Digital Tv Reception

Da Ross

Hi all,

I have recently purchased a digital tv and tuned it in. Both my Irish and UK aerial's are three years old and my splitter/power supply too. I tuned in the tv to only recieve 4 Irish radio stations. My Parents live two miles away and have an older setup yet they get didital UK stations (BBC News/ Three/ Four). Can anyone please tell me why I might not be getting these digital stations as I have a better Analog Uk reception! We both have our aerial's pointed towards the mourne/ Cooley mountains. Thanks

John mac

has the tv got a mpeg4 receiver ? or is it mpeg 2

what make and model is it?

is it on this list?

watty

UK market Digital TV incompatible with MPEG4 used in nearly 20 countries inc Ireland.
But we don't even have a launched digital service and may not have one till 2010.

Da Ross

Thanks,

Its a Sony KDL-32S5500

Da Ross

I think it might be MPEG2

lucernarian

You might be getting your analogue UK from camlough or kilkeel.

Camlough if closer to Dundalk, Kilkeel if Louth/Meath/Dublin coast generally. No freeview available from them.

Can you tell me what channels the NI stations are tuned in on??

Rick_

If it's pointed towards the Mournes then you might be receiving analogue from the Newry relay which doesn't broadcast Freeview and won't until 2012/2013, and even then will be a limited selection of channels compared to the full service from the main transmitters. You might want to look into changign your set-up to receive Divis in Belfast if you want to try Freeview. Check with others in the area though to see what their coverage is like, not much point getting the aerials installed if the mountains are blocking your line of sight and you won't get anything.

Your TV won't get the Irish DTT channels unless it's MPEG-4 I don't think yours is going by the model number. It might tune the actual channels but all you will get is sound.

lucernarian

Newry South and Newry North don't broadcast at over 100W, I'd doubt anyone south of the border would use it. I don't think it's receivable either, compared to Camlough which is higher up.

Paddy C, he's already checked with his parents 2 miles away, and I doubt he'd have much of a desire to change 3 year old aerials.

The fact that there are 2 aerials makes me think he's already picking up Belfast for the NI channels.

Da Ross, can you tell me if you can pick up Channel 5 at all(tuned in on Ch 37) and if your parents can pick it up at all either?

Rick_

If he can tell us what the poarisation of the aerials are then it will make things a lot clearer. Knowing if the elements are horizontal or vertical should make it clear if he's receiving from a relay or a main transmitter, than it can be narrowed down by what CH numbers the channels appear on.

lucernarian

Well if he's using camlough, he would only be using the one aerial. I've also never seen an aerial install that used 2 different aerials for Clermont Carn and Kilkeel. Away from Carlingford/Greenore/Omagh. And they'd be pointing in totally different directions at that stage.

Basically, I'm 99.5% certain he's being served by Divis/CC.

Finne1993

Its very possible this could happen, my own set up is a group B Aerial diplexed with a group C/D, both in the attic, group B pulling in Analogue RTE1/RTE2 from Greenore and BBC/UTV/CH4 from Kilkeel and C/D pulling in analogue TV3/TG4 from Kippure and DTT tests (CH54) from Three Rock!
Lot of combinations there I know but every analogue station is perfect and I've 100% signal quality on DTT (occasionally drops to 90% but never below)

From time to time I'll get a message on screen saying new DVB services found and I'll take in the BBC's on CH25 from Caldbeck, signal does be low but considering the aerial is in the attic and its polarised the wrong way and its the wrong group for Caldbeck its no surprise so I'd assume the proper aerial mounted outside would pull it in no problem, apart from that I get no Freeview signal at all.

Today I was installing an aerial set up similar to my own in a house 3 miles away and came upon serious interference from the Newcastle tranmitter on CH 59 and 62 when I was looking for TV3/TG4, obviously the 3 miles made a huge difference, but I got it sorted anyway and got the DTT signal from Dublin no problem, when I went to scan on the TV it pulled in all sorts of Freeview signals from the C/D aerial, BBC, Five, Dave, Top Up TV etc so theres some transmitter blasting out a strong Freeview signal, I did'nt catch the exact frequencies, they were in the high 60's but Im going to try the set up outside my own house next week and I'll know more then. I'm guessing its from North Wales as the Aerial is pointing towards Dublin, either that or they've started broadcasting Freeview on some relays in the North.

Finne1993

Finne1993 wrote: »

BBC, Five, Dave, Top Up TV etc so theres some transmitter blasting out a strong Freeview signal, I did'nt catch the exact frequencies, they were in the high 60's but Im going to try the set up outside my own house next week and I'll know more then. I'm guessing its from North Wales as the Aerial is pointing towards Dublin, either that or they've started broadcasting Freeview on some relays in the North.

