay) nor is there any engineering work taking place at same, your best policy would be to check if any of your neighbours are also experiencing similar problems with reception "before" contacting the H.A maintenance department.

If they aren't, then check / test the jumper lead between the wall socket and your TV by reversing it. Of course if said neighbours are also having similar problems with reception? then contact the housing association.

By the way, it would also be prudent to try and make an enquiry with others "not" connected into the communal aerial system, if communal is what you are referring to?, as many areas in Luton are known to suffer from reception problems at certain times of the year due to the signal path from Sandy being blocked by a sizeable line-of-sight obstruction, hence the reason for the Luton relay.





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J
True Movies 1
Sunday 17 April 2016 12:36AM

Barbara Welsh: This channel was removed from the general Freeview platform at the latter end of March with the exception of from Winter Hills low powered GIM multiplex on Mux C57. The problem being that the signal from this multiplex is beamed towards the Bolton / Manchester area, likewise can only be received by viewers residing in said areas, Nantwich being well outside of same.


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Moira Clyne : In addition to that said MikeB, which is perfectly correct for normal operation, but in answer to your question, you can actually still record using one input provided that the cable from the dish is connected into the Freesat recorders LNB1 input socket.

Of course the downside of a single input system is that your viewing, "whilst recording", is limited to programme channels on the same transponder as the programme you happen to be recording, any attempt to choose one that isn't triggering a "unable to view" or some similar meaning warning. The Freesat PVR (recorder) having (prior) been set up to operate on "single input mode".

The best policy would be to have the LNB (on the end of the dish arm) changed for a quad version and a second cable run into your flat, replacement LNB kits (minus coax) being available from a number of e-bay sources for around 10.00 or so, plus of course the charge for fitting same.


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H. Fawcett, et al, the tropospheric ducting forecast maps would suggest that numerous viewers residing in the Yorkshire / East areas are liable to be affected by reception problems related to the prevailing atmospheric conditions, unfortunately nothing can be done to rectify the this type problem except to wait until said conditions have passed over, which according to that seen should be around Saturday.





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J
Emley Moor (Kirklees, England) transmitter
Thursday 21 April 2016 12:26AM

David: Two important little points which I have not seen mentioned in any of your numerous (more recent) postings. (1) what make / model of TV or box are you using?, (2) and particularly important, your location?, this preferably being in the form of a post code or one from somewhere nearby, e.g: a shop / post office, this info enabling the terrain between the transmitter and your location to be checked out, particularly important if you are not line of sight with the transmitter.

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fade2gray: Mendip is listed on this weeks engineering page with the status of "possible weak signal", the most likely reason for your problem.

If you had refrained from retuning your Freeview device the signal would have returned of its own accord, as the channel would still have been stored in the tuners memory system, retuning having deleted same, as things are, the only way of restoring it is by carrying out a "manual" tune on Mux C33 now and again in the hope that the signal level has risen high enough for the tuner to lock on to it.

By the way, the only reason a manual tune was suggested is to avoid upsetting the programmes already stored.


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