Full Freeview on the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmitter
 | Google Streetview |  | Google map |  | Bing map |  | Google Earth |  | 51.237,-2.626 or 51°14'12"N 2°37'33"W |  | BA5 3LB |
The symbol shows the location of the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmitter which serves 720,000 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 Mendip (Somerset, England) mast?
Mendip transmitter - Mendip 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 Mendip 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 Mendip transmitter?
ITV West Country News (East) 0.9m homes 3.4%
from Bristol BS4 3HG, 23km north (11°)
to ITV West region - 61 masts.
All of lunch, weekend and 50% evening news is shared with West Country (West)
Are there any self-help relays?
| Cheddar | Transposer | 15 km E Weston-super-Mare | 1674 homes |
| Luccombe | Active deflector | 6 km w Minehead | 38 homes |
How will the Mendip (Somerset, England) transmission frequencies change over time?
| 1984-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-2010 | 2010-13 | 2013-18 | 2013-17 | 27 Feb 2018 | |||
| C/D E | E | E | C/D E | C/D E T | W T | W T | |||
| C30 | _local | ||||||||
| C32 | BBCA | ||||||||
| C33 | com7 | com7 | |||||||
| C34 | D3+4 | ||||||||
| C35 | com8 | com8 | |||||||
| C36 | ArqB | ||||||||
| C37 | C5waves | C5waves | |||||||
| C48 | SDN | SDN | SDN | SDN | |||||
| C49tv_off | BBCA | BBCA | |||||||
| C51tv_off | LBS | LBS | |||||||
| C52tv_off | ArqB | ArqB | ArqB | ||||||
| C54tv_off | C4waves | C4waves | C4waves | D3+4 | D3+4 | D3+4 | |||
| C55tv_off | com7tv_off | ||||||||
| C56tv_off | ArqA | ArqA | ArqA | COM8tv_off | |||||
| C58tv_off | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBC1waves | BBCB | BBCB | BBCB | |||
| C61 | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | ITVwaves | BBCA | |||||
| C64 | BBC2waves | BBC2waves | BBC2waves |
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 24 Mar 10 and 7 Apr 10.
How do the old analogue and currrent digital signal levels compare?
| Analogue 1-4 | 500kW | |
| Analogue 5 | (-6dB) 126kW | |
| SDN, ARQA, ARQB, BBCA, D3+4, BBCB | (-7dB) 100kW | |
| com7 | (-8.4dB) 72.4kW | |
| com8 | (-8.6dB) 69.1kW | |
| Mux 1*, Mux 2*, Mux A*, Mux B*, Mux C*, Mux D*, LBS | (-17dB) 10kW |
Which companies have run the Channel 3 services in the Mendip transmitter area
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Tuesday, 7 November 2023
Saturday, 11 November 2023
R
Robert jones6:59 AM
Wotton-under-edge
Over the last 2 months our television reception has been so bad it's not watchable. I've tried retune to no effect. Prior to this time our reception has been good on all Chanel's.
Our post code GL12 7NX
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Robert's: mapR's Freeview map terrainR's terrain plot wavesR's frequency data R's Freeview Detailed Coverage
C
Chris.SE1:51 PM
Robert jones:
You are in quite a good location there, and in normal circumstances should have very good reception of all of Mendip's multiplexes including the Local multiplex.
That said, you may have noticed the post 2 before yours, Mendip is the subject of Planned Engineering, however, most of the time this hasn't had any significant effect although there have been periods of reduced power or use of the Reserve Antennae and on occasion the Local multiplex has been off-air overnight for a few hours.
There have been other issues that may have affected reception - that being the weather. We've had a couple of periods during the last few months when the conditions have brought "Tropospheric Ducting" (more commonly under high pressure, but not always) this causes signals from distant transmitters to travel a lot further and interfere with the normal signals you are trying to receive. However, right at this moment there isn't any affecting this area, and your reception should be near perfect, although the BBC A (SD multiplex) and the ArqA/COM5 multiplex may be on slightly reduced power.
(There is the very remote possibility there could be very slight ducting this evening for a short period)
One thing that is never advised (if you were correctly tuned initially) is to NOT retune if you have badly pixellated pictures, broken sound or no signal. You cannot tune to signals that aren't there or can't be decoded. The net result if you do is it will often clear correct tuning and sometime tune you to weak signals from another transmitter (which can often disappear as conditions change).
The first thing to check is that you are correctly tuned to Mendip's UHF channels.
Look in your TV Tuning section (maybe something like Signal Test)
Mendip's correct UHF channels are C32, C34, C35, C48, C33, C36, & C30. That's is the multiplex order BBCA/PSB1, D3&4/PSB2, BBCB HD/PSB3, SDN/COM4, ArqA/COM5, ArqB/COM6 & Local mux.
Select each one in turn and post back the Signal Strength & Quality figures for each.
If you are not correctly tuned to those UHF channels it'll probably be best to clear the current tuning and manually retune to each UHF channel. Do so by unplugging the aerial, doing a full automatic retune which should clear the current tuning as no channels should be found. Plug the aerial back in and Manually tune each UHF channel.