What BBC region was it?
That would tell you pretty quick.
Was channel 4 on number 8 or number 4 as with Wales transmitters S4C is on number 4 and ch4 is on 8.
If it's one of the IOM/NW England/SW scotland tx's then ch4 will be on 4 and the BBC one will say either just BBC one or BBC one Scotland.
You could also garner the english region by looking at the tv guide and see'ing what local news programme is on after the main 1pm or 6pm or 10pm news on BBC one.

Incidently,with the twins vertical and pointed to arfon we used get Border analogue here in high pressure weather conditions-not sure which tx.

lucernarian

Finne1993 wrote: »

Its very possible this could happen, my own set up is a group B Aerial diplexed with a group C/D, both in the attic, group B pulling in Analogue RTE1/RTE2 from Greenore and BBC/UTV/CH4 from Kilkeel and C/D pulling in analogue TV3/TG4 from Kippure and DTT tests (CH54) from Three Rock!
Lot of combinations there I know but every analogue station is perfect and I've 100% signal quality on DTT (occasionally drops to 90% but never below)

From time to time I'll get a message on screen saying new DVB services found and I'll take in the BBC's on CH25 from Caldbeck, signal does be low but considering the aerial is in the attic and its polarised the wrong way and its the wrong group for Caldbeck its no surprise so I'd assume the proper aerial mounted outside would pull it in no problem, apart from that I get no Freeview signal at all.

Today I was installing an aerial set up similar to my own in a house 3 miles away and came upon serious interference from the Newcastle tranmitter on CH 59 and 62 when I was looking for TV3/TG4, obviously the 3 miles made a huge difference, but I got it sorted anyway and got the DTT signal from Dublin no problem, when I went to scan on the TV it pulled in all sorts of Freeview signals from the C/D aerial, BBC, Five, Dave, Top Up TV etc so theres some transmitter blasting out a strong Freeview signal, I did'nt catch the exact frequencies, they were in the high 60's but Im going to try the set up outside my own house next week and I'll know more then. I'm guessing its from North Wales as the Aerial is pointing towards Dublin, either that or they've started broadcasting Freeview on some relays in the North.

Did you not read my post?? I said it was possible in the Carlingford/Greenore area!!:eek:

mrdtv

Finne1993 wrote: »

Its very possible this could happen, my own set up is a group B Aerial diplexed with a group C/D, both in the attic, group B pulling in Analogue RTE1/RTE2 from Greenore and BBC/UTV/CH4 from Kilkeel and C/D pulling in analogue TV3/TG4 from Kippure and DTT tests (CH54) from Three Rock!
Lot of combinations there I know but every analogue station is perfect and I've 100% signal quality on DTT (occasionally drops to 90% but never below)

From time to time I'll get a message on screen saying new DVB services found and I'll take in the BBC's on CH25 from Caldbeck, signal does be low but considering the aerial is in the attic and its polarised the wrong way and its the wrong group for Caldbeck its no surprise so I'd assume the proper aerial mounted outside would pull it in no problem, apart from that I get no Freeview signal at all.

Today I was installing an aerial set up similar to my own in a house 3 miles away and came upon serious interference from the Newcastle tranmitter on CH 59 and 62 when I was looking for TV3/TG4, obviously the 3 miles made a huge difference, but I got it sorted anyway and got the DTT signal from Dublin no problem, when I went to scan on the TV it pulled in all sorts of Freeview signals from the C/D aerial, BBC, Five, Dave, Top Up TV etc so theres some transmitter blasting out a strong Freeview signal, I did'nt catch the exact frequencies, they were in the high 60's but Im going to try the set up outside my own house next week and I'll know more then. I'm guessing its from North Wales as the Aerial is pointing towards Dublin, either that or they've started broadcasting Freeview on some relays in the North.

An outside test will be interesting with a wideband aerial: you will probably get Caldbeck. The other Freeview stations could be any of a) Douglas DSO now b) Winter Hill non-DSO till November 2009 and c) Moel-y-Parc which could regularly be received on the East Down coast. That's also being DSO'd in the autumn. Let us know what you get!

Digifriendly

mrdtv wrote: »

An outside test will be interesting with a wideband aerial: you will probably get Caldbeck. The other Freeview stations could be any of a) Douglas DSO now b) Winter Hill non-DSO till November 2009 and c) Moel-y-Parc which could regularly be received on the East Down coast. That's also being DSO'd in the autumn. Let us know what you get!

