Crosshaven DTT tests result in severe interference to TV deflector viewers

Antenna

The Crosshaven DTT tests that came on recently are resulting in severe interference to TV deflector viewers -

DTT channels being tested from Crosshaven (vertical) as follows:
Ch34 / 578MHz RTE PSB Mux
Ch46 / 674MHz Blank carriers
Ch52 / 722MHz Blank carriers
Ch56 / 754MHz Blank carriers


2 of the 4 above coincide with the channels of C4 and BBC2 of a deflector (Marlogue) covering areas around Cobh and Great Island, Midleton and eastside of Cork harbour!

The Ch46 blank carrier coincides with the BBC1 of a small deflector for the area south of Crosshaven

The channels that are just blank carriers are on 24 hours a day, so seriously bothering many viewers of these SCTV UHF deflectors in/around Cork harbour. People there might calm down a bit if the test channels causing QRM that are just blank carriers were switched off after 6PM (main TV viewing hours)?

mrdtv2010

Antenna wrote: »

The Crosshaven DTT tests that came on recently are resulting in severe interference to TV deflector viewers -

DTT channels being tested from Crosshaven (vertical) as follows:
Ch34 / 578MHz RTE PSB Mux
Ch46 / 674MHz Blank carriers
Ch52 / 722MHz Blank carriers
Ch56 / 754MHz Blank carriers


2 of the 4 above coincide with the channels of C4 and BBC2 of a deflector (Marlogue) covering areas around Cobh and Great Island, Midleton and eastside of Cork harbour!

The Ch46 blank carrier coincides with the BBC1 of a small deflector for the area south of Crosshaven

The channels that are just blank carriers are on 24 hours a day, so seriously bothering many viewers of these SCTV UHF deflectors in/around Cork harbour. People there might calm down a bit if the test channels causing QRM that are just blank carriers were switched off after 6PM (main TV viewing hours)?

Activities like this will just drive the deflector punters to Freesat/Sky: another case of RTENL shooting themselves firmly in the foot commercially. Sky will no doubt make a commercial move in this area exactly as they have in the UK at DSO in affected areas.

TheDriver

exactly, though maybe RTENL don't want the commercial side of DTT to work as they didn't get the contract and hence don't care about driving people to sky etc. Southcoast I presume has its days numbered anyways......

Rippy

As RTENL weren't bothered when they were causing interference to many customers in the Carrigaline area by transmitting tests from Dungarven on 55 and 59 (Crosshaven's analogue 1&2) they are hardly likely to be concerned taht they are interfering with SCTV.
As usual no communication or consultation from RTE NL with SCTV or aerial trade in affected region. If we knew what was going to happen and when it would be a lot easier to explain to many bewildered and disgruntled viewers.

mrdtv2010

Rippy wrote: »

As RTENL weren't bothered when they were causing interference to many customers in the Carrigaline area by transmitting tests from Dungarven on 55 and 59 (Crosshaven's analogue 1&2) they are hardly likely to be concerned taht they are interfering with SCTV.
As usual no communication or consultation from RTE NL with SCTV or aerial trade in affected region. If we knew what was going to happen and when it would be a lot easier to explain to many bewildered and disgruntled viewers.

I imagine Sky and enterprising Freesat installers will be making intensive leaflet drops in the area this weekend as the customers flee to satellite, effectively damaging Onevision's prospects further. You can be quite sure Sky and smart Freesat installers will act aggressively on RTENL's counterproductive actions... I would if I were them.

Mike 1972

Rippy wrote: »

As usual no communication or consultation from RTE NL with SCTV or aerial trade in affected region. If we knew what was going to happen and when it would be a lot easier to explain to many bewildered and disgruntled viewers.

Do the channels being used by RTE-NL coincide with any published frequency plans that SCTV would/should have been aware of ?

What is the point of radiating blank carriers which may well never be used for anything ?

What is the point in even spending money on equipment for anything other than the main PSB multiplex when theres no gurantee that anything else will ever come on air ?

STB

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Do the channels being used by RTE-NL coincide with any published frequency plans that SCTV would/should have been aware of ?

What is the point of radiating blank carriers which may well never be used for anything ?

What is the point in even spending money on equipment for anything other than the main PSB multiplex when theres no gurantee that anything else will ever come on air ?

Do SCTV even have a licence ? I though all these licences expired at the end of last year ?

In this day and age of FTA sat and DTT there is no need to pay for a deflector system anyway. The Deflector guys have known this since 2001 and have got an extra 9 years out of it (rather than the initial one year stay).

Mike 1972

STB wrote: »

Do SCTV even have a licence ? I though all these licences expired at the end of last year ?

Yes there was an extention announced late last November. Looks like the deflectors can legally stay on air (barring any DTT interference issues) until ASO.

STB wrote: »

The Deflector guys have known this since 2001 and have got an extra 9 years out of it (rather than the initial one year stay).

To be fair when the initial one year licences were announced it was thought that DTT would soon be up and running (It still isint officially) and there was always the possibility of the licences been extended.

Having said that I would conceed that Freesat and DTT make the deflector concept appear increacingly redundant. SCTV (and other groups) made a big mistake not exploring the possibility of UHF based digital deflectors.

L1011

SCTV operate a surreal DVB-S based MMDS system as their way forward/way out for when deflectors die.

pa990

i don't know anyone with sctv digital.
And i've only seen a handful and their mini/micro sat dish's up.

I honestly can't see how it can be profitable.

Having said that, i'm all for more competition in the digital tv market place

TheDriver

but SCTV is not competition but more a joke, don't think Sky even notice their presence to be honest. SCTV has gone from a massive strength to s bit of a sad joke. And most of us are piggybacking on their analog system which I presume no one pays for anymore becasue its not our main television receiving method....

Antenna

Update,

the Crosshaven DTT test channels were switched off sometime yesterday Monday, with reception of the deflectors mentioned above being back to normal for their viewers, (which for many had the affected channels being either completely obliterated, or a picture barely visible in a 'snowstorm'!)

danny004

Its a pity they went I was actually thinking of buying a tv with freesat and mpeg4 built in. Do we know if there are any plans to bring the tests back soon and why was there only a test card for TV3.