Another possibility is interference from a new/upgraded mobile phone mast. Your postcode should have received cards from restoretv if you put your postcode into https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/ but we know some areas have not received them despite this information.
Your Quality and Signal Strength figures may help identify this possibility.
If you haven't already got a Free filter from them you should contact them.
Do you have any amp/splitter to feed more than one TV? Such a filter should go before the amp.
Post back your tuning information and we might be able to advise further.
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Tuesday, 14 November 2023
C
Chris.SE2:05 PM
Robert jones:
Mendip still appears to be having Engineering work despite not being on the list.
Several multiplexes appear to be on reduced power or the Reserve Antenna at time of posting.
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Thursday, 16 November 2023
C
Chris.SE12:50 PM
Now only ArqA seems on reduced power or the Reserve Antenna.
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Friday, 17 November 2023
T
The_Highwayman3:24 PM
I have lost Arq b, C36 (594.0MHz).
Zero strength bar and 0% quality.
C35 and C48 as well as the other multiplexes are all good.
First noticed Wednesday 15th November 2033, I have since telephoned 03456 50 50 50, the Who to contact for further support at Who to contact for further support | Freeview who claimed there are no reports of problems reported.
If you are missing this multiplex, Please DO report it on phone 03456 50 50 50 or it will never get fixed !
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C
Chris.SE6:53 PM
The_Highwayman:
Mendip appears to have been having engineering work continuing this week as more detailed in the 3 posts before yours (whatever Freeview advice have been saying!).
If you a re in Bristol, you are north of the transmitter and so I can say that ArqB/COM6 is currently transmitting and appears to be on normal power. I've made several checks this week and not observed any long periods of no signal or breaks but then I'm not monitoring all the time.
You mentioned in a previous post that only one of your receivers is "sensitive enough" to receive the Local mux! As I mentioned in my response to your previous post, you are either in a poor reception area, but again as you haven't given a full postcode I can't advise on that,
OR of course you have some issue with your aerial installation,
There is a 3rd possibility, and that is interference from a new/upgraded phone mast.
Have you had a postcard from RestoreTV, put your postcode into this page on their website to check
https://restoretv.uk/post…ure/
If the answer is YES, then you need a Free filter from them - it's more commonly known as a 5G / 700MHz filter.
If you post back with a full postcode, we may be able to give further advise.
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C
Chris.SE6:56 PM
The_Highwayman:
Forgot to add, did you retune when you had no signal? That's never advised as it usually just clears your correct tuning, you can't tune to a signal that is not there.
Try a MANUAL Retune of C36.
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Saturday, 18 November 2023
T
The_Highwayman2:07 AM
Arq b, C36 (594.0MHz) is back for me !
Thanks to anyone who made the requested telephone call.
Chris.SE: thanks for your advice. Yes, I do have weak Local MUX. I suspect it's a matter of a contract logarithmic aerial that gives medium / 48% strength & 100% quality on CH35; CH48 and now restored CH36.6.
Yes, I did retune. Manual on C36 returned same results of Zero strength bar and 0% quality. I didn't retune today, but noticed SID 12 'QUEST' worked just fine.
I appreciate the Free filter suggestion, even though No postcard - I already got one bought when 4G threatened, 800Mhz, so the 700Mhz for 5G will be welcome.
For reference purposes I am in Bristol, post code BS5 9 ... and that's all you get !
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C
Chris.SE3:48 AM
The_Highwayman:
I don't suppose anyone made a phone call as I'm sure they would have posted here had they read the post and were getting no ArqB signal. The fact is that ArqB (nor any other multiplex) had been off-air for any sustained period this week, there may have been very short breaks (seconds) when there's been switching to the Reserve Antenna or Reduced power which appears to have affected several multiplexes at times. It would be interesting to know what your reception of AyqA was like at this time.
Reception predictors don't work with partial postcodes, so you'll have to go and check yourself, all I can say is, that the general Locale will have many spots that will have poor reception from Mendip due to their general elevation being quite low and not having line-of-sight to Mendip and possible obstructions from other buildings etc. Transmitter operation on the Reserve Antenna will make matters worse, it being lower down the mast.
There will be many places in the Locale that apart from having clear line-of-sight to Ilchester Crescent also appear to do so for Kings Weston and Mendip!! However I'd suggest you check out the possibility of using Ilchester Crescent for more reliable reception (aerial rods vertical).
The area is of course full of mobile masts, even if you haven't had a postcard (plenty of cases where people haven't but should have) I'd be surprised if that check didn't claim a YES.
If you get the 700MHz Filter it will clobber 4G as well so you won't need both filters.
But you might also want to consider upgrading your aerial, maybe a high gain Group K log-periodic (eg. a BLA-LP56K). Whether that'll do may depend a bit on the gain of your current LP. Higher gain may be needed, but if Ilchester Crescent is an option then the BLA-LP28K or your existing LP may do.
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