Out of interest the aerials in S. Down coast (as opposed to N. Down Ards Peninsula) pointing out to sea e.g. Kilkeel are they for Caldbeck or Moel-y-Parc or somewhere else?

mrdtv

Digifriendly wrote: »

Out of interest the aerials in S. Down coast (as opposed to N. Down Ards Peninsula) pointing out to sea e.g. Kilkeel are they for Caldbeck or Moel-y-Parc or somewhere else?

It depends: verticals will be for IOM repeaters eg Port St Mary, Caldbeck tends to be a bit trickier in S Down because IOM gets in way (although further south it can be received again), horizontals are for Winter Hill (this can be received also on the Ards Peninsula) and Moel-y-Parc. These are very high sites and Winter Hill is being DSO'd in November. DUK's postcode locator reports Winter Hill reception in Ards peninsula. If you know postcodes in Kilkeel area eg post offices or banks you can look at the trade view on the DUK web site. Certainly no IOM postcodes will be able to get Kilkeel according to that web site. NB no NI transposers radiating Freeview till 2012: they have to erect a new taller mast at Divis first.

mrdtv

mrdtv wrote: »

It depends: verticals will be for IOM repeaters eg Port St Mary, Caldbeck tends to be a bit trickier in S Down because IOM gets in way (although further south it can be received again), horizontals are for Winter Hill (this can be received also on the Ards Peninsula) and Moel-y-Parc. These are very high sites and Winter Hill is being DSO'd in November. DUK's postcode locator reports Winter Hill reception in Ards peninsula. If you know postcodes in Kilkeel area eg post offices or banks you can look at the trade view on the DUK web site. Certainly no IOM postcodes will be able to get Kilkeel according to that web site. NB no NI transposers radiating Freeview till 2012: they have to erect a new taller mast at Divis first.

CORRECTION: I should have said IOM postcodes WILL be able to get Kilkeel in 2012 (along the western side....) , which augurs well for the Louth/Meath/N Dublin 'catchment' area. Keyboard finger trouble...

Finne1993

To_be_confirmed wrote: »

Did you not read my post?? I said it was possible in the Carlingford/Greenore area!!:eek:

Sorry, obviously did'nt make myself clear! I was'nt refering to your post, I was replying to the OP and his query about not receiving Freeview at his own house and it being available at his parents. Of course I read your post but now you say it and I'm only guessing here, if you were on the Mid-South Louth coastline would you not pick up Kilkeel from there? And in that case both aerials would be pointing in the same direction.

Finne1993

Deleted User wrote: »

What BBC region was it?
That would tell you pretty quick.
Was channel 4 on number 8 or number 4 as with Wales transmitters S4C is on number 4 and ch4 is on 8.
If it's one of the IOM/NW England/SW scotland tx's then ch4 will be on 4 and the BBC one will say either just BBC one or BBC one Scotland.
You could also garner the english region by looking at the tv guide and see'ing what local news programme is on after the main 1pm or 6pm or 10pm news on BBC one.

Incidently,with the twins vertical and pointed to arfon we used get Border analogue here in high pressure weather conditions-not sure which tx.

I really have'nt a clue any exact details of it as i was in a rush yesterday but I don't recall seeing a region as in BBC Wales or Scotland or SC4, it just said BBC1. Its very interesting all the same I can't wait to get experimenting with it next week and see what i come up with, I'll post on Tues or Wed with the results

lucernarian

Finne1993 wrote: »

Sorry, obviously did'nt make myself clear! I was'nt refering to your post, I was replying to the OP and his query about not receiving Freeview at his own house and it being available at his parents. Of course I read your post but now you say it and I'm only guessing here, if you were on the Mid-South Louth coastline would you not pick up Kilkeel from there? And in that case both aerials would be pointing in the same direction.

No worries! You can indeed, people almost universally use a grid aerial to pick both up. I've seen ordinary 10 element contract aerials being used to pick them up aswell. Even a group B aerial would pick up the 4 channels from Clermont Carn no bother from that area. The transmitter would be in view.

Da Ross

Thanks everyone for your replies. I finally got my hands on a digital tv signal finder. I connected the aerial directly to the device and found that there was a digital signal on my uk aerial. However I have an antiference UBF1 unit on the aerial as there is interference on the Uk signal in the town due to a recently installed mast for the emergency services! There is no digital signal on the output side of the antiference unit. Can I purchase an alternative unit which will not filter out the digital signal?

lucernarian

That could be an Irish and not a Freeview signal that you're finding.