All posts by Chris.SE
Below are all of Chris.SE's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Ian Leslie Jackson:
His TV is probably not as recent as yours, and your problems may be specific to your model which you haven't stated (only that it's 6 months old which doesn't tell us which model). Not all Panasonics have the problem you have experienced!
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nick horrex:
No, a filter will be of no help there. Tropo can cause CCI and there's nothing you can do about that, but if there is other strong local interference present (eg. from a mobile mast !) that will just make matters worse as the wanted signals will have a poorer signal to noise ratio and become undecodable sooner.
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Annemarie woods:
I'm afraid that Arqiva (who are responsible for the majority of transmitters and the engineering work) never provide details of what the works entails or how long it will last, and it often can be weather dependent.
The Engineering list for Winter Hill states "Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels" which suggests the use of Reduced Power and/or use of the Reserve Antenna. This can ,mean that if your are in an area of marginal reception it can cause reception problems and even occasional loss of signal.
Do NOT retune, you can't tune to signals that aren't there or can't be decoded, the usual result is to clear your correct tuning, and sometimes maybe get tuned to weak signals from another transmitter which can disappear as the weather changes.
As you haven't given a full postcode, we can't comment on your predicted reception from Winter Hill (check you are correctly tuned to Winter Hill's UHF channels in your TV Tuning section)
In the multiplex order BBCA/PSB1, D3&4/PSB2, BBCB HD/PSB3, SDN/COM4, ArqA/COM5, ArqB/COM6, Winter Hill UHF channels are -
The main multiplexes are C32, C34, C35, C29, C31, C37
The Local ones are Local Manchester, Manchester GI on C24 & C27.
Liverpool Local mux on C21, Preston Local mux on C40.
If you hover over the C channel numbers, it should give you the frequency.should you need it.
From your comment, it sounds like reception may be marginal as signal conditions change with the onset of darkness.
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Clive Borg:
Hello, I assume from your post the you are referring to the BBC SD channels on LCNs 1,2, 9 & 23.
Did you also check BBC News and Parliament on 231 & 232 and any Radio 700-710 which I assume you would get as well?
You haven't said if your box can get the HD channels on LCNs 101-107, do you get them? Those are transmitted on a different multiplex PSB3/BBCB HD from the BBC SD channels on PSB1/BBCA
Your general area shouldn't have problems getting good signals from Waltham, I can't find any specific faults listed for Waltham. However as noted on the Waltham transmitter page, it is currently listed for Planned Engineering this week, I hope you were told that, and there could be "Pixelation or flickering on some or all channels" which could mean occasional loss of signal as well if your specific location gets a weaker signal but as you haven't given a full postcode we can't advise on that!
I hope that you didn't retune at any point when you had any loss of signal or bad pixelation/sound breakup - you cannot tune to signals that aren't there or can't be decoded, the usual result is to clear your correct tuning.
Check in your Tuning section that you are correctly tuned to Waltham -
In the order PSBs1/BBCA, PSB2/D3&4, PSB3/BBCB HD, COM4/SDN, COM5/ArqA, COM6/ArqB, Local -
the UHF channels for Waltham are C32, C34, C35, C29, C37, C31, & C41.
You may/may not get reliable reception of the Local multiplex as that is lower power and beamed towards the main urban areas of Nottingham and Peterborough/Spalding.
If your Tuner doesn't get the HD channels you can ignore C35.,
Also do other obvious checks, that your aerial is still pointing correctly, it should be around compass bearing 108 degrees that's almost ESE for your locale, with its rods (or squashed Xs) horizontal.
Check your coax connections are clean and free of corrosion or water and connected correctly, problems like that won't always affect all multiplexes.
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Sandra Johnson:
Has your sound returned? This could have been an issue only affecting 5USA at your transmitter (it's ok for me). Assume you get your signals from Pontop Pike which is predicted to give the best reception at your postcode although you can get signals from other transmitters.
If you still have a problem, do double check you are getting sound on all other Channel 5 channels (Ch.5 & +1, 5Action, 5Select, 5Star, 5HD). and If you have problems on any, your best bet would be to contact Channel 5. See https://help.channel5.com…ces-
Ring them up, tell them the problem, your postcode and you receive signals from Pontop Pike, can they get someone to check that there isn't a transmission issue.
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Mark:
Apart from the fact that you've posted on the DAB page rather than the Freeview page, there isn't any additional information over there - no reported faults, no Planned engineering.
The two channels you mention are on different multiplexes ArqA/COM5 and ArqB/COM6 so you should also be missing other TV channels on those multiplexes?
For which TV channels are carried on which multiplex, see -
Channel listings for Industry Professionals | Freeview
It was a mistake to retune - you cannot tune to signals that are not there or cannot be decoded (bad pixilation/sound breakup). The usual result is to clear your correct tuning.
IF you were correctly tuned do not retune in those circumstances, it doesn't matter if it's due to Engineering, Faults, Weather conditions or problem with your own installation.
Check you are correctly tuned to Knockmore's UHF channels which are C31, C37, C29, C33, C36 & C48 - that's in multiplex order PSBs1/BBCA, PSB2/D3&4, PSB3/BBCB HD, COM4/SDN, COM5/ArqA, COM6/ArqB
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Mark:
No problem. Glad you've got them back. FYI QAM64 is the transmission mode which is used by all the main SD multiplexes, it doesn't identify the multiplex which will be named with one of those mentioned in my previous post. The HD multiplex uses QAM256.
The trouble with faults that only affect a commercial multiplex is it's usually impossible to find any reports. When faults also affect BBC muxes, then the BBC usually issue a report!
Thanks for the reply.
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Tuesday 16 January 2024 5:15AM
paul :
The box ticking wasn't the issue, at certain times of day, it takes a while for posts to appear!!
I agree it would be more helpful is they published more detail, believe you me I've tried in the past to get more information pointing out that engineers also try and use the data, but it seems they think that we are too simple to have such complex information!! It's moderately obvious that "pixellation or flickering" means there'll be reduced power or use of the Reserve antenna but it would be handy to know which multiplexes might be affected! Hey ho, we have to make do.
Have you been in touch with https://restoretv.uk/cont…-us/
I think you need to hassle them for a filter as that mobile cell nearest you has EE operating 5G according to EE, so mobile interference is a strong possibility and your figures suggest that to me as well.
If you have an external masthead pre-amp, you need to tell them that as you'll need a proper waterproof external filter to be fitted prior to the amp, they'd send an engineer (free of charge) (if you can't do the job yourself).
If any amp/splitter for more than one TV is internal then the standard filter fitted on the input to the amp/splitter is what's needed. (Mind you, if that uses F-connectors instead of Coax, tell them that as